More progress in Uptown Charlotte: Jax should take notes

[tufsu1]

Sad to say, they have pulled far ahead, in regards to urban core connectivity and vibrancy.  Whether it was going out and finding a college to invest in Uptown, embracing rail or seeking cultural attractions like Nascar's Hall of Fame, they are pretty aggressive in their efforts

Did you just call the NASCAR Hall of Fame a cultural attraction?

[thelakelander]

Yeah.  Check it out.  Its going up right next to the convention center.

[JaxNole]

I believe education leads to vision and effective leadership, among other valuable attributes.  Unfortunately, I hear many reasons (excuses?) for not completing high school, much less attempting an Associate's.  Duval County lags sorely behind Mecklenburg County in both high school graduation and Bachelor's attainment rates.  Causation, correlation, coincidence?

When I worked at St. Joe, a large percentage of those at the Assistant Vice President level and above lived in St. Johns County.  At FNF/FIS/LPS, the same holds true.  A disproportionate number of executives and upper-level management are recruited from outside Jacksonville because qualified candidates are difficult to find.

From the US Census, 2000 data:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html > Select state > drill down to county or city level
Excluding states, green indicates highest 3 values of data set; red lowest 3

High school graduation rates (%), 1999 per capita income ($)
Duval: 82.7 (20,753); Jacksonville: 82.3 (20,337); Florida: 79.9 (21,557)
Nassau: 81.0 (22,836)
Clay: 86.4 (20,868)
St. Johns: 87.2 (28,674)

Mecklenburg: 86.2 (27,352); Charlotte: 84.9 (26,823); North Carolina: 78.1 (20,307)

Fulton: 84.0 (30,003); Atlanta: 76.9 (25,772); Alpharetta: 95.2 (39,432); Georgia: 78.6 (21,587)

Suffolk: 78.1 (22,766); Boston: 78.9 (23,353); Massachusetts: 84.8 (25,952)
Middlesex: 88.5 (31,199); Cambridge: 89.5 (31,156)


Bachelor's degree attainment rates (%)
Duval: 21.9; Jacksonville: 21.1; Florida: 22.3
Nassau: 18.9
Clay: 20.1
St. Johns: 33.1

Mecklenburg: 37.1; Charlotte: 36.4; North Carolina: 22.5

Fulton: 41.4; Atlanta: 34.6; Alpharetta: 57.1; Georgia: 24.3

Suffolk: 32.5; Boston: 35.6; Massachusetts: 33.2
Middlesex: 43.6; Cambridge: 65.1

[vicupstate]

Yeah, Charlotte beat out ATLANTA among other cities for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

[vicupstate]

If NASCAR isn't your idea of culture, then try this on for size.

Uptown arts complex running on time
First part of project expected to open this fall
By Mark Washburn

mwashburn@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Sunday, Mar. 29, 2009

At the corner of South Tryon Street and West First Street looking north, the arts complex adjacent to the Duke Energy building (left) is starting to take shape.

Charlotte's uptown museum and arts complex is on time and on budget, meaning doors should begin swinging open this autumn.

First to come on line will be the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts, which may open as early as late September, said Patrick Diamond, director of development.

A combination art and history museum and cultural center, the four-story building at the corner of South Tryon and Stonewall streets will contain about 7,000 square feet of gallery space in its three main exhibit halls. An area on the fourth floor includes an outdoor terrace for special events.

The exterior of the building is largely covered now and interior work is progressing. The building was a challenge for architects because of its narrow dimensions â€" about 55 feet by 400 feet. It sits atop a truck tunnel that serves the new 48-story Duke Energy headquarters, formerly the Wachovia tower, which is under construction across Tryon.

A block north on Tryon, the Bechtler Art Museum is now enclosed and interior work is speeding along. The building presents a glass façade to Tryon Street and other sides of the complex. With about 35,000 square feet of space, it can house about 10 percent of the 1,300 pieces in the Bechtler collection at any time.

“It's intended to be intimate, fun and lively,” said Bob Lilien, who represents Bechtler. “Art is the star.”

