Posted On: January 4, 2009 By: admin

According to the Charlotte Observer the Charlotte Knights still believe there is a chance for them to move to Uptown Charlotte.  The minor-league team had wanted to play in Uptown sometime during the 2009 season.  After the country commissioners approved the lease for the proposed stadium, The Knights have yet to pay for the facility.

One of the reasons is legal fight from attorney Jerry Reese.  Reese has filed a total of five lawsuits challenging the baseball stadium deal.  Reese maintains that the minor league stadium isn’t good enough for Uptown Charlotte.    He contends that if Charlotte is going to invest in a baseball stadium it should be a major league one.

The proposed stadium would have 10,000 seats and would be bordered by Mint, Graham and Forth Streets and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the Third Ward.  A 2006 study said the project would cost about $750 Million.

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: December 19, 2008 By: admin

Looking for something fun and entertaining for the entire family to do in Uptown Charlotte during the Christmas season? Go ice skating at the WBT Holiday on Ice at The Ratcliffe on the Green in Uptown Charlotte.
 
The ice rink, which will be open until January 10, 2009, will give visitors approximately 5000 square feet of forgettable skating space. Rink admission is $7 and the skate rental is $3.
 
Sponsors for Holiday on Ice, include Lexus, Time Warner Cable and Wachovia Bank. The outdoor ice skating rink, which opened this season on November 26, is located directly across from the Charlotte Convention Center at 435 South Tryon Street in Uptown.

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: December 19, 2008 By: admin

On Christmas day, the Charlotte Rescue Mission (CRM), a non profit organization in Uptown Charlotte, will provide homeless individuals with free meals to include a hot breakfast, brunch and a traditional turkey dinner.
 
Also, Christmas dinner guests will be able to watch free movies throughout the day and to make free long distance calls to relatives and friends.The CRM, which is located on West 1st Street in Third Ward, will serve breakfast beginning at 6 AM, brunch at 8:30 AM and Christmas dinner at 11:30.
 
According to CRM’s website, a maitre’d and waitresses will serve the dining guests and the Christmas meal will be set up as a banquet replete with white tablecloths, folded napkins and silverware.
 
CRM, who provides educational, medical and shelter needs to the homeless, sponsors the holiday meal banquets annually on Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: November 11, 2008 By: admin

Novare Group’s president, Tony Skillbeck, said in a Charlotte Observer article last Friday that he is considering the possibility of converting the Catalyst Condominiums located in Uptown Charlotte in the Third Ward into apartments.

Skillbeck notes an unstable housing market and stricter lending requirements as reasons he is considering apartment conversion as an option for the Catalyst Condominiums.  Earlier in the year The Enclave made the transition from Condos to Apartments.
 
The One Charlotte Condos developed by Portman Holdings and 300 South Tryon Condos both located in Uptown Charlotte have faced similar plights because of the slowing housing market and sluggish economy, but unlike the Catalyst Condos, have been put on hold.
 
The article also notes Wells Fargo’s takeover of Wachovia as a contributing factor to decreasing condo sales in Uptown.
 
The 27-story Catalyst Condos, located at Church Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Uptown Charlotte is slated to have 462 units and 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail space.  It is scheduled to open in Spring 2009.

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: September 19, 2008 By: admin

The new 27 story building going up in the Third Ward, the Catalyst Condominiums, is promising to be one of the most innovated sites in Charlotte. The name chosen for the project signifies that the building will be a literal catalyst for the re-development of the Third Ward. The building will contain 462 units, one and two bedroom, sitting on top of 20,000 square feet of retail space when it is completed in 2009.

The Catalyst Condominiums will combine the old and new aspects of the Third Ward, with plenty of green space, to create an ideal place to live and work. There will be a 5.5 acre urban park right out the front door. The hope is that this park will attract special events, festivals, and concerts to become the heart of the community.

The cherry on the sundae seems to be a new innovation called HALO (Home Automation Lifestyle Organization). Think of it as a concierge or a personal assistant. The builders, Novare Group, have promised HALO to be the latest in technology.  It is a state-of-the-art system that allows the homeowners to interact with their home, the building, and the community.

HALO is an easy efficient system that works on a PC, laptop, or any wireless device with internet capabilities. It will connect residents to all kinds of information, from home maintenance scheduling to having your dry cleaning picked up to dinner reservations. It can also monitor your home environment from heat to water conservation. Sounds like a great way to ease some of the stresses in running your daily life.

Besides HALO, the Catalyst Condominiums will have an outdoor living area, pool, 1,600 square ft. fitness center, media room, club room with floating bar, gaming area, and gas grills. All these great amenities along with the great location will allow the resident one of the best urban environments around.

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: September 15, 2008 By: admin

Only 10 units remain at the Trademark Condos in Charlotte, NC.  Trademark is a 28 story condo development located Charlotte’s 3rd ward.  The Trademark contains 202 modern residential units designed for the way you actually live, in open loft-like plans, as well as ground level retail including PRESS Wine/Food.  A 330 car parking garage is capped by an elevated pool terrace with exercise room and community facilities overlooking the Panther’s Stadium in the center of game-day action.

