During the fall debate over keeping the transit tax, Charlotte City Councilman James Mitchell helped win the support of the Black Political Caucus with this idea: Speed up construction of a streetcar through central Charlotte.
Today, the city of Charlotte is taking the first steps towards building it by 2013, rather than 2018 as planned.
But an expedited streetcar is far from certain.
The Charlotte Area Transit System is already moving forward with two other large rail projects, and it’s unlikely it could build three at once. Some CATS officials say that building even two rail projects at once could be biting off too much.
One reason: The economic downturn is eating into revenue, and rising fuel prices are also hurting its bottom line.
CATS wants to extend the light-rail line 11 miles to University City by 2015. It wants to build a commuter rail line to the Lake Norman area by 2012. And there is the streetcar, whose first leg would run from Beatties Ford Road to Presbyterian Hospital through uptown.
CATS chief executive Keith Parker said that CATS can’t do all three projects at once, unless it gets a new source of money. He said he’ll know more when the extent of the economic downturn becomes evident and “as our numbers become clearer.”
In mixed traffic
The proposed streetcar is different from light rail because it would operate in mixed traffic. It would have more frequent stops, and wouldn’t go as fast or carry as many passengers as the Lynx.Some black leaders, including Dwayne Collins of the Black Political Caucus, believe the streetcar can deliver the same economic impact as the Lynx Blue Line. South Boulevard is being transformed with new retail and residential development, much of it clustered near train stations.
Collins ultimately gave his support to the transit tax, and African Americans helped contribute to its lopsided 70-30 win at the polls.
The Federal Transit Administration has a pot of money called Small Starts that can be used for streetcars, but the federal government has shied away from funding them this decade. The FTA judges transit projects in large part on how much time it can save riders, and the streetcar isn’t significantly faster than a car.
One idea floated to help speed up the first phase of the streetcar is to use a portion of new property tax revenue generated from development along the line. This method — known as tax-increment financing — is also being proposed for the commuter rail line.
The streetcar will cost about $27 million per mile in current dollars, compared with $48 million per mile for the Lynx. The first leg of the streetcar is about five miles.
Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton recently lobbied the Mecklenburg congressional delegation in Washington D.C. for $500,000 that would pay for an economic impact study. That would give an indication of how much new property taxes the streetcar could generate.
Charlotte City Council member Warren Turner said it makes sense to build the streetcar as soon as possible because construction costs are rising rapidly.
“My costs aren’t going to go down,” said Turner said.
Mitchell said waiting for congressional approval might take too long, and has proposed partnering with interested developers to help front the money to pay for the study.
“Let’s not wait for Congress,” Mitchell said. “Let’s start our own economic analysis (study).”
Transit tax critic Jeff Taylor of the conservative John Locke Foundation believes that funding plan goes against Charlotte Mayor’s Pat McCrory’s pledge during last fall’s campaign not to “go outside” the half-cent sales tax to fund the transit system.
McCrory said it’s too early to say if he would be comfortable with possibly using property tax money a second time to build the streetcar. “We have to see the numbers first,” McCrory said.
Economic outlook
A more pressing concern for CATS is the economy.
Over a 30-year period, CATS has projected the transit sales tax would grow by an average of 5.75 percent annually.
CATS recently projected the tax will grow by only 4 percent for the next two years as the economy teeters on the edge of a recession. Rising fuel prices have also left the transit agency with less money than expected.
Another concern is keeping the 11-mile Lynx Blue Line extension eligible for federal funding.
If CATS attempts to build two or three trains at once, the federal government could decide CATS is trying to do too much at once. Earlier this year, the FTA indicated it would reject proposals to fund rail lines in Washington D.C. and Miami. One reason cited was a concern that those transit agencies would have enough money to build those lines and then operate their system.
McCrory said it’s not a problem that CATS is studying building three rail projects at the same time.
“We have three corridors being studied on a parallel track,” McCrory said. “We don’t know the conclusion. In the end, the strongest will survive.”
Collins said he’s encouraged the city is lobbying Washington, D.C., for money for the economic development study. But he said he would be upset if the streetcar isn’t built soon.
“My very angst with the transit tax is whether it would benefit the east and west side,” Collins said.
East Charlotte residents say they’re cautiously optimistic about the city’s goal to redevelop Eastland Mall, which has lost about a quarter of its tenants.
On Tuesday, the city committed to pay $75,000 for an option on the vacant Belk store. Under the agreement, the city can buy the 13-acre parcel for $3.5 million until Nov. 30.
