University City Projects/News

[Skyybutter]

The area really is my least favorite side of Charlotte. I always wish UNCC was on another side of town. My assessment is whatever with that development. The area needs to be completely scrapped to ever be urban. The roads are just country roads that meander around with sprawl built along them. That area is the dictionary definition of sprawl. It will be hard if impossible to ever change that. Projects like the proposed dealership and Ikea continue to make sure that area is a mess.

 

Drove to Indian Trail this morning. Talk about a CF. Went to a shop in the ballantyne area and it is the poster child of sprawl. Was so glad to get back to the meandering country roads of Harrisburg and Southwest Concord. Now if we can stop anymore housing developments from being built we might remain a beautiful country part of Charlotte.

 

 The ONLY hope of urban areas in Charlotte are the areas Uptown and within two mile or less of uptown. FORGET about wasting money and time on the rest of the region to become urban.

[ah59396]

^agreed. The whole city cannot be urban like southend, noda, uptown, ect. Even cities with extremely high densities have areas like University. The vast size of the roads there lead me to believe it will never be the urban walkable area some here desire. Frankly, I'm okay with that.

[nonillogical]

^agreed. The whole city cannot be urban like southend, noda, uptown, ect. Even cities with extremely high densities have areas like University. The vast size of the roads there lead me to believe it will never be the urban walkable area some here desire. Frankly, I'm okay with that.

I really think that we'll see SOME urban-ish development up there eventually, just as a corridor right around the rail, but not before the BLE is smacking U City planners across the face with ridership numbers. Its just not the relatively ready-to-go environment that Southend was, and is going to take more time than we'd like.  

Edited June 15, 2013 by nonillogical

[dubone]

^agreed. The whole city cannot be urban like southend, noda, uptown, ect. Even cities with extremely high densities have areas like University. The vast size of the roads there lead me to believe it will never be the urban walkable area some here desire. Frankly, I'm okay with that.

No one is expecting Universitysity Blvd at Tryon to be Trade and Tryon, but they do expect that a billion dollar transit infrastructure that could have gone in other parts of the city who would have used it and developed responsibly around it (east side) will be built around with at least moderately urban development.   A lot full of cars for sale on land that has long been designated for multi family development with connectivity to a light rail STATION is not proper planning.   NO ONE, literally NO ONE takes transit to go car shopping, so put that crap somewhere else.   It is a functional misallocation of land, but also a symbolic slap in the face given that transit is trying to reduce the cars and auto-oriented sprawl, and we will now have a transit station built in the center of giant store of cars for sale to support the opposite lifestyle.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

Sounds like University City is the new Tyson's Corner.

[Niner National]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/06/22/4118801/pathway-coming-to-university-city.html

finally some good news for UCity. Hybrid sidewalks/biking paths to be installed on University City Blvd.

[Urbanity]

This is a bit of a head scratcher to me.

 

Red Ventures has now leased a small amount of space (a floor in University City building).   To have a small operation staff among the U-City companies and UNCC itself makes sense to me.  

 

What is strange is their option to purchase the building and 14.6 acres of land there.  Are they planning a data farm or something?

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2013/07/red-ventures-signs-lease-with.html

[dubone]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/06/22/4118801/pathway-coming-to-university-city.html

finally some good news for UCity. Hybrid sidewalks/biking paths to be installed on University City Blvd.

 

This will be a good branch off from the Toby Creek Greenway which will eventually be connect to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.  

 

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Greenways/Documents/2013%202%2011_Toby%202%20-%20Wkshp%201.pdf

[utcharlotte]

This is a bit of a head scratcher to me.

 

Red Ventures has now leased a small amount of space (a floor in University City building).   To have a small operation staff among the U-City companies and UNCC itself makes sense to me.  

 

What is strange is their option to purchase the building and 14.6 acres of land there.  Are they planning a data farm or something?

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2013/07/red-ventures-signs-lease-with.html

 

Given that their employment strategy hinges on a LARGE university-relations program for new staff, this makes sense.  UNCC is the largest University in the area with a large community of students, who generally, don't want to go back home to other parts of the state.  The commute from the University City area to Lancaster County on 485 isn't ideal to anyone.

[Niner National]

This is a bit of a head scratcher to me.

 

Red Ventures has now leased a small amount of space (a floor in University City building).   To have a small operation staff among the U-City companies and UNCC itself makes sense to me.  

 

What is strange is their option to purchase the building and 14.6 acres of land there.  Are they planning a data farm or something?

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2013/07/red-ventures-signs-lease-with.html

No data farm. Just a sales center.

 

With RV's sales center being a rotating door for employes, they may be running out of candidates for employment in South Charlotte, especially as they continue to grow. Having another sales center in the University area allows them to draw from areas that would otherwise be too far to commute from.

Edited July 7, 2013 by rworkman09

[Niner National]

UCP is fully in support of the auto mall. I voiced my displeasure with the project on their facebook page and this was their justification for the project:

 

"At present there are 130 restaurants with in a mile of campus. However, students often have cars at school and need car repairs, often at dealerships. Of equal importance, there are 71,000 who work near UNC Charlotte and 114,000 who live nearby. So while addressing student needs, there are worker and resident needs that must be addressed."

