Independence Corridor

[southslider]

^Redevelopment under existing zoning won't even require cross-access to Walmart or consolidating driveways. 

[SgtCampsalot]

19 hours ago, Third Strike said:

Another permit for this site has been submitted through Accela:

"Redevelopment of the old shopping center to include retail shops and outparcels."

Looks like the rest of the site will be developed for retail. I wonder if they'll preserve part of the site for the future light rail station.

Where are we in this shot? What's an orientation?

[Matthew.Brendan]

Before Walmart on the right, looking east down Independence (just my guess, could be wrong. I think that's the Computeroom building lower left)

[KJHburg]

Boy does this corridor need help. I sure hope the city council passes without dissent the Varnadore building renovation. This area needs help asap especially between Bojangles Coliseum and Idlewild. I did see the car dealers seem to be upgrading their buildings and finally the intersection at Idlewild is open. This needs to be a city enterprise zone do tax abatements for redevelopment for a certain dollar amount for maybe 5 years. This corridor is an embarrassment to a growing city like Charlotte. Maybe with the construction on the highway slowing down something will happen. 

Edited April 30, 2017 by KJHburg

[NCMike1990]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

Boy does this corridor need help. I sure the city council passes without dissent the Varnadore building renovation. This area needs help asap especially between Bojangles Coliseum and Idlewild. I did see the car dealers seem to be upgrading their buildings and finally the intersection at Idlewild is open. This needs to be a city enterprise zone do tax abatements for redevelopment for a certain dollar amount for maybe 5 years. This corridor is an embarrassment to a growing city like Charlotte. Maybe with the construction on the highway slowing down something will happen. 

Thanks for the pics, and I agree, this stretch could use some help. Is the N. Sharon Amity interchange open yet?

[KJHburg]

24 minutes ago, NCMike1990 said:

Thanks for the pics, and I agree, this stretch could use some help. Is the N. Sharon Amity interchange open yet?

Yes finally the bridge opened up a few months ago and since the construction is almost complete I am hoping this area stabilizes. 

[Third Strike]

16 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Yes finally the bridge opened up a few months ago and since the construction is almost complete I am hoping this area stabilizes. 

Let's hope so.

I was in New Jersey a couple of months ago, and noticed that NJ Route 17 was built in the same manner as our US 74. Restricted left turns with a Jersey barrier down the middle, but businesses on the side still had access to the highway. Only difference is that NJ 17 wasn't a corridor of blight and dilapidated buildings. Hell, one of the busiest malls in that region (Paramus) is located along this stretch. 

I'm also concerned about how pedestrians are still crossing the expressway in and near the Idlewild interchange. The city should also look into pedestrian bridges in between Sharon Amity and Idlewild, and Idlewild and Harris Boulevard.

[cjd5050]

3 hours ago, Third Strike said:

Let's hope so.

I was in New Jersey a couple of months ago, and noticed that NJ Route 17 was built in the same manner as our US 74. Restricted left turns with a Jersey barrier down the middle, but businesses on the side still had access to the highway.

Just don't understand why they can't build service roads to run along 74 and prevent direct access to it.    

[southslider]

^Many of the lots are so shallow that a service road wouldn't leave anything to serve.

[archiham04]

There is a Frontage Road configuration on I-55, in Jackson MS that is roughtly 283' at the skinniest and typical interchanges are 550' wide

For comparison Independence right of way is 217' In front of Harbor Freight, 184' in front of Hendrick Chevrolet, 176 at the coliseum, 186 in front of walmart...

[Squid7085]

5 hours ago, archiham04 said:

There is a Frontage Road configuration on I-55, in Jackson MS that is roughtly 283' at the skinniest and typical interchanges are 550' wide

For comparison Independence right of way is 217' In front of Harbor Freight, 184' in front of Hendrick Chevrolet, 176 at the coliseum, 186 in front of walmart...

 

Then they should be buying up the land and doing it. If there isn't any room, well, then you don't need a frontage road anymore, because there is nothing to front. I really don't understand this half-a$$ approach that will only cost money down the road. This stretch is a perfect example, there is plenty of room for frontage if they had just shifted the highway south. Not only did they not do that, the fact that brand new Walmart was allowed to have a RIRO driveway is the perfect example of not even being able to get it right when the solution is right there.

