Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project Land Use and ED

Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project FY 2013 New Starts Report Land Use and Economic Development September 2011

Charlotte Area Transit System 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202

Charlotte Area Transit System Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project LYNX BLUE LINE EXTENSION

FY 2013 New Starts Report LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Contents

Section I: Existing Land Use ...... 1 Existing Station Area Development ...... 1 Corridor and Station Area Population, Housing Units and Employment ...... 1 Listing and Description of High Trip Generators ...... 2 Other Major Trip Generators in Station Areas ...... 14 Existing Area Development Character ...... 18 Existing Land Use and Pedestrian Environment in Corridor and Station Areas ...... 18 Station Area Maps ...... 18 Station Area Photographs ...... 18 9th Street Station Area ...... 18 Parkwood Station Area ...... 22 25th Street Station Area ...... 26 36th Street Station Area ...... 30 Sugar Creek Station Area ...... 34 Old Concord Road Station Area ...... 38 Tom Hunter Station Area ...... 42 University City Boulevard Station Area ...... 46 McCullough Station Area ...... 50 JW Clay Boulevard Station Area ...... 54 UNC Charlotte Station Area ...... 58 Existing Station Area Pedestrian Facilities ...... 62 Station Area Maps Identifying Pedestrian Facilitiates ...... 62 Documentation of Achievement of Curb Ramp Plans and Milestones ...... 62 Existing Corridor and Station Area Parking Supply ...... 63 Existing Parking Spaces Per Square Footage ...... 63 Existing Parking Spaces Per Employee ...... 63 Land Area Within One Half Mile Devoted to Parking ...... 63 Average Daily Parking Cost ...... 64

i Section II: Transit Supportive Plans and Policies ...... 65

A. Growth Management ...... 65 Concentration of Development Around Established Centers and Transit ...... 65 Regional Plans or Policies . . . primary activity centers ...... 65 Regional Plans or Policies . . . major transit facilities ...... 67 Local Comprehensive Plans or Capital Plans . . . for higher density development ...... 71 Land Conservation and Management ...... 74 Growth Management Plans ...... 74 Policies That Allow for Transfer of Development Rights ...... 76

B. Transit Supportive Corridor Policies ...... 77 Plans and Policies to Increase Station Area Development ...... 77 Plans that Promote Development in the Corridor and Station Areas ...... 77 Economic Development Potential in the Northeast Corridor ...... 79 9th Street Station Area ...... 81 Parkwood Station Area ...... 82 25th Street Station Area ...... 84 36th Street Station Area ...... 86 Sugar Creek Station Area ...... 88 Old Concord Road Station Area ...... 90 Tom Hunter Station Area ...... 92 University City Boulevard Station Area ...... 94 McCullough Station Area ...... 96 JW Clay Boulevard Station Area ...... 98 UNC Charlotte Station Area ...... 100 Area-Speciﬁ c Plans in the Transit Corridor ...... 102 Plans and Policies to Enhance Transit-Friendly Character of Development ...... 103 Policies that Promote Transit-Friendly Character ...... 103 Policies to Promote Mixed-Use Projects ...... 103 Policies to Promote Housing and Transit-Oriented Retail ...... 104 Policies that Allow or Promote Vertical Zoning ...... 105 Facade Improvement Programs ...... 105 Funds to Support Transit-Oriented Plans ...... 105 Private Sector Plans and Initiatives ...... 106 Plans to Improve Pedestrian Facilities ...... 107 Requirements and Policies for Pedestrian-Friendly Design in Station Areas ...... 107 Capital Improvement Programs for Pedestrian-Friendly Design in Station Areas ...... 107 Curb Ramp Transition Plans and Milestones ...... 108 Street Design Guidelines ...... 108 Parking Policies ...... 109

ii Policies to Reduce Parking Requirements ...... 109 Policies Establishing Maximum Allowable Parking for New Development ...... 109 Shared Parking Allowances ...... 110 Mandatory Minimum Cost for Parking ...... 110 Parking Taxes ...... 110

C. Supportive Zoning Regulations Near Transit Stations ...... 111 Zoning Ordinances that Support Increased Development Density in TSAs ...... 111 Ordinances and Maps Describing Existing Zoning ...... 111 Recent Changes to Ordinances to Encourage Transit-Supportive Densities ...... 112 Transit Overlay Zoning ...... 113 Zoning Incentives for Increased Development in Station Areas ...... 114 Zoning Ordinances that Enhance Transit-Oriented Character of TSA Development ...... 114 Zoning Regulations that Allow Mixed-Use Development ...... 114 Zoning Regulations ...... 114 Architectural Design Guidelines and Mechanisms ...... 116 Zoning Allowances for Reduced Parking ...... 117 Residential and Commercial Parking Requirements ...... 117 Zoning Ordinances Providing Reduced Parking Requirements ...... 117

D. Tools to Implement Land Use Policies ...... 118 Outreach to Government Agencies and the Community ...... 118 Promotion and Outreach Activities ...... 118 Inter-Local Agreements, Resolutions or Letters of Endorsement ...... 118 Actions of Other Groups in Support of Transit-Oriented Development Policies ...... 119 Public Outreach Materials and Brochures ...... 119 Regulatory and Financial Incentives to Promote Transit-Supportive Development ...... 120 Regulatory Incentives for Development Near Transit ...... 120 Zoning Requirements for Trafﬁ c Mitigation ...... 120 Programs that Promote or Provide Incentives for Transit-Oriented Development ...... 121 Other Economic Development and Revitalization Strategies ...... 121 Efforts to Engage the Development Community ...... 122 Outreach Targeted at the Development Community ...... 122 Transit-Oriented Market Studies ...... 122 Joint Development Programs and Proposals ...... 123 Letters of Endorsement or Other Indicators of Support ...... 123 Public Involvement in Corridor and Station Area Planning ...... 123 Description of Public Involvement Process ...... 123 Description of the Level of Participation by the Public and Community Groups ...... 124 Public Outreach Materials and Brochures ...... 124

iii Section III: Performance and Impacts of Land Use Policies ...... 125

A. Performance of Land Use Policies ...... 125 Demonstrated Cases of Developments Affected by Transit Supportive Policies ...... 125 Documentation of Projects ...... 125 Station Area Development Proposals and Status ...... 131 Description and Plans for New Development ...... 131 B. Potential Impact of Transit Project on Regional Land Use ...... 133 Adaptability of Station Area Land for Development ...... 133 Description of Inventory of Land that is Vacant or Available for Redevelopment ...... 133 Projected Timeline for Development of Station Area Properties ...... 134 Amount of Development Allowed at Station Area Build-Out ...... 135 Corridor Economic Environment ...... 136 Regional and Corridor Economic Conditions and Growth Projections ...... 136 Development of Market Trends in Existing Corridors and Station Areas ...... 136 Demonstrated Market Support for Higher-Density and Transit Oriented Development.... 138 Locations of Major Employment Centers in the Region and Expected Growth ...... 140

