Misc. Uptown Projects/News

[ah59396]

All the more imperative then, that we develop a well integrated transit network that runs N, S, E & W.  Having the light rail to South End, NoDa/Belmont and the Street Car to Wesley Heights and Plaza Midwood/Elizabeth allows the "more affordable" areas of the city to connect with uptown.

[Guest]

True but I think for that weeknight activity to develop we REALLY need some more mid-range housing uptown making it an attractive neighborhood to people other than the wealthy. I lived in Tryon House for 3 years and loved it but quickly realized I was in 1 of maybe 3 buildings in all of uptown that could accommodate me and the other kind of people I met there, people who embodied the kind of urban lifestyle we dream of Charlotte having, but in very small numbers. Service industry people, artists, designers, startup business employees, etc. 

 

I don't know if its feasible to expect anything other than luxury housing in towers, and if we may have just missed the boat on this by eliminating all the older buildings that could be adapted into lofts and apartments? Is there a good example of non-luxury (but not "affordable housing") residential being built in other downtowns we can look to?

Theres an example in SouthEnd...  The Gateway Project. I will find my rendering...

You just need someone to start finally building on small scale lots instead of gathering up massive amounts of land and building behemoths. People don't NEED massive pools, gyms, coffeeshops, etc. 

If people would follow a master plan like mine, instead of building massive superblocks, there'd be room for small, cheap developments.

 

If i had a billion dollars... I'd buy up this land and split it apart and sell it in pieces with a rule that it has to be developed by separate developers.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Guest

[nonillogical]

Theres an example in SouthEnd...  The Gateway Project. I will find my rendering...

You just need someone to start finally building on small scale lots instead of gathering up massive amounts of land and building behemoths. People don't NEED massive pools, gyms, coffeeshops, etc. 

True I guess that one is a pretty good example, as is Park & Kingston, which is also all 1-bedroom units I think (although that one has a pool and some amenities). However is there any chance of having these types of more basic apartments built in a taller building? I'm assuming anything other than stick built and podium parking probably would push units beyond this price point but not sure if there's a tipping point where the number of units on a small lot would make it feasible. 

[ssh214]

The point that I was trying to make about this decade being the "decade of infill" wasn't to discourage infill, I was just making a general point. I actually agree with everyone that there is way too much valuable space in uptown for there to be this many surface lots. I was raised in the LA area and that was one of the issues that killed Downtown LA; the massive amounts of surface lots. Those lots created so much open space for shady activities to go on; but now as they focused more on developing downtown it has become actually quite nice. They did it through infill as well, just as I think Charlotte should be doing and I think is doing this decade.

 

There are two things that I want more then anything in uptown:

• Two department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, which would I think be great in Uptown,and maybe another more affordable one like Kohl's perhaps
• And a mass transit connection to the Airport, I'm tired of taking the Sprinter or parking my car

I also wish we could build a casino in uptown  , but that's just because I'm in that iunidustry

[Missmylab4]

Anyone have any idea on when the Embassy Suites will break ground? I think this is a good looking hotel.

If all the proposed hotels get built we will be close to 1000 rooms added. Without the addition of the new convention center hotel. Which I had been in favor of. Glad the city took the approach to allow it to take place organically. If the proposed 400 room hotel happens I think it might be over 1000 added. These proposals will help the city recruit better events/sporting events. Hopefully, we land the NBA All Star game in a few years with these hotels coming online.

[Guest]

Anyone have any idea on when the Embassy Suites will break ground? I think this is a good looking hotel.

If all the proposed hotels get built we will be close to 1000 rooms added. Without the addition of the new convention center hotel. Which I had been in favor of. Glad the city took the approach to allow it to take place organically. If the proposed 400 room hotel happens I think it might be over 1000 added. These proposals will help the city recruit better events/sporting events. Hopefully, we land the NBA All Star game in a few years with these hotels coming online.

I've been wondering about this myself... Embassy Suites has been quiet for 6 months, and the last document uploaded on GIS was dated October 2012.

[ah59396]

I can tell you nothing has changed over at the site where the Embassy Suites will go.  Not a thing.

[Miesian Corners]

According to the Meck Times, construction of the Embassy Suites should start in the first quarter of 2014.

 

 

A new Embassy Suites hotel could start rising out of the ground in uptown Charlotte by the beginning of 2014, according to a company official for BPR Properties, the developer of the $50 million, 200,000-square-foot project.

Read more: http://mecktimes.com/news/2013/02/19/50m-uptown-embassy-suites-could-go-vertical-in-2014/#ixzz2aBo6grjC

Edited July 26, 2013 by Miesian Corners

[nowensone]

According to the Meck Times, construction of the Embassy Suites should start in the first quarter of 2014.

Little confused on where this is, the article says MLK between Brevard and Caldwell, not recalling a church here, nor does one appear on googlemaps (not obviously so anyway), rather, there is an AME a few blocks away at 7th and McDowell.

Edited July 27, 2013 by nowensone

[Norm2]

Little confused on where this is, the article says MLK between Brevard and Caldwell, not recalling a church here, nor does one appear on googlemaps (not obviously so anyway), rather, there is an AME a few blocks away at 7th and McDowell.

The congregation of the church moved, but the original church building is still there between Brevard and Caldwell I think.

[Guest]

Little confused on where this is, the article says MLK between Brevard and Caldwell, not recalling a church here, nor does one appear on googlemaps (not obviously so anyway), rather, there is an AME a few blocks away at 7th and McDowell.

The congregation is in the ugly squat 60s building. Just look on google street view it's written accross the building.