The museum is expected to open in early 2010 with its signature, 16-foot-tall Firebird sculpture out front. Its main gallery will be on the fourth floor, and the building will include an outdoor sculpture garden on a terrace with kinetic displays.

New Mint getting a shell

Next door, the new Mint Museum in Center City is still awaiting its outer skin, which will include four stories of glass enclosing the building's atrium. A fifth-floor terrace, partially canopied, will be used for special events and is expected to be able to accommodate 250 people for a sit-down dinner, said Phil Kline, executive director of the Mint Museums.

Kline said he expects the building to be ready for occupancy in April 2010, and a grand opening should follow in August.

In addition to housing the Craft + Design collections at the current location on North Tryon, the new museum will include the American and contemporary art collections now at the Mint Museum of Art on Randolph Road. The Randolph Road facility will be getting a new look, and galleries there will feature the Mint's ceramics, art of the ancient Americas and historic costume and fashionable dress collections.

The new Tryon Street museum has about 20,000 square feet of space that will be available for future expansion.

Knight Theater more intimate

Interior work is under way on the Knight Theater, which will offer 1,177 seats and will be the venue for the quirky “Aluminum Show,” a combination of puppetry, dance, percussion and other elements. It will open in January 2010 as part of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center's Broadway Lights Series.

The auditorium, with an orchestra pit that can accommodate 65 musicians, has a stage two-thirds the size of the Belk Theater's. It will provide an intermediate-size venue between the 2,100-seat Belk and the 430-seat Booth Playhouse, said Tom Gabbard, president of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, which will manage the theater.

Because all the properties are clustered, there are savings because they can share parking, custodial services, security and climate control.

Originally, a condo development was planned atop the Church Street side of the Mint, but it has been put on hold indefinitely because of the recession. The building is being designed in a way that will allow a high-rise project to be constructed on top of it later, said Bob Bertges, executive vice president and managing director for corporate real estate for Wachovia.

“They'll build up there eventually, either a condo or a hotel or other structure,” Bertges said.

Steel work is continuing on the pinnacle of the former Wachovia tower, now known as Duke Energy Center, which will be the second tallest building in the city after the Bank of America tower. It should be topped out in April and completed by year's end, Bertges said. Wells Fargo, which acquired Wachovia this year, will be a major tenant.

Let me add that I totally agree that Jax does not need to duplicate the PROJECTS in Charlotte, so much as it needs to acquire the ATTITUDE and VISION that is there. A Law school would be just as good as a undergrad annex.  Of course, you take your opportunities where you can get them.

Also, while JaxNole adds a very truthful and important element to the discussion, I think the 'chicken and egg' aspect of that needs to be considered.  If Jax were a more 'happening' place, the city could do a better job of keeping it's home-grown talent (including the Stanton/Paxon/Anderson grads) and attracting it from elsewhere.  Once hooked on the DT area's appeal, many more, especially the 20-30 somethings, would want to live in the core rather than St. John's County.   

[thelakelander]

All on three adjacent blocks.  Across the street from the convention center and Stonewall light rail station.  This area should result in a huge light rail ridership boost and enhance Charlotte's convention appeal.  It appears there are multiple things that have been coordinated and planned together to stimulate greater energy within a compact setting.  What a concept.

Knight Theater


Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts


Bechtler Art Museum


Mint Museum


Duke Energy Tower

[JaxNole]

Also, while JaxNole adds a very truthful and important element to the discussion, I think the 'chicken and egg' aspect of that needs to be considered.  If Jax were a more 'happening' place, the city could do a better job of keeping it's home-grown talent (including the Stanton/Paxon/Anderson grads) and attracting it from elsewhere.  Once hooked on the DT area's appeal, many more, especially the 20-30 somethings, would want to live in the core rather than St. John's County.  

While our city continues losing ground in terms of any subjective measure of progress, I believe the chicken and egg problem can be approached simultaneously.  Anecdotally, many of my Stanton alumni have or are moving back to Jacksonville after having received their college educations in cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston as well as London and Paris.  They have come back not just because Jacksonville is home and so are family and friends, but because they bring back with them experiences, culture and knowledge that lack here.