Section IV: Other Land Use Considerations ...... 141 Other Unidentiﬁ ed Circumstances, Conditions or Constraints ...... 141 Regional Transit Plan ...... 141 Transportation/Land Use Integration ...... 141 Brownﬁ elds Redevelopment ...... 142 Feeder Bus Connections ...... 142

Quantitative Land Use Information Projected Population, Employment and Growth Rates in Corridor or Station Areas, Compared to the Region ...... 143

List of Attachments (Submitted Separately)

1. Map of Center City Charlotte 2. First Ward Master Plan 3. Center City 2010 Vision Plan 4. University City Area Plan 5. UNC Charlotte Draft Campus Master Plan 6. Charlotte Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 12, Section 2: Parking Policies) 7. Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework 8. General Development Policies 9. 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan 10. City of Charlotte Transportation Action Plan 11. 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan 12. Urban Street Design Guidelines 13. Economic Development Potential Around Northeast Corridor Stations 14. Affordable Housing Policy 15. Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines 16. Facade Improvement Program 17. Transit Oriented Development Zoning 18. Transit Station Area Principles 19. Transit Supportive Overlay District 20. Uptown Mixed Use District (UMUD) 21. Mixed Use Development District (UMUD) 22. Pedestrian Overlay District (PED) 23. Sampling of public involvement materials 24. Northeast Corridor Public Involvement Plan 25. Inter-local agreements, resolutions and letters of endorsement 26. Sampling of newspaper reports on transit supportive development in the Northeast 27. Second Ward Neighborhood Master Plan 28. Draft Center City 2020 Vision Plan 29. Northeast District Plan 30. Northeast Area Plan 31. North Charlotte Plan

Section I

Existing Land Use

Pages 1-64

I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING  Corridor and Station Area Population, Housing Units and Employment CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA The Northeast Corridor Blue Line Extension (BLE) extends from 9th Street in Uptown DEVELOPMENT (Center City) Charlotte through the North Davidson (NoDa) and University City areas to the UNC Charlotte Campus. The land use character of the alignment changes as it moves from Center City to UNC Charlotte: A map of the  The BLE begins in Uptown, the center of a six-county metropolitan region. Uptown LYNX Blue Line is home to over 11,000 residents; the headquarters of Bank of America and Duke Extension is found Energy; and over 65,000 employees. on the inside cover  Between the 9th Street and 36th Street stations, the corridor includes industrial land uses that are transitioning to urban residential and mixed land uses. This is most evi- dent in the NoDa area, an arts district that has experienced signiﬁ cant redevelopment in recent years.  The middle part of the corridor (Sugar Creek to Tom Hunter) is characterized by older commercial strip development and industrial uses along the major thoroughfare (North Tryon Street) and the NCRR rail line, surrounded by established residential neighborhoods.  The outer portion of the corridor (University City Boulevard to UNC Charlotte) is characterized by greenﬁ eld sites, more suburban commercial uses and the UNC Charlotte campus.

Since early 2000, the BLE corridor has continued to experience development investment. Much of this investment, especially between 9th and 36th streets, has been in anticipation of light rail transit in the corridor.

The BLE Corridor has a total population of 87,286 (excluding the CBD), according to 2010 census data. An estimated 24,745 persons live in the “Transit Station Areas,” or the area within ½ mile of the proposed light rail station.

Table I-1: Station Area Summary Data (2010)

This is a summary Station Area (1/2 mile) Population Households Employment of the data; 9th Street* 1,406 860 7,114 see pages 143-146 for additional data Parkwood 1,549 598 707 on station areas. 25th Street 830 437 554 36th Street 2,765 1,510 1,592 Sugar Creek 1,748 850 2,034 Old Concord Road 1,415 594 1,304 Tom Hunter 5,435 2,087 765 University City Boulevard 806 310 675 McCullough 914 568 4,015 JW Clay Boulevard 2,587 1,345 3,896 UNC Charlotte 5,290 137 3,392 TOTAL STATION AREAS 24,745 9,296 26,048 * 9th Street data is for the area within 1/4 mile because of overlap with other Uptown stations.

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EXISTING  Listing and Description of High Trip Generators CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT The Blue Line Extension (BLE) begins in Charlotte’s Center City (also known as Up- (continued) town), which is the vibrant heart of the city and the economic engine of the six-county Metropolitan Statistical Area, with over 65,000 jobs in the city’s ofﬁ ce core and a bur- geoning residential population currently at more than 11,000.

Uptown has one station on the northeast Blue Line Extension LRT line – 9th Street – and four on the Blue Line that extends southwest from Uptown. Center City is the largest See Attachment 1 trip generator on the BLE and continues to experience signiﬁ cant ofﬁ ce growth, increas- for a map of the ing residential density and continued development of major cultural facilities. There are Center City several major high trip generators in Center City, as described below.

 Employment Trip Generators

Charlotte is the nation’s largest banking center outside New York City. Two of Amer- ica’s largest ﬁ nancial institutions – Bank of America and Wells Fargo – are located in Uptown. Other major employers include AT&T, Duke Energy, and the main government ofﬁ ces for the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

The CBD’s 65,670 employees represent 6% of the total metropolitan area employment (see table on page 143). The over 19 million square feet of ofﬁ ce space represents about 28% of the total ofﬁ ce space in Mecklenburg County, a share that is among the highest of mid-sized cities in the nation.

The 48-story Duke Energy Center (2010), with the new Mint Museum and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in the foreground (left)

Bank of America corporate headquarters (right)

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Center City Charlotte

The economic vitality of Center City is reﬂ ected in the new DUKE ENERGY CENTER on South Tryon near the Charlotte Convention Center and Bank of America Stadium. The 48-story tower, completed in 2010, has 1.5 million square feet of ofﬁ ce and retail space.

The new ofﬁ ce tower anchors a mixed-use campus that features the LEVINE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, with several major new cultural facilities also completed in 2010: the 1,200-seat Knight Theater, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, a new Mint Museum of Art and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture. The campus also includes a 46 story condominium tower, street level retail and Wake Forest Univer- sity’s Business School.

