Charlotte's Light Rail: Lynx Blue Line

[grodney]

I know it's early, but how will one get from the 25th St station to NoDa/Birdsong? This is important!

[ah59396]

I know it's early, but how will one get from the 25th St station to NoDa/Birdsong? This is important!

Probably the most important thing.

[southslider]

I know it's early, but how will one get from the 25th St station to NoDa/Birdsong? This is important!

Very important, indeed. But unfortunately, the 25th Street extension between North Davidson and Brevard Streets was one of the many projects funded by the City's proposed Capital Investment Plan. In other words, this critical connection may now be lost as a consequence of the Council and Mayor failing to forward a CIP package to voters this November.

[dubone]

There are a host of connectivity issues that the CIP needed to solve to leverage the investment in rail into transit oriented development and quality of life improvements for existing residents. I suspect that the pedestrian crossing at 25th could be added by private development or the city as a quick and easy standalone project if the non-streetcar CIP does not pass, but it seems to me that the city council will act on at least the BLE-supportive projects at some point before opening in 2017.

That CO editorial is very good. Somehow, people take the ultra short view when it comes to investments in infrastructure unless they are personally affected. It is a very good thing for me in Charlotte that my federal income taxes are going to build the 2nd Ave Subway line just as much as to go the BLE, yet things would have been better if my grandfather's income taxes had gone to build it when it was proposed.

At least this city went for something big with the BLE and made it happen. At one point they were planning only to extend it incrementally (first only to NoDa), but they decided to go big as the answer to the success of the first line. In the end, it will pay dividends in terms of development in the 2020s. But also in the century long view as the article suggests. Just like the Blue line, the arena, and other smart investments, they will seem like no brainers within a decade, but indispensable in the longer run.

[HopHead]

I know it's early, but how will one get from the 25th St station to NoDa/Birdsong? This is important!

I'm sure we can round up all the craft brew enthusiasts likes ourselves and build a bridge if we have to for 25th street

[grodney]

Aerial photos make it look like there is a ped bridge across the creek at 25th St (or is that a pipeline?). Of course if it's a bridge, I have no idea what condition it is in, and both sides of the creek are pretty sketchy on 25th right now. Anyway, thanks for the info on the CIP and whatnot.

[dubone]

It is such a charming part of town right now.

This is a very very obvious area for redevelopment, so the city would be wise to revive the CIP, which would designate the extension of the LSCG along the creek here north of Cordelia Park and add a bridge at 25th. Much of the trucking-related land uses along Brevard will be obsolete when the intermodal yards open at the airport, and the parcels are concentrated with just a couple of owners. The area already has some serious neighborhood supporting retailers (Amelies, Birdsong, etc.), to help drive demand for apartment/condo development. It also has some cool old industrial buildings that can readily be transformed into retail or entertainment establishments once the major industrial groups relocate. Plus, with a little height, buildings in this area will have an excellent skyline view.

CIP or no CIP, this will clearly be an area of focus for development, as the land is cheaper than around 36th and there is not a lot of room for larger projects anymore in the heart of NoDa.

[orulz]

Hopefully a Sugar Creek Road overpass can maintain most of the connectivity in the area. When NCDOT does these sort of things they sometimes tend to eviscerate the local streets.

[Sabaidee]

Hopefully a Sugar Creek Road overpass can maintain most of the connectivity in the area. When NCDOT does these sort of things they sometimes tend to eviscerate the local streets.

Isn't Davidson Street going to be realigned with Redwood Ave with a new signaled intersection? That would help with connectivity.

[southslider]

^Yes, and Davidson should finally have a signal on Sugar Creek Road, where re-aligned with Redwood.

[kermit]

Don't forget that Craighead will be closed and Philemon will be extended to 36th st (all on the N side of the tracks)?

Pending ACWR and street realignment I think the warehouse area of Davidson N of Craighead has Huge redevelopment potential. The Sugar Creek station and park and ride really needs good ped connections across the tracks -- this may be difficult given elevations of LRT and NCRR.

Edited October 17, 2012 by kermit

[southslider]

^Unfortunately, the unfunded relocation of AC&W won't happen until well after the opening of BLE. As a result, this area of warehouses on the edge of NoDa will face that huge uncertainty, despite being ripe for redevelopment.

[New Name]

I was planning to ask about the ACW tonight at the planning meeting.

How is it possible to keep the AWC operative with the LYNX in the way @ 35th St? The AWC would have to cross over the LYNX tracks to get to the freight tracks....

[kermit]

I had thought the ACWR money was part of the ARRA funds? Those projects must be completed by 2017.

[New Name]

I have been corrected: the AWCR does not need to move to accommodate the BLE - and is currently unfunded and open ended. Apparently the BLE crosses the NCRR before the AWC splits from it (this happens inside the intermodal yards) - and the BLE will is on the "right side" of the NCRR at this point.