Diane Langevin, president of the Winterfield Neighborhood Association, said she’s excited the city has stepped up, but is concerned about whether the redevelopment will actually happen.
“I’m waiting to see the bulldozers,” said Langevin, who lives across the street from the mall. She would love to be able to walk to stores.
“Is it just a nugget they are giving us, just a little hope?” she said. “And then we have to start all over years from now?”
Roberta Farman, acting president for Medford Acres, shared Langevin’s concerns.
“Are we going to jump in and go ahead with development or put our toe in the water and pull back?” she said.
Farman said she has mixed feelings about the plans because of the current economy. But she said she knows that a project like this will take time.
“I am hoping and crossing my fingers that what comes in brings the right kind of energy,” she added.
Over the next few months, the city must persuade the mall’s four other owners to agree on a redevelopment proposal. City officials also must find a developer willing to reinvent mall. The mall’s stores will stay open during that time.
The now struggling mall opened in 1974 at Central Avenue and Albemarle Road. It’s about five miles from downtown and surrounded by older neighborhoods.
The city estimates that the Eastland site will need about $175 million in private investment and $25 million in road, sidewalk and other public improvements.
Grace Watkins, president of the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, lives a mile from the mall. She said this is a step in the right direction to bring in new energy, but she’s against a strip mall setup.
“This is a great jumpstart for new development,” she said. “It will help clean up the negative vibes that the area has right now.”
John Autry, vice president of Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association, lives a mile and a half from the mall. He said he’s ready for a center of shops and housing but is slightly skeptical.
“When the rubber meets the road,” he said, “that’s when we can evaluate the long-range impact.”
(As an aside – I think widening Independence is a horse that has left the barn. HOWEVER, I STONGLY support LIGHT RAIL for Independence – like all of my neighbors and ACTIVE RECRUITMENT of new businesses in the area and ASSISTANCE to existing businesses impacted by the project.)
Tonight, a group of East Charlotte business owners and neighbors are protesting the proposed widening of East Independence.
It is a 1.6 mile stretch of highway that some locals are dead set against.
They’re saying, that if this road is widened as planned, they’re going to get a raw deal because the government can’t possibly compensate them for all that they will lose.
Charlotte has taken a serious step toward reinventing Eastland Mall, a once-regional shopping center that has lost about a quarter of its tenants and gained a reputation for crime.
The city committed Tuesday to pay $75,000 for an option on the mall’s Belk property, formerly one of the center’s four anchors. The agreement means the city may purchase the property for $3.5 million anytime before Nov. 30.
It’s the city’s first real estate investment in a closely watched project that has, until now, mostly just been discussed and studied. But observers also say it’s only the beginning of a solution that will take lots of work and many years.
“It’s huge,” said council member Nancy Carter, who represents the area. “I think it’s the indication of the interest and the commitment on the part of the city staff and the council.”
Nearby residents were pleased by the news, but also skeptical.
“This is something that we hoped the city would do a long time ago …,” said Darrell Bonapart, who lives behind the mall and is president of Charlotte East Community Partners. “Now it’s a wait-and-see mode to see where they want to take this.”
Over the next few months, the city must persuade the mall’s other four owners to agree on a redevelopment proposal. City officials also must find a developer willing to reinvent the mall as a mixed-use shopping, living and gathering center. During that time, Eastland’s stores will remain open.
“It’s a key step and a strong signal that the city is serious,” Mayor Pat McCrory said of the agreement with Belk. “But we’re also going to need cooperation from the private sector.”
The city’s move sends a positive signal to developers who might be interested in the project, said Ray “Rip” Farris III of Charlotte’s Tuscan Development, which is restoring old mill buildings in NoDa and has residential projects along Central Avenue.
But he said the city may have to offer tax breaks and build streets, sidewalks and otherwise help prepare the site for redevelopment.
“Otherwise, it probably wouldn’t happen,” he said.
Targeted for improvement
The city has fretted for almost a decade about the struggling mall, which opened in 1974 at Central Avenue and Albemarle Road. It’s about five miles from downtown and surrounded by older neighborhoods with strong homeowner associations. Residents are hoping to see Central Avenue’s renewal reach them, as it spreads out from the city.City officials have commissioned at least two studies of the area, which is one of five business districts the City Council agreed last year to target for improvement.
The other districts are Rozzelles Ferry Road, Beatties Ford Road, Bryant Park and North Tryon Street.
The city has set aside $8.9 million to work on those areas. It estimates the Eastland site will need about $175 million in private investment and $25 million in road, sidewalk and other publicly funded infrastructure. The mall also is along one of the city’s busiest bus routes and the last stop on a planned Central Avenue trolley line.
