Metropolitan, Midtown Redevelopment

[ScottCLT]

The ribbon-cutting did happen this morning, the road is now open, and the stop lights are functioning.

[Andyc545]

The ribbon-cutting did happen this morning, the road is now open, and the stop lights are functioning.

Yay! Assuming you were there, did they mention any information other than the road about the site, target/home depot or future planning?

[ScottCLT]

Yay! Assuming you were there, did they mention any information other than the road about the site, target/home depot or future planning?

I wasn't there -- my office is right behind where the Midtown Sundries used to be, so I just looked out the window to see when the cars started rolling by. It didn't look like a major event -- just a white tent and a few people.

[TONYCLT]

The intersection at Kenilworth and Charlottetowne Avenues finally opened today.

[Raintree21]

The intersection at Kenilworth and Charlottetowne Avenues finally opened today.

That opened up 3 days ago. I drove on it yesterday.

[cinco]

i drove over today @ lunch.... very nice and smooth. a group of pedestrians were strolling across the bridge sidewalks and newly planted grass has already begun growing along the banks of the mighty sugar creek. this part of the project is looking GREAT.

while i don't hate the office tower - i don't love it either.... it looks like ballantyne is invading midtown.

[Raintree21]

Anyone know the timetable on when they are going to put in the sidewalks along the creek to extend the paths from the hospital?

[HopHead]

Maybe I'm just overlooking it, but where is the Best Buy store suppose to be located?

[dubone]

Best Buy, Staples and Marshalls will go on a multi-story big box building on the southern side of Charlottetowne Ave, just north of the office tower.

It has been a while since we've heard those three retailers listed, and the newspapers continually leave them off the list of what is coming, but earilier materials pointed to those retailers going there, so it seems unlikely that they wouldn't go there. They are starting building the building now.

[atlrvr]

Best Buy has applied for it's permit to build-out the space, so I think that pretty much re-confirms them. I do find it odd that the media has never picked up on them as a tenant.

[Pathmaker]

Did anyone notice the design of the new Charlottetowne Avenue bridge? Really stylistic and retro. Nice to see an artistic touch applied to normally bland structures. As far as the looks of the office building, it will be barely noticable one the new buildings fill in around it. The real eye-popper will be the "Terraces" building with all the restaurants lining the greenway and creek.

I hear that the Baxter St bridge will close in a few weeks -- after the Metropolitan construction no longer needs to close lanes on Kings Dr. In 18 to 24 months, the city will build a replacement bridge across the creek a bit further downstream.

[Raintree21]

Some pics posted by Mugen682 back on July 3rd of the bridge.

[Mobuchu]

I hear that the Baxter St bridge will close in a few weeks -- after the Metropolitan construction no longer needs to close lanes on Kings Dr. In 18 to 24 months, the city will build a replacement bridge across the creek a bit further downstream.

I would have thought they would keep it open while building the new bridge? I do look forward to the lines being repainted on Kenilworth because the lanes get real skinny through that weave just before Baxter.

[dubone]

I'm glad they plan to take out the Baxter Bridge as soon as possible. It really does disrupt Kenilworth traffic, and traffice headed to King's or anywhere else to the east of the creek would do much better to simply use Charlottetowne, which has a higher capacity. I'd almost prefer they just make the new bridge a pedestrian bridge, but the connectivity wouldn't hurt if they can get the money for it.

[Mobuchu]

^^^I think what is needed the most is a longer left turn lane. The current lane always backs up into the regular lanes, which turns Kenilworth into a single lane road. Moving the bridge farther down Kenilworth where its more of a straightaway will allow for a longer turn lane.

[ScottCLT]

I think I'm right on this, but looking for a confirmation. There is a new building going up to the left of the main 10-story Met tower. It definitely looks like a big box store. Is this the Best Buy/Marshalls/Staples? Does anyone know if these will be stacked 3 high, or one on the first level and two on the second? I am having a hard time deciding if this buidling will end up being 2 or 3 stories from the exterior as it is now.

[dubone]

If you are looking at the office building from Kenilworth, across the creek, then that building to the left will be the one with BestBuy, Staples and Marshalls. It will be two stories, as Staples and Marshalls are less than half the size of the Best Buy, so they will be on the same level of the building.

In other news, it appears that the past rumors of Trader Joes to Midtown are rumors again. Interesting that STILL, the media is omitting BB, Stapes and Marshalls from the list. Curious.

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte...0/tidbits1.html

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

I would have thought they would keep it open while building the new bridge? I do look forward to the lines being repainted on Kenilworth because the lanes get real skinny through that weave just before Baxter.

I'm just hoping they straighten out that sharp and completely unnecessary jut-out in southbound Kenilworth just before you get to Baxter. You're driving down Stonewall, curve to the right where it becomes Kenilworth and the curb does this sudden bend to the right and you have to jerk your car over to stay in the lane. It's been this way as long as I can remember and I've never understood why it hasn't been addressed -- it's dangerous. I would have thought this would have been straightened out with all the re-working of Kenilworth.

[krazeeboi]

^I totally agree. It's worse driving that portion at night; I've almost wound up in the adjacent land unintentionally a few times.

[dubone]

By closing the current Baxter bridge and the associated turn lane, that sharp turn will be taken out. I agree, it is terrible, and should have never been designed like that all those years ago.

[mjfhokie]

I hate asking questions like this, but I don't feel like hunting all over for the info right now. When is the "schedule" opening of the Target & Home Depot? What about the possible Best Buy, Staples, etc.? I live in Uptown and CAN'T wait to be able drive 2-3 minutes to these types of stores.

[New Name]

I hate asking questions like this, but I don't feel like hunting all over for the info right now. When is the "schedule" opening of the Target & Home Depot? What about the possible Best Buy, Staples, etc.? I live in Uptown and CAN'T wait to be able drive 2-3 minutes to these types of stores.

Without searching for you, my memory says Oct 14 - but there is a big banner on the Target/HD with the date on it. There is no scheduled date for the other stores yet

[voyager12]

I hate asking questions like this, but I don't feel like hunting all over for the info right now. When is the "schedule" opening of the Target & Home Depot? What about the possible Best Buy, Staples, etc.? I live in Uptown and CAN'T wait to be able drive 2-3 minutes to these types of stores.

You better walk or pub trans it there or you lose your urban card!

Edited July 28, 2007 by voyager12

[mjfhokie]

Of course I'll walk if I'm picking up something small! It's get a little harder if you're buying some things from Home Depot though.

[dubone]

The economic impact of driving 1 mile round trip to these stores is not a big deal. Right now, you must drive 8 miles round trip to the nearest Home Depot and Marshalls and 20 miles round trip to the nearest Target and Best Buy. So in relative terms, it is not really ecologically bad to drive to these places, especially if you are bringing back more freight than could fit on a bicycle or a backpack.

Obviously, there is an order of priority for people trying to live as sustainably as possible. Walking/biking to a local store, walking/biking to a chain store, driving to a local store nearby, driving to a chain store nearby, and on.

I know it has been said that this complex is terribly because it has so many parking spaces. But the nature of the location means that most of the cars will either be driving on a route that would already be taken (ie. commutes between uptown and South Charlotte), or will be from neighborhoods just a few miles away. That is very different from the big box retail in the 485 corridor, which pulls people many miles away.