Charlotte-Mecklenburg Park and Recreation Master Plan

[49er]

Perhaps after the Nascar HOF, AACC, Bechtler, Mint Museum, AAA Baseball Stadium and Discovery Place renovation open the City can evaluate what its tourism and cultural needs really are. I mean really, we should feel lucky that so many "wish list" type items are coming to the City. In 10 years we might see a push for another big ticket item like an aquarium but not right now.

I agree the CBJ is just trying to sell paper.

[HopHead]

I agree with most everything that people have said on here. $300 million could be better spent on a lot of different things. Light Rail extension, public parks or something as simple as better crime prevention. Or better yet, how about using some of it to bury the god awful above ground power lines we have all over the area? To me, the aquarium or zoo ranks up there with the MLB baseball stadium for a team we don't have.

[Charlotte_native]

Perhaps after the Nascar HOF, AACC, Bechtler, Mint Museum, AAA Baseball Stadium and Discovery Place renovation open the City can evaluate what its tourism and cultural needs really are. I mean really, we should feel lucky that so many "wish list" type items are coming to the City.

I couldn't agree more. Don't forget on this list Bearden 3rd Ward Park, Bobcats Arena, Imaginon, Ray's Splash Planet, BofA Stadium for the list of activities that can be had downtown. Though I think Aquariums are really cool, they aren't something to go to often and, though I'd like one, I don't think we need one.

In addition to downtown stuff you also have Whitewater Center, Raptor Center, lake access at both lakes Wylie and Norman. I've always found plenty to do with out-of-town visitors (and we have a sister, brother-in-law, and a 7 and 9 year old here 3X per year...).

We also have a 'sort-of' zoo -- the Lazy 8 ranch just outside Mooresville!

I'll be happy to go to Asheboro for a Zoo, and make a road trip to ATL for an aquarium!

[tozmervo]

Ray's what?

[83alphaunder]

Ray's what?

Its an indoor water park type place over in 4th ward near elmwood cemetery.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&...0&encType=1

this is it. ^^^

[Sabaidee]

The Mayor got bloodied in the NC press by his opponents for Governor this week (though not in Charlotte's press ) for suggesting that Charlotte does not have enough money to pay for a jail expansion. His opponents immediately pointed out that McCroy managed to find $265M to build an arena for a the NBA (against voters wishes), and has supported another $1/2Billion in various projects for NASCAR, baseball, and bank wet dreams.

Because of this you can pretty much bet there won't be any calls for an aquarium or zoo in Charlotte this year.

The jail isn't a city responibilty, it's the county though, it's just politics if this is coming from the mayor's opponent...Anyways I'm against an aquarium, but I would be open to a zoo or a botantical garden. If such a thing was to occur where would it go? Asheboro's zoo is a good one, but it's in the middle of nowhere.

[Justadude]

If we were to get an aquarium, I'd rather it be done by a private company like Ripley's than with public funding. I love aquariums (love 'em), but it's just not that necessary to have one... not to the point of scratching other items off the wish-list.

Put my vote behind the central park idea. It would be unbelievable to have the northern railyard converted to a massive park where half the city could squeeze in for concerts and fireworks shows and the like. I'd also like to see a nice area reserved to be an ice skating rink in the winter and __________ (fill in the coolest thing you can think of) in the summer. Charlotte's got a lot of tourist destinations popping up, but it lacks these kinds of casual, FREE, urban experiences that visitors expect in addition to the Bobcats game or whitewater rafting or whatever.

[Larryfla]

Both are needed. We need rail service for commuters to cut down on traffic, and we need an aquarium downtown to bring in more tourism, etc. An aquarium in Charlotte would keep people from going to Atlanta to see theirs. Might as well get started on both.

[Nostyle]

This is the part of the problem in my opinion...if everyone already has one nearby, what's the point of going to Charlotte?

I never thought of a zoo as a regional our tourist attraction. IMO a zoo is a part of a city's personal amenities. It's like having a science museum. It's more for the locals to enjoy than anything tourism related.

[monsoon]

There are aquariums in Atlanta, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Chattanooga (very unusual one), and the NC state aquariums out on the coast where nobody lives.

This is the one in MB built with private money.

[RiverwoodCLT]

We live in a zoo here in Charlotte already. We have deer, owls, snakes, squirrels, possums many types of song birds, ducks, pigeons, geese, raccoons, frogs, fish and other.

What I am saying to do a zoo right the animals need a lot of room to show them right. In Kenya like here in the USA they have nation parks to show their animals. We find lots of wild life around us all the time. Enjoy them and leave them free.

Try yellowstone for example:

[krazeeboi]

I never thought of a zoo as a regional our tourist attraction.

Typically it depends on how large it is. Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia could be called a regional tourist destination, but not so much the Greenville Zoo. Size makes the difference.

[Nostyle]

Typically it depends on how large it is. Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia could be called a regional tourist destination, but not so much the Greenville Zoo. Size makes the difference.

Well, with a pretty nice zoo just an hour or so down the highway, I would expect that Charlotte's zoo would be a modest zoo meant more for the enjoyment of locals than for tourists.

I should also add I'm merely playing devil's advocate. I'm not that for or against a zoo, really. I just find it odd that a city Charlotte's size doesn't have one. This is a serious question...can anyone name a city larger than Charlotte that doesn't have a zoo?

Also, between a zoo and an aquarium I'd probably prefer an aquarium. But I'm in the same boat as many others in this thread who feel that $300 mil would be better spent on other needs.

[Raintree21]

I should also add I'm merely playing devil's advocate. I'm not that for or against a zoo, really. I just find it odd that a city Charlotte's size doesn't have one. This is a serious question...can anyone name a city larger than Charlotte that doesn't have a zoo?

