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SouthEnd Midrise Projects


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The nice folks at @HistoricSouthEnd said that they are working with them to try to get a Rail Trail Entrance.

 

Don't you see the 5-foot walkway off the 10-foot rail trail across the 20-foot parking garage driveway leading to the side of the store?  With three driveways on South Boulevard, Ashton, Spectrum and Junction residents will all be just a short ride away.

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Don't you see the 5-foot walkway off the 10-foot rail trail across the 20-foot parking garage driveway leading to the side of the store?  With three driveways on South Boulevard, Ashton, Spectrum and Junction residents will all be just a short ride away.

Yea, LOL, pretty bad. I guess it is somewhat accessible. Honestly, Atherton is the most alienated by the plans. There is a driveway to it, but how do you walk there?

 

I think the Bottom Left "glass" will be the entrance to the lightrail/railtrail.

ScreenShot2013-06-10at105149PM_zpsc807a2

Edited by Guest
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For a site with no back, I think they've done a pretty good job with the constraints. Driveway "C" is going to be a low-speed roadbed leading to the parking decwith sidewalks on both sides. By making it angled parking, it reduces the amount of asphalt quite a bit. They're clearly connecting back to the extension of the trail, so residents south of the project will have an easy, vehicle-free connection. South Blvd gets a big glassy elevation with multiple GOOD storefront locations, certainly improving the sidewalk access for residents from the north (who wouldn't be walking through Atherton Mill anyway) and even what appears to be on-street parking.

 

I don't think it's perfect, but knowing the challenges of such a complicated and demanding program on an equally as complicated site, I'm actually pretty impressed. 

 

Now if we could just get CDOT to put a light/crosswalk at Driveway "D"....

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All in all, I am happy with it.  It needs very minor tweaking, but it's nice to see a large company like Pubilx taking a neighborhood's concerns and wishes into consideration.  The fact is, it could be a lot worse.  Anyone have any idea how "responsive" Publix is to requests like adding an extra entrance or slightly changing plans after the initial plans have been released?

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All in all, I am happy with it.  It needs very minor tweaking, but it's nice to see a large company like Pubilx taking a neighborhood's concerns and wishes into consideration.  The fact is, it could be a lot worse.  Anyone have any idea how "responsive" Publix is to requests like adding an extra entrance or slightly changing plans after the initial plans have been released?

This is the result of the 3rd submission of the Plans.

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It's up to the City to figure that out unfortunately.

 

Also 135 Morehead, that has been mentioned before, officially has a name as of May 2014 "Quarters at Morehead." Hopefully some solid information will come about at some point. Surprised their hasn't been more chatter, they seem to be moving forward.

 

Ah nice!  I stumbled upon that on the city site and my Mom actually works for a lighting company that did a quote for Quarters at Morehead.  Figured it was an apartment project but there wasn't an address attached to it.

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Did a little digging on 135 Morehead. Looks like NRP Group is the developer. http://www.nrpgroup.com/  

Yea, I've made inquiries with Nrp Group, to see if I could get more info on "Quarters at Morehead." Hopefully they don't just throw up another Stick built 6 story, as it is a UMUD zoned space, and it would be a waste of what could EASILY be a 20-30 story building.

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Yea, I've made inquiries with Nrp Group, to see if I could get more info on "Quarters at Morehead." Hopefully they don't just throw up another Stick built 6 story, as it is a UMUD zoned space, and it would be a waste of what could EASILY be a 20-30 story building.

 

After a quick look at their website and some of the projects they've done, I wouldn't get your hopes up.  Looks like they do anything from single family infill to 5 story apt buildings.  Anyone knwo anything more about these guys?

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After a quick look at their website and some of the projects they've done, I wouldn't get your hopes up.  Looks like they do anything from single family infill to 5 story apt buildings.  Anyone knwo anything more about these guys?

Yea I know  :ermm:  :ermm: but hey, Flaherty and Collins, a company from Indiana, with a far worse track record decided they could develop a 53 story condo tower. Then again we all know how that went (hulking mass of rebar and concrete.) 

 

If anyone wants the full Approved plans for 

Publix

Summit/Church

Simpson Lighting

and Park and Kingston

you can find them here. 

http://www.yousendit.com/download/WFJXRm96Y1NGOFJWeHNUQw

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.5 miles isn't that bad. Generally thats what I do in Brooklyn to get the supermarket. Its an easy walk down the rail trail.

