CHARLOTTE | Development Summary

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by SWDC

Yeah, it’s a stretch to say it’s more urban in my perspective. Midtown, Downtown, Ponce Market, MARTA. I don’t think Charlotte’s downtown is as big as midtown even?

You have a preference, that’s fine. But I mean. There’s people who would prefer Greeneville SC’s downtown than Charlotte’s and I too think it’d be a stretch to say it’s a more urban core. Though I’m sure there’s people who absolutely do think that - but it’s a stretch to me.

It depends on how we are defining urban. For me, it means I can walk streets and find museums, restaurants, bars, transit, and have a blend of commercial/residential.

Atlantas core has more development, sure. But Charlotte’s is more dense with restaurants, bars, transit, commercial, museums, sports teams, and residential on the main street in Uptown and southend is packed with restaurants lining the transit along Camden st. I didn’t experience anything like that in midtown or downtown Atlanta. I’m not going to consider Greenville bc it’s a different tier city without transit, museums, major sports teams, major commercial development, etc; bc of that, its peers are cute small towns like Princeton, New Hope, Savsnnah, Annapolis, Fredrick, etc.

Bottomline, Charlotte has a good urban structure. I find it its core to be quite good with dramatic improvements over the past decade.

[Driver8]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

It depends on how we are defining urban. For me, it means I can walk streets and find museums, restaurants, bars, transit, and have a blend of commercial/residential.

Atlantas core has more development, sure. But Charlotte’s is more dense with restaurants, bars, transit, commercial, museums, sports teams, and residential on the main street in Uptown and southend is packed with restaurants lining the transit along Camden st. I didn’t experience anything like that in midtown or downtown Atlanta. I’m not going to consider Greenville bc it’s a different tier city without transit, museums, major sports teams, major commercial development, etc; bc of that, its peers are cute small towns like Princeton, New Hope, Savsnnah, Annapolis, Fredrick, etc.

Bottomline, Charlotte has a good urban structure. I find it its core to be quite good with dramatic improvements over the past decade.

I don't doubt your assessment. I think I look for the same qualities in a city as you. Midtown Atlanta is getting there in terms of becoming a well-rounded and cohesive district.The amount of residential development has been incredible, with countless multifamily towers rising amid the district's office towers. Amenities are naturally following suit. There's already no shortage of restaurants. Some of the most interesting development is taking place in surrounding areas like Old Fourth Ward and West Midtown.

Charlotte looks like it's benefiting from smart development. I'd like to visit the city and check out some of the areas you mentioned. I've only passed through the city a couple times.

I guess I started these Atlanta and Charlotte comparisons when I responded to a negative comment about Downtown Atlanta. It tends to bug me when people fixate on Downtown Atlanta as if it's the center of activity like Uptown Charlotte or other downtowns. But there are some promising projects in the works that have it on the right track.

[Dale]

Originally Posted by Driver8

I don't doubt your assessment. I think I look for the same qualities in a city as you. Midtown Atlanta is getting there in terms of becoming a well-rounded and cohesive district.The amount of residential development has been incredible, with countless multifamily towers rising amid the district's office towers. Amenities are naturally following suit. There's already no shortage of restaurants. Some of the most interesting development is taking place in surrounding areas like Old Fourth Ward and West Midtown.

Charlotte looks like it's benefiting from smart development. I'd like to visit the city and check out some of the areas you mentioned. I've only passed through the city a couple times.

I guess I started these Atlanta and Charlotte comparisons when I responded to a negative comment about Downtown Atlanta. It tends to bug me when people fixate on Downtown Atlanta as if it's the center of activity like Uptown Charlotte or other downtowns. But there are some promising projects in the works that have it on the right track.

For the record, I did go to the Atlanta subforum to make a negative comment about downtown Atlanta. Plus, I like Atlanta and am probably almost as frustrated as you are that it’s languishing relative to Midtown.

[Driver8]

Originally Posted by Dale

For the record, I did go to the Atlanta subforum to make a negative comment about downtown Atlanta. Plus, I like Atlanta and am probably almost as frustrated as you are that it’s languishing relative to Midtown.

Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. Downtown Atlanta is somewhat depressing, and your points are definitely valid, but Midtown is basically a stone's throw away, so it's strange to me when people seem to measure Atlanta by Downtown alone. Yet Downtown Atlanta has good bones, and I'm really pulling for the ongoing projects to help it reach its potential.

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by Driver8

I don't doubt your assessment. I think I look for the same qualities in a city as you. Midtown Atlanta is getting there in terms of becoming a well-rounded and cohesive district.The amount of residential development has been incredible, with countless multifamily towers rising amid the district's office towers. Amenities are naturally following suit. There's already no shortage of restaurants. Some of the most interesting development is taking place in surrounding areas like Old Fourth Ward and West Midtown.

