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First Ward Urban Village / North Tryon Vision Plan


uptownliving

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It seems like they did a cheesy thing and chose green glass because of the school color. It definitely does not look like an eastern european communist building to me, but I think it looks no where near as good as I envisioned it, so value engineering is probably to blame.

I'm sure it will look better with other buildings around it, especially on the blank north-western wall.

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It seems like they did a cheesy thing and chose green glass because of the school color. It definitely does not look like an eastern european communist building to me, but I think it looks no where near as good as I envisioned it, so value engineering is probably to blame. I'm sure it will look better with other buildings around it, especially on the blank north-western wall.

I agree, I wish that they would have used a different color glass for each of the "books." Would've made the effect more striking. The color is too blah, although I'll admit the building looks pretty cool at sunset.

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I hear you about the value engineering. Just look what it did to The Vue - gosh that would have been such an incredible addition to Fourth Ward had it been done according to the original plans.

Anyway, saw some bulldozing activity around the UNCC building site adjacent to 8th Street the last few days . Anyone aware of what's going on there?

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adjacent to UNCC building, on the same square block where the UNCC building sits. Nothing across the street yet, when that begins I know it means the park is finally starting up.

There is a First Ward meeting at 7pm tomorrow evening, maybe we'll hear more then. I'm planning on going.

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http://m.charlotteobserver.com/charlotte/db_97739/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=VekN5la0

Just saw this exciting announcement and thought I'd open a new topic. Looks like Wells is partnering with cccp to bring 1st ward elementary it's own outdoor classroom themed park. it's being likened to the Green in size. While it will be for the school it will be open to the public during regular hours.

Organizers hope the park will be finished in time for the arrival of the Democratic National Convention in September, and speculate that it could serve as the site of some convention activities. The site is about five blocks from Time Warner Cable Arena, between North Brevard and North Caldwell streets.

Features will include a recreational green, performance stage, a bird and insect garden, and at least one commissioned sculpture.

It's really great to see wells continue to give back to the community post Wachovia. There is a rendering in the page itself but I could not post it from my iPad.

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http://m.charlotteob...ntguid=VekN5la0

Just saw this exciting announcement and thought I'd open a new topic. Looks like Wells is partnering with cccp to bring 1st ward elementary it's own outdoor classroom themed park. it's being likened to the Green in size. While it will be for the school it will be open to the public during regular hours.

Organizers hope the park will be finished in time for the arrival of the Democratic National Convention in September, and speculate that it could serve as the site of some convention activities. The site is about five blocks from Time Warner Cable Arena, between North Brevard and North Caldwell streets.

Features will include a recreational green, performance stage, a bird and insect garden, and at least one commissioned sculpture.

It's really great to see wells continue to give back to the community post Wachovia. There is a rendering in the page itself but I could not post it from my iPad.

It makes me wonder if the First Ward Park across Brevard from 7th to 9th is really going to happen. Part of its use was going to be for students coming to Imaginon. Speaking of students, I wonder where the school buses will park if CMS students are brought into Uptown for the park.

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It makes me wonder if the First Ward Park across Brevard from 7th to 9th is really going to happen. Part of its use was going to be for students coming to Imaginon. Speaking of students, I wonder where the school buses will park if CMS students are brought into Uptown for the park.

The park is definitely still a go. Will be nice to have two parks within blocks of each other.

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This was always the plan for when the old First Ward Elementary buildings were torn down. I like that there is a green connection from 7th Street Market/Imaginon - First Ward Park -UNCC - [this new pocket park] - 9th Street 'greenway' - Trinity Episcopal School grounds - Little Sugar Creek Greenway. It is great to have this gap filled in, and also great to have a little neighborhood park for the residents.

Also, I assume the large grey space along 10th will be school bus parking.

Pretty much, since Levine Properties is the primary determinant of whether First Ward Park happens, I would assume it is on the back burner just as his development of the land otherwise has always been. He has his TIF approved, so if development ever did happen, it will fund the park's construction. I will not be surprised, though, if he waits a couple years until the city/county gets antsy and asks for more money somehow to make it all happen.

In a year, we will likely have funding for the light rail, which will have a station at 9th/10th. So when that nears completion in 4-5 years, the city will be anxious for something to go in around that station. We will get a new architectural rendering of what could go in with a new 5-10 year plan. He's done that for 15 years now.

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Nope. First Ward Park is still on track.

I can't find details of the agreement. Is it technically on track because they signed some agreement that gave him a decade for the development to come or is there some good news on this front other than the typical rosey development ideas from Levine? The fact that he tore down the brick warehouse to pave a new parking lot seemed to make this more of the same.

As for the pocket park, the one story old school was designated for demolition for a long time, as they built the brick 'replacement school' 7 or 8 years ago. In the end, they kept using the old building through the remainder of its usefulness w/o major repairs or maintenance expenses. So it isn't being torn down for a park or parking lot, it is being torn down because it is ready to be torn down, so a community-oriented park is a much better replacement. Interestingly, they still will retain the two small buildings next to the current playground at 9th/Brevard. It seems that those can still be retained without major renovations.

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  • 1 month later...

The Levine project is still alive however they are seeking a revision to the agreement with the City/County to allow them to do an above ground parking deck adjacent to the UNCC Building instead of the originally planned underground deck. Don't have any renderings or info on how this is going to affect the First Ward Park. Levine will be briefing the City this week on his plans and will have to get city council approval before proceeding. If approved the plan is to start construction on the parking deck by the end of this year.

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Yeah, that is pretty much how it is with him. It was a minor miracle he sold a parcel to UNCC to have anything there, but I suspect he did some fancy tax accounting to make it seem like a donation.

What a waste. If he had not landbanked that entire district, a few of the blocks would be peppered with projects for sure. Not to mention some of the antique lowrise buildings would be still standing (he uses strategy of demolition by neglect) and there could be some businesses using them. But no one wants to open a small business in a wasteland of asphalt parking lots.

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gallery_15_25_5297.jpg

Yay! More Apartments!

So here is the deal...these apartments along Brevard St between 10th and 11th are targeted to start construction during 2Q2013.

This parking deck will have 1,376 parking spaces and the Apartments will wrap the deck and be 4 story with loft stick built.

There will also be an above ground parking deck built on 9th between UNCC and the train tracks. This parking deck will have 350 spaces and is designed to support an office tower on top of it. Construction on this deck will start during December 2012 (yes, by the end of this year)

And then there will be a 3rd Deck on the block bounded by 7th, 8th, Brevard, and Caldwell. This deck will have 900 spaces and be wrapped by Residential and a Hotel. This deck is slated to start construction in 2014.

First Ward Park is now targeted to start construction Feb 2013 and be open in Spring 2014.

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