But if it a 1/4 mile walk to your local station, and then a rail ride, and then a 1/2 mile walk to the store, and vice versa on the way back, that is 1.5 miles of walking plus 2 train rides just to go get a few groceries. I doubt that anyone in Charlotte would do that when they could drive there in 5 minutes, grab the groceries, and drive back home. Brooklyn is different for sure...a totally different world. I wouldn't mind walking 1/2 mile to a store and then back in Brooklyn or Chicago or Boston or Philly. But in Charlotte, with the additional trek to your home from your local station and the train ride itself, it is not very encouraging to ride the rail there if you have a car available. I live two blocks from the Bland Station. If there was a stop right there at the store, I would probably ride the light rail to it were a light shopping trip. But considering I have a 1/2 mile walk from the nearest station to get there, there is no way I would not drive instead, even as much as I love and support the light rail.

That being said, now that I've moved to SouthEnd from Fifth and Poplar (where there was a grocery store on the first level that I probably visited at least twice per day while living there whenever I needed anything), many of my shopping trips now include taking advantage of buy 2, get 3 free specials or other bulk purchases from HT. There is no possible way I could do those loads by walking even if the grocery store were two blocks away from where I live (I am a bit of a bargain shopper now...my garage pantry shelves resembles an episode of Doomsday Preppers, without the crazy).

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But if it a 1/4 mile walk to your local station, and then a rail ride, and then a 1/2 mile walk to the store, and vice versa on the way back, that is 1.5 miles of walking plus 2 train rides just to go get a few groceries. I doubt that anyone in Charlotte would do that when they could drive there in 5 minutes, grab the groceries, and drive back home. Brooklyn is different for sure...a totally different world. I wouldn't mind walking 1/2 mile to a store and then back in Brooklyn or Chicago or Boston or Philly. But in Charlotte, with the additional trek to your home from your local station and the train ride itself, it is not very encouraging to ride the rail there if you have a car available. I live two blocks from the Bland Station. If there was a stop right there at the store, I would probably ride the light rail to it were a light shopping trip. But considering I have a 1/2 mile walk from the nearest station to get there, there is no way I would not drive instead, even as much as I love and support the light rail.

That being said, now that I've moved to SouthEnd from Fifth and Poplar (where there was a grocery store on the first level that I probably visited at least twice per day while living there whenever I needed anything), many of my shopping trips now include taking advantage of buy 2, get 3 free specials or other bulk purchases from HT. There is no possible way I could do those loads by walking even if the grocery store were two blocks away from where I live (I am a bit of a bargain shopper now...my garage pantry shelves resembles an episode of Doomsday Preppers, without the crazy).

LOL, just buy a cart. We used to make a 30 min subway treck with a 1.5 mile total walk just to go to Trader Joes at Union Square. A cart helped tremendously.

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For a site with no back, I think they've done a pretty good job with the constraints. Driveway "C" is going to be a low-speed roadbed leading to the parking decwith sidewalks on both sides. By making it angled parking, it reduces the amount of asphalt quite a bit. They're clearly connecting back to the extension of the trail, so residents south of the project will have an easy, vehicle-free connection. South Blvd gets a big glassy elevation with multiple GOOD storefront locations, certainly improving the sidewalk access for residents from the north (who wouldn't be walking through Atherton Mill anyway) and even what appears to be on-street parking.

 

I don't think it's perfect, but knowing the challenges of such a complicated and demanding program on an equally as complicated site, I'm actually pretty impressed. 

 

Now if we could just get CDOT to put a light/crosswalk at Driveway "D"....

 

Except that the trail is on the other side of the Blue Line between Atherton Mill and Remount Road.  So while it's nice to have a trail connection to Publix, this particular trail segment won't go anywhere soon.  The Auto Bell, Off-Broadway Shoes, or Atherton live-work condos aren't redeveloping anytime soon.  The sole exception for this new segment of trail's access will be Camden Southline, but their residents could just cross the "low-speed" driveway with angled parking.

 

As for another traffic light on South Blvd, I guarantee, if the driveway behind Publix were instead a street over to Dunavant along the side of Spectrum, then it would warrant a light.  But alas, most developers, even those doing urban infill, aren't that concerned with community-building.  The City did, after all, try to get a street crossing of the LYNX leading to the existing traffic light at Iverson Way and Lowe's.  But of course, these developers refused.

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I'm not happy about it, but I'm not that upset about it either. After all, this is on the far edge of a TOD area but bordering on pretty low density residential, and we're still going to need auto shops, even close into the center of town. The site could be utilized better, but these have to go somewhere and its a business that can't exactly be wrapped into a mixed use building. I'm sure it will be at least as tolerable-looking as the pic posted above. 

Edited by nonillogical
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