Misc. Uptown Projects/News

[videtur quam contuor]

From David Brooks opinion column in the NYT this morning:

Once you’ve made some money, there’s one more way to get richer. Buy a home in a neighborhood with a lot of zoning restrictions. For example, 84 percent of the land in Charlotte, N.C., and 94 percent of the land in San Jose, Calif., is zoned for detached single- family homes. These restrictions keep the supply of housing low and jack up the value of homes for people wealthy enough to already own one.

His point in his column is that by statistics the path to riches is to enter a profession with high obstacles to entry, with legal protections and limits to membership such as medicine and law. Then the real estate carousel.

[SgtCampsalot]

I think @lit's post deserves to be on the main page: relevant possibly to N Tryon St's future.
 

On 3/1/2021 at 9:13 AM, lit said:

I’m not sure where to put this, but it seems TR Lawing has sold the Tryon House Apartments to some investors?

Wow!

I just met someone who's been renting there for about 7 years. He said this was TR Lawing's ONLY owned asset, rather than fee-managed property. As a tenant he regularly dealt with family members of the TR Lawing family.

Apparently TR Lawing never cared what changes/upgrades tenants made to the units, as long as it didn't damage the integrity of the building; they considered them all unique upgrades.

The person I met converted his apt into a studio space (removing cabinets, etc) when they moved in with their partner in their place.

I'm curious how the new investment company will handle current tenants.

[turbocraig]

This seems miscellaneous enough to go here.  Somebody at Carillon accidentally found the light switch for their fascia lights, which have been dark for probably a decade.  I hope they’re upgrading them.  It bugged me they were off.   Ok, that’s all.   Go about your business. 

[KJHburg]

miscellaneous South Tryon St photos.  Did not know about this new Horace's Hot Chicken place.    Uptown had a good number of people mulling around and hard to find on street parking.  Actually saw other people with cameras taking shots here and there (not just me LOL)   and one photo of the BB&T open deck area on S College. 

and yes a few historical buildings.  

[SydneyCarton]

Long live the Queen!

[kermit]

A different perspective on our local architecture debates:

 

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by kermit

[KJHburg]

How about this uptown Charlotte and Charlotte Center City partners we have so many vacant retail spaces uptown

Be like our Capital City a program for pop up retailers.  

Pop-Up Downtown Grant Program (downtownraleigh.org)

[atl2clt]

How would you all feel if Charlotte did something like this?

"Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds:  A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1"

Full article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/philadelphia-skyscrapers-turn-lights-save-migrating-birds-180977246/

[carolinaboy]

24 minutes ago, atl2clt said:

How would you all feel if Charlotte did something like this?

"Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds:  A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1"

Full article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/philadelphia-skyscrapers-turn-lights-save-migrating-birds-180977246/

How will the birds see the buildings if the lights are off?

[Norm2]

1 hour ago, atl2clt said:

How would you all feel if Charlotte did something like this?

"Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds:  A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1"

Full article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/philadelphia-skyscrapers-turn-lights-save-migrating-birds-180977246/

I think 400 S Tryon does this.

[Desert Power]

1 hour ago, atl2clt said:

How would you all feel if Charlotte did something like this?

"Philadelphia Skyscrapers Turn Lights Off to Save Migrating Birds:  A new program aimed at reducing deadly collisions with buildings for migrating birds is set to begin on April 1"

Full article here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/philadelphia-skyscrapers-turn-lights-save-migrating-birds-180977246/

Is there an issue with it here?

[Norm2]

1 hour ago, Desert Power said:

Is there an issue with it here?

I think a few hundred birds died crashing into the Nascar Hall of Fame one year.

[elrodvt]

Nascar and crash kind of go together don't they?

[videtur quam contuor]

Been waiting (2) WEEKS to post this: 

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800920322084?via%3Dihub

TL:DR A richer bird species environment relates to an increase in happiness  equal to a ten percent increase in income.

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/birds-make-you-as-happy-as-money-study-finds

[Windsurfer]

37 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Been waiting (2) WEEKS to post this: 

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800920322084?via%3Dihub

TL:DR A richer bird species environment relates to an increase in happiness  equal to a ten percent increase in income.

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/birds-make-you-as-happy-as-money-study-finds

Let's protect what we already have too.  More greenways, more protected areas.  

[elrodvt]

1 hour ago, tarhoosier said:

Been waiting (2) WEEKS to post this: 

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800920322084?via%3Dihub

TL:DR A richer bird species environment relates to an increase in happiness  equal to a ten percent increase in income.