It doesn't really matter if there are any cities larger than Charlotte that don't have a zoo (there aren't many but Newark, NJ is one). What matters is it's duplication of what is readily available in all four directions from Charlotte, all under a day's drive from us (two are less than 2 hours away) and at the least would take away visitors from those facilities which in turn takes away their revenue and creates a financial crisis for them, possibly endangering the animals and making the zoos an even larger burden for the local governments. I would love to have a zoo here but in addition to the proximity of other zoos, we don't really have enough space to do a zoo the way it should be (by NOT having animals in small areas) here in Charlotte and have other projects that should be taken care of first.

[monsoon]

The closest thing to a zoo in the area would the the Charlotte Raptor Center that cares for injured birds of prey. There are many birds there that are permanent residents of the facility because they can't be released back into the wild and be expected to survive. They are on display and there is an educational center attached, so this would be the Charlotte area's very unique small zoo. I highly recommend a visit. (Latta plantation where it is located is also a very nice place to visit.)

[fortyniner]

I agree with most everything that people have said on here. $300 million could be better spent on a lot of different things. Light Rail extension, public parks or something as simple as better crime prevention. Or better yet, how about using some of it to bury the god awful above ground power lines we have all over the area? To me, the aquarium or zoo ranks up there with the MLB baseball stadium for a team we don't have.

Amen to burying the utility lines!

[Raintree21]

The closest thing to a zoo in the area would the the Charlotte Raptor Center that cares for injured birds of prey. There are many birds there that are permanent residents of the facility because they can't be released back into the wild and be expected to survive. They are on display and there is an educational center attached, so this would be the Charlotte area's very unique small zoo. I highly recommend a visit. (Latta plantation where it is located is also a very nice place to visit.)

While small in the grand scheme of things, don't forget about the Nature Museum at Freedom Park and the exhibits at Discovery Place.

[atlrvr]

The closest thing to a zoo in the area would the the Charlotte Raptor Center that cares for injured birds of prey. There are many birds there that are permanent residents of the facility because they can't be released back into the wild and be expected to survive. They are on display and there is an educational center attached, so this would be the Charlotte area's very unique small zoo. I highly recommend a visit. (Latta plantation where it is located is also a very nice place to visit.)

And the concept of the raptor center should be the underlying reason for establishing any new animal related attractions.....to help them, not to show them off.

[monsoon]

I was tired when I posted that last night. It is the Carolina Raptor Center. Not the Charlotte Raptor Center.

[Andyc545]

While small in the grand scheme of things, don't forget about the Nature Museum at Freedom Park and the exhibits at Discovery Place.

Discovery Place does have a small aquarium. Part of the remodel that is coming up is suppose to add more displays to it. It's nice but very small. I would be happy if some of the 300 million was invested into a much larger upgrade to Discovery Place so that there is a full serviced aquarium, then a seperate full exhibit area and maybe some other animal attractions. Get the best of both worlds, and make Discovery Place an even larger attraction.

[atlrvr]

For all those who want an aquarium....read back to one of my earlier posts....The Greatest Places concept proposed in the Cultural Facilities Master Plan will include an aquarium as one of 7 ecosystems.

[krazeeboi]

^I think the multi-ecosystem display is an excellent idea, and truly sounds unique. It would be great if Charlotte could go that route.

[Charlotte_native]

^I think the multi-ecosystem display is an excellent idea, and truly sounds unique. It would be great if Charlotte could go that route.

This I agree with. Having something unique makes more sense than just having something else that many others have. Many posts that point out there are aquariums and zoos within easy driving distance so we likely wouldn't 'pull' many for something they already have.

As for the Raptor Center, if anyone hasn't gone and likes this kind of stuff, we go at least a couple of times a year. I love the owls -- amazing birds. It's a great place to spend a spring or fall afternoon.

[dubone]

I'm late to the discussion, as I've been on vacation, but I'd say no to both. Mind you that if it truly gained political traction, I'd go along with it, as they aren't bad per se. But there is no way Charlotte could compete with Atlanta on an aquarium, and why should it compete with the State of NC on the zoo in Ashboro (a location selected for being close to Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle).

I agree with many of the comments that she should just move forward with the previously discussed and planned Great Places concept. It certainly won't draw people to the city, but then again, I don't think a zoo or aquarium would either given how close the competion is.

I could see the possibility, though, were a case could be made that an urban zoo could do better than the Asheboro zoo. If that is the case, then perhaps they should look to MOVE or expand the North Carolina Zoo to Charlotte. In that scenario, it would capture tourists already headed to Charlotte, with the possibility that the railroad could bring people easily from Raleigh and Greensboro to offset the farther distance. I don't see this happening, but if a zoo is to happen at all, I believe it MUST be either an adjunct or a relocation of the current NC zoo.

I hold that if the park system is trying to make a major capital expansion in order to take the park system to the next level, they would actually do best to simply speed up and improve their effectiveness in their core mission. Why not spend $300m and accelerate the completion of the greenway system, which the master plan surveys listed as the top priority of residents.

[HopHead]

This may have been discussed on another topic, but has anyone seen these renderings of Aquarium Charlotte before? This is the first I've seen of it and I only did a search after reading about an aquarium on another forum. I kind of like the architecture of the building. Here's the project description:

"Aquarium Charlotte in North Carolina is a new, immersive, participatory aquarium and environmental center with a focus on global biodiversity. Cambridge Seven Associates, with Little & Associates Architects of Charlotte, completed a master plan and conceptual study for the 147,000 sf aquarium with an internal layout that encourages interaction and allows choice. Beginning in the central Biodiversity Hall, visitors may choose to enter any of four extreme global habitats: Microworld; the Frigid Reaches; the Tropical Rivers; and the World's Oceans. Outdoor spaces surrounding a new pond will be used for classes and open-air exhibits"