Nickelback anyone?!?!?!
5 Likes
The amount of land actually available is exactly the same. Like, exactly. And it’s arguably better shaped and has superior topography for an amphitheater.
If you look only at the parcel lines, then certainly - the southern lot is too small. But so is the northern lot. The northern lot only becomes big enough when you include the right of way of South Street, a street that is owned by the city and actually used for real transportation purposes (people, bikes, cars) today.
In the case of the southern lot, there’s a lot of land tied up in surplus ROW, owned by NCDOT. NCDOT has a specific committee and a process for disposing of surplus right-of-way that is practically intended for situations like this. They meet the 2nd Tuesday of each month. It would be a minor bureaucratic headache (The request has to be submitted two weeks prior; there are forms to be filled, and supporting documentation must be provided, etc) but the outcome would be predictable, there is a cut and dry case for approval here.
The difference is, while South Street is part of the street grid, providing connectivity and transportation value, this surplus right of way has a few trees but is otherwise useless to anybody. Nothing is lost by converting it to an amphitheater.
Saying the southern lot is too small is JUST LAZY. They haven’t done their homework, don’t want to, and are making up excuses to cover it.
I even said above that I think RHA downtown is probably more valuable than South Street, but why force a choice between cutting off either your left arm or right arm, without first carefully considering any possible way to keep both arms?
My guess about what’s going on?
- They want RHA right next to RCC, consequences be damned, or
- They are somehow loath to talk to NCDOT about surplus right of way, so they are putting forth a plan that doesn’t require them to do so, and instead repurposes city-owned right of way, connectivity be damned.
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This is so much angst for what looks like a pretty strong proposal to me. We keep RHA, we even keep it on the downtown side of the rail line, and it gets some pretty nice upgrades all around.
It’s South Street, it’s really lightly trafficked. It’s ok.
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It’s more like cutting off your left arm or cutting off your right fingernail.
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Did we not, as a city referendum, vote for a bond to finance a convention center expansion and Red Hat move? If so, then the city has voted in favor and lets get it done pronto.
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May I offer that the voices that are usually heard are the ones that are unhappy?
That said, I’ll officially raise my hand that I am happy about closing the street and adding the slip lane in exchange for the relocated RedHat Amphitheater. I fully support this proposal.
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Saw them last year at Walnut, I did what Jake and his friends are doing for Creed. Fun times!
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Even the slip lane is supposedly not a done deal and requires dealing with NCDOT.
Nevertheless sounds like you are in this category, along with lots of us:
I don’t think you would be in favor of closing the street just for the sake of having one less street around.
People still listen to Creed?
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As someone that used the street frequently to go to Boulted Bread when they were there, the street was an absolute ghost town even then. Very very few people actually use this road and it would not be missed.
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What about in 10 years? When there’s an Omni, 598 apartments at Salisbury Square, 286 apartments at Mira, 270 apartments at 601 W South St, 297 apartments at Maeve, Heritage Park redeveloped, potential high-rises at Shaw. South St could be a decent East-West connector for pedestrian traffic.
And wouldn’t all the residents from Rockway and Weld projects also use South St as their main entry to downtown?
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Not if it isn’t there…
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But wouldn’t a pedestrian still have full access through the Lenoir Street corridor (one block north)? Closing to traffic doesn’t equal closing to pedestrians.
Sorry, I’m really not seeing the crisis about South Street.
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Just saying added a 3 block zig zag in what would normally be a 1 block straight walk is a big enough deterrent that would impact pedestrian traffic and likely the success of retail at the base of all the aforementioned developments.
We’re not just taking the street away. It’s also the potential for it to be a retail-lined focal point for the south end of downtown. And Lenoir doesn’t seem like it would become that since its already mostly built out.
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What about in 10 years you ask?
Well, in 10 years there can be additional mechanisms (roads or otherwise) to enable people to travel to and through downtown. It’s not like the city is at peak roads now and we can only subtract from that.
Also, for context that I’ve mentioned in a previous post. South St. is not a through street from the west side to the east side. Its uninterrupted length is about 1.3 miles from its west end to its east end, and about a 1/3 of its length is basically a single family neighborhood street in Boylan Heights. It’s not some sort of important traffic thru-way for the city. I would have a completely different opinion about its closure if we were talking about Lenoir. It is a secondary thru-way/connector from the east side to the west side neighborhoods that flank downtown, and it too originates on the west side in Boylan Heights.
As for the pedestrian (and I presume bicycle) traffic, the closure of one block of South doesn’t prevent pedestrians from accessing downtown, and it’s a lot easier to address pedestrian issues within the context of the entire amphitheater project. I welcome you to raise your voice in support of these accommodations.
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Unless they’re specifically going to the Martin Marietta Center it will add no time for pedestrians because they have to go north for everything downtown anyway and will for a decade or more. This is a desperate search for rare exceptions.
Even if that route becomes a thriving connection, Cabarrus is only a half block away, not a full block. It adds essentially no time.
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Poll time!
I am satisfied with the current option that closes south street. Move forward without delay.
I would like a delay to reconsider alternatives, but if none can be found, closing South Street is okay.
I do want RHA to stay downtown, but only if an alternative that does not close any streets can be found.
I think that a facility like RHA does not belong downtown. Look elsewhere.
I don’t know / I don’t care
0
voters
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Thank you Orulz!
More voting/opinions!!!
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Oh the humanity! Do you guys even care about the character of the South St!! /j
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