Elsewhere in Center City, ONE BANK OF AMERICA CENTER – Bank of America’s new 30-story ofﬁ ce tower completed in 2010 – includes 700,000 square feet of ofﬁ ce space and is linked to the 17-story, 150-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel, completed in 2009. Both One Bank of America Center and the Ritz-Carlton have achieved the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard for new construction.

Other recently completed projects include the NASCAR HALL OF FAME COMPLEX, fi n- ished in 2010. The facility includes a 150,000 square foot museum – with a projected annual attendance of 300,000 visitors – a 275-seat theater that is available for special events, a restaurant, retail space and a broadcast studio. The complex also includes a new convention center ballroom and a 400,000 square foot offi ce tower, which is home to NASCAR’s licensing offi ce and sports media operations.

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EXISTING 440 SOUTH CHURCH STREET is a LEED-certiﬁ ed CORRIDOR AND downtown ofﬁ ce building that is part of a master- STATION AREA planned, full city block development, designed to DEVELOPMENT integrate with the overall redevelopment of the Third Ward neighborhood. The entire develop- (continued) ment provides amenities and services to the tenants of 440 South Church, which include four full-service restaurants, two coffee shops, sun- dries and a full-service award-winning hotel.

The current recession notwithstanding, Center 65,000 CENTER City’s ofﬁ ce vacancy rate has customarily been CITY EMPLOYEES one of the lowest of comparably-sized cities in TODAY the country, indicating the Center City’s strong 52,500 MORE economy. Employment projections for Center ANTICIPATED City (page 143) anticipate an 80 percent increase BY 2035 in employment – from 65,670 to 118,289 workers between 2010 and 2035.

One Bank of America Center (2010)

 Institutional Trip Generators

Center City also contains several local, state, and federal agencies that attract residents to the area. In addition to City and County government offi ces, there are Federal courts and offi ces in the Charles R. Jonas Federal Building and U.S. District Courthouse. The Federal Reserve Bank Branch that serves fi nancial institutions in North and South Carolina is located Uptown, as well.

The Mecklenburg County Courthouse was completed in 2007, and a new Federal Courthouse is in the proposal stage for Center City. The Children’s Service Center opened in 2003 and a new Metro School is complete, as well. The Central Post Ofﬁ ce and multi-faceted main Library also draw patrons Uptown.

The Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center (MCAC) is a world class Natatorium located in First Ward. The Aquatic Center includes a 50 meter competition pool, 25 yard therapeutic pool, ﬁ tness center, and hot tub. The MCAC offers swim lessons, triathlon training, water polo, hosts masters and youth swim teams and junior through elite swim and triathlon competitions.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) is constructing a 150,000 square foot academic and ofﬁ ce tower in the First Ward neighborhood near the proposed Blue Line Ext Mecklenburg County Courthouse (2007) 9th Street Station. When completed in 2011, the University will

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Johnson & Wales University administration building (left). The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s new Center City building (right) is scheduled to open in 2011. J move all of its Center City operations – which include the Architecture and Administra- tion departments – into the new building. The new building will accommodate master programs in the following colleges: Information Technology, Health and Human Ser- vices, Engineering and Arts and Sciences.

The culinary university Johnson and Wales opened in Center City in the fall of 2004 with 1,200 students, exceeding expectations of a ﬁ rst-year class of 885. Today, more than 2,400 students are enrolled in the College of Business, College of Culinary Arts and The Hospitality College, with enrollment expected to reach 3,000 students. The school’s Cedar Hall dormitories and City View Towers on-campus apartments house 1,300 students.

 Entertainment Trip Generators

Center City is a major entertainment and retail destination for the region, with an NFL football stadium, an NBA arena, major cultural facilities and a growing restaurant and nightlife scene.

The largest of all entertainment facilities is the 72,000-seat Bank of America Stadium, home to the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers and other special events, including bowl games at the collegiate level.

EpiCentre, a new $100 million redevelopment on the site of the City’s former convention center (replaced by a newer facility), is an entertainment destination that opened in 2008

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EpiCentre (2008)

with movie theaters, a bowling alley, restaurants, night clubs, shops and a hotel. The City contributed sidewalks, streetscape improvements and the platform that connects EpiCentre with the Blue Line station. The project is strategically located in the heart of Uptown and across from the NBA arena.

The Time Warner Cable Arena, completed in 2005, is home to Charlotte’s NBA franchise team – the Charlotte Bobcats – and host to many special events. It also serves as home ice to the Charlotte Checkers American Hockey League team. The 20,500-seat arena also has 8,000 square feet of retail and restaurants on site. The arena sits on a two- square block site alongside the light rail alignment and directly across the street from the Charlotte Transportation Center, the Charlotte Area Transit System’s hub transfer station.

Charlotte Center City Partners continues to pursue an ambitious plan to combine a park in Uptown’s Third Ward with a minor-league baseball stadium for the Charlotte Knights, members of the AAA International League (one step below major league baseball). A land swap – the exchange of public and private property – will create two major urban parks, the baseball park as well as Brooklyn Village in the Second Ward neighborhood, which includes affordable and workforce housing along with retail and offi ce development. It also provides an opportunity for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to relocate their headquarters to a new, more effi cient offi ce building.

The new Levine Center for the Arts (page 3) not only includes an ofﬁ ce/retail tower and a condominium tower, but also three major museums. This dynamic development transforms nearly two city blocks to bring together natural space, culture and innovative

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Time Warner Cable Arena, with the Blue Line Light Rail Train

urban architecture to enhance the vibrancy of the city and to offer progressive new venues for art and live performances. Centerpieces of the project include:

 The Bechtler Museum of Art, a four story structure designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, exhibits a strong sculptural quality that connects to the dynamic art inside it. The Bechtler collection reﬂ ects most of the important art movements and schools from the 20th century. The collection comprises mid- century modern art in various media by artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miro, Jean Tinguely and Barbara Hepworth. Only a handful of the artworks in the Bechtler collection have been on public view in the United States.

 The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture provides the public with access to African American culture through exhibitions, performances and innovative edu- Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (2010) cational programs. Cornerstone to the Gantt Center’s perma- nent collection is the Hewitt Collection of African American Art, consisting of works by renowned artists such as Romare Bearden, regarded as one of the greatest American artists of his generation; Henry Ossawa Tanner, one of the ﬁ rst African American artists to receive acclaim in both America and Eu- rope; and Elizabeth Catlett, Jonathan Green, Jacob Lawrence and Ann Tanksley.

 The Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally- renowned Mint Museum of Craft + Design and outstanding collections of American, contemporary and European art. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston, the ﬁ ve-story, 145,000-square-foot facility combines inspiring ar- Mint Museum (2010) chitecture with groundbreaking exhibitions to provide visitors with unparalleled educational and cultural experiences.

