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

[ah59396]

The central part of the city is going to need a new high school though. It kind of needs to if it wants to keep families in neighborhoods like Plaza Midwood, NoDa, and Wesley Heights. People in those neighborhoods aren't going to want to send their kids to West Charlotte or Garinger.

 

I know the city closed Hawthorne High this past year and invested a lot into turning it into a magnet school, so maybe that will eventually be a second solid HS option, but I'm not convinced of that.

 

Thank you.  I'm not saying they need to start construction tomorrow.  But they are going to need one eventually, and uptown outside of 2nd Ward seems like a non-starter.  Elizabeth ave area seems like a good place to start exploring.  Or could they build off the old Central High that archiham04 mentioned?  I'd love to see that sucker restored.

[Guest]

The central part of the city is going to need a new high school though. It kind of needs to if it wants to keep families in neighborhoods like Plaza Midwood, NoDa, and Wesley Heights. People in those neighborhoods aren't going to want to send their kids to West Charlotte or Garinger.

 

I know the city closed Hawthorne High this past year and invested a lot into turning it into a magnet school, so maybe that will eventually be a second solid HS option, but I'm not convinced of that.

 

 

Thank you.  I'm not saying they need to start construction tomorrow.  But they are going to need one eventually, and uptown outside of 2nd Ward seems like a non-starter.  Elizabeth ave area seems like a good place to start exploring.  Or could they build off the old Central High that archiham04 mentioned?  I'd love to see that sucker restored.

LOL you are looking at the building in its restored version in his picture. Its now a CPCC building, so theres no chance at it being a high school again.

[ah59396]

The central part of the city is going to need a new high school though. It kind of needs to if it wants to keep families in neighborhoods like Plaza Midwood, NoDa, and Wesley Heights. People in those neighborhoods aren't going to want to send their kids to West Charlotte or Garinger.

 

I know the city closed Hawthorne High this past year and invested a lot into turning it into a magnet school, so maybe that will eventually be a second solid HS option, but I'm not convinced of that.

 

 

Thank you.  I'm not saying they need to start construction tomorrow.  But they are going to need one eventually, and uptown outside of 2nd Ward seems like a non-starter.  Elizabeth ave area seems like a good place to start exploring.  Or could they build off the old Central High that archiham04 mentioned?  I'd love to see that sucker restored.

LOL you are looking at the building in its restored version in his picture. Its now a CPCC building, so theres no chance at it being a high school again.

 

Yuck, never mind then.

[Spartan]

Why not restore the old high school? The logistics of it being a CPCC facility are purely bureaucratic. CMS will probably present the more challenges in trying to locate a high school in the center city area than figuring out how to use the old building. CPCC can build a new building nearby with less space requirements than a new high school, and sell the old high school back to the County. 

 

[pgsinger]

I am pretty sure all of Midwood was reassigned to Hawthorne High over a year ago.  Hawthorne High is the one on Hawthorne north of Central though.  It is a magnet school, if I remember correctly.

[archiham04]

the Midwood-Hawthorne "alternative school" moved two years ago,  and is not moving back in.  That high school is being phased out from what i understand.  The Hawthorne campus was shut down for renovations last year and will be reopening this fall as a health science magnet high school.

[Midwoodian]

Noticed a "Sold" sign on the For Sale sign of the property on the northwest/north corner of Clement and 7th (this is across Clement from the new apartments going in on 7th).  Any of you all heard rumors as to what might be going in here?  The Craftsman style home there appears to be in pretty poor shape...

[Crown]

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2015/10/faison-withdraws-jackalope-jacks-rezoning-makes.html

Faison Enterprises has withdrawn a rezoning request for a 1.7-acre site in Elizabeth that’s home to bar and restaurant Jackalope Jacks and the former Philosopher’s Stone Tavern building, but the Charlotte real estate firm is moving forward with plans for a project featuring apartments and retail space on a 9-acre industrial property on North Davidson Street that was rezoned last month, according to real estate records.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Crown

[archiham04]

I would suspect this is simply being done to refile under the recently enacted "no-supermajority requirement in response to protest" rule.

[Midwoodian]

The office building directly behind Philosopher's Stone on Caswell has fencing around it and a sign up with renderings.  Either the current building will be razed or rehabbed?  Anyone know?

[Spartan]

I would suspect this is simply being done to refile under the recently enacted "no-supermajority requirement in response to protest" rule.

Bingo.

[rjp212]

I would suspect this is simply being done to refile under the recently enacted "no-supermajority requirement in response to protest" rule.

Officially resubmitted.

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2016/001-016/2016-015 site plan.pdf

 

[nonillogical]

Officially resubmitted.

