North End Neighborhoods
BIG IDEA: Create a new mobility hub at the heart of a dense mixed-use redevelopment of the Hal Marshall site where the Blue Line and planned Silver Line light rail will intersect
Context and Rationale
The North End spans a large area of Center City that includes several residential neighborhoods, industrial activity zones, the Blue Line light rail, greenways, and the Norfolk Southern railyard. With recent investment, growing interest in creating a new signature public space, and the design and construction of the Silver Line light rail, the North End is on the brink of significant transformation.
It will be critical to guide North End growth and investment in a manner that benefits existing residents and businesses, and addresses the challenges facing the area, which include:
• Poor connections between neighborhoods and from Uptown to the North End
• Neighborhoods lacking in amenities including complete sidewalks, comfortable bus stops, grocery stores and other community uses
• Residents at risk of displacement due to development pressures and rising costs
• Limited parks and public spaces
• Difficult access to Blue Line stations from North End neighborhoods
• Homelessness and access to community services.
The Focus Area recommendations address three interconnected topics – the North End neighborhoods; the potential conversion of the rail yard into a major new public space known as Queen’s Park; and the intersection of the Silver and Blue light rail lines.
The recommendations address these major projects while also laying the groundwork for specific, tactical neighborhood improvements. Strategies are intended to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime “big moves” at the crossing of two light rail lines and railyard to funnel investment to underserved communities, creating complete neighborhoods and bringing more amenities and opportunity to the North End.
NORTH END NEIGHBORHOODS
The inner North End neighborhoods, particularly those between I-77 and North Davidson Street north of the I-277 loop, are a mix of low-density housing, light industrial activity, and a growing number of independent businesses and enterprises. They also comprise the North End Smart District, a City-led effort to leverage local assets and technology to address community priorities.
A community-driven neighborhood planning and visioning process for the North End is needed to identify, prioritize and implement community improvements. These include ensuring all residents have access to fundamental amenities, including reliable WiFi and safe, well-lit streets and sidewalks. The plan should address how to use former industrial land to support jobs, innovation and training and development; how to build new and preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement; and how to improve the challenging roadway and infrastructure conditions to support mobility and sustained growth.
SILVER AND BLUE LINE CROSSING
Along the north edge of Uptown, the future Silver Line will intersect with the Blue Line. This connection will create a new regional mobility hub, allowing travelers from around the city and the county to access and navigate Center City more easily. This connection also presents the opportunity to create a new civic cornerstone, to re-imagine what a transit station can be and to re-think the entire area between Uptown and North End. The Silver and Blue Line Crossing will be a dynamic, mixed-use employment and activity hub that provides seamless connections and transfers between transit lines, as well as bike parking and rental, rideshare pick-up and drop-off locations, and access to scooters and other mobility devices. It is also an opportunity to site community services including health care providers and child-care facilities in a central, transit-oriented location that is adjacent to employment uses and easy for families to access. Retail, including a grocery store, and restaurants would serve office workers, residents, commuters and visitors–bringing life and energy to the neighborhood.
QUEEN’S PARK
Consolidating and relocating railroad activity could open up land to be re-envisioned and redeveloped as a large premier public space. “Queen’s Park,” as the community-driven concept is currently known, would be a 150-plus acre park that includes public spaces, natural habitats, public art, a trail system, an outdoor event venue, and sports courts and fields. It would be within walking distance of Uptown and be bordered by new, dense urban development with significant affordable housing and commercial space for local businesses and organizations. The park could also include new arts or cultural venues, a recreation center, and classrooms or other community spaces and would provide stellar views of Charlotte’s skyline. The parks and adjacent land would remove the barrier the railyard creates, connecting neighborhoods to one another and improving access to transit, public space and other amenities). The railyard and historic uses can provide design inspiration for the area.
Objectives
• Improve connections between Uptown and the North End, and between North End neighborhoods
• Retain and support existing businesses and employment uses compatible with the vision for the area
• Create major new public spaces and activity centers to provide both basic services and amenities
• Transform North End neighborhoods into complete, walkable communities
• Prevent displacement of existing residents and community organizations
• Leverage public land, assets and new development to support affordable housing, new public spaces, community programs and equity goals
Strategies and Recommendations
B-1. CREATE AND IMPLEMENT THE NORTH END NEIGHBORHOODS AREA PLAN IN PHASE 1 OR 2 OF THE CITY’S COMMUNITY AREA PLANNING PROCESS. ENSURE THE PLAN ACHIEVES THE FOLLOWING GOALS:
B1-1 Identify and deliver phased roadway and active transportation projects that overcome barriers within and between North End neighborhoods
B1-2 Complete basic neighborhood infrastructure including Wi-Fi access, sidewalks, lighting and crosswalks
B1-3 Support a mix of residential, commercial and employment uses including affordable, workforce and market-rate housing as well as light industrial and other employment uses
B1-4 Retain and renovate the existing North Tryon Amtrak station to serve as a secondary transit facility and unique infrastructure feature in the North End
Dalton Avenue, North End - Existing Condition
Dalton Avenue, North End - Proposed Conditions
B-2. WORK WITH HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS, INCLUDING ROOF ABOVE, TO ENSURE HOMELESS PEOPLE AND OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS CAN ACCESS NEEDED SERVICES
B-3. LEVERAGE PUBLICLY OWNED LAND AT THE HAL MARSHALL SITE TO CAPTURE VALUE FROM NEW HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT TO FUND IMPROVEMENTS AND COMMUNITY GOALS THROUGHOUT UPTOWN AND THE NORTH END NEIGHBORHOODS INCLUDING:
• Affordable housing
• Parks and public space
• Childcare facilities
• Low-cost commercial space
• Arts and culture facilities and venues
B-4. INTEGRATE A MULTI-STORY TRANSIT STATION INTO A DENSE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT MAXIMIZING ACCESS TO THE BLUE AND SILVER LINES
B4-1 Incorporate a large, central gathering space into to the development that includes amenities such as shade, art, and furniture and can accommodate events and programs
B4-2 Allow for a multi-modal connection under or over I-277 (as determined by future study of the highway’s vertical alignment)
B4-3 Complete a detailed financial feasibility analysis for adjacent blocks to determine the viability and scale of potential development
B4-4 Engage in a public-private partnership to redevelop the Hal Marshall site on North Tryon Street to include:
› Mixed-use development with active ground floors and an anchor tenant
› A 5+ acre plaza or public space
› A mix of residential options including workforce housing, rental and business ownership opportunities
› Affordable housing
› Strong walking and biking connections to transit including the Silver Line
› Mid-block pedestrian pathways
› Arts, cultural, education, or other civic facilities.
Silver And Blue Line Crossing - Proposed Conditions
B-5. ENSURE THAT THE SILVER LINE TOD STRATEGY PLAN REFLECTS PRINCIPLES OF EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (ETOD) INCLUDING:
• Allowing all people to access and experience the benefits of dense, mixed-use pedestrian-oriented development near transit and mobility hubs
• Working with community members in decision-making processes
• Improving connections to opportunities including education, employment and enrichment
• Establishing equity goals and monitoring progress towards ETOD benefits, such as affordable housing, accessibility, economic growth, environmental benefits and public health
B-6. CONSOLIDATE AND RELOCATE THE NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAIL LINES TO RECAPTURE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT AND TO CREATE A SIGNATURE PARK
B6-1 Create a connected system of public spaces between Uptown and the new park that serves as an active trail similar to the Blue Line Rail Trail
B6-2 Preserve the ability to serve the neighborhood and park via Amtrak as the area matures
Renderings Courtesy Of Friends Of Queen’s Park
