Misc. Uptown Projects/News

[tozmervo]

It looks like Queens will be taking over the Federal Courthouse on W. Trade as a classroom building when a new Federal Courthouse is built (somewhere?) on E. Trade in 2013.

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/queen_city_agenda/2011/11

[New Name]

I believe the Fed Court House is to be built on the 500blk of Trade @ Caldwell where there is currently a surface parking lot.

[Guest]

I believe the Fed Court House is to be built on the 500blk of Trade @ Caldwell where there is currently a surface parking lot.

I am actually very excited about the federal court house, this will be a great addition to the area and will help bridge the gap between government district and the arena... It also will be done by a pretty great architecture firm, Tuck Hilton.

http://tuck-hinton.c...c-architecture/

Only thing I don't like is that they didn't use a Queen City Architect...

Edited November 29, 2011 by Guest

[kermit]

A solid new building, one less surface lot AND more university activity uptown. Very nice!

[tozmervo]

Only thing I don't like is that they didn't use a Queen City Architect...

hah, no doubt. Tuck Hinton does have an excellent track record, though. I look forward to seeing what this project comes to.

Given the program - a Federal Courthouse - I'm not counting on much of anything to generate/encourage street activity like storefront space. Security requirements would be insane for a building like this.

I would bet the most we can hope for is an attractive streetscape with a lot of bollards, which of course would be an improvement over the surface lot. If there's a parking deck element we might get some storefront there, not unlike the county courthouse parking deck at Trade & McDowell.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

According to the GSO this is a $126 million project. So it's probably going to be a rather substantial building

http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/pbs/BIM_FY_2012-2016.pdf

[Guest]

Oh yea, most new fed courthouses are huge, anywhere from 12-20 floors. This actually might be our best opportunity for a skyscraper in the next 5 years...

St. Louis' Fed

Cleveland's

Brooklyn's Federal Courthouse

Edited November 30, 2011 by Guest

[nonillogical]

I forgot to mention that the new Foundation for the Carolinas is now open in the Montaldo's building formerly occupied by the Mint Craft Museum on North Tryon. The building was extensively renovated and a top floor event terrace along the Hearst plaza was added, which has a 'living wall' by botanist/sculptor Patrick Blanc. There was already a terrace fronting Tryon, and both are really awesome spaces. The first floor has the Sonia and Isaac Luski gallery, which is free. It's a lot of glass sculpture but there's also a couple of Chuck Closes and a Warhol in there. I got to work on some elements of the interior and it was a pleasure to be involved with a building that turned out so great.

Observer gallery: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/01/2819017/foundation-for-the-carolinas-new.html#storylink=misearch

[tozmervo]

Good find! I'm glad to see one of these green walls in Charlotte now. Hopefully this will spur more of them. I'll have to take a lunch nearby to swing in and check out the gallery.

[Urbanity]

CBJ reporting that the Charlotte School of Law is planning a move to Center City.

From the article:

Charlotte School of Law is exploring a relocation to center city and is seeking up to 150,000 square feet of office space initially, with plans to grow to 300,000 square feet over the next few years.

Love that the center of the city is becoming a a beacon for higher education and post graduate professional centers.

Later in the article, the Transamerica building is mentioned as it has enough space, will offer a naming opportunity for the school and offers the school room to grow.

Edited December 9, 2011 by Urbanity

[Niner National]

The TransAmerica building is relatively close to the UNC Charlotte Uptown building, which will work great for the new MBA/Law Degree partnership the two schools created a couple months ago.

[Rufus]

What are the chances that this move may signal UNC Charlotte taking over Charlotte School of Law and combining it with its graduate degree campus already uptown? From what I gauge, UNCC wants to establish a professional degree program in law, but when the Charlotte School opened, it sort of derailed those plans...so maybe this a way of combining efforts (not just with joint degree programs) in hopes of gaining more breadth in educational opportunities.

[Niner National]

What are the chances that this move may signal UNC Charlotte taking over Charlotte School of Law and combining it with its graduate degree campus already uptown? From what I gauge, UNCC wants to establish a professional degree program in law, but when the Charlotte School opened, it sort of derailed those plans...so maybe this a way of combining efforts (not just with joint degree programs) in hopes of gaining more breadth in educational opportunities.

A few years ago, when CLT School of Law had only been in business for a year or two, I had heard that there were discussions with UNC CHarlotte to take over because the school was looking to add a law program and CLT School of Law was struggling financially. Now with the state struggling financially, I can't imagine them funding another law program. Maybe if/when things get better, but not right now.

