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Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,670,113 times
Reputation: 10256
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I'm puzzled by this thread. I thought that the original intent was investing. Then I got the impression that you wanted to invest near mass transit. My 1st thought was why are you posting here when the mass transit is in a formative state. Philadelphia has a multi-modal mass transit system & many neighborhoods are being revitalized.
Then it became clear that your interest is in skyscrapers & you must be aware that, while Philadelphia has allowed skyscrapers in one small area of Center City, most people there frown on them, preferring human scale. When posters indicated that human scale is their preference, here, & you might be happier elsewhere you told them not to post on your thread because they were ruining it. Isn't it the object of your thread to get people's opinions?
My personal opinion is that I'm not a fan of skyscrapers. I particularly dislike places that are glass & steel. The train station that you posted looks forbidding to me. It looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie. Give me 30th Street Station in Philadelphia over that station any day of the week. That is my opinion, which the terms of service say that I'm allowed to state.
I have no understanding what all of these things have to do with investing. I agree with others that you are trying to project Hong Kong onto Charlotte. Why in the world would less than 1 million people need to live like Hong Kong?
I'm puzzled by this thread...
I have no understanding what all of these things have to do with investing. I agree with others that you are trying to project Hong Kong onto Charlotte. Why in the world would less than 1 million people need to live like Hong Kong?
In a few words:
+ Densification around the rail stations will increase ridership, and the usefulness of the mass transit system
+ If it is done well, the areas in the immediate vicinity of the stations may one day be some of the most valuable real estate in their neighborhoods. (That is not true yet, and so I think these properties may represent an opportunity.)
+ The Element Station in Kowloon, HK is the "in extremis" example of what can be done, and it may not be the right model for Charlotte now. However, some of the ideas there could be incorporated in downtown developments - but not with skyscraper outside areas where skycrapers are already common
+ Midrise mixed use developments are already found in CLT near stations, and I would expect more of these in the future. They are more suited to the neighborhoods of most of the stations
I will be systematically looking at each of the station and stops along the Blue Line, but this will take time. Do not expect instant postings on every station, until I can get around to it.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,670,113 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geologic
In a few words:
+ Densification around the rail stations will increase ridership, and the usefulness of the mass transit system
+ If it is done well, the areas in the immediate vicinity of the stations may one day be some of the most valuable real estate in their neighborhoods. (That is not true yet, and so I think these properties may represent an opportunity.)
+ The Element Station in Kowloon, HK is the "in extremis" example of what can be done, and it may not be the right model for Charlotte now. However, some of the ideas there could be incorporated in downtown developments - but not with skyscraper outside areas where skycrapers are already common
+ Midrise mixed use developments are already found in CLT near stations, and I would expect more of these in the future. They are more suited to the neighborhoods of most of the stations
I will be systematically looking at each of the station and stops along the Blue Line, but this will take time. Do not expect instant postings on every station, until I can get around to it.
You may feel that your train station is the best thing since sliced bread, but I sincerely hope that when the gateway station is built in Charlotte that they steal liberally from 30th street station. If you saw the movie Witness, you've seen it. If you haven't seen it, here's a link, 30th Street Station, Philadelphia - Transportation - VirtualTourist
I understand mass transit, very well, thanks. I lived in the Philadelphia metro for many years. I went to the Gallery, which was the 1st inner city mall in this county on the day that it opened. I'm not some stupid kid in need of a lecture. When I was in college, one of my teachers took us, as a class, to the rally on Independence Mall for the 1st Earth Day.
I knew some natives of Hong Kong who left before the hand-over, who were very happy to live in single family homes.
I still don't understand this thread. You continue to expound about skyscrapers & the wonders of Hong Kong. Do you want to invest in a skyscraper? If so, search the board for the Vue. Architecturally, you might like somewhere on the west coast.
30th Street Station - Philly
That's an Amtrac station, intended as a terminus, which is different than a station along an MTR route.
To me, it looks rather old fashioned, and "sealed off" from its environment. Certain elements may have been traditional at that time. I think we can design better for our current age. But that may not stop one from appreciating the design of that time.
Americans are badly uneducated about the importance of public transport, density, and place design, which is why America has "The Geography of Nowhere" according to critics like James Howard Kunstler.
