First Ward Urban Village / North Tryon Vision Plan

[atlrvr]

Well site work began last week on M Street, and they were grading this morning for Court 6......now if we can just get The Renwick going, 1st Ward will be nearly complete.

[ElricSeven]

Well site work began last week on M Street, and they were grading this morning for Court 6......now if we can just get The Renwick going, 1st Ward will be nearly complete.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's still some land if they start knocking things down, such as the old mini-strip mall on 7th or 8th and McDowell. But, compared to second and third ward, not much for sure.

[Raintree21]

What exactly is going in in 1st ward on E. 8th Street where they're going to tear down the historic houses? I talked to a resident of one of those houses today and she was so sad that she was having to move. Said she'd lived there since 1980.

[ElricSeven]

What exactly is going in in 1st ward on E. 8th Street where they're going to tear down the historic houses?  I talked to a resident of one of those houses today and she was so sad that she was having to move.  Said she'd lived there since 1980.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

She could turn around and buy another place across the street for what she was paid for her place and not have to be sad about anything.

There are a bunch of high priced condos going in on the lots, you can see what they look like if you go to an MLS listing, like the one at www.bissellhayes.com.

[dubone]

why do you supposed drakeford still doesn't have renderings for this on his own website?

EDIT: moved the wachovia tower stuff to the other thread.

Edited April 27, 2005 by dubone

[atlrvr]

This weeks business journal seems to confirm some speculation from a while back.

Apparantly the Afro-American Center may relocate into a mixed use project at 7th and McDowell, where the small retail center and 1st Ward Park are. The project is led by Furman, and Frank Martin of LandCraft (he partners in a lot of intown infill projects). It seems that it will be a large project, because they expect the tax revenues generated would be nearly enough to cover the AACC project. Additionally, the current AACC would remain and be used for additional purposes.

Edited May 1, 2005 by atlrvr

[dubone]

That is great news on many fronts.

I wonder how tall this project will be. I'm initially expecting someting like village of southend, but an even denser option would be great. It would be even better if it is 10+ stories, as the view from that lot pretty good.

[cltlvr]

My understanding is that new development at 7th & McDowell will be in the 5 story range...Village of Southend is a good comparison. If it gets to be much above 5 stories expect to see some resistance from the neighborhood.

[dubone]

and by neighborhood, are you referring to the homeless men that live in the park, on the postal workers? .

Courtside is just as close, and no one complained about that. I wonder why people would worry about height on this site. But if that isn't in the cards anyway, then i guess it is moot.

any density around there will be great. My hope is that the city continues to fix the grid between Trade and 7th, and that residential and mixed use momentum continues south in the forgotten part of first ward between Trade and 6th. The only thing around there seems to be some small office buildings, the firehouse and the post office, but there seems to be quite a bit of vacant land.

If baseball is built at Memorial Stadium and 5th is reconnected with 5th in Elizabeth, this corner of town will be much more important for growth.

This is great news, though. Furman really can't do wrong in my book.

[cltlvr]

The First Ward master plan calls for max heights of 8 stories at that parcel. The vision is that the heights taper down from Tryon as you get closer to 277. Thats why no one balked at Courtside (except for the old ladies at Autumn Place) since it is much closer to the skyscrapers on Tryon. Whereas this parcel is really close to 277.

IMO anything above 5 stories would really stick out. Every parcel surrounding this land doesnt go above 4 stories (including the future Renwick). The taller buildings don't start till Davidson and Caldwell.

I think something on the scale of SouthEnd Village would fit in nicely.

Edited May 2, 2005 by cltlvr

[dubone]

I wish the the planning dept had the first ward master plan online. (Does anyone have an electronic version they can post?) It is from 1997, so i hope the plan isn't outdated. I don't mind the lower heights, as it means that more blocks can be converted from gray-space.

(btw, cltlvr, are you new?)

[cltlvr]

The Main Public Library has the Master Plan that you can view and make copies of. I don't know of any online versions.