[Urbanity]

Less news and more of an observation. My husband and I went to see Million Dollar Quartet at the Knight Theater and even though it was pretty cold - it was amazing how packed the streets were!

There was something going on at the Blumenthal (Nutcracker?) , there was a gala at the Mint, every and bar and resturant on Tryon seems to be overflowing people and the streets just had people walking around.

Again - not much news, but I couldn't help smile and think of this same strip when I arrived in 2007 which would have pockets of people (mainly at 5th/Tryon) versus now the entire strip. And to think we didn't even head towards College St/Epicentre!

Just wanted to remark how far Charlotte's center area has come!

Edited December 11, 2011 by Urbanity

[tozmervo]

Received by owners along S Tryon:

...South Tryon Street Conversion Project.

This Project involves pedestrian and bike improvements on South Tryon Street from Carson Boulevard to Stonewall Street including the bridge over I-277. It also converts Church Street from one way to two way between Carson and Morehead Street...

...Work will begin the week of January 3...

Woohoo!

[southslider]

^And likely guaranteed completion prior to Labor Day, thanks to some big event that week.

Then, too, at least pedestrians will have improved access into the loop to help offset the rumored reductions of LYNX service into Uptown.

[Spartan]

The former Molly MacPhearson's is being renovated again. Anyone know what's going in there this time?

[DMann]

There will be a high end restaurant going in the difficult space formerly occupied by Molly MacPhearson's. I think an April launch is planned.

[SmellyCat]

There will be a high end restaurant going in the difficult space formerly occupied by Molly MacPhearson's. I think an April launch is planned.

With an August close estimated Sorry I couldn't resist, this space seems cursed.

[caterpillar2]

I think that it is scary to drink a few pints at Molly's, go out the door, and be immediately on 5th Street with the traffic. Pretty scary with the minature sidewalk there. Fifth Street should be blocked for pedestrians only. That way people could walk in the street, go to restaurants, bars, and maybe even sit outside in other places than the one place where you can do that now. There needs to be a place uptown to walk and wander into a bar where there is only foot traffic besides Epicenter. I believe that would give that location a big boost. People have driven into the Thai restaurant on that corner twice. That is scary too.

[dubone]

Maybe a high end restaurant is actually the right thing for that spot. The bars have not been doing well there. It seems if it is a restaurant that people want to go to, and maybe do a little bit to spruce up the visibility of it with brighter awnings and maybe something that highlights the entrance better, that it will do fine. Obviously if the place is worth going (like Basil and Dandelion), then the restaurant survives in that area. I just hope they put some money into the interior to further redeem the trashy destruction that Big Daddy's did to that poor place. Molly's helped improve it a bit, but hopefully a restaurant can put back some better interior design.

Finger's crossed that it won't be too upscale and won't be a sushi or steak kind of place.

I would be sooooo happy if Zink came to this location. I miss Zink uptown (I think someone told me it didn't survive at South Park, but I don't know), and obviously just being around the corner from its original location would mean it would get back most of its old clientele.

As for 5th Street, it is far too extreme to make it a pedestrian street, especially considering that is a significant street for going across town. However, it would be sufficient if they just went ahead and did what the city has in their plans, but is unfunded, so take out the street parking and make a wider sidewalk and more attractive streetscape on the Ivey's side of 5th. That would bring enough room for a few al fresco tables for this restaurant and overall improve the feeling that street has which almost feels like an alley or something now.

[caterpillar2]

However, it would be sufficient if they just went ahead and did what the city has in their plans, but is unfunded, so take out the street parking and make a wider sidewalk and more attractive streetscape on the Ivey's side of 5th. That would bring enough room for a few al fresco tables for this restaurant and overall improve the feeling that street has which almost feels like an alley or something now.

I didn't know that the city had this in their plans. That would be a tremendous.

[Norm2]

It was in a city plan, I just do not remember which plan it was!

[C_C_Planner]

The 5th Street sidewalk improvements are in the Center City Transportation Plan (2006) and Ivey's retail level owner Stefan LaTorre has been given an Infrastructure Reimbursement Grant of $175,000 to help pay for the improvements. He has developed plans to implement the wider sidewalk on the Ivey's side of 5th Street.

[Norm2]

When is this planned implementation supposed to occur to widen the sidewalk on 5th?