[ScottCLT]

Let's not panic.  I've been in many world class cities that have limited service hotels in their downtown.  Who knows...maybe they will surprise us!?

Yeah, I totally agree. Every hotel can't be a Le Meridien or W. I am glad to hear that more hotel rooms are coming, and Four Points is pretty close to a full service hotel with a restaurant/bar, and the ones that I have stayed in are quite nice, as any Starwood brand is. I just got back from San Antonio about an hour ago, and despite the insane number of bars in that downtown area, I found myself getting a nightcap at my hotel (Crowne Plaza) rather than going to a destination bar for a drink. I love to explore cities when I travel, and i did in San Antonio as well (if you go there, the Esquire is a must - it opened the day after prohibition was repealed in 1933 and serves some amazing cocktails and the best burger I have ever had) but sometimes after a long day of working, a no-frills, no-identity bar in a hotel is a nice place to grab a drink if you are staying there. Plus, lesser expensive hotels like a Four Points allow some cost-conscious companies to let their employees stay downtown instead of in the 'burbs. From experience, my company is not a Marroitt/Hilton/Westin type of company. They just won't pay for that. But if I can get a "suburban" type hotel downtown for a good price, the company is happy because of the price, and so am I because I can walk to restaurants/bars without having to drive 15 miles. It might not be a benefit for residents of Charlotte, but as a frequent traveler, I can appreciate the need for hotels like HI Express, Four Points, Hampton, etc. in an urban area. Think of this as a benefit for people from out of town, and maybe not for ourselves.

[kermit]

I am not at all opposed to limited service hotels downtown, I was merely kevetching about building one adjacent to Bearden Park and the ballpark -- seems like a wasted opportunity.

[ssh214]

Yeah, I totally agree. Every hotel can't be a Le Meridien or W. I am glad to hear that more hotel rooms are coming, and Four Points is pretty close to a full service hotel with a restaurant/bar, and the ones that I have stayed in are quite nice, as any Starwood brand is. I just got back from San Antonio about an hour ago, and despite the insane number of bars in that downtown area, I found myself getting a nightcap at my hotel (Crowne Plaza) rather than going to a destination bar for a drink. I love to explore cities when I travel, and i did in San Antonio as well (if you go there, the Esquire is a must - it opened the day after prohibition was repealed in 1933 and serves some amazing cocktails and the best burger I have ever had) but sometimes after a long day of working, a no-frills, no-identity bar in a hotel is a nice place to grab a drink if you are staying there. Plus, lesser expensive hotels like a Four Points allow some cost-conscious companies to let their employees stay downtown instead of in the 'burbs. From experience, my company is not a Marroitt/Hilton/Westin type of company. They just won't pay for that. But if I can get a "suburban" type hotel downtown for a good price, the company is happy because of the price, and so am I because I can walk to restaurants/bars without having to drive 15 miles. It might not be a benefit for residents of Charlotte, but as a frequent traveler, I can appreciate the need for hotels like HI Express, Four Points, Hampton, etc. in an urban area. Think of this as a benefit for people from out of town, and maybe not for ourselves.

I am in the exact same situation with my company and whenever I travel to Miami about once every couple of weeks I always have to stay by the airport or in Hialeah, so I definitely understand the point you are making. This will just add to the diversity in uptown, I think it's a very good thing. Now if only we could get something like a Riverwalk in uptown that would be great!

[kermit]

CBJ reports that the Embassy Suites project has now added a floor (from 9 to 10) and about 20 more rooms.

 

Also reports demolition of AME Zion in the 'next few weeks' and the permit will be pulled in September.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/going_green/2013/08/patels-add-rooms-floor-uptown-hotel.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Bikeguy]

Lets just hope a "trnsformational project" doesn't result in something like this...  

 

http://www.archdaily.com/414124/spanish-builders-forget-skyscraper-elevator/

[nowensone]

^ Read that this weekend, was torn between speechlessness and nausea, I know we occasionally joke about how humanity has no chance, and half mean it, but wow wow wow.  Its at least nice to know we have so much bureaucracy in this country that THAT could not happen.  I think.

[HopHead]

There's an article in the most recent CBJ about the lack of vacant uptown office space and the need for another tower. Unfortunately it's a subscriber only article. Anyone with access want to share some highlights? It's probably nothing that we don't already know, but thought it's at least worth a read.

[kermit]

^ not much to it. Mostly just angst about missing relocation deals due to the lack of available space. Its the same stuff we have been hearing for over a year.

The article did say that the c council has decided that publicly financed parking decks can't be built for just office space and they will need to be tied to a public facility (they did not go into the 'why' behind that decision).

[jordan704]

Not sure where to post this but 525 N Tryon added some new LED lights in its dome and have been testing over the past few weeks...

 

http://youtu.be/3beLoH7mJ7M

[Boricua]

Not sure where to post this but 525 N Tryon added some new LED lights in its dome and have been testing over the past few weeks...

 

http://youtu.be/3beLoH7mJ7M

Nice. It would be cool if BOA would do the same to their towers. I read once that BOA Plaza was suppose to have its entire roof outlined with lights, like a crown, but the energy crises of the mid 70s' put and end to that plan

[ssh214]

I live pretty close to in 4th Ward and I remember one night seeing the American colors shown, woulda been great for the DNC

[Prodev]

7-eleven is looking into taking one of the spaces on the ground floor of the Catalyst. 

[Guest]

Now that's a signature retailer! Union Sq in San Fran has a Saks and Macy's Flagship an we have 7eleven and Mellow Mushroom

[Matthew.Brendan]

lol. Way to go Charlotte