SouthEnd Midrise Projects

[Prodev]

I snapped this one while I was driving by the Junction site on Dunavant facing Remount. Weather was bad and taken with phone, so not the best looking shot. I'll meant to get one of Colonial's deck this morning, but didn't have my coffee yet so it slipped my mind. I'll try and get one or two more this afternoon or tomorrow and post.

[southslider]

^Although surface-parked, these apartments appear to at least hide that parking from the street. Granted, that's not the case along the Blue Line and trail. Still, it's good to see that these "garden-style apartments" don't look entirely suburban.

[SouthEndCLT811]

^Although surface-parked, these apartments appear to at least hide that parking from the street. Granted, that's not the case along the Blue Line and trail. Still, it's good to see that these "garden-style apartments" don't look entirely suburban.

Long time lurker but first time poster. I tend to run up and down the trail where Junction 1504 is being built. Parking for the most part will be disguised from the trail/Lynx as much as it will be from the picture posted above. The apartments on that side tend to be very close to the trail/tracks. Which leads me to wonder how difficult it'll be to keep these units leased out. I live at the Circle (well now Post) and the distance between units and track there is at least twice as much as Junction.

[Prodev]

Yeah the buildings are pushed up to both the street and light rail with all the parking in the center and between buildings. I'm interested to see how it turns out and what feel it has b/c there are some dense garden projects that you pull into and it's nothing but concrete and building and they have a terrible feel. I'm also curious with surface parking to see if they have any issues with break-ins and if they'll have any night time security on site. Same goes for the Woodfield Silos project.

[southslider]

^There will be gates, gates, gates, which are suburban.

[nonillogical]

The apartments on that side tend to be very close to the trail/tracks. Which leads me to wonder how difficult it'll be to keep these units leased out. I live at the Circle (well now Post) and the distance between units and track there is at least twice as much as Junction.

Some friends of ours used to have a 1st floor place at the Ashton facing the lightrail, which was as close as it could possibly be, and it was actually pretty desirable IMO. The trains made no noise whatsoever with the patio door closed.

Edited August 2, 2012 by nonillogical

[SouthEndCLT811]

Some friends of ours used to have a 1st floor place at the Ashton facing the lightrail, which was as close as it could possibly be, and it was actually pretty desirable IMO. The trains made no noise whatsoever with the patio door closed.

Ah thats good and I would say a fairly comparable distance as these will be from the tracks. I was basing it off of living on the Bland St side of the Circle. I used to live on the second floor near where World of Beer is and I'd hear the bells from the Lynx as it crossed Bland each time. But that's probably because it was entering or leaving a stop.

Edited August 2, 2012 by SouthEndCLT811

[Prodev]

Here is one of Colonial Reserve. They've got the bookends for the deck in place and are now working on the ramps.

[Guest]

Jeeze, thats going to be HUGE! Great to have all the new residents coming in South End.

[tozmervo]

Going south on south blvd, the effect colonial reserve has on the feel of that area is pretty phenomenal. It already feels much denser and urban

[Prodev]

If Marsh properties would renovate Sedgefield Shopping Center to fit in with the urban/industrial vibe of South End it would make a huge impact on the area, and likely draw in a better mix of tenants.

[tozmervo]

what kind of tenants would you rather see? it's already a great, diverse selection of neighborhood amenities from a bakery to a barber, bank, grocery (both domestic and foreign), dry cleaner, restaurant, etc.

[kermit]

If Marsh properties would renovate Sedgefield Shopping Center to fit in with the urban/industrial vibe of South End it would make a huge impact on the area, and likely draw in a better mix of tenants.

based on regular discussions with a tenant in the center Marsh sounds totally unwilling to spend any money on the complex. The tenant speculated that this lack of investment is a portion of the reason why the drugstore space has remained vacant.

I suspect that it is part of their (very) long term plans to redevelop their apartments on Elmhurst (where they have also been reluctant to maintain and improve). I believe this mega project was last discussed here in 2006.

Wasn't Marsh the owner of the warehouse space on Magnolia where Lowes / Southborough was built?

[tozmervo]

As former Sedgefield Apartment resident, I'm compelled to defend Marsh. They've done a great job of maintaining some very old construction (early 50s). And they are the original developer, a pretty solid Charlotte corporate citizen if there ever was one. I actually tried to move back recently, but their earliest available unit wasn't until the end of August. It was also the most racially and economically diverse neighborhood I've ever lived in, which was wonderful, and can hardly be said of all the new development along the blue line. I think the strip malls along South could use a little renovation and touch up (like nicer, wider sidewalks), but a little bit of vacant storefront doesn't mean they should bulldoze the whole thing.

