Independence Corridor

[lit]

21 hours ago, go_vertical said:

The newly rebuilt Chick-fil-A across from Park Road Shopping has no indoor seating as well.  I believe there are only five or six patio seats with a walk up window to order.  This is a growing trend I'm not too keen on. 

So they're going back to the original Cook-Out model? That's pretty awesome. I guess our weather is nice enough most of the time... "Now all restaurants are Cook-Out"

[deleted account]

13 hours ago, lit said:

So they're going back to the original Cook-Out model? That's pretty awesome. I guess our weather is nice enough most of the time... "Now all restaurants are Cook-Out"

Works a lot better in a pandemic also...

[lit]

https://charlotte.axios.com/285732/historic-east-charlotte-tower-will-get-a-makeover/

[KJHburg]

From Twitter and Choate Construction.

""What a beautiful day to celebrate new beginnings! Gvest Capital and Choate #Charlotte kicked off the #historicrenovation of the Ervin Building with a groundbreaking. The renovation will preserve the historic landmark while revitalizing the interior. ""

and check out that skyline in the background! 
 

Edited January 27, 2022 by KJHburg

[lit]

3 hours ago, KJHburg said:

From Twitter and Choate Construction.

""What a beautiful day to celebrate new beginnings! Gvest Capital and Choate #Charlotte kicked off the #historicrenovation of the Ervin Building with a groundbreaking. The renovation will preserve the historic landmark while revitalizing the interior. ""

and check out that skyline in the background! 
 

The skyline is going to look awesome from the future Rooftop Bar, especially at night!

[deleted account]

I'm glad this is happening and anxious to see current renderings of the project. That said, who is leasing in this building? It's adjacent to a Walmart and fast food.  I guess the numbers work but with all of the soon to be open space in Uptown and spec buildings elsewhere, I'm having a hard time envisioning the tenant mix here.  Post renovation it still won't be A space (will it??). Distant views of the skyline only go so far...someone help me out here. Maybe tenants in the gold building will move down the road...

[CLT2014]

26 minutes ago, JBS said:

I'm glad this is happening and anxious to see current renderings of the project. That said, who is leasing in this building? It's adjacent to a Walmart and fast food.  I guess the numbers work but with all of the soon to be open space in Uptown and spec buildings elsewhere, I'm having a hard time envisioning the tenant mix here.  Post renovation it still won't be A space (will it??). Distant views of the skyline only go so far...someone help me out here. Maybe tenants in the gold building will move down the road...

Won't necessarily be a big tenant or name brand taking a bunch of the building, but this location could be good for smaller tenants that need a floor or half a floor. Tenants like a local law firm, psychology / counseling office, physician office, insurance brokers, et... the type of tenants that don't need to be Uptown or pay the premium for South End, South Park, Ballantyne, et.

Edited January 27, 2022 by CLT2014

[RANYC]

6 hours ago, JBS said:

I'm glad this is happening and anxious to see current renderings of the project. That said, who is leasing in this building? It's adjacent to a Walmart and fast food.  I guess the numbers work but with all of the soon to be open space in Uptown and spec buildings elsewhere, I'm having a hard time envisioning the tenant mix here.  Post renovation it still won't be A space (will it??). Distant views of the skyline only go so far...someone help me out here. Maybe tenants in the gold building will move down the road...

The developer, GVest, is using the top floor of the building for a HQ.  That's about 4750 square feet.

[KJHburg]

was going up Independence today and here is the Erwin/Varnadore building renovation (last photos) and of course the landmark Gold Building still a Charlotte landmark after all these years. 

[kayman]

This corridor should be totally converted into a limited access expressway with no curb cuts  and parallel access roads within the same shared right-of-way. The curb cuts and sidewalks should be on the access roads only not the main travel land Similar to expressways in Texas, Oklahoma, US 90 BUS/West Bank Expressway in NOLA, or US 231/Memorial Drive in Huntsville, AL. NCDOT has created a death trap with the halfway done configuration beyond Briar Creek Road on Independence

Edited February 10, 2022 by kayman

[ertley]

3 hours ago, kayman said:

This corridor should be totally converted into a limited access expressway with no curb cuts  and parallel access roads within the same shared right-of-way. The curb cuts and sidewalks should be on the access roads only not the main travel land Similar to expressways in Texas, Oklahoma, US 90 BUS/West Bank Expressway in NOLA, or US 231/Memorial Drive in Huntsville, AL. NCDOT has created a death trap with the halfway done configuration beyond Briar Creek Road on Independence

115% right. I know in the 21st century we're all opposed to the creation of new expressways within urban cores, but Independence is too far gone to be anything like an actual boulevard. Every time I see a new development plan adjoining Independence that allows for curb cuts or new street connections I immediately complete a simultaneous trifecta of eye roll, SMH and WTF... I assuage my distress, though, by telling myself they're just intermediate, minor infrastructure, since hopefully they're planning on Silver Line construction leading to Independence 4.0 (?), at least on the south side--more than a decade away. 

I really hope the city adheres to its stated goal of remaking Monroe a vibrant neighborhood avenue on the south side, and hopefully Central and even Commonwealth, in parts, can perform that function on the north side. In my personal version of SimCity--SimCLT--Independence becomes a full expressway, and with nice neighborhoods backing up to it on either side, and oriented towards the Monroe and Commonwealth*/Central corridors, with all (most) of the commercial structures we see today replaced by moderate height multifamily structures--atop parking podiums!! Who wants to be down at ground level or even just a few stories up near an expressway? It's a win-win IMO, to have new midrises along Independence, particularly on the south side, adjacent to the Silver Line, upon parking podiums (of appropriate space allocation), making the residences higher, with better views, and most importantly minimizing sound pollution for their residents.  

