Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I had completely forgotten until I saw an out-of-date google street-view that the corner of Church St/MLK Jr St, used to have an old rowhouse/shop-front building (across from Valhalla/French Quarter) until the city tore them down for Romare Bearden park:
Anyone know the story behind that building? Were they beyond repair? Were they gone before the park was even planned giving this thread less gravitas?
Ad naseum, but it's sad another old building was torn down, while in First Ward, the Levine park construction is keeping the old Dixie's Tavern building specifically because of it's old character.
That building wasn't historic; I think it was built in the 80's or something.
Interesting. I don't feel, though, that that fact diminishes their value. It has been shown that a wider mixture of newer and older structures, from residential to commercial, improve the economic viability of an area. From simple pragmatic reasons as private entrepreneurs being able to afford space to do business, to more ephemeral reasons like increasing the character.
Interesting. I don't feel, though, that that fact diminishes their value. It has been shown that a wider mixture of newer and older structures, from residential to commercial, improve the economic viability of an area. From simple pragmatic reasons as private entrepreneurs being able to afford space to do business, to more ephemeral reasons like increasing the character.
Yeah but this wasn't really a significant loss and since those buildings weren't old, they wouldn't really factor into the old/new ratio. Charlotte had a much greater need for a centrally located urban park which will generate more consistent pedestrian activity than those shopfronts did.
I take issue with that assumption, though. With the French Quarter right across the street (well, not counting the parking garage) I feel it would have helped make that block even more pedestrian friendly- a little piece of a block with buildings nobody builds anymore, next to a new uptown park. Even if it wasn't quaint storefronts, it could have been lofts. Anything, really.
And it would factor into the new/old ratio, because it's older than everything that's new. That's how it works.
That said, I recognize the futility of arguing about a building that's been gone for years. I don't want to make a big stink about it. I'm just passionate about my town.
At some point, everything will be older than everything that's new LOL. That's just how it works over time and every building can't survive.
However, the good thing about that building being so relatively new is that it demonstrates that small-scale pedestrian-oriented shopfronts are still doable to some extent. However nowadays with the price of land in desirable urban areas being so high, it can be challenging to duplicate those types of developments.
The building I wish could have been salvaged was the Virginia Paper Company Building--truly historic with some great adaptive reuse potential.
The building I wish could have been salvaged was the Virginia Paper Company Building--truly historic with some great adaptive reuse potential.
Yes totally. We have a baseball stadium now. I remember Foxx said he had "a moment" when they demolished it, and I was thinking: Okay, I'm glad, but... too little too late?
Yes on the doability of small-scale development. I think at a certain point, the large-scale development will reach a crest, and small developers ( individuals with capital, and a will) will become far more common. There's already a bit of a movement to do so, though it's mostly taking the form of flipping single-family houses.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.