 

https://www.facebook.com/UniversityCityPartners/posts/10153012058455203?comment_id=42775784&notif_t=like

 

They also say they're building the auto mall to keep another one from being built on N. Tryon. So instead of one, we'll end up with 5...in one of the most promising spots for TOD.

[Windsurfer]

Well written!  ~Enjoyed reading your comments. All spot on.

 

Such a shame to have an opportunity squandered.

[ah59396]

I second windsurfer. You pounded those guys on Facebook. Nice job!

[Niner National]

Their justifications for the project were weak at best. I just really hate to see UCity receive what currently looks to be minimal benefit from the light rail line.

 

I loved my time at UNC Charlotte and I really though light rail would be an opportunity to turn UCity into a destination some day, but as more time goes by, I realize that's not very likely.

 

I did a property lookup search last night and none of the UCP staff lives in UCity and very few of the board members do. I believe the only two board members that live in UC are the university chancellor and the director of the Charlotte Research Institute, which is also a campus position.

 

Your board and workforce should not be mostly composed of people that do not live in the area. It also shouldn't have several developers that stand huge financial gains from projects in the area.

 

The problem is, few in UCity care. It is a relatively transient area. Most people there live in apartments and most of the homes there are starter home communities, so many of those people do not intend to stay there for long periods of time. It's really a shame because the campus and school are getting so much better while the area around it is remaining stagnant, or IMO, getting worse.

[southslider]

UCP is a commercial body with commercial interests. Meanwhile, NoDa is seeking to merge its merchant and resident association into one true neighborhood voice. Go figure.

[Miesian Corners]

R&G Student Housing has purchased 23 acres on University City Boulevard for a 244-unit student housing project that will be ready for occupancy for the fall semester of 2014.  Does anyone know the exact site for the project?  The article states it's near the intersection of University City Blvd and Mallard Creek Church Rd, but doesn't offer any more detail than that. 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/real_estate/2013/08/rg-starting-244-unit-student-housing.html

[MilZ]

It sounds like it has to be the corner with the old apartments across from the old "lone star saloon" or "city star" or whatever name it was last. There really isn't any other land i can think of nearby that matches that description.

[Urbanity]

I'm guessing that it's at the end of Sam's Lane . which comes to a dead end.

 

I highlighted with a red box the area I suspect - though I didn't highlight to likely scale.

 

The two apartment complexes mentioned in the article this planned complex will be adjacent to are to the immediate left (49 North) and then upper Left (University Village at Charlotte.)

 

Edited August 2, 2013 by Urbanity

[Prodev]

I'm guessing that it's at the end of Sam's Lane . which comes to a dead end.

 

I highlighted with a red box the area I suspect - though I didn't highlight to likely scale.

 

The two apartment complexes mentioned in the article this planned complex will be adjacent to are to the immediate left (49 North) and then upper Left (University Village at Charlotte.)

 

49 north apartments loc- UNCC - University Village Luxury Student Apartments, 9915 University Village Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28262 - Google Maps.jpeg

Yes. That is the parcel. Also, I don't think it's been mentioned but there are another 302units being built at the SEC of UCity and Tryon called The Sanctuary at UNCC. 

[Miesian Corners]

Yes. That is the parcel. Also, I don't think it's been mentioned but there are another 302units being built at the SEC of UCity and Tryon called The Sanctuary at UNCC. 

As a graduate of UNC Charlotte, I feel comfortable saying that no apartment community adjacent to school should ever be named "Sanctuary".  

[AuLukey]

Yes. That is the parcel. Also, I don't think it's been mentioned but there are another 302units being built at the SEC of UCity and Tryon called The Sanctuary at UNCC. 

 

 That's an odd name for something going at that location.  You're talking about an intersection that is about a mile and a half from the heart of campus.  Oh well, at least the campus "image" is expanding.  But come on, how much more can you saturate the apartment market here?

 

Hopefully these apartment complexes are going to be a little more imaginative than current complexes in UCity.  Circle seems to have the right idea on UCB across from the main entrance of campus, at least it's a step in the right direction.

[southslider]

Nothing says suburbs like gated complexes next to a station.

[nowensone]

23 acres across 244 units, kinda wondering what exactly is planned, its obviously more dense than a suburban single family neighborhood, but also sounds wasteful for a growing college area.

[Missmylab4]

The area needs an intervention, it is completely squandering any chance it had at being a TOD area. Guess its the same old junk we have come to expect gated suburban apartments, big box, car dealerships, and sprawly starter homes. It's like going in a time warp to the early 90's.

Other than the students who will ride this to campus. In my mind the line is done at NODA. The rest of the line will not bring any real TOD past NODA. Expect more of the same.

[Guest]

The area needs an intervention, it is completely squandering any chance it had at being a TOD area. Guess its the same old junk we have come to expect gated suburban apartments, big box, car dealerships, and sprawly starter homes. It's like going in a time warp to the early 90's.

Other than the students who will ride this to campus. In my mind the line is done at NODA. The rest of the line will not bring any real TOD past NODA. Expect more of the same.

Well, you can say the thing for the blue line, 99.9% of the TOD has been strictly inner city.