Elizabeth Projects (7th St, Elizabeth Ave, etc)

[uptownliving]

Here is a rendering of the Presbyterian Medical Office Building planned for the corner of 4th and Caswell. It will be 145 ft tall and about 280K sq ft

And here is a rendering of the planned Parking Deck for 3rd and Caswell. It will be 12 levels and have 2600 parking spaces.

You can see the site plan for the entire block here.

I had wondered what happened to this project since it was announced almost a year ago. Ends up it was so complicated they had to hire a consulting firm to bring together Presbyterian, Mercy Hospital, Myers Park, Elizabeth, and Grubb Properties to make sure all angles were considered. This project goes before the City Council for a Rezoning Public Hearing on Monday. City Staff has not put their stamp of approval on it yet...you can read their report here.

I like the look of the building...it uses more glass than the existing buildings on the site which I think is a good thing. I do wish they would do more at the pedestrian level. All of the buildings at this intersection are rather blank and harsh from the streetlevel pedestrian perspective.

Edited February 13, 2008 by uptownliving

[atlrvr]

There's only so much that can be done with a hospital building, but I do wish they'd get creative with the parking deck.....clad it with something, even if its just metal trellis and let some vines take over.

[dubone]

I'm glad they are actually tearing down some low density buildings and replacing them with very tight infill here. Their original plan seemed to be to just expand toward Queens, but this plan actually stays roughly in their existing areas with higher density, with the rest of the land saved for future use.

I agree that they should do something to shield the deck facade.

I wonder if they are using any of the current deck in the larger structure or if they are just leveling it and rebuilding from scratch.

[Raintree21]

Those look great. It adds much needed capacity to Presbyterian. I also heard that they were going to be expanding the main hospital as well so I suppose that will be coming before the Council before too long. I can't believe that CMC is not throwing a fit about their expansion and appealing it. Those two are always at each other's throats when it comes to expansion and competition. It is a shame that there can't be any ground level retail, especially with all of the MD offices and visiting patients/families that are already there and that will be added. The few places that are in the area already like Camilla's get slammed during the lunch hours. I understand though that it would be difficult to incorporate that into a hospital building.

[New Name]

How do these buildings stack up in height to the existing buildings? Am I correct in thinking these are 2x taller than everything else there?

[maratletter]

I can't believe that CMC is not throwing a fit about their expansion and appealing it. Those two are always at each other's throats when it comes to expansion and competition.

Things are not always as they seem. It could be that CMC's unexpected ambivalence towards Presbyterian's recently announced expansion plans may perhaps be explained by events and announcements to come in the somewhat near future. One does not complain very loudly about the expansion of a regulated competitor when one's own expansion plans could be much grander and historical. Also, it seems that a local developer may have within the last few weeks mailed unsolicited offers to purchase letters to some residents on Fountain View and Garden Terrace that state as follows: "_______ has been active in your neighborhood acquiring property for a future mixed use development. Should you have an interest, we would like to discuss the possible acquisition of your property at the above referenced address."

[Raintree21]

How do these buildings stack up in height to the existing buildings? Am I correct in thinking these are 2x taller than everything else there?

They are probably 2x taller than what is already there on those footprints but the rest of Presby's buildings are all about the same height, with the exception of Presby-Ortho. Presby-Main may appear to be shorter than it is cause some of the height is layered

[lukedog]

This may have been covered in here and I just couldn't find it...but what is going on with the big project on Hawthorne between Central and 9th street...It looks like a big office building or condo project. Forgive me if it has been covered already...Im sure it has...

[atlrvr]

This may have been covered in here and I just couldn't find it...but what is going on with the big project on Hawthorne between Central and 9th street...It looks like a big office building or condo project. Forgive me if it has been covered already...Im sure it has...

Refer to the Central Ave. thread....here is a link to a post with a rendering, and there is some further explanation from the developer in the following posts.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...st&p=919355

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On a different topic....the Burger King on Elizabeth is the next building slated for demolition. Hopefully it is an indication that the condo tower is inching closer, but its been hard to keep optimistic.

[atlrvr]

After reading comments on the Elizabeth Community blog, it seems the only plans for the Roy While Flowers building (and I'm assuming vacant undeveloped parcel) were revealed...nothing for the three restaurants across 7th.