[kermit]

^ Thanks for that. I did not intend to impugne Marsh. The tenants along Elmhurst that I spoke with (both professional IT guys from Mexico) liked living there, but they did say that their units were showing their age. The commercial tenant of the shopping center was quite a bit more damning of Marsh's landlording, but commercial tenat relationships are very different than residential.

All I really wanted to say was that Marsh's reluctance to improve may be a product of their desire to redevelop their considerable holdings in Southend and Sedgefield.

[Prodev]

To clarify, I wasn't trying to bash Marsh or the tenants at Sedgefield SC. The center is clearly tired, and whether it's part of a bigger strategy to hold of and redevelop or simply to squeeze any and all cash out of it without having to spend any money, it is what it is.

Has there ever been a proposal with any specifics on a redevelopment of any of their South End/Sedgefield holdings? I'd be interested to see that. Given the very low density and low rents of the Sedgefield duplexes behind the shopping center, it would appear that there may be a higher land value that would justify a higher density redevelopment of the site. The counter to that would be that they've owned them forever and have a zero basis, so there is probably very little motivation to go through the process to redevelop when they are basically printing cash with the current use.

[kermit]

^ I have been an interested observer of development in the Southend area for more than a decade. In that time, the only information I have heard about Marsh's plans has been along the lines of: "my girlfriend's brother's friend heard that Marsh was planning to....." I have never run across any specifc plan, design, proposal or formal discussion of plans for their holdings (and I have been looking for one). Folks posting here (who are generally well informed) have consistenly assumed that redevelopment of the Marsh parcels is inevitable, but I never had the impression that this assumption was based on any direct knowledge of Marsh's intentions.

I hope to dig through the Southborough thread to see if Marsh was the previous owner of the Lowes site. If they did sell out the Meachum st warehouses to Conformity corp, that would be a precident suggesting that they may not just continue to milk their cash cow.

The other factor in favor of Marsh redevelopment is the rapid growth of rental alternatives in the neighborhood. This new competition may limit their ability to raise rents in the face of escalating property taxes.

To be clear, I am just perpetuating the cycle of speculation. None of this is based on official discussions with Marsh.

Edited August 3, 2012 by kermit

[dubone]

It was apparently Scout not Marsh that Lowes bought from.

http://meckrod.manatron.com/RealEstate/SearchDetail.aspx?bk=20279&pg=194&type=BkPg

[Temeteron]

Not sure If this was discussed already, apparently long animal hospital is moving next to Mac's speed shop. It's on the corner across from the gas station.

[dubone]

Yeah, Long animal hospital is moving to a new building from a couple blocks away. A significantly lower density than SouthHaus.

http://charmeck.org/...s/2011-015.aspx

Yeah, there is a rendering for it in their rezoning. It's a standard modern vet building, but since it's my vet I know first hand it is in need of new facilities.

[TotalLamer]

Yeah, there is a rendering for it in their rezoning. It's a standard modern vet building, but since it's my vet I know first hand it is in need of new facilities.

On the plus side, it will at least rid us of another horrid vacant lot.

[kermit]

^and their move will hopefully yield some interesting reuse of their existing pacel (that stretch of South blvd is in need of more activity)

[kermit]

Does anyone know what is going on on S. Tryon in between Tremont and Doggett?

Lots of excavation work on the parcel. I was surprised by how deep they are going, it looks like at least one level of parking will be below street grade on the Tremont side (the site slopes down to Doggett st). Perhaps the podium problem will be less than orignally imagined.

Anyone heard anything about timing on the Furman/ Centro project at West and Camden or the adjacent Park and Kingston project (Marsh and Merrifield)? Given their location, I suspect these two projects will dramatically change this park of Southend.

[atlrvr]

The Park Kingston project is currently in permitting. I don't know the status on the Furman project.

[Prodev]

Last I heard, Furman was still struggling to find equity for the deal. They've been shopping it for at least 12-15 months now and I know that anyone with as much as a bounced check over the last few years has had trouble getting an equity commitment since there are so many opportunities out there today. I can't recall any Centro projects getting foreclosed specifically, but if there were, that may be the issue as to why it hasn't moved forward yet. I'd love to see something at this intersection though since it'll fill in that gap between the two nodes of the South End.