Charlotte looks like it's benefiting from smart development. I'd like to visit the city and check out some of the areas you mentioned. I've only passed through the city a couple times.

I guess I started these Atlanta and Charlotte comparisons when I responded to a negative comment about Downtown Atlanta. It tends to bug me when people fixate on Downtown Atlanta as if it's the center of activity like Uptown Charlotte or other downtowns. But there are some promising projects in the works that have it on the right track.

Makes sense. To be fair, I think Charlotte has had the benefit of learning from Atlanta. I do get worried when I see projects like Iron District in CLT, which seems cool, but then you realize they are spreading out development even more which was actually something that caused Atlanta’s core to not be walkable. I wish CLT would reconsider that location. Maybe shift Panthers stadium to there and then let the current stadium section become urban to bridge gap between uptown and southend. They need to think that through carefully.

[Hunt55]

[IMG]http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2pFbm9W][/url]Untitled by Steve Hunt, on Flickr[/IMG]


[IMG]http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2pFaJGT][/url]Untitled by Steve Hunt, on Flickr[/IMG]

[marqjos]

Originally Posted by Hunt55

The Iron District (Pipe & Foundry site at 77 & 277) will be a massive project for Charlotte. This is one of the rumored sites for the new tallest tower in Charlotte but not shown in the illustration. Trammell Crow is the developer at this point, more developers could be involved.

Potential Project Overview:
55.5 acre site
7.55 million sq/ft in total
3.14 million sq/ft of office space
110,000 sq/ft of ground level retail
4100 multifamily units (1200 sq/ft avg size)
400,000 sq/ft for 2 hotels with 500+ rooms




[IMG]http://[url=https://flic.kr/p/2pDQ4Br][/url]Untitled by Steve Hunt, on Flickr[/IMG]

This is awesome!

[cabasse]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

Is it a stretch though? I’m talking about midtown and downtown. I’ve been to Atlanta 3-4 times over the past 2 decades, last time was about 5 years ago, and each time I was surprised by how rundown it was and struggled to find restaurants within walking distance of hotel. I’m sure it’s improved since then but some posters have been misrepresenting how urban and fantastic that core is for decades on here.

Meanwhile I’m visiting Charlotte rn and was in clt in December too, and I’m totally blown away by how much it’s built up. Far superior than anything I saw in Atlanta 5 years back in terms of walkable streets with restaurants, especially in southend.

But just my perspective. I don’t hate Atlanta or anything. I’ll go back at some point. But I’ll give Charlotte its credit on how far it’s come. It is very impressive.

i've been lurking here for a few pages, trying to avoid contributing to the drama, but i'll bite on this one. charlotte and atlanta have both changed immensely in the last 5yrs. just like development is starting to spill out of uptown into other areas, i'd say development is starting to spill into downtown atlanta out of midtown and other areas.

there have been a sizeable number of new residential towers that have gone up in midtown, and just about all of them have some sort of active streetfront at their bases - restaurants/retail. there are tons of new restaurants available that weren't there even just a few years ago. i haven't been to charlotte in over a decade but just perusing uptown on street view is kind of mindblowing. (but i'd say the same thing applies to midtown atlanta!)

downtown deserves most of the hate it gets (thanks, portman) but fairlie poplar is a gem, and south downtown is going to be an area to watch out for.

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by cabasse

i've been lurking here for a few pages, trying to avoid contributing to the drama, but i'll bite on this one. charlotte and atlanta have both changed immensely in the last 5yrs. just like development is starting to spill out of uptown into other areas, i'd say development is starting to spill into downtown atlanta out of midtown and other areas.

there have been a sizeable number of new residential towers that have gone up in midtown, and just about all of them have some sort of active streetfront at their bases - restaurants/retail. there are tons of new restaurants available that weren't there even just a few years ago. i haven't been to charlotte in over a decade but just perusing uptown on street view is kind of mindblowing. (but i'd say the same thing applies to midtown atlanta!)

downtown deserves most of the hate it gets (thanks, portman) but fairlie poplar is a gem, and south downtown is going to be an area to watch out for.

No drama here. Very peaceful discussion. Great points. I’ll have to plan a trip back to Atlanta sometime. Y’all have peaked my interests.

[Dale]

Sounds like the Red Line is going to happen ?

[marqjos]

Originally Posted by Dale

Sounds like the Red Line is going to happen ?

Long overdue. Hopefully it does finally happen. I hear they might add a stop at Camp North End.