Federal Courthouse

[Rickydavisfan21]

the two-year federal moratorium on courthouse-construction projects has finally been lifted, allowing for charlottes new fed courthouse to finally get started on design work and for queens to begin their process of aquiring the old fed courthouse. Hopefully this doesn't have a thread

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte...ml?surround=lfn

here is the observer article also

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/14656792.htm

[atlrvr]

Here is a link to the architect's website.

http://www.tuck-hinton.com/

They have some interesting stuff, and some "blah" stuff. Hopefully the GSA will continue to support innovative designs. I believe they still require all new courthouse facilities to be LEED certified.

I'm really excited about this project because it will go a long way in establishing continuous urban development along E. Trade. Ideally, they will include the new central post office in the building on the 5th St. side, but I'm not holding my breath.

[turbocraig]

I wonder how much court can be built for 80 million 2008 dollars. Anyone know how much the new Meck County courthouse cost?

[SmellyCat]

"A Nashville, Tenn., architect already has been selected, though final designs aren't expected until 2008. Construction isn't expected to be completed until 2011 at the earliest."

Yikes! Sounds like an awful long timeline.

[Rickydavisfan21]

I believe Tuck Hilton is the firm that designed the country music hall of fame, correct me if I'm wrong, but I like their stuff, some may not be too exciting but I do like their work.

[monsoon]

I'm really excited about this project because it will go a long way in establishing continuous urban development along E. Trade. Ideally, they will include the new central post office in the building on the 5th St. side, but I'm not holding my breath.

Unfortunately, government buildings have the habit of being deadly to streetlife. If they could do something that had a lot of retail in it, that would be nice, but I am afraid that we will get another monumental building which is mostly what makes up E. Trade which is why its mostly an avenue for vehicles.

A much better approach would be an avenue of street level retail that ran from the square to CPCC. That is what would be exciting.

[atlrvr]

Yikes! Sounds like an awful long timeline.

True, but I'm actually to relieved to see that date was the date released 2 years ago before the moratorium....I was scared that it was going to be pushed out much farther than that, in which case Queens probably would have scrapped their plans for the existing courthouse and found a different site.

[Rickydavisfan21]

I'm really excited about this project because it will go a long way in establishing continuous urban development along E. Trade. Ideally, they will include the new central post office in the building on the 5th St. side, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm not sure how much I agree with this Atlrvr, just like the new courthouse on mcdowell, and the government center, and various other government and civic related facilities, a building of this type can sometimes create a very stagnant area as far as activity goes, I don't quite see how a federal courthouse can spur much urban development, but the central post office connection would be a great idea, but doesn't sound plausible with the $80 million price tag.

[49er]

This really isnt an ideal location, being next to the new arena. It will be nothing but (hopefully) a pretty building with blank street walls. More of just what downtown doesnt need. Correct me if Im wrong, but I dont believe retail is incorporated into fed courthouses for security reasons.

[dubone]

This is great news, as it removes an unsightly gravel surface parking lot on East Trade. I agree with Metro that it could easily be a bad urban building at street level. Hopefully they'll include either retail or a new central post office along the street. This is also great as it gets Queen's U uptown, with a renovation of the old 1920's courthouse on West Trade.

[Rickydavisfan21]

I think the addition of Queens U is the best feature of this property swap, because unlike the fed courthouse the Queens U will actually bring people downtown that will go other places, generally I would think people who go to the fed courthouse would stay at the fed courthouse and then go home. + college buildings always have some sort of retail, the CPCC buildings do for the most part

[dubone]

For those interested in older discussion when the Queen's/Fed landswap was proposed:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15084

[Miesian Corners]

So I guess the Clinton Adminstration's "bringing world-class architecture" back to government is officially over. Glad to hear we're finally going to have a new federal building, though. One more gravel lot gone!

[eastsider]

This really isnt an ideal location, being next to the new arena. It will be nothing but (hopefully) a pretty building with blank street walls. More of just what downtown doesnt need. Correct me if Im wrong, but I dont believe retail is incorporated into fed courthouses for security reasons.

I think your right, but not positive about the retail. I do know that since Oklahoma City, guidelines have been put in place that requires large setbacks from the street, so that will pretty much kill off interaction anyway.

[Unifour]

Even if the building is set back, it can still be a good addition to the cityscape. I don't think every single structure should or needs to contain street level retail, business, etc.. Hopefully it will help Charlotte improve it's core, even if it's in a small way.

[Rickydavisfan21]

So I guess the Clinton Adminstration's "bringing world-class architecture" back to government is officially over. Glad to hear we're finally going to have a new federal building, though. One more gravel lot gone!

Why do you make this comment?

Nobody has said anything about this not being great architecture, or even the prospect of it being bad architecture, this is a reputable architecture firm with some great projects in their portfolio why wouldn't this be great? I for one, while not thrilled about the street level aspect, am very excited as a whole, in regards to architecture, and planning, two years of planning shouldn't yield something terrible. Not to mention, we haven't seen even a glimpse of a rendering, siteplan, zoning, or anything

[atlrvr]

In today's paper, it was stated that it will be 330,000 sq. ft. For comparison, the new Meck Courthouse is about 550,00.

It also said that it would be located at Trade and Davidson, I wonder if that means it will be oriented to that corner of the block? Otherwise, I would have said at Trade and Caldwell if referring to the block in general, but I could be reading too much into it.

[dubone]

I think you are reading too much into it. There are 2 other corners of Trade and Caldwell that have undeveloped land. So "Trade and Davidson" is more helpful in describing which lot will become the courthouse. The land swap involved the whole block, so the architects can put it in the middle, or at any and all corners.

330,000 square feet on an entire city block will either be a midrise or a tall building in the middle of an huge plaza/park. I could like either one if it is done well. I just hope they don't look to the Federal Reserve building for any inspiration. Other than using quality materials, that building is not that great.