More from JHK on the American Living Arrangement and the Public realm
TED Talk from 2007 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ "Bad architecture has deprived us of the right to live in the hopeful present." "We need better places in this country... Outdoor public rooms."
BTW, I am not of the opinion that everyone should live in a highrise for their whole lives. In fact, I might prefer to live somewhere where I can have my own garden. But I do think it is important to understand why a denser living pattern in the cities, and better public transport can help to reduce environmental damage, and preserve our contry's wealth.
Looking back at Charlotte's Center City Condo boom In this August 2008 Video, from Sunny Yates
So we have a double standard. When I provided an article to you from that time, which you requested BTW, your response was this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geologic
Haha. Look at the date : Jul. 31, 2008
....Everyone was suffering, not just CLT What is it like now?
So July 31, 2008 is not OK but August 2008 is. Of course the reason you gave such a silly dismissal is because that article disproved what you had said.
No matter, here are Updates in RED
Quote:
7 Condo projects (1,627 units worth $750 Million / $460,971 ave ) were underway
+ Quarterside
Quarterside Condos failed to sell units to open. The building was converted to apartments
+ 210 Trade St
50 Story High Rise - Project abandoned after 3 floors were poured. Purchasers lost 100% of their deposits and fees when developers went bankrupt. (individual losses as high as $70-$80K)
+ The Park Condominiums
Project Failed and building was abandoned for a number of years. Purchasers lost 100% of their deposits and fees after bank foreclosure on developer. (some report losses as high as $60,000) The completed shell was sold at auction and is currently being redeveloped again.
+ The Tower
unknown
+ Catalyst Condos
Failed to sell units enough units to complete as condo. Converted to apartments
+ "The Trust"? - wrong ? / hard to hear
This was a small office conversion to condos. It consists of a handful of very expensive condos
+ Met Lofts
These are not located in the center city nor near the Blue Line
=============
You missed "The Vue". It was another 50 story condo tower that was actually built and opened in 2010. Of the 400 units sold, only ~12 or sold units actually closed. The bank foreclosed on the developer and sold the tower at auction. It's currently being converted to apartments.
Americans are badly uneducated about the importance of public transport, density, and place design, which is why America
This is the opinion of one person. Many of the people you have chosen to cite here for their opinions have had their theories tested in the real world and they were found, without exception to be nonsense. Furthermore what does this have to do about Charlotte?
I also find it silly that someone would make a broad generalization about a nation of 300+ million as being badly uneducated about any given subject. This is the Charlotte forum and honestly, you are not going to get much traction her by curtly informing us that we are ignorant.
I've shown you extremely detailed plans for one of the stations that you incorrectly had drawn conclusions about. Yet while you have made endless posts about HK and many other places, you didn't make one single comment about those plans. I assume you didn't because it disproves the false narrative that we are uneducated about the importance of transit.
To me, it looks rather old fashioned, and "sealed off" from its environment. Certain elements may have been traditional at that time. I think we can design better for our current age. But that may not stop one from appreciating the design of that time.....
Good Lord. This is Pennsylvania Station in Philadelphia. It's a historic landmark built in 1933 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has an absolutely beautiful art deco interior, beautiful skylights supported by riveted ironwork over the platforms, and contains transit related sculptures artwork, and many other items that make it worth a visit even if you are not riding the trains.
Pennsylvania gets very cold in the winter. This station allowed people to wait on the trains without having to deal with the cold and snow. This is why it is designed, what you call old fashioned and sealed off" as it is. If you ever go inside, you will not feel that you are in a sealed off place.
This station is classic Americana and I can't imagine that anyone knowledgeable about the place would cast negative comments about it. It would be a tragedy to tear it down and replace it with one of those glass and stainless steel stations that have absolutely no connection to history or the area. Thankfully, we uneducated Americans know better than this.
+ If it is done well, the areas in the immediate vicinity of the stations may one day be some of the most valuable real estate in their neighborhoods. (That is not true yet, and so I think these properties may represent an opportunity.)
This is where I got the impression that you were in favor of these places being very expensive. Everyone understands the concept of supply and demand. In my opinion your spiel about the importance of density and this thought process can't really co-exist peacefully. If somehow due to a lot of demand these hypothetical places do get very expensive, the people that can't afford them will still look for cheaper alternatives further out...
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