Developers are always motivated to strike deals to finish selling remaining inventory.  If you have ever thought about wanting to live at The Trademark please contact us today!

To view availble units please click here

Features of the Common Areas include:

• Sleek marble & granite lobby
• Glass sculpture water wall in lobby
• Dry cleaning and package drop off location
• Seventh floor pool terrace
• Heated pool
• Walk-through poolside waterfall
• Gas grill
• Outdoor pool table
• Outdoor fire pit
• Tree lined lawn area
• Community room with Plasma TV
• Exercise facility with state of the art equipment and Plasma TV
• Park and enter the building directly from the same level

Features of the Residential Condominiums include:

• Floor to ceiling glass in the living rooms of most condos
• Secured building
• Open, flowing loft floorplans
• Private balcony for most condos
• 10’ ceilings throughout main living areas
• Granite countertops in kitchens & baths, standard in all condos
• Chrome hardware
• Fluted glass dividing walls in several floorplans
• Tile foyers in most condos
• Wood flooring in main living areas of all condos
• Carpet in sleeping areas
• Ceramic tile bathroom floor and shower surround, standard
• Ceiling fan (at least two) pre-wires in all condos
• Cable connection (at least two) in all condos
• Secured parking
• Appliance package which includes dishwasher, disposal, built-in cooktop, combination microwave/convection/bake/broil oven
• Energy efficient heat pump
• Monthly homeowner’s dues that include water, sewer, common area maintenance, long-term building maintenance, and garbage collection
• Residential condos are accessible to residents and their guests only

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: September 10, 2008 By: admin

There are so many new development projects for uptown it’s hard to keep up with them all. While some are pretty successful, some aren’t. Unfortunately the venture attracting the most attention this week is the NASCAR Hall of Fame, but I don’t think this is the attention it was looking for.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is running 20 percent over the projected cost presented to the city in its original plans. Charlotte needs to come up with $32 million additional dollars to build the actual building. The building material will cost at least $11 million more than anticipated, and $30 million beyond that to make the museum better and more environmentally friendly. This would make the total cost of the NASCAR Hall of Fame $195 million dollars.

This announcement was a surprise to the Charlotte City Council members, who said they should have been informed of this sooner. In two weeks, the Charlotte City Council will be asked to approve a guaranteed a maximum price tag with the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s construction manager.

The project managers have promised that the taxpayers won’t have to pay the difference. They feel that private sponsors and the hotel-motel tax will cover the growing bill. According to WSOCTV.com, Assistant City Manager Jim Schumacher said, “There’s no property tax. No general fund taxes going to this project, it’s all from the 2 percent hotel tax.”

I think maybe some taxpayers are a bit skeptical.

Category: Third Ward

Posted On: August 10, 2008 By: admin

After decades of pitching several options for a key stretch of First Ward property, Daniel Levine has finally found a partner…us. Charlotte Business Journal reports taxpayer funding will add around $26 million to the project. Although causing skepticism in a few, this massive plan and the accompanying request for public money have given hope to political leaders and Uptown supporters that Levine is serious this time.

Levine controls 20 acres on which he plans to build 2 million square feet of office space, 2,150 residential units, and 282,000 square feet of shops and restaurants. His plans include $26 million in tax-increment financing from the city and county. This would pay for parking decks and other improvements, with $8 million that could be spent by the city on road improvements. The county would kick in money for the construction of a 3 acre park.

There is also a $46 million UNC Charlotte Classroom building planned for the corner of East Ninth and north Brevard streets. This will be the anchor of the initial phase of development, and has a 2011 opening planned.

Levine is showing a lot of enthusiasm for the project to move from planning to ground breaking at last. He is totally committed to bringing the best development to the Queen City, but this complex deal has a long way to go before it’s a sure thing.

Mecklenburg County commissioners will get their first real look at the proposal this week. If they approve moving ahead with discussions, then more details will have to be worked out, starting with land appraisals for a property swap between the developer and county. The city staff hopes to have a deal ironed out for the council to consider by the end of 2008, with the county pursuing the same schedule. That would allow construction on Levine’s first phase, which is dependent on park and tax-increment financing on 1,300 of 2,000 new parking spaces in First Ward, in 2009.

Levine has a 10 – 15 year schedule for the entire project. The county park, UNCC, underground parking, and a 300,000 - 400,000 square feet building would come first. Levine would build the office building with ground floor shops and restaurants. A 1,500 car parking deck and a property with 525 residential units, hotel, and street level retail would come next.

The excitement is spreading with stakeholders gathering to talk about the possibilities and negotiate the framework of a deal. This would copy several other public-private ventures in and around Uptown. We have to credit both Levine and the city and county for coming up with a deal that will put the risk in the private sector not the public.

Category: First Ward, Fourth Ward, Second Ward, Third Ward