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EXISTING  Another piece of the Levine Arts Campus is CORRIDOR AND the $32 million 1,200-seat Knight Theater. STATION AREA Its stage hosts a wide variety of events but is DEVELOPMENT especially suited for dance productions. The state-of-the-art facility includes digital sound (continued) and light systems and a 38-foot by 18-foot ex- terior LED screen that displays highlights from shows, public artworks and other imagery to pedestrians and patrons.

The North Carolina Dance Theatre’s new facility Knight Theater (2010) opened in 2010 and includes 5,000 square feet of dance studio space overlooking North Tryon Street, Center City’s north-south spine. The facility showcases the artistry of the professional and student dancers, enabling the School of Dance to offer additional classes and events for the community.

Adjacent to the 7th Street LYNX Blue Line Station, Imaginon continues to draw Uptown visitors. The collaborative effort of the Public Library of Charlotte- Mecklenburg County and the Children’s Theatre offers an original approach to education, learning and the arts. It features performance facilities for educational drama experiences (including 550-seat and 250- seat theaters), an early childhood education center, a teen center and a story-telling venue. A large, multi- story public space contains interactive exhibits and serves as a public gathering and reception area. The 102,000 square foot facility opened in 2005.

North Carolina Dance Theatre (2010) Other major cultural facilities in Uptown include:

 The North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (including the 2,100-seat Belk Theater and 4,400-seat Booth Playhouse) is home to the Charlotte Symphony, Opera Carolina and several other outstanding arts organizations;

 Spirit Square Center for the Arts and Education, including the 730-seat McGlohon Theatre and the 190-seat Duke Energy Theatre;

 Levine Museum of the New South, housing the nation’s most comprehensive interpre- tation of post-Civil War Southern history;

 Discovery Place Science Museum completed a $31.6 million renovation in 2010 that resulted in a transformed and re-imagined museum with all new interactive exhibits;

 McColl Center for Visual Art is a working artists’ residency program and gallery of contemporary art, supporting artists regionally, nationally and internationally.

Local developers and the Carolina Preservation Society will redevelop the old Carolina Theatre site by building 125 condos above the existing historic theater. The new theater will average ten shows per month.

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EXISTING In 2008, Center City saw a resurgence of retail with two heavy hitting retail centers – CORRIDOR AND Metropolitan, located in Midtown, and EpiCentre in Uptown. Together these centers STATION AREA added more than 765,000 square feet of retail for a total of over three million square DEVELOPMENT feet of retail development in Center City and include national retailers such as Target, Staples, Marshalls and Trader Joe’s. New locations will continue to grow this year in the (continued) Duke Energy Center, which will include 40,000 square feet of new ground ﬂ oor retail space. Founders Hall has undergone extensive renovations expanding its retail offerings to include new restaurants.

 Tourism Trip Generators

Center City is the hospitality and entertainment center for the region, and more than 25 million visitors – including more than half a million conventioneers – come to Center City annually to visit. Center City has 4,200 hotel rooms in 16 hotels. The 147-room Ritz-Carlton opened in late 2009, and the Hotel Sierra opened in 2010 with 163 suites adjacent to the Time Warner Cable Arena.

During the year, Center City hosts special multi-day events including the CIAA basketball tournament, Race Week, Taste of Charlotte and others. In addition, to the entertainment and cultural venues already noted, and the growing number of new Uptown restaurants, Center City contains several major trip generators associated with tourism.

In addition, Charlotte has been selected to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which will be held in the Time Warner Cable Arena and will bring 35,000 delegates, national and international media and key policy makers to Uptown.

The Charlotte Convention Center is the largest such facility between Washington, DC and Atlanta, with 850,000 square feet, including 280,000 Hotel Sierra (2010) square feet of exhibit space. About 800,000 people annually attend con- ventions, trade shows, assemblies, consumer shows and local events at Charlotte’s Convention Center. There are over 70 convention activities annually with over 1,000 attendees. The Blue Line LRT runs through the Convention Center and convention-goers can use the light rail to reach other Uptown destinations, go to the South End entertainment district or to reach other destinations such as UNC Charlotte.

The 150,000 square foot NASCAR Hall of Fame opened in 2010 and is an entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. It includes more than 40,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and artifacts, a Hall of Honor where ﬁ ve people are inducted each year, a 275-seat theater available for special events and a 102,000 square foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000 square foot, 5,000 person ballroom. The Hall of Fame has an annual attendance of about 300,000 visitors. Ritz-Carlton (2009)

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EXISTING  Residential Trip Generators CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA Center City is a thriving and diverse urban neighborhood with more than 13,000 resi- DEVELOPMENT dents and a mixture of high-rise condos, stately turn-of-the-century Victorian homes, apartments, town homes and houses for singles and growing families, as well as a healthy (continued) mix of affordable and subsidized housing.

Over the past decade, more than 7,000 housing units have been completed, mostly in First Ward, Third Ward and Fourth Ward – neighborhoods that each have their own character and that have undergone extensive redevelopment in the past ten to twenty years and are within ½ mile of the Blue Line. The Second Ward consists of condominium mid-rises, the Trust and the Radcliffe, with future planned residential development at the EpiCentre and The Park. The Second Ward residential environment is on the verge of signiﬁ cant diversiﬁ cation with the proposed Second Ward/Brook- lyn Village plan, which will create a new neighborhood with different types of housing, restaurants, shops, a state-of-the-art high school and a remarkable neighborhood park.

Since 2004, a number of high-rise condominium projects have been completed. Before this time, residential projects had been mid-rise buildings of ten stories or less. One of the ﬁ rst, the 16-story Courtside, was completed in 2006.

Other recently completed condo and apartment projects include: 7,000 NEW HOUSING UNITS  The Vue – 411 units (50 stories) UPTOWN SINCE  Avenue – 386 units (36 stories) 2000  Trademark – 162 units (28 stories)  Courtside – 104 units (16 stories)  230 South Tryon – 110 units (13 stories)  Quarterside – 202 units (7 stories)

The 50-story Vue condominium high rise, completed in 2010, is located in Fourth Ward and is within walking distance of numerous restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as Gateway Village and the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Residents began moving into The Enclave in 2008. The four-story project includes 85 apartment units in First Ward. The project consists of studios, one, two and three bedroom ﬂ ats, as well as three bedroom penthouses.

