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.
That being said, and trying to get back on topic - does Charlotte have any confirmed/under construction mixed-use megaprojects similar to Raleigh's North Hills/Midtown Exchange, Downtown South, Park City South, etc? Disclaimer: not a pissing contest, genuinely curious! I think both cities need more of these. I've heard a lot about South End but besides that?
In my opinion, the areas to watch over the next 5-10 years are the Stonewall Street corridor, the Gateway Center District, and the Charlotte Pipe property. Charlotte Pipe's property is probably the #1 candidate for a new Panthers' Stadium that will be built with a retractable roof.
I guess this all depends on your definition of a "mega project". Are we talking specifically about non-central Charlotte developments (new urbanism in suburban sections of town)? Then YES, there's quite a bit of it (both big and small). The entire South Park area of town is pretty much a bunch of new urbanism projects surrounding a mall. The same can be said about Ballantyne and Steele Creek. However, the River District is Charlotte's newest mega project (located on the city's west side between the airport and the Catawba River).
I guess we don't have the same definition because I'm going off what Lord named as examples. Ballantyne, Steele Creek, and River District arent equivalents or really even similar to North Hills/Midtown Exchange, or the Downtown South and Park City plans. Southpark either. Nicely developed areas? Oh yeah. Mega projects even? Sure. Just not ones built to mimic city centers like the ones either going up or being proposed in different parts of Raleigh.
Which should not be taken as a negative btw. I personally don't mind it but obviously a large amount of people are into the best city center experience as possible. So Uptowns overwhelming dominance of development will always assure that Charlotte will offer that experience better then any other city in the Carolinas. Raleigh looks to be developing in a different path.
Just not ones built to mimic city centers like the ones either going up or being proposed in different parts of Raleigh.
Before I comment, show me a ground floor photo of one of these projects in Raleigh please (an example of one already standing, not plans for a future one). Below are two links to areas of South Park that were built to resemble a town center or village.
Before I comment, show me a ground floor photo of one of these projects in Raleigh please (an example of one already standing, not plans for a future one).
North Hills is like birkdale village x2 but with a mall on one side and the other side some high rises.
Not too different from SouthPark except South Park doesn’t really have a town center feel. They tried to make Piedmont Towers town center feeling but north hills just has the more fun, great place to walk around vibe like Birkdale. And the towers are taller.
SouthPark And North Hills are definitely a product of their times. Suburban developments are much more live/work/play and have the “village” feels these days.
Meanwhile, the most notable addition to SouthPark lately has been this horrible 90’s/2000’s thing that does nothing for pedestrian activity or liveliness. It literally looks like it did the most not to integrate with the pedestrian surroundings
Before I comment, show me a ground floor photo of one of these projects in Raleigh please (an example of one already standing, not plans for a future one).
You quoted a specific part of my comments but apparently can’t read it...yikes
“Just not ones built to mimic city centers like the ones either going up or being proposed in different parts of Raleigh.”
North Hills already exists and you know that.
*Edit* Yeah Southpark has a couple sections with the big apartment masses with ground floor. All of NHs is built like that. In a smaller denser form. Including the office space. And rapidly growing on that model. Even the shopping district is mixed use vs an enclosed mall. Southpark and NHs aren’t the same. Southpark and Crabtree I would say are much more like eachother. Obviously Southpark is on steroids, but it’s the same style traditional mega mall with more and more development going up around it. But in a more sprawled sense then something like NHs. Crabtree plans to add denser “commons” sections with ground floor retail and all that too. It will be Raleigh’s current Southpark in the coming years. Though potentially taller.
River District I guess we can hope has some real density potential. Just seems like it will be so large and widespread I don’t know how faux urban it would feel. Sounds like they want a lot of office space there but will it be more office park style buildings? or ones built for density and the ground level experience? Probably too early to tell.
North Hills is like birkdale village x2 but with a mall on one side and the other side some high rises.
Not too different from SouthPark except South Park doesn’t really have a town center feel. They tried to make Piedmont Towers town center feeling but north hills just has the more fun, great place to walk around vibe like Birkdale. And the towers are taller.
SouthPark And North Hills are definitely a product of their times. Suburban developments are much more live/work/play and have the “village” feels these days.