*In my SimCLT, where I get to connect all the roads I want, where Commonwealth meets Woodland near its now inglorious, pitiful, anticlimactic eastern terminus, the intersection with Woodland would be (only minimally) reconfigured to have traffic continue straight onto Woodland--renamed Commonwealth, natch--which happens to be the first street that actually crosses Eastway, Then, on the other side of Eastway, before the new east end of Commonwealth (i.e. Woodland) terminates onto Independence--because of course that would be eliminated--Commonwealth/Woodland instead would curve left/east into what's now Winfield. The new furthest eastern part of Commonwealth (i.e. Winfield) would then take you all the way to then parallel Albemarle, and in my SimCLT Eastern Hills Baptist could be persuaded to demolish its education or fellowship building fronting Albemarle--but keep its sanctuary facing the last leg of Pierson--so 'Commonwealth' could be extended all the way to Pierson at least. Of course, I fantasize that eventual redevelopment along Albemarle in this area would allow for Commonwealth's continued paralleling of Albemarle to Sharon Amity... 

The eastern extension of Commonwealth may be very well only be fantasy, but on its western end--and I don't know if the extension of the Gold Line would make this impossible, since it will come down Clement from Hawthorn--but I really wish the city would see how easy it would be extend Clement (and renamed Commonwealth, please) farther up to Hawthorn, to come out at a right of way that's basically the easternmost terminus of 16th. By just exercising eminent domain on two parcels, only one of which has a built structure , a small warehouse, the city can easily connect an extended Clement/Commonwealth to east 16th. I of course also think 16th should be re-connected between Davidson and McDowell--the city has the latitude to make this happen without purchasing any property by already owning all those floodplain lots, to allow 16th to curve a bit to preserve the (restored) creek. 

All of this would allow a contiguous drive from North Tryon all the way to Albemarle (maybe one day Sharon Amity) by only tearing down one (!!) structure. 

That's a big tangent, I know, but working hard to (re)connect streets can strengthen inter-neighborhood connections and reducing reliance upon limited thoroughfares, in this specific instance, Independence.  

[lit]

The new Bojangles got a fancy sign on a post with what looks like an LED board below it. I didn't get a chance to snap a pic, but they were installing it when I drove by around lunchtime

[KJHburg]

Drive bys up Independence so good to see the Erwin building being renovated.   Skyline looks great from the east side too and will especially atop the newly renovated Erwin Building. 

[rancenc]

January article on the rehabilitation of the Ervin Building.

https://www.ncconstructionnews.com/choate-construction-breaks-ground-on-historic-ervin-building-in-charlotte/

[lit]

I just noticed they're building a crapload of apartments on the section of Wallace Rd. that runs parallel to Independence from Papa John's to Toy's R Us / Circuit City.

I found this site plan online for one of the complexes. If this is the actual plan, isn't it weird what they're doing to Pineborough...

http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2019/170-185/2019-180 site plan.pdf

[CLT2014]

Too bad they are designing it largely car dependent and with surface parking, but I also get this wouldn't be walking distance to the Conference Station or Village Lakes station of the proposed Silver Line. The unfortunate thing about the Conference Station is really only the M Station and Ashley Place apartments are near it for residential. The car dealerships and police station on the other corners will make it hard to get other residential clustered around the station. A bus circulator down Wallace to  Parkwood Apartments, W Flats, and this new apartment building could capture thousands of potential transit riders. 

[CLTdev18]

Even if it was within walking distance to a proposed station, that station will only come into existence in 10-15 years at the earliest.  That's a little too far out to plan a project around. 

[lit]

If they build enough Apartments, maybe we’ll get another station between Conference and Village Lake. A Sharon Forest Station would be awesome… for me

[KJHburg]

Drive bys today and so glad the old Erwin office building is being renovated.   and the landmark Gold Building. 

[lit]

A Starbucks too? Imagine how many cars are going to be crossing two lanes in two blocks to get over there. Hopefully the line doesn’t back-up into the street

Edited April 24, 2022 by lit
Wrong photo

[KJHburg]

Was and still is and hope for many years to come a landmark on the east side the Gold building which for a Class B building is pretty full.  Plus the new Erwin building renovation continues.  

Last photo very expensive townhomes with a great view of Independence US 74 freeway. 

[TCLT]

Saw a piece of heavy equipment in the grass lot behind the Aldi at Idlewild and Monroe. Anyone have any idea if something is imminent here?

 

 

Edit:

It seems that this developer got approval to build up to 200 townhouses on these parcels in 2019, but the 13 acres referenced in the article is the entire Mora Point development, some of which has already been developed with retail. This grass lot is about 3 acres and the construction docs for the existing retail show an extension of Zephyr Wind Way through the boundary of it (this is also reflected in the county map books). I wonder if they're just getting ready to put the road extension in. If they're still planning on adding residential they missed their peak opportunity.

Edited June 22, 2022 by TCLT
found some extra info

[TCLT]

While looking for more info about the lot above, I found what I think are new(er) brochures for the Ervin building and its to be constructed little partner. These have rendering I hadn't seen before.

[SgtCampsalot]

^Omg a billboard building! That that's something I've never seen before 

[KJHburg]

Seriously is a billboard sign that huge size allowed?  I sure not hope so that blocks the views from the renovated Ervin building.