The Trademark

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EXISTING The Catalyst is a 27-ﬂ oor residential tower located at the corner of Church Street and CORRIDOR AND Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. It includes 462 affordably-priced one and two-bedroom STATION AREA homes and 20,000 square feet of street-level retail. DEVELOPMENT Adjacent to the proposed Gateway Multimodal Station and Johnson and Wales Univer- (continued) sity is the proposed 500 West Trade project. The project features 400 residential units, 30,000 square feet of retail and possibly a second phase featuring more ofﬁ ce space.

Fifth and Poplar The Catalyst The following are major residential developments completed in Center City since 2000:

First Ward

 Enclave 85 units (2008)  Quarterside 202 units (2008)  Garden District Row 11 units (2007)  Court 6 80 units (2007)  Courtside 104 units (2007)  M Street Condos 67 units (2007)  The Corners 9 units (2003)  Alexander Court 18 units (2003)  Cityview Townes 24 units (2002)  Tenth Street Townhomes 15 units (2002)  Saussy Burbank Homes 33 units (2001)  Skyline Terrace 44 units (2001)  Tivoli 93 units (2001) Second Ward

 The Tower 26 units (2007) Ratcliffe on The Green  The Trust 8 units (2007)  Ratcliffe on The Green 57 units (2002)

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The Avenue The Vue

Third Ward

 Levine Center for the Arts 400 units (proposed)  Twelve Charlotte 579 units (2009)  Trademark 192 units (2007)  First Row 83 units (2007)  Cedar Hall (Johnson & Wales dorm) 200 units (2003)  Sycamore Green 190 units (2002)  Gateway Place 436 units (2001)  Oak Park 38 units (2000)  Gateway Lofts 52 units (2000) Fourth Ward

 500 West Trade 400 units (proposed)  The Vue 411 units (2010)  The Avenue 386 units (2007)  City View Towers 145 units (2003)  626 North Graham 43 units (2003)  Fifth and Poplar 304 units (2002)  Silo Urban Lofts 32 units (2001)  715 North Church 89 units (2001)  Cotton Mills 183 units (2001)  Settlers Place 22 units (2000)  Jefferson Square 75 units (2000) Gateway Lofts  Frederick Place 29 units (2000)

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EXISTING  Transportation and Trip Generators CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA As the dominant employment and cultural center for the Charlotte region, Center City DEVELOPMENT contains several transportation facilities that will serve to generate trips and attract users to light rail. (continued) The Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC) serves as the main transfer point for the Charlotte Area Transit System local, express, regional express bus and light rail system. In the future, the center will enable transfers between light rail, streetcar, and bus rapid transit as well as local, express and regional express bus services.

Most importantly, the Center City area serves as the center of the region’s transportation system, with the region’s ﬁ ve designated transit corridors converging at the CTC or the future Gate- way multi-modal station on West Trade Street. As a result, more people will travel to and through Center City, increasing the importance of the area from a transportation perspective.

The new Gateway multi-modal transit center is proposed for the intersection of West Trade Street and the existing rail line that runs parallel to Cedar Street and Graham Street behind Charlotte Transportation Center in Center City the Bank of America Stadium. This facility will supplement the Charlotte Transportation Center as a connection to service local transit routes for commuter rail, light rail, bus and streetcar.

The proposed Charlotte Streetcar Project is a 10-mile, street-running, ﬁ xed-guideway system that extends from Rosa Parks Place Community Transit Center on Beatties Ford Road, through downtown Charlotte via Trade/Elizabeth and Hawthorne Streets, to the Eastland Community Transit Center on Central Avenue. The project is currently in 30% design and is conceived of as a “Portland” type streetcar system utilizing modern vehicle technology based on the European “Tram” that is designed to operate in mixed trafﬁ c on urban streets. The City of Charlotte was awarded an Urban Circulator Grant in 2010 for the completion of a 1.5 mile starter segment of the Charlotte Streetcar Project.”

The section of Little Sugar Creek Greenway that connects to Uptown provides connectivity between the Metropolitan, Carolinas Medical Center, the amenities at Freedom Park (sports ﬁ elds and courts, a lake, amphitheater, playgrounds, outdoor shelters, and the Mahlon Adams Pavilion), Charlotte Nature Museum, Park Road Elementary School, and Park Road Shopping Center.

When complete, Little Sugar Creek Greenway will feature 15 miles of paths, habitats and ﬂ owing water from Cordelia Park just north of uptown, through the Midtown Square area to the South Carolina line, conveniently linking CPCC, CMS and the Park Road and Carolina Place shopping areas.

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EXISTING  Other Major Trip Generators in Station Areas CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA A number of other signiﬁ cant trip generators are located within the corridor, outside of DEVELOPMENT the Center City freeway loop.

(continued) NoDa

NoDa is located in North Charlotte’s historic mill village, two miles from Center City on North Davidson at 36th Street. NoDa is at the center of the 36th Street BLE station and is also served by the 25th Street station.

Once a textile community, NoDa is now home to a collection of restaurants, art galleries, performance venues, and eclectic shops. The redevelopment around NoDa has also led to the conversion of warehouse space to ofﬁ ce, live-work units and artists’ studios. In addition, former mill buildings have been converted to loft residential units and new apartment and condo units continue to emerge along North Davidson Street.

Retail shops, restaurants and entertainment venues are concentrated around NoDa’s Fat City Lofts on core area along North Davidson Street North Davidson between 34th Street and 36th Street. There Street – part of are a number of community facilities in the mixed use NoDa that contribute to its vitality, includ- investment being made in NoDa in ing the Johnston YMCA, Highland Park anticipation of Elementary School, Highland Mill Montes- light rail. sori, the Neighborhood Theatre and various church and day care facilties.