[rockhilljames]

Personally, I don't think there should be any height restrictions at all inside of 277. That is, after all, the core of the city. Once the land is all built out, the only direction you have to go will be up.

Sounds like a great project. Now that we have real neighborhoods inside the 277 loop, the only thing we're really missing in diverse street-level retail. I'm hoping that every development from now on has some retail component in it.

[CharlotteDemonDeacon]

Here are all the city's development plans that are online:

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Planni.../Plans/home.htm

The first ward plan is not included.

[dubone]

Personally, I don't think there should be any height restrictions at all inside of 277. That is, after all, the core of the city. Once the land is all built out, the only direction you have to go will be up.

Sounds like a great project. Now that we have real neighborhoods inside the 277 loop, the only thing we're really missing in diverse street-level retail. I'm hoping that every development from now on has some retail component in it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

tall building would be really out of place in the residential corner of first ward, but i agree that height restrictions would be bad for almost all the vacant/semivacant land that remains today. I don't think there are height restrictions in the zoning in place almost anywhere downtown, but i think the statement was that people would not be happy with it. I would agree that people would not be happy with > 5 stories east of caldwell, north of 7th, but i generally think people would get over it, for the areas south of 7th... but 5 stories is also a good fit.

[SmellyCat]

I don't know if anyone caught this, but in this week's Creative Loafing there is a half-page ad with a color rendering of the controversial Drakeford townhome project in First Ward. The townhomes are being marketed as "16 luxurious townhomes" priced from $335K to $550K, 1557 to 2443 sq.ft., 9 and 10 ft ceilings, private enclosed patios, attached 2 gar garages.

Unfortunately no website is listed.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I have not heard of this but it sounds likes they will be really nice.

[QueenCityBobcats]

http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Planni...ns/2004-143.htm

were is the application with Meck. county.

[dubone]

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=8144

[CharlotteDemonDeacon]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but for those interested M Street broke ground about two weeks ago.

[dubone]

yeah, with this crew, it was posted the day heavy machines showed up .

although i haven't noticed anyone mention that Court6, the baby sister project to courtside is now under construction. i walked by today, and they are already putting in the wooden forms for foundation.

Also, courtside is about floor 12/13 now. They are 2 floors away, i believe, from where all the floors are the very smallest footprint, which should take them the rest of the way to topping out in a matter of weeks.

[Miesian Corners]

Has the Renwick fallen by the wayside? It's beginning to look a lot like "The Park". Everytime I call and ask, the date is pushed back again. What was fall 2004 became Spring 2005. Spring is nearly summer and nothing. What's happening here?

[dubone]

i've been wondering.

i actually signed up for info when they first announced, and they never sent us anything. i don't think i was serious buyer, but they didn't know that.

if any of our announcements fail to happen, renwick and park are the ones to go.

Perhaps it could even work to be better, if furman can expand off his project on the rest of the old first ward park (or whatever subset he really is working with).

I kind of want some height out of those blocks. (like in the 5-8 story range). I think 6th in first ward has the potential for a gateway village/DC-style canyon if we can only have the patience .

[cooperdawg]

A friend of mine is working on this project. They've re-submitted for a building permit, but have yet to receive the permit or additional comments from the city I'm told. The building standards re-submittal list is a long one, and there is always a wait for comments or approvals that's tough to gauge.

[Miesian Corners]

A friend of mine is working on this project.  They've re-submitted for a building permit, but have yet to receive the permit or additional comments from the city I'm told.  The building standards re-submittal list is a long one, and there is always a wait for comments or approvals that's tough to gauge.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok, I can buy that, but seeing that it was announced before M Street (which is now well under construction), it does make me curious. I wonder what kind of design changes had to be made? I just find it odd that Furman's 17-story steel and concrete tower was announced the same week as The Renwick. It's now at 12-stories and the five-story sick-built Renwick still has a basketball court on it's site.

Edited for syntax.

Edited June 8, 2005 by Miesian Corners