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2016/001-016/2016-015 site plan.pdf

 

I'm a little torn on this. I loved Philosopher's Stone, it was one of my favorite bars in the city. I haven't been, but like that its a dog bar now. Jackalope Jacks is nothing too terribly special, but is a nice neighborhood hangout. I am sad to see either go. 

However this new plan doubles the retail to 30,000 sqft, and the site plan looks legitimately nice. Notice no planting strips! It seems like one of the better node retail proposals we've seen recently, and would make for a more urban corner, I just hate that its at the expense of a couple of places with a lot of character. 

[SgtCampsalot]

It seems like one of the better node retail proposals we've seen recently, and would make for a more urban corner, I just hate that its at the expense of a couple of places with a lot of character. 

This right here. The irony is that I feel like it will possibly make it a FAR more enjoyable intersection to walk around and hang out at.

[CLTProductions]

Yeah I am all for this now. Big win

[nonillogical]

I hastily misread the site plan. There IS a planting strip. Lame but maybe understandable here given the traffic 7th sees at certain times of day. Still would have been nice to at least nix it from Caswell. 

[SgtCampsalot]

Yeah that intersection may not be the worst in the city, but it's pretty dang rough. Any additional green space or surface for humans to walk on, the better.

[Spartan]

I hastily misread the site plan. There IS a planting strip. Lame but maybe understandable here given the traffic 7th sees at certain times of day. Still would have been nice to at least nix it from Caswell. 

I see a lot of complaining about planting strips on this board. One thing to keep in mind is that a "planting strip" doesn't have to be a suburban grass strip with trees. It can also be hardscape with tree wells and benches, etc. and either way the extra space provides separation from traffic - which is the most important part.

 

[nonillogical]

 

I see a lot of complaining about planting strips on this board. One thing to keep in mind is that a "planting strip" doesn't have to be a suburban grass strip with trees. It can also be hardscape with tree wells and benches, etc. and either way the extra space provides separation from traffic - which is the most important part.

 

Yeah I'm not universally against them, and in this scenario I definitely understand, though I was ready to praise their guts when I thought they were not putting them in. But you have to admit the city tends to put the typical grass strip in a LOT of places where they do not make sense and lend a sense of suburbanism to an urban environment. 

[11 HouseBZ]

And grass can always be replaced with pavers/bricks/concrete. The fact that they allot the footage on the side of the roads is most important. 

[SgtCampsalot]

And grass can always be replaced with pavers/bricks/concrete. The fact that they allot the footage on the side of the roads is most important. 

Yeah, the way I see it, it's indeed pretty important to contribute to the urban canopy (any other kind of plant that doesn't contribute to the canopy is nigh pointless), but it's also pretty important to be prepared for the future of potential: 1) parking spots, 2) parklets/benches, 3) space for any damn thing.

A prudently-made planter strip can allow space for businesses to create more episodes of interest, and space for people, which is the ultimate goal.

Now, pointless-as-hell planters that are made as a token on a stroad or strip mall? Yes, the worst for sure.

Edited October 31, 2015 by SgtCampsalot

[Spartan]

Yeah I'm not universally against them, and in this scenario I definitely understand, though I was ready to praise their guts when I thought they were not putting them in. But you have to admit the city tends to put the typical grass strip in a LOT of places where they do not make sense and lend a sense of suburbanism to an urban environment. 

Yes, I agree 100% - I guess my nuance is that the space is good as long as it's not grass. My favorite example of this is at The Vue at 5th & Pine. The grass was so impractical that they replaced it with river rocks.

And grass can always be replaced with pavers/bricks/concrete. The fact that they allot the footage on the side of the roads is most important. 

If it's flat, then yes. Again, 5th & Pine is the worst case example of this. You have a large building with street retail and the sidewalk already feels cramped, but due to the slope of the planting strip area and the location of the doors it's virtually impossible to pave it over without a lot of engineering to build a retaining wall. (Streetview)

[CoffeeSamurai]

I snapped this last week. Corner of 4th and Hawthorn/Queens. They put up that construction style/temp fencing around the lot. I don't recall there being any trespassing issues, so maybe some work is about to begin?

[sakami]

Any insight/update on Grubb's Elizabeth Ave project? Feels like it's been a while since they (re)announced the plans with no news or indication of imminent work .

[Deleted.]

1 hour ago, sakami said:

Any insight/update on Grubb's Elizabeth Ave project? Feels like it's been a while since they (re)announced the plans with no news or indication of imminent work .

I'm curious whether is just the N. Torrence St to Travis Ave (as shown on the up development map) or from N. Torrence to Hawthorne, behind and opposite Earls (as shown on the streetcar Phase 2 maps).