NoDa has seen signiﬁ cant investment in recent years, and development and redevelopment interest has continued despite the poor economy. Gateway Homes plans to construct a 620-unit complex on vacant industrial land adjacent to the rail line and near the 36th Street station. Completed or approved projects in NoDa include the following:

Table I-2: Completed or Approved Projects in NoDa

RETAIL/ HOUSING PROJECT AND DEVELOPER ACRES OFFICE UNITS sq. ft. 36th and McDowell (Lat Purser and Associates) .50 17 — 3123 North Davidson (Chris Ingram) .72 — 1,500 South Point Neighborhood Center (NoDa Tidewater) 13.57 300 — 529 Charles Avenue (Isa Raﬁ di) .20 — 1,416 Matheson Avenue/30th Street (First Industrial B & L) 15.99 327 44,000 NoDa at 27th Street (NoDa at 27th Street, LLC) 3.63 200 40,000

continued next page

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EXISTING Table I-2, continued CORRIDOR AND RETAIL/ STATION AREA HOUSING PROJECT AND DEVELOPER ACRES OFFICE DEVELOPMENT UNITS sq. ft. (continued) Charles Avenue Village (Liberate Financial, LLC) 1.91 11 — Merriﬁ eld Partners, LLC .54 — TBD The Mercury (North Davidson Acquisitions 3.87 160 42,000 Galleries at NoDa (BBC Development, LLC) .71 50 12,000 Bungalows on McDowell (Bungalow Designs) .69 4 — 516 East 35th Street (Lat Purser and Associates) .36 20 — 3340 Spencer Street (Amy Carver) .49 2 — Yards at NoDa (Gateway Homes, LLC) 10.09 340 — New Fellowship Worship Center 1.3 10 — Fat City (Fat City Investment) .47 21 38,000 Davidson at 28th (Greg Godley) 5.5 180 20,000 Renaissance on North Davidson (Gateway) 10.54 234 15,000 NoDa 18 Condos (Tuscan Development) .66 17 — NoDa Lofts (JDH Development) .25 9 3,525 Steel Gardens (Half Moon of Union) 11.13 242 — Highland Mills (Highland Mills LLC) 9.29 90 11,300

Colony (Gateway Homes) 2.81 34 —

Lofts 34 (Crosland) .27 12 3,580

Carolinas Medical Center–University

Carolinas Medical Center (CMC)–University is the largest hospital in North Mecklen- burg and southwest Cabarrus County. The CMC Emergency Department is the second busiest in Charlotte-Mecklenburg with over 70,000 patient visits per year. The CMC- University facility also offers cardiology, outpatient, surgical, maternity and rehabilitation services. CMC-University, located at the intersection of North Tryon Street and Harris Boulevard, is within the Harris/North Tryon station area.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte)

UNC Charlotte is North Carolina’s urban research university and the largest institution in the Charlotte region. It has seven colleges and offers eighteen doctoral programs, 62 masters programs and 90 bachelor’s degrees. UNC Charlotte has more than 3,000 full and part-time employees and more than 900 full-time faculty comprise the university’s academic departments. 2010 fall enrollment exceeded 21,500 with enrollment projections for 2020 at 35,000 students.

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EXISTING The university competes in the Atlantic 10 conference. The university’s biggest sports CORRIDOR AND draw is its men’s basketball program, which plays in the 9,000-seat Halton Arena. That STATION AREA will likely change in 2013, the year that 49er Football ﬁ nally kicks off. The future sta- DEVELOPMENT dium will be built just across North Tryon Street from University Place. UNC Charlotte is a 1,000 acre campus with about 75 buildings eight miles from Center City. The Uni- (continued) versity will have a LYNX Blue Line station on campus and is also within the JW Clay Boulevard Station Area.

UNC Charlotte also has a 150,000 square foot academic and ofﬁ ce tower under construction in Center City. The facility includes 25 classrooms, an outdoor plaza and a 300-seat auditorium. When completed in 2011, the University will move all of its Center City operations, which include the Architecture and Administration departments, into the new building. The new building will accommodate master programs in the following colleges: Information Technology, Health and Human Services, Engineering and Arts and Sciences. This new facility will provide a unique connection between Uptown and University City and will be within the BLE 9th Street station area.

Charlotte Research Institute

The Charlotte Research Institute campus covers 102 acres of land on UNC Charlotte’s grounds and currently contains eight buildings. Construction is underway for a ninth building for Bioinformatics, and construction will soon begin on three additional buildings for engineering research and education.

University Place

University Place is a 500,000 square foot regional center located adjacent to UNC Char- lotte in the heart of University City, Charlotte’s fastest growing submarket. It includes many national retailers, restaurants and a Hilton Hotel, and is located within the JW Clay Boulevard station area.

Shops, homes and restaurants at University Place’s lakeside setting

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EXISTING University Research Park CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA The University Research Park, located west of the UNC Charlotte campus, is a 2,300 acre DEVELOPMENT ofﬁ ce and research park. More than 25,000 people work at more than 100 businesses located on the 2,300 acre campus. In 2010, the City of Charlotte and University City (continued) Partners developed an area plan that was adopted by Charlotte City Council. The goal of the plan is to provide a blueprint for continued development of the park while preserving its valuable natural areas for public enjoyment and its boundaries coincide with those of the University City Municipal Service District. The plan incorporates the development of a future BLE feeder bus that will circulate between University Research Park and the University City Boulevard Station.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, located off North Tryon Street near UNC Charlotte, is Charlotte’s largest outdoor theater. It hosts large shows and concerts during warm weath- er months and seats 19,500. These events could be served by special event shuttles from several stations.

Concord Mills Mall

Concord Mills Mall is North Carolina’s largest tourist destination, attracting over 17 million visitors a year. This 1.4 million square foot shopping mall is the third largest mall in North Carolina and is located at the Mecklenburg/Cabarrus County border, about one mile from Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will be served by bus service from stations and by regional express service.

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a nationally-known NASCAR “super speedway” that hosts prestigious events such as the Coca-Cola 600 and the Sprint All-star Race. The 2,000 acre complex also features a state-of-the-art 0.25 miles drag racing strip, ZMAX Dragway. It is the only all-concrete, four-lane drag strip in the United States and hosts NHRA events.

The Charlotte Motor Speedway is considered one of the nation’s busiest sports venues and can accommodate over 140,000 spectators. Along with many races, the speedway also hosts the Food Lion Auto Fair twice a year, one of the nation’s largest car shows. Movies and commercials have been ﬁ lmed there and it’s a popular tourist spot and test- ing grounds. It will be served by regional express service with connections to the BLE stations.

IKEA

The enormous blue and yellow building at I-85 and City Boulevard houses the only Caro- linas location of the world’s No. 1 home furnishings retailer. A typical shopping visit lasts four hours and this is the only IKEA between Atlanta and Washington D.C. The retailer also features a restaurant and is located in the University City Boulevard Station Area.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 17 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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EXISTING  Description of character of existing land use mix and pedestrian environment STATION AREA in corridor and station areas DEVELOPMENT  Station area maps with uses and building footprints shown. CHARACTER  Ground-level or aerial photographs of station areas.

The Blue Line Extension (BLE) Corridor extends the Blue Line, or South LRT Cor- ridor, from 9th Street in Center City (Uptown) through the North Davidson (NoDa) and University City areas to UNC Charlotte. The service will operate generally within the existing railroad right-of-way from Center City to NoDa and then remain within the North Tryon Street (U.S. 29) right-of-way from Old Concord Road north, terminating on the UNC Charlotte campus. The BLE has 11 transit stations. Begin- ning in Uptown, the following are four-page summaries of the existing land use and pedestrian character – with maps and photographs – of each of the 11 station areas.