The city’s latest study of Eastland was in 2006, after Belk shuttered its doors. Belk followed J.C. Penney’s closure — it is now occupied by tenants — and Dillard’s transformation into a clearance center. Other setbacks included a Christmastime shooting in 2006 that sent shoppers running for cover. Last spring, the mall’s year-round ice-skating rink closed.
One reason for the city’s agreement with Belk was to send a signal to the development community that officials are serious about changing the mall, said Economic Development Director Tom Flynn. It was also planned around a deadline: Glimcher Realty, which manages the mall and has been trying to sell it for three years, has a mortgage payment of between $36 million and $38 million coming due in September, Flynn said.
Marvin Snyder, the mall’s general manager, confirmed the deadline but said he didn’t know the amount of the payment. He said the company is supportive of the city’s efforts.
Needing owners’ agreement
City officials have hearty agreement from many neighborhood leaders, who would like to see a greenway and park, high-end housing and quality shopping. But not all of the 90-acre property’s five owners agree. Along with Glimcher, the owners are Sears, J.C. Penney, Dillard’s and Belk.
Sears, for one, wants to stay. The store is the company’s only one within city limits.
“We’re committed to staying in the (Eastland) area and continuing to serve our customers,” Sears spokeswoman Kim Freely said Tuesday.
Flynn said the city would not purchase the property without a certain level of agreement among the owners.
“We want to ensure that the other owners of the mall would be willing to join with the city in some type of initiative or sell to a developer at an acceptable price,” he said.
He said the city plans to organize a neighborhood meeting in April to answer questions about the project. He said the city also would work with existing mall tenants who want to stay in the area.
“This is a major undertaking,” he said. “Both from a dollars and staff perspective.”
Looking toward redevelopment
The City Council agreed last year to target five business districts for improvement:• Eastland Mall: Working with landowners to turn the mall into a town center. City contribution so far: $75,000 option on the Belk property, plus $3 million for streetscaping work to be done on Central Avenue between Sharon Amity and Albemarle Roads.
Charlotte is the only major city in the country with increasing housing prices, according to a widely-watched index of U.S. home prices released Tuesday.
Nationally, prices fell 11.4 percent in January, its steepest drop since data for the indicator was first collected in 1987.
The decline reported Tuesday in the Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index means prices have been growing more slowly or dropping for 19 consecutive months.
The index tracks the prices of single-family homes in 10 major metropolitan areas in the U.S.
The broader 20-city composite index also fell, dropping 10.7 percent in January from a year ago. That makes it the first time both indexes dropped by double-digit percentages.
“Home prices continue to fall, decelerate and reach record lows across the nation,” said David Blitzer, index committee chairman at S&P. “No markets seem to be completely immune from the housing crisis.”
Blitzer said all 20 cities S&P tracks have seen dropping prices for five consecutive months. What’s more, the declines are growing in severity, with 13 of the 20 cities reporting their biggest single monthly decline in January.
The worst performing markets are Las Vegas and Miami, which tied for worst off as they both reported 19.3 percent drops.
Charlotte squeaked by as the only gainer, with a 1.8 percent rise in January.
East Charlotte residents plan to protest this week the ongoing widening of Independence Boulevard, saying the project is hurting area businesses.
The Eastside Political Action Committee is planning a Thursday rally against plans to widen Independence from Albermarle Road to Conference Drive, a 1.4-mile stretch.
Construction of the $153.5 million project is expected to start in December 2010, said Wilson Stroud, N.C. Department of Transportation project planning engineer.
The rally is planned for 5:30-7 p.m. in front of the Coliseum Shopping Center, between Norland Road and Pierson Drive. Residents, business owners and others are expected.
The project dates to the 1980s, when the state began widening Independence Boulevard as a way to ease traffic between Matthews and uptown.
Since 1989, the city has required developers and property owners to keep a 175-foot buffer from the center median. As the road widens, businesses are getting closer to neighborhoods behind them.
City officials have said they agree the area needs more attention but say it will take time to turn things around.
For example, it took the city several years to help redefine Wilkinson Boulevard from its decaying warehouse districts to new commercial and residential development.
But many residents are concerned that the area is still suffering from the widening’s last phase in summer 2006, which started at Eastway Drive and ended at Sharon Amity Road, a 1.3-mile stretch.
“This is a serious issue, and it is about to get worse, and our community must hold the government accountable,” Ed Garber, chair of the Eastside Political Action Committee and vice president of the Eastway-Sheffield Neighborhood Association, wrote in an e-mail.