I left Jacksonville for Boston, came back and, for illustrative purposes only, make thrice the per capita amount of income as Jacksonville per the Census.  This allows me to donate to area charities, spend money at non-chain restaurants (thanks, yelp.com), afford the farmers market, buy British pies at the Riverside Arts Market, donate to my high school band program, etc....  In essence, I am contributing to what is local in one of the most powerful ways: through money.

And though I don't live downtown, I live in the same residence in Riverside as I have for four years, adding stability to a once-rough section.  Mobility on my block has decreased and I know every neighbor.

But, yeah, we can turn the chicken and egg situation into having chickens and eggs at the same time.

[I-10east]

Well, my prediction on Charlotte losing a F-500 became true on the 09' list (Wachovia fell; Charlotte has six F-500's now) Jax lost two fortune 500's (FNF, FNFIS; Jax has two CSX, WD now) I guess we're still managing to stay two steps behind Charlotte; I guess the internal Metrojax negativity is starting to rub on me a lil'.

[vicupstate]

Charlotte has 8, not 6.

This year's list includes eight companies in the Charlotte region â€" down one from last year, because of Wells Fargo's purchase of Wachovia. Wells Fargo ranks 41st on this year's list, the same position as last year.

2009 rank
2008 rank
2008 revenue

(billions)

Bank of America
11
9
$113.1

Lowe's
47
48
$48.2

Nucor
106
151
$23.7

Duke Energy
204
204
$13.2

Sonic Automotive
337
298
$7.5

Goodrich
354
375
$7.1

Family Dollar Stores
359
358
$7.0

SPX
402
466
$6.1

[I-10east]

^^^You, and Cline were right; I was going by the city, rather than the metros; I mean, who the hell knows where Mathews, NC is at. Hopefully Winston Salem isn't in Charlotte's metro.  

[thelakelander]

I had to laugh when I read this article.  While we continue to debate IF we should invest in rail, these guys are debating over where the next rail line should be built.

Debate over rail lines starts tonight

Costs mean only one can be built next, but which: North corridor or Lynx extension?
By Steve Harrison
sharrison@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009

The tug-of-war over Mecklenburg's next rapid transit line begins tonight when the Charlotte Area Transit System unveils its latest cost estimates for the Lynx Blue Line extension and the commuter rail line to the Lake Norman area.

The most recent long-range plan, approved in 2006, called for CATS to build the two train lines at the same time. Construction on the north corridor would begin first, but both would be operating by the middle of next decade, under the 3-year-old plan.

Since then, CATS' finances have been battered by the economy and construction costs have continued to rise.

Now it's likely that CATS will only be able to build one more significant rail project.

CATS chief executive Keith Parker said last week the estimates will show the two projects are still financially feasible, even though the price of the 11-mile Lynx extension is expected to have risen considerably since a $750 million 2006 estimate. In this past year, CATS has said the extension would likely cost $900 million, and that it could approach $1billion.

“We feel pretty good about where things are,” Parker said.

The Metropolitan Transit Commission, which decides what train line should be built next, will hear the cost estimates Wednesday. The presentation will likely touch off a debate that's been dormant for more than a year â€" which rail line should be built first?

Davidson mayor John Woods, an MTC member and supporter of the commuter train, called it “low-hanging fruit.”

“The practical news is this: We have a north corridor with a rail bed that's shovel ready. It's a relatively simple project.”

Building the commuter rail line from uptown to Mooresville will likely cost between $330 and $400 million. Because it uses existing freight rail line, construction isn't expected to be complicated. Construction could begin in 2009 and the train could begin operating early next decade.

But competing against the north corridor is the Lynx extension, which has strong support from the city of Charlotte. Unlike the commuter train, CATS is expecting the federal government to pay for half of the construction costs â€" the only way CATS can finance it under its current budget.

Extending the Lynx up North Tryon Street to University City is expected to be much more complicated than building the original light-rail line. CATS has at least another year of design and engineering work for the northeast extension, and it's expected to take nearly three years to build.

If CATS has the opportunity for as much as $500 million in federal funding, the transit system may be hesitant to build the commuter train. The federal government might not award CATS a construction grant if it believes CATS will have trouble paying for its share of construction costs.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/597/story/678787.html