Yeah, I have made deliveries to North Hills and I'm familiar with the "second skyline" that is starting to emerge off of I-440. I've just never witnessed a different or unique visual ground level experience from it. To me, it all looks like Birkdale, Ballantyne, Baxter Village, Piedmont Town center, Charleston Row (Ayrsley), Metropolitan Midtown, Phillips Place, and several other "live/work/play" gimmicks scattered all over the greater Charlotte area. I personally don't talk about these places (not because Charlotte doesn't have them, but because they are hardly unique and worthy of mentioning).
You quoted a specific part of my comments but apparently can’t read it...yikes
“Just not ones built to mimic city centers like the ones either going up or being proposed in different parts of Raleigh.”
North Hills already exists and you know that.
River District I guess we can hope has some real density potential. Just seems like it will be so large and widespread I don’t know how faux urban it would feel. Sounds like they want a lot of office space there but will it be more office park style buildings? or ones built for density and the ground level experience? Probably too early to tell.
If anything in CLT will have any significant high rise development, outside of the CBD, it’ll probably be Ballantyne. Nowhere else. I mean. Anywhere else would have to start from scratch.
Mostly infill though.
We’ll see how it goes. It just sold and was the biggest real estate transaction in NC history I think? The thing about Ballantyne is it can transform somewhat urban because it’s a SEA of parking lots as opposed to just buildings on established and windy suburban roads
If anything in CLT will have any significant high rise development, outside of the CBD, it’ll probably be Ballantyne. Nowhere else. I mean. Anywhere else would have to start from scratch.
Mostly infill though.
We’ll see how it goes. It just sold and was the biggest real estate transaction in NC history I think? The thing about Ballantyne is it can transform somewhat urban because it’s a SEA of parking lots as opposed to just buildings on established and windy suburban roads
And I think you just nailed it when it comes to Ballantyne. Ballantyne is starting to build up, but South Park has "town centers" surrounding it that are more inviting to the pedestrian. Neither South Park nor Ballantyne can be confused with being true town centers mainly because the town centers of these areas are walkable islands surrounded by vehicle-centric developments (just like North Hills). In Charlotte's case, these pseudo urban developments tend to get ignored on the forums while the new developments next to a light rail stop (that doesn't have a park and ride lot) gets celebrated. To a person looking in from the outside, it would seem as though Charlotte's ONLY developments take place in central Charlotte. That's just NOT the case at all.
If anything in CLT will have any significant high rise development, outside of the CBD, it’ll probably be Ballantyne. Nowhere else. I mean. Anywhere else would have to start from scratch.
Mostly infill though.
We’ll see how it goes. It just sold and was the biggest real estate transaction in NC history I think? The thing about Ballantyne is it can transform somewhat urban because it’s a SEA of parking lots as opposed to just buildings on established and windy suburban roads
Oh that right I actually forgot that Ballantyne had a lot of changes planned. That’s good. Might as well take these hugely popular suburban areas and densify them as much as possible. Though it still doesn’t look connected very well to the point of considering it a good pedestrian experience, that would be a big improvement.
Yeah, I have made deliveries to North Hills and I'm familiar with the "second skyline" that is starting to emerge off of I-440. I've just never witnessed a different or unique visual ground level experience from it. To me, it all looks like Birkdale, Ballantyne, Baxter Village, Piedmont Town center, Charleston Row (Ayrsley), Metropolitan Midtown, Phillips Place, and several other "live/work/play" gimmicks scattered all over the greater Charlotte area. I personally don't talk about these places (not because Charlotte doesn't have them, but because they are hardly unique and worthy of mentioning).
North Hills will be very different from any of the areas that you mention (when it is fully built out) primarily for two reasons: the density & height of the new development on the east side of Six Forks Road combined with the more "village type" of the original development on the west side of Six Forks Road. Early in 2020, construction on the Walter Tower will begin, and I believe that will be 33 stories tall or so. Kane will continue to develop eastward until where the new Midtown-St. Albans project starts, early in 2020. Combined, those projects will be truly "mega" and perhaps overwhelming for the area - traffic on Wake Forest Road is a mess.
In addition to the Downtown South and Park South projects, I believe that the Hoffman Associates Peace Street project would qualify for at least a "mini-mega" project".
Ballantyne = Briar Creek IMO
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.
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.