Victoria Fewell, president of Plaza Eastway Partners/Northeast Community Organization, said there are too many empty boxes on the corridor. The BB&T bank on Albemarle Road that Fewell has used for years had to change to drive-through only.
Dean Bartlett, a member of the Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association, has been a resident of the neighborhood for 14 years. “Independence is the gateway from the east, and it should be a showcase,” he said.
Darrell Bonapart, president of Charlotte East Community Partners, said Independence and Albemarle Road used to have thriving businesses.
“The rally on Independence Boulevard is going to be the beginning phase of our communities displaying unity in concern for the future of our businesses and overall prosperity,” he wrote. “In East Charlotte, it will not be politics as usual.”
Want to go?
The rally will be 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday on both sides of Independence Boulevard inbound between Pierson Drive and Norland Road.
From Ed Garber, Chairman Eastside Political Action Committee:
Come join the “Independence Rally” On Thursday March 27th from 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
The Eastside Political Action Committee is organizing a rally for residents, business owners, and other stakeholders along Independence Blvd. it’s time to draw a line in the sand.
City, county, and state government bodies have dropped the ball in managing the impact that the widening of Independence Blvd has had, and will continue to have, on businesses and neighborhoods.
The only *commitment* we have is further destruction and decay along Independence blvd, as the NCDOT widens Independence Blvd to Conference Drive. The NCDOT has publically stated that they do not have *any* plans to address impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods or existing businesses. Our neighborhoods are already suffering from the last phase of widening. There is no consistent strategy for Independence Blvd’s future. This is unacceptable!
The time for studies was 20 years ago. We need action! The Eastside Political Action Committee intends to see that your tax dollars are not only spent on asphalt, but on restoring the vitality of this once thriving corridor.
The decay along Independence Blvd is *not* the result of natural market conditions. Our government bodies have systematically denied our community any ACTION in preserving or redeveloping this corridor during or after widening.
This includes:
- No strategic direction what-so-ever
- No attempt to preserve commerce
- No commitment to relocate and/or restore businesses after previous or proposed widening.
- No commitment to redevelopment. The 175 foot setback has strangled redevelopment, holding property owners and developers hostage for many years.
- No commitment to *equitable* Rapid Transit – Light rail is recommended for every other quadrant of Charlotte. CATS and the MTC recognize that light rail has significant advantages over buses as far as economic redevelopment is concerned. According to CATS and MTC, the Southeast corridor, has the highest current and proposed ridership of mass transit of all of the corridors in Charlotte. But no light rail for Independence Blvd???
- No consideration of safety in terms of entering or exiting Independence Blvd. (i.e. Wilshire Pl. & Norland Rd.)
Elected officials:
…Stay home and watch it on T.V.
Logistics:
The Independence Rally will be held on both sides of Independence Blvd.
Inbound: between Pierson Drive and Norland Road
Outbound: between Pierson Drive and Coliseum Shopping Center
Please gather on the sidewalk along the side of the street you live or work on.
Limited signage will be provided. Please feel free to bring your own sign.
Come draw your line in the sand on March 27th. Support East Charlotte. Support your Community. Support the struggling businesses on Independence Blvd.
The media will be present. The city will be watching you at the INDEPENDENCE RALLY.
Everyone I’ve talked to in my neighborhood of Windsor Park is thrilled about the plans for a streetcar on Central Avenue. Now there’s even talk of speeding up the process. I support ramping up the time line.
Street cars could be making a comeback as Charlotte looks for new ways to move people quickly from various locations of the city.
Currently, we have the Lynx Blue Line which extends South from Center City to Pineville.
Soon, street cars could be used to connect passengers who want to travel to the east or west side of the city.
The proposed line would take you down Beatties Ford Road in Northwest Charlotte through Center City, the Elizabeth area and, eventually, to Eastland Mall.
The success of light rail is bringing more interest in the street car plan, but the federal government isn’t willing to contribute any money.
The Charlotte city council may put the plan on a priority list for discussion at its meeting Monday night. A study evaluating the plan could cost more than a half million dollars.
Check out this video featuring Portland’s modern streetcars:
The Charlotte Museum of History and Hezekiah Alexander Homesite comprise multiple venues on an eight-acre wooded campus in east Charlotte.
The oldest structure is the Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, a 5,000- square foot rock house. The Hezekiah Alexander House is the oldest surviving house in Mecklenburg County. Listed on the National Register for Historic Places, it was built circa 1774 and still stands on its original site. The house is accompanied by a reproduction log kitchen and reconstructed two-story springhouse.
East Charlotte has amazing cultural offerings like the 