[HopHead]

The Escapists: Did you attend the meeting last night? How was it? Any details worth sharing aside from what you pointed out above?

[New Name]

Yes, i went. It was overwhelming - a packed room making the charrettes pretty tough. Planning is in a tough spot with this one because there are just as many professionals in the crowd as there are looky-loos. So they have to spend a long time explaining what "massing" and "density" mean... when some of us are just waiting to have a collaborate session - and with that many people - it's quite tough to be heard fully.

Overheard (but don't quote me on this): Property acquisition has already begun and will continue in earnest on a case by case basis. There will be NO wholesale rezoning along this line (as was the case I believe on the South portion). Parcels will need to be rezoned individually. Specifically to me, we're looking at spring of '14 for earth to start moving in NoDa - and I'm told the crossing at 36th Street will be closed for 22 months. Craighead will not close until 36th is complete.

That's all I can think of for right now...

Edited October 19, 2012 by The Escapists

[ah59396]

The bakery on N. Tryon across from UNCC is going to be demolished as a result of the median widening. They were just on the news. They are not happy. At all.

[tozmervo]

Must be where the JW Clay park and ride/garage is going. I hate that for them, but I would guess they have another good couple of years before they have to vacate. should be plenty of time to work with the city to relocate.

[TotalLamer]

The bakery on N. Tryon across from UNCC is going to be demolished as a result of the median widening. They were just on the news. They are not happy. At all.

[Niner National]

The bakery on N. Tryon across from UNCC is going to be demolished as a result of the median widening. They were just on the news. They are not happy. At all.

That's a shame actually. I guess that means the chinese restaurant attached to it will be going out of business too, but I don't see that one as a big loss.

The bakery just moved to that location a few years ago for better visibility. Before that they were down in the shopping center with The Flying Saucer.

I wonder where they'll move now.

Edit: just saw the article about this: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/business-owner-frustrated-plans-light-rail-extensi/nSgyW/

Seems they'll stay in the area. I hate that they're going to make this area a parking deck. With a free parking deck so close to campus, I bet the school will see less students sign up for parking passes. From there you could simply walk to campus. I imagine they'll also be a lot of students that chance it and just hop on the light rail without paying for transportation between the last two stations.

Edited October 19, 2012 by rworkman09

[Norm2]

Yes, i went. It was overwhelming - a packed room making the charrettes pretty tough. Planning is in a tough spot with this one because there are just as many professionals in the crowd as there are looky-loos. So they have to spend a long time explaining what "massing" and "density" mean... when some of us are just waiting to have a collaborate session - and with that many people - it's quite tough to be heard fully.

Overheard (but don't quote me on this): Property acquisition has already begun and will continue in earnest on a case by case basis. There will be NO wholesale rezoning along this line (as was the case I believe on the South portion). Parcels will need to be rezoned individually. Specifically to me, we're looking at spring of '14 for earth to start moving in NoDa - and I'm told the crossing at 36th Street will be closed for 22 months. Craighead will not close until 36th is complete.

That's all I can think of for right now...

Why will rezoning be on a case by case basis instead of just rezoning land like they did in South End?

[Urbanity]

Overheard (but don't quote me on this): Property acquisition has already begun and will continue in earnest on a case by case basis.

They already seemed to have secured the property on my complex (which is almost accross from where the BLE will turn onto UNCC land. Almost the entire buffer area between the sidewalk and the property parking lots (45 feet?) has been marked off with little stakes in the ground.

[AuLukey]

They already seemed to have secured the property on my complex (which is almost accross from where the BLE will turn onto UNCC land. Almost the entire buffer area between the sidewalk and the property parking lots (45 feet?) has been marked off with little stakes in the ground.

Are you in CG Mallard Lake or Ashford Green? I hadn't heard about any acquisitions in Mallard Lake. Are they going to be tearing down any of the the buildings on that end of either complex? I'm sure I'll be long gone by the time it occurs, but it would be interesting to know.

This could be a chance for CATS to finally build a responsible deck. Being literally right across the street from the Research Institute and the new football stadium, this would be a perfect place for a retail based deck with, gasp, streetfront entrances. It's almost as if the new Starbucks/Chipotle that was just opened across from CRI was built with spacing in mind for the BLE. At first I was irritated that they didn't build it in the new vision of UCity with street front entrances along Tryon, but then remembered that the median, road, and any streetscape improvements will be pushing their doors closer to the sidewalks. Fingers crossed that this deck doesn't completely demolish the vision of North Tryon becoming pedestrian oriented in the future. This is North Tryon's last chance to turn its image around. CATS better not blow it.

I could actually see Nona's being able to move into the old McAlisters or Stool Pigeons spaces. They are both larger than their current location and are not far away

Edited October 22, 2012 by AuLukey

[Urbanity]

Ashford Green where The Saucer is within stumbling distance!

Shouldn't need to tear down anything as the there is a substantial buffer zone between North Tryon and just the parking lots before you get to the building.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Urbanity