9TH STREET STATION AREA

Station Area Overview The BLE begins with the Ninth Street Station in Center City. Charlotte’s main street – Tryon – is two blocks north of the station. Ofﬁ ce buildings lie to the west, and residential areas in the redeveloped First Ward are to the south. The area is dotted with vacant parcels that are poised for development. UNC Charlotte is currently building a 150,000 square foot academic and ofﬁ ce tower between the 7th and 9th Street Station Areas. The facility will house all of UNC Charlotte’s Center City operations.

Land Use and Community Design Much of the 9th Street Station Area is within the First Ward Master Plan Garden Dis- trict (see Attachment 2), Garden District. Some of this area has developed, as planned, with local streets with a mix of single family and moderate to high intensity multi-family First Ward homes urban residential districts.

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EXISTING Much of the area, espe- STATION AREA cially parcels closest to DEVELOPMENT the LRT line, remains CHARACTER ripe for development (continued) and redevelopment. Mecklenburg County Land Use is promoting a mixed in the Station Area use village for the site Single Family –– now occupied by the Multi-Family 15% Hal Marshall county Commercial 11% service center and has Ofﬁ ce 6% received several development proposals. The Center City 2010 Vision Plan envisions a “North Tryon Institutional 30% Urban Village” near the Hal Marshall site and BLE station. Industrial 3% In addition, there are Vacant 35% three city blocks between the rail line and the lower density First Ward development that are vacant or underutilized. Between the Hal Marshall Center site redevelopment opportunity and other additional blocks available, there is the capacity for a substantial amount Employees or of new transit-oriented development around the BLE’s 9th Street station. Residents Within 1/4 Mile Radius of Station Street Network and Pedestrian Environment Single Family –– There is an extensive, interconnected street network in place that provides easy access to Multi-Family 1,406 the 9th Street Station. Improvements to this network have been made through the First Commercial 2,053 Ward Capital Improvements Program. Ofﬁ ce 2,133 An existing strong pedestrian network is in place. The First Ward Master Plan recom- Institutional 1,885 mends extending a pedestrian path along the rail corridor, and this is being contem- Industrial 1,043 plated as part of the “Market Street” project. The plan also recommends an improved streetscape along the rail corridor with sidewalks, street trees, and pedestrian scale lighting and pedestrian amenities. A new 8-acre park is planned between 7th and 8th streets.

North Tryon (right), two blocks from the station, is Charlotte’s main north-south street.

The historic Alpha Mill, built in the 1880s, has been renovated for apartments, and new buildings also have been added to the 12th Street campus. The mill is along the BLE rail line, three blocks from the 9th Street Station.

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9th Street Station Area  Existing Land Use

N C hurch St Co W t nn 10th St St ar

College S N Popl W N 12t W Colle h 10 S th W Brookshire t g Settlers L e St -tryon

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n St e Fr yo r ne St N T alvi C

ard St

E 7th St N Brev E 9th StreetE Station 11 9 th S ge St th St olle t C N E 10 th St

Gar rst Ward Ct den Fi D ll St ist rict Dr

N Caldwe E 10th

N AlexanderGa E 5th St rd en Di E 6 E 9th S strict th S t on St Dr s E 8th St t

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s St

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Legend Proposed Light Rail Alignment LYNX Blue Lin e Building Footprints Office

Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 07/26/11 Data Source: 1/4-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts 9th Street Land Use.pdf Land Street 9th Starts New BLE

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9th Street Station Area  Existing Zoning

S W 10th St W ettlers Bro

o W 12th S ks College L hir n W e Ra 10th W t Brookshire Fr -try ar St St on Popl St N

W 11th S

St h

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rd St

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rd Ct Ga r First Wa den St Dis trict

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Legend BLE New Starts 9th Street Zoning.pdf Proposed LYNX Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial

Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

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EXISTING PARKWOOD STATION AREA STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The Parkwood Station is the second station on the BLE and the ﬁ rst station outside of the Uptown area. It is located near the intersection of Parkwood and Brevard Street, near (continued) the southern end of the Norfolk Southern intermodal yard and adjacent intermodal truck yard. The neighborhoods of Optimist Park and Belmont are around the station area’s southern and eastern sections.

Land Use and Community Design About a quarter of the station area is occupied by existing industrial land uses, some of which are associated with the railroad and intermodal truck yard. As part of a separate project, Norfolk Southern will be relocating the intermodal facility to property near the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Conversion of the yard and related industrial land uses around it to more transit-supportive uses offers tremendous development opportunity to the station area.

Another quarter of the area is made up of single-family residential uses in Belmont, Optimist Park and Lockwood. Most of the homes in these neighborhoods are bungalows built in the 1920s and 1930s. These neighborhods continue to see development interest, in part because of the area’s proximity to Uptown and because the City’s policies and plans call for protecting the neighborhoods and encourag- ing their revitalization.

Some industrial parcels in the southern end of the station area already have started to transition to loft residential uses, including the Opt12 condominiums (above right). The Norfolk Southern rail yard

Optimist Park neighborhood

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EXISTING Parkwood Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT Street Network and Pedestrian Environment CHARACTER (continued) The streets around the station area form a typical urban grid network, although the Nor- folk Southern rail line creates some disconnections and the Little Sugar Creek Greenway create some vehicular interruptions but provides pedestrian connectivity. There are Land Use opportunities to connect small in the Station Area sections of disconnected roads and Single Family 27% pedestrian network, and especially Multi-Family 4% to build new network pieces as Commercial 1% industrial uses redevelop, and Ofﬁ ce 1% to connect the area’s circulation Institutional 18% network to the Little Sugar Creek Industrial 34% Greenway. Vacant 15% Although the pedestrian environment is currently challenged by the station’s proximity to the rail Employees or Residents Within yard, which bisects the station 1/2 Mile Radius of area, the neighborhoods on the Station southern side of the rail yard do Single Family 1,131 have very good pedestrian con- Multi-Family 418 nectivity. Commercial 179 Opt12 condos have helped pioneer Parkwood Avenue and Tryon Street Ofﬁ ce 21 redevelopment in Optimist Park. are strategic and important pedes- Institutional 94 trian spines that extend the reach of the station. Belmont Avenue and Davidson Street are Industrial 413 important neighborhood streets that can increase walkability throughout the station area.

Duncan Gardens is a new 43-unit, six-building condominium development, one block from the station, aimed at middle-income buyers.