I grew up in a town that did a similar upgrade to a main artery (Wichita, KS Kellogg Ave.) They started when I was born, and 27 years later, they are finally about done. It cost aLOT of money, and it took forever, but they did it right. Hell, they expanded through a very wealthy part of town buying up a whole row of multi-million dollar houses. By creating the frontage roads, and connecting it all together, the businesses along the corridor are just as easy to get to. If you are going the wrong way, every interchange has a U-Turn lane to flip around and go the other way. 

[tozmervo]

I guess I'm going to be the one that points out that frontage roads along highways in total make for a really wretched urban environment. ULI's suggestion was basically to "abandon" independence and give more attention to Monroe and Central

[atlrvr]

http://charlottenc.gov/Projects/Documents/Land Acquisition Project List.pdf

^^^ I'll just drop this in here....

[kermit]

10 hours ago, tozmervo said:

I guess I'm going to be the one that points out that frontage roads along highways in total make for a really wretched urban environment. 

"We had to destroy the village in order to save it."

[Third Strike]

7 hours ago, atlrvr said:

http://charlottenc.gov/Projects/Documents/Land Acquisition Project List.pdf

^^^ I'll just drop this in here....

Speaking of, I hear there's strong opposition from Oakhurst to kill any plans of connecting Pierson to Monroe Road. I guess maybe they can redirect that money towards another project along this corridor.

[atlrvr]

Yes...this is true...I personally don't understand the opposition....increasing connectivity in a neighborhood that is severely isolated (no connections outside the neighborhood except Monroe and Richland, which itself doesn't really connect to Cotswold)....what's funny (to me) is that they seem to be supporting the Varnadore redevelopment....but without Pierson extension, that project might as well be on Mars.

 

 

[tozmervo]

This was the most interesting article I've read on qnotes in years, I didn't know the Varnadore building had that much history to tell.

https://goqnotes.com/50489/can-a-building-once-meant-to-launch-east-charlotte-into-the-future-be-revitalized/

[KJHburg]

City Council will vote on The Link building between Ovens and Bojangles Coliseum http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2017/05/11/link-between-clt-arena-auditorium-moving-forward.html?ana=e_ae_set1&s=scroll&ed=2017-05-11&u=oAaDx%2B74FoP4qOJ%2By4AU6dhJPpc&t=1494534795&j=78149991

[atlrvr]

Am I missing something of does this not seem like an incredible waste of $18mm that will in no way be stimulative.....just cuz you can doesn't mean you should.

[tozmervo]

1 minute ago, atlrvr said:

Am I missing something of does this not seem like an incredible waste of $18mm that will in no way be stimulative.....just cuz you can doesn't mean you should.

I'm right there with you on this one, unfortunately. I'm having a really hard time imagining how this will drive more events to those venues, but maybe there is program there that isn't being made clear.

[KJHburg]

I thought the same thing but it is easy to spend when its not your money. Maybe they can use the money to study the Eastland site again (and I am joking) 

[videtur quam contuor]

Last time I was there a covered walkway went from the Independence street level of one to the other. The ticket level for BoJ Coliseum is one level above at the parking area so it is in the weather for that trip. To fully connect it must have a dual level connection.Still not worth 18 mm$

Edited May 11, 2017 by tarhoosier

[Third Strike]

This is what the new development at the Coliseum Shopping Center is going to look like:

Here's the site plan:

http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/1D95E739-B52C-4028-B75F-AB14EB79225E.pdf

[SgtCampsalot]

5 hours ago, Third Strike said:

This is what the new development at the Coliseum Shopping Center is going to look like:

Here's the site plan:

http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/1D95E739-B52C-4028-B75F-AB14EB79225E.pdf

Well, if we learned one thing from the Parks Chevrolet going into U City, it's that if a dealership doesn't go where we'd rather it not go, it will just end up where we really dont want it to go.

Edited May 20, 2017 by SgtCampsalot

[videtur quam contuor]

The rarely seen, mystical, legendary triple negative.