The plan was for a 4 story buildings with 140 apartments and 5,000 sq. ft. of retail, with all parking behind (and I'm assuming in some sort of structure).

These are the renderings of what was presented.

I'll be honest. This is better than what I was expecting, and it looks like the material choice is of higher quality that some recent Chris Branch projects. That said, I'm surprised that they didn't go a more modern route. I honestly saw this block doing something funky. I assume they are trying to appease the neighbors, but I'm pretty bored by this. Given that the rezoning has been put on indefinite deferral, I think its safe to assume that what finally gets approved will be a far cry from these original concepts....

[atlrvr]

The city will likely be making the Elizabeth Ave area a Municipal Service District (just like Uptown, South End, and Univ. City). Boundaries will be 7th, Hawthorne/Queens, 3rd and 277, though it will swing over and pick up Met Midtown.

Anyone know what they will use the additional tax revenue for? Will the install custom signage, pavers, lighting?

[Raintree21]

Kinda reminds me of ski lodges out west.

[Spartan]

That looks good. It will certainly fit in with the neighborhood. I like that its mostly brick and it includes some street level retail.

[dubone]

That is great news. I bet they will also somewhat absorb it into Center City Partners to save operating costs like Southend. I wonder if they'll use some of the income to extend the Trade St Gold Rush into the district.

Usually it is just a modest budget that they'll likely use for better signage and some planned festival or something.

The great aspect as that there will likely be more momentum for improving the planning within the urban zone just like it has meant for SouthEnd and to a degree University City. I'd like to see this help support corrective rezonings to prevent the experience with the fast food places.

[Andyc545]

Yeah I'm excited about this. I'm really hoping for some distinguished street signs and traffic lights, as well as something special with sidewalks and pedestrian orientation.

[dubone]

They will have to end up being more precise about naming. They obviously excluded Cherry by those boundaries, but only included a small part of Elizabeth, so they might not be able to use that name and avoid confusion. I wonder if they will opt to name the whole area Midtown. It does help distinguish it from the historic residential neighborhood of Elizabeth. It can then have some of the same type of situation as SouthEnd, where it is historically part of Dilworth and forever linked to that neighborhood, but given its own name that differentiates it from the traditional neighborhood section of the neighborhood.

I sort of like that the area is nebulous, but I think a Midtown moniker would help to define the area and help it grow and receive more unified planning and development.

[wharkins]

The Burger King was demolished this morning!

[voyager12]

Very good news. Never thought that was going to happen. It looks like the noodle house site is moving forward too.

[uptownliving]

The Burger King was demolished this morning!

The old gas station on the corner of Elizabeth and Hawthorne should not be too far behind. The Demo permits for it have been approved.

[DAC]

With the demolitions and Grubb's recent advertising in the Elizabeth Community Newsletter, do folks have a better idea of when/what they will be putting up? Is the movie theater still on? What about the supermarket? I heard that Fresh Market was looking good.

[uptownliving]

This building on Elizabeth Ave. is about to get demoed.

It's gone I walked by tonight and it is just a graded gravel lot. You would have no idea that anything existed on the site except for the walkway that used to lead to the front door from the sidewalk.

This house wasn't historic but its one I wish could have been moved rather than demoed. Grubb better have some damn good plans to make up for this.

I also noticed that the old gas station on the Hawthorne/Elizabeth corner is roped off...so demo is probably just days away.

[ontap]

It's gone I walked by tonight and it is just a graded gravel lot. You would have no idea that anything existed on the site except for the walkway that used to lead to the front door from the sidewalk.

This house wasn't historic but its one I wish could have been moved rather than demoed. Grubb better have some damn good plans to make up for this.

I also noticed that the old gas station on the Hawthorne/Elizabeth corner is roped off...so demo is probably just days away.

I just hope that Grubb begins construction immediately and isn't just creating and sitting on vast wastelands like Levine.

[Andyc545]

Noooooo!!!! I loved that building, and I loved it in it's originial plans where it was like an old meets new design for the area. Shame, shame. I thought that house was historic, anyway.

[Charlotte_native]

I just hope that Grubb begins construction immediately and isn't just creating and sitting on vast wastelands like Levine.

If you are talking about this site in particular I agree, otherwise Grubb has already done this with the area.

[wharkins]

The BP was demolished yesterday!