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/birds-make-you-as-happy-as-money-study-finds

I've been afraid of birds since I went to bed after watching the Hitchcock movie "the birds" and my dad climbed a ladder and made pecking noises on the window.  Not funny at the time!

[kermit]

Back to the office for Wells workers after Labor Day:

Quote

Wells Fargo & Co., one of Charlotte's largest employers, has pushed its targeted return-to-office date to the fall.

Tsshe bank will allow employees to work from home through Sept. 6, according to a company memo viewed by the Charlotte Business Journal. The memo, signed by CEO Charlie Scharf and COO Scott Powell, said leaders hope to return to more normal operations soon after Labor Day.

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/03/30/wells-fargo-return-to-office-september-remote-work.html

[Vitamin_N]

14 hours ago, elrodvt said:

I've been afraid of birds since I went to bed after watching the Hitchcock movie "the birds" and my dad climbed a ladder and made pecking noises on the window.  Not funny at the time!

Was this your dad?

 

[Blue_Devil]

14 hours ago, kermit said:

Back to the office for Wells workers after Labor Day:

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2021/03/30/wells-fargo-return-to-office-september-remote-work.html

Yah, BOA and Ally both have similar plans in the works. Wells wants to have all employees back in the office by Jan 2022. Not everyone will be back by September. 

[QCxpat]

Morning walk Uptown - today

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by QCxpat

[Spartan]

On 1/22/2021 at 8:20 PM, j-man said:

Random, but I was looking at some ariel photos of Atlanta and I was so shocked to see how many high rise buildings have been completed recently downtown and in midtown. I’m glad they’re really growing with more density centrally rather than the usual sprawl. & Trust me I too hate the CLT/ATL comparisons but I hope that with Charlotte reaching nearly one million residents, the planners and developers seek to stop the sprawl and destruction of all the beautiful trees and uninhabited  areas just to put 2 and 3 story apartments with large surface lots, and start to just build higher & closer together. I know, I know that more goes into that idea and it gets complicated, but no city with this many people should have such a small center city. I’m not knocking it because I know it’s growing but I feel like so many developments are just spreading and making pockets of low/midrise density instead of lots of major density in places like Uptown. I just want this city to thrive and not just be another cookie cutter city filled with urban sprawl, roundabouts, and strip malls on every other corner you turn.

Catching up on this thread: Something to think about for perspective, the city of Charlotte is projected to growth by 400k people over the next 20 years and so is the city of Atlanta. They have a much smaller footprint than Charlotte, so they are going to see a lot more dense urban projects. Probably higher housing costs too.

[RANYC]

So disappointed and frustrated to see these mature oak trees chopped down along 6th Street in front of the Library as they get ready to demolish and replace it.  Our "dowtown" doesn't have a massive lakefront, or bayfront, or riverbanks like most global or even major cities.  We do, however, have our tree-shaded streets to create an almost garden-like and urban-forested pedestrian experience.  A juxtaposition of nature's monuments and those of architecture induce a compelling and captivating display for both residents and visitors alike.  We even have the builders of the new Ally Bank plaza bringing in a mature Live Oak as a centerpiece of their new urban space, and yet just up the road, we're chopping down trees possibly decades into their lifecycle. 

Trees getting to be as huge as the ones just cut down on 6th street, are such models of resilience, it's almost poetic.  They're not in the most hospitable environment for greenery.  They're set amidst massive structures and encircled by concrete and asphalt, not to mention the relatively confined spaces of car exhaust, and yet they grow and they find a way to thrive and grace us with a cool carapace against an unrelenting Carolina sun, beaming during lengthy stretches of sweltering 90+ degree days.

Surely the new library could have been designed around keeping these pillars of our heritage, and vitally important natural amenities standing tall and in protection against the summer sun.  I'd like to know if we'll be hacking down the mature oaks right on our main street, Tryon, as part of construction?  Or will we recognize the mature trees of our downtown for the rich and graceful resource that they are, and do everything possible to accommodate them and not cut them down out of some false sense of progress.  Simply ghastly.

Edited April 4, 2021 by RANYC

[Desert Power]

Ouch

[Miesian Corners]

Anyone know if Childress Klein is planning on upping their game for the exterior of 301 South College (currently branded as One Wells Fargo)? None of architectural lighting has been on since the fall. 

[Miesian Corners]

Oops. Just noticed CBRE is the new leasing company for the building and CK is no longer in control. At least they keep their name on the YMCA.