Charlotte Greenways and Trails

[MZT]

They may plan that section with the rebuilding of the Stratford apts since that development will be right on the greenway. Unfortunetly we haven't heard anything else about that project.

Since The Stratford and Colonial apartments have "summer special" leasing signs out, I expect they'll be staying put at least another year.

[reverbandwhiskey]

Here is an update I received from Gwen Cook, who is heading up this project:

"Thank you for your inquiry concerning the status of Little Sugar Creek Greenway. I share your excitement for the project. Demolition of the remaining buildings on the Kings Drive section should take place over the next few months and the uncapping of the creek is scheduled for fall. We are at 50% on construction documents for this section and anticipate construction beginning around February 2007 with completion a year later in February 2008.

The midtown and CPCC sections will follow with construction beginning in winter 2008. We are also working on completing connections to Cordelia Park, including a railroad underpass. These project collectively will increase the length of completed greenway on Little Sugar Creek to approximately 5 miles with many special features along the way. Ecological gardens, parks, restaurants, sculpture will all be featured.

We look forward to the time we can Go the Greenway!

Gwen Cook"

[Miesian Corners]

I just spoke with Park and Rec and got some more news. Seems that the uncapping will now have to wait untill spring. They are concerned that since the creek bed is currently a box culvert, there is the possibility of severe erosion.

On the positive side, the reason for the greenway's construction was validated this week. No flooding on Westfield even though the creek rose 12.5 feet in three hours (measured at Morehead). At its peak, the creek carried more water than the French Broad River (measured in downtown Ashville). Wow!

[Mobuchu]

With the Metropolitan Midtown development we are going to be getting a new section of the Greenway opened up. Here are some pics from the north and south side of the Baxter street bridge. Doesn't look so good at the moment, but just goes to show how much uncapping this creek was needed.

7-1-07

[swh1972]

Great pictures. I was wondering what this looked like. It's crazy to think that this was covered up in the first place.

[New Name]

here's two shots from the little sugar creek greenway - coming up from freedom park to the new children's hospital

and here is the U/C section at Midtown

from the new bridge:

[dubone]

It is great to see all those boulders delivered for the new creek, knowing just how long people have been fighting to get this greenway. I'm glad to see the nice rail look for the edges of the new bridges. Jersey barriers have become the standard walls for bridges lately, so it is great to see something that looks more like they might have done 40-50 years ago. Even if they aren't architectural statements, it is great to see that they have upgraded it somewhat. After all, when pedestrians and bicyclists are frequenting and area, they have much more connection to the aesthetics of the place, as they linger long enough to notice. It is great to finally remake this city as a slower-moving place again.

[ChiefJoJo]

I've run on the greenway from midtown down to Freedom Park and it really is in need of daylighting, badly, so I'm glad they are doing it. The water quality in that stream had to be some of the worst in the city, with so much runoff coming from Uptown and the hospital, etc, with no treatment. The daylighting, with proper stream restoration treatments (vegetation, meanders, etc), could breathe new life into Little Sugar Creek.

[atlrvr]

I think the new Charlottetown bridge looks great in the pictures....subtle, yet classy.

The Children's Hospital looks pretty damn sexy too.

[Andyc545]

CMC gets leaches out of the current greenway, actually and uses them for medical procedures. Just a little sidenote, for the next time you go swimming in the greenway or hit a pothole on your bike and fall in...

[Raintree21]

CMC gets leaches out of the current greenway, actually and uses them for medical procedures. Just a little sidenote, for the next time you go swimming in the greenway or hit a pothole on your bike and fall in...

Are you sure about that? Everything I have ever heard and read is that they come from biomedical companies, not from local waterways.

[New Name]

Are you sure about that? Everything I have ever heard and read is that they come from biomedical companies, not from local waterways.

I sure hope not. I've read on the Charmeck website somewhere that they readily admit there to be actual fecal matter in parts of the creek.

[schmopperX]

CMC gets leaches out of the current greenway, actually and uses them for medical procedures. Just a little sidenote, for the next time you go swimming in the greenway or hit a pothole on your bike and fall in...

That's just plain absurd.

[Andyc545]

My girlfriend is a nursing student there, she obsorved a treatment that used the leaches and that's what the doctor told her. I could be wrong since it's word of mouth and not first hand, but I just found that interesting...

[buds]

hold up...

leach

v. To remove soluble or other constituents from by the action of a percolating liquid.

leech

n. any bloodsucking or carnivorous aquatic or terrestrial worm of the class Hirudinea, certain freshwater species of which were formerly much used in medicine for bloodletting.

You're talking about the animal, right?

Either way, I don't know if I'd want anything coming out of there to be used in my medical procedure...!

[Raintree21]

A little old news but there was a small fish kill this weekend on the Little Sugar Creek when construction workers at CMC were cleaning the sidewalks with a chemical that leaked into the creek. Officials say the damage was very minimal.

[Andyc545]

A little old news but there was a small fish kill this weekend on the Little Sugar Creek when construction workers at CMC were cleaning the sidewalks with a chemical that leaked into the creek. Officials say the damage was very minimal.

Yeah I read that, looks like they may get a fine and already said they would be willing to remove the dead fish on their account. Unfortunate but good to see them take the inititive of taking the blame, and doing their duty for the Hospital, greenway, and city of Charlotte.

[Raintree21]

Looks like they are starting to work on the greenway portion by Metropolitan.

[swampfox43]

I've been wondering if all the land clearing along the creek near Park Rd & Selwyn is part of the Greenway project. Anyone know?

[Mobuchu]

I've been wondering if all the land clearing along the creek near Park Rd & Selwyn is part of the Greenway project. Anyone know?

No, its part of the Briar creek sewer improvement project. I dont think there is a timetable yet for when the LSC Greenway will be extended south of Woodlawn.

[Raintree21]

They don't give a timeline from what I can see, but a pretty in depth master plan for the Little Sugar Creek Greenway can be found here and may answer some of your questions.

[Raintree21]

I noticed that they've starting digging down on the side of the creek, next to Morehead. I assume this is so they can install landscaping and sidewalks.

[reverbandwhiskey]

There is not going to be any southern extension of the Little Sugar Creek for several years.

[dubone]

Welcome back!

I rode past Kings this weekend and saw that the construction is in full swing. While I'm glad for that, as I mentioned in the Midtown thread, I hope they are not delaying too long on the section between the old Baxter bridge and 3rd Street. That now becomes a more important section to get people from Midtown to downtown buildings and the Gold Rush, etc. There is no connection from within the developments to 3rd Street as it is now.

I sort of wish they'd just do the whole greenway in sequence to get it done, but I know that the funding trickles in.

[The Fringe]

Is there a (publicly announced) set sequence that the project will be completed in or are they just announcing each phase as it comes along and gets funded?

I saw the midtown square section this weekend and it is so cool to have that thing opened up. Having that sort of water amenity in down town is a huge plus for Charlotte.