Does anyone know what the status of the townhouses that look to be abandoned on New Bern? I thought I heard that the HVAC hadn’t been included and realized well into construction. they look to be just sitting there vacant. I’m sure htere’s a story and would love to hear it.
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I heard that the builder took deposits on agreed upon sale prices. Construction costs were rising soooo the slowdown began hoping current buyers would back out and then they could be resold later for a higher price point. I do think those who canceled got their deposits back.
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My duty to keep it real around here. Crazy hippie billion dollar transit hype gets too wild on this forum.
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I appreciate a counterpoint to endless optimism but you didn’t answer my question. Is there any project or initiative you’re excited about in DTR?
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Creamery on my list, except I’m losing my enthusiasm for it the longer it takes to break ground.
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Hey 
You can call me crazy. Just don’t call me a hippy. 
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I live across the street in the other new units. From what I understand:
Sometime in Feb 22’ they realized the architect had neglected to plan space for the mechanicals to go between the floors. They had redo the plans to figure out where to place them, of course engineering has to be involved. Plans were redone and approved as significant changes. In the mean time no work occurred from what I can tell. Over the summer they did all the outdoor work, windows, doors etc. and must have been working on the inside on the changes, but was a very slow process. No one was busting their ass getting anything done. Fast forward to now - there is always a couple vans out there , plumbing and HVAC , but I don’t see any significant work being completed and its been that way since Sept or so.
Buyers were offered an out way back and to get deposits back - I don’t think many people opt’d, but I also don’t think they thought it was going to be a year behind schedule. I am sure they had hoped a bunch would back out and they could resell at much higher prices. I will be interested to see what they list the sister project just around the corner for.
I am sure the construction cost drove a lot of this and they are working to reduce costs any way they can to even try to break even, which means being on the whim of your subs fitting you in on down time and offering contract concessions. Also doesn’t help the builder is not local and probably does not have strong relationships with local contractors.
TLDR: Architectural issues caused massive delays and building costs increase dramatically. No significant progress has been made in 6 months - Builder is working at a snails pace and the project will be ~1 year behind.
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Unless I’m mistaken, the plans would have never made it past the approval process with the city if it excluded the mechanical between floors. This sounds like a mistake on the builder. I saw a few plumbing vans as well last week, so there’s hope it gets completed eventually.
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This is very reasonable to think, but I wouldn’t depend on the city - I am sure actual issue lies somewhere in-between. If the framers missed it, then they still would have had to go back to permitting to figure out where to put it all and come up with a work-around - or a combo of reframing and re-routing
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Either way, sounds like a lawsuit for someone …
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Heard 1601 New Bern was close to permitting
Noticed yesterday that 1601 now has a fresh “now leasing” sign out front. I took that as they’re leasing as is and delaying the re-dev…but hopefully they’re premarketing whats to come??
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with the BRT on the way i guess would anyone know if Longview shopping center has had offers on it or are there any percolating plans for its improvement or ‘redoing’?
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And, the State of North Carolina has begun the plans for selling the DMV and ESC sites. Let the planning buzz begin…
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article271084552.html
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Let’s hope the City doesn’t get it. Hopefully it will be purchased by a private entity otherwise we will waste 8 years of “community input meetings” before anything happens.
A developer will have to cave to the City’s “10% AMI” for affordable housing but thats all the “affordable” this site should have
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The News and disturber can pound sand for $16 a month to read their digital articles.
Can you paraphrase?
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Sure. Let’s sell off a public assest to a low-grade developer from Wilmington to build a one-story Harris Teeter on a BRT corridor. 
It’s possible the City could work with Martin St Baptist to do something like they are doing with Duplex Village, where the City helps assemble and does a public-private partnership with some AH on one part and market on the other.
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I would be ok with that actually LOL. But in all honesty the developer would pay too much for the land to make the economics work with that much surface parking.
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This area does need a grocery store, but that would be a criminal under utilization of a site like this.
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