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Parkwood Station Area  Existing Land Use

t S W 2 W 2 E 27th St St 5 6th St Wo W th St obbs 24t E 2 lfber roft H t S 6t ry S nc h St h a St t B hurch C St N

plar aham St N Po N Gr St

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t N B S loe E 25th S Dun t E 26th S

Dalton Av k t ee urch S N Ch r Cr E ga 2 u E 3rd St e S 2 t 5th S Littl S t hby v As A in dk E 22n E 2 Ya 4t h d St St

E E W 2 1 20th S 1st Av 5th St l St kn ey Church St St t N inc P W L C N Caldwel atawb idde Parkwood Station a Av E 16 W ll S a th d s St t worth St E 19th en Pl S All Elm St t Av Grace St St gle E n E 16t 1 o Sei St 7 ge th vids P N lle h St arkwood Av College St Da St N N Co ll St e w d Cal N t t E 20th S St nder S a l S rd ex a t N Al Br ev owel N E 1 N Mcd E 1 9t 8th S h S t E 13th t

Belmo E 15t St E B ro h n St t A o v ks St h tead St ire F t St E 17t arrill H ms r ine h U E lv B a St C E 13th lexander S en St ro Ke ok N A All nn s on S hi St ram St t Mcgil St E 16 re Fr s eg r th St P E l Garden 1 Mye 2t N h St

E 1 0 th St E 11th St

E ningside Dr t Av ve e E 15 Brooks E S igl E 16 E en Se th F Br S th St i rs Ga o ad t t o c W hi rden Distr k M sh ire a re Fr rd Ct E Van E Fr R 10 v th Ra A ict a very St S t Dr uise Lo Legend Proposed Light Rail Alignment LYNX Blue Lin e Building Footprints Office

Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts Parkwood Land Use.pdf Parkwood Starts New BLE

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Parkwood Station Area  Existing Zoning

St W 25 W 2 s E St b 6t 27t W ft W th h St o St E 26th h St o r 2 lf b Hob 4 St err th S y St S Banc t hurch t C St N m r St opla P Graha N t N S n yo t St r f Ke N T cro s wick W Ban Av 23r d St St s e Syl vania A rim G

Plymo ut h

bbs St o H Av rd St reva B N

oe St E 2 nl 5th St Du E 26th

Dalton Av k t e rch S re N Chu C E ar 23rd St Sug E 25th St Little y St

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E 22 E 24 Yadkin Av

n th d St S t

E W 15th S E 2 St 21st S h 0 th S t y Av hurc t C t N t inckne P W L Caldwell S C N atawba A id Parkwood Station v dell S E 1 Wads 6t h St t wo E r 1 t th 9 S P th S Allen St m l El t v Grace St t S igle A E n E 16 o Se 17 s id th v Pa N th S a rkwood Av Col D College St St t N lege N ll St St e ldw t N Ca S der E 2 n a St 0th rd St lex St va e N A well Br N cd o M E 1 N E 18 9t h t St h St E 13 t B E h St elm 1 5th S E B roo ksh ire o nt Av t S t St ll tead rri r St E Fr 17 Ha ne St th St St Ums E an de Brooks x n Calvi E le 1 St 3th Al Kenn N Ale on S h St ram t ire Mcgil E 16th St eg F ers St P r E 12th l Garden N My S t W y E Dr 10 de t h St E

11th ngsi

E Av St E 15th S Br Eveni E 16th St E ookshi Seig le Fir B rook aden St st Garden t Ward sh Mc r i e F r Dist re Fr C E Va t 1 n Ev 0 t r R Ra Av h ic a St t Dr er ise y Legend S BLE New Starts Parkwood Zoning.pdf Proposed LYNX t Lou Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlott e A rea Transit Sys tem, S TV/ RWA , Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

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EXISTING 25TH STREET STATION AREA STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT The 25th Street Station is the third station on the BLE alignment. It is in the heart of the CHARACTER industrial communities along the corridor’s southern section. The half-mile station area (continued) also includes the neighborhoods of Belmont and Villa Heights.

Inﬁ ll housing in Villa Heights Land Use and Community Design A large portion of the 25th Street station area, like the Parkwood station area, is occupied by industrial land uses associated with the railroad and intermodal truck yard. The station area core is between the Norfolk Southern intermodal yard, vacant industrial and single family residential land uses. Under utilized and vacant parcels around the core provide redevelopment opportunities for residential-based mixed-use development. If the intermodal truck yard redevelops, light industrial and ofﬁ ce-based transit-supportive uses are recommended on the station’s north side.

About 40 percent of the station area land uses are small lot, single-family residential homes in Belmont, Villa Heights and surrounding neighborhoods. The multi-family uses include public housing apartments in Tryon Hills and Dillehay Courts. The City’s plans and policies encourage and support the rehabilitation of these neighborhoods. New single and multi-family housing is being developed by private sources, and non- residential projects – such as “NoDa at 28th Street,” a unique cluster of neighborhood 25th Street Station shops and services – have opened near the proposed BLE station. Location in BLE Corridor

Norfolk Southern intermodal yard

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EXISTING STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 40% Multi-Family 2% Commercial 2% Ofﬁ ce –– Institutional 4% Industrial 30% Vacant/Open 20% The new “28th Row” development is near the BLE station.

Employees or Street Network and Pedestrian Environment Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of The half-mile station area lacks a street network at its core, due to the physical bar- Station rier posed by the Norfolk Southern rail yard and industrial land uses along each side of Single Family 506 the yard. New network pieces will be built as industrial land uses redevelop to more Multi-Family 324 transit-supportive uses. There is an opportunity to connect small pieces of network Commercial 235 across Little Sugar Creek with pedestrian or vehicular links. Ofﬁ ce 13 On the other hand, the residential areas on the southern side have very good pedestrian Institutional 55 connectivity, with a traditional grid street pattern that is very pedestrian-oriented. Industrial 251 Matheson Street poses a barrier because of its design, vehicle speeds and volume. However, targeting pedestrian improvements on important neighborhood streets, such as Brevard, can improve walkability around the station area. Many of these improvements are likely to come about as the area redevelops.

Cordelia Park (below) and Little Sugar Creek Greenway are neighborhood amenities in the 25th Street Station Area.

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25th Street Station Area  Existing Land Use

s St W e 28 W 31st S m t i h St Catalina Av Branch Fran r Creek G h St a klin Av gar urc t Little Su t St f N Ch Derit o Relocated Freight Tracks W ncr 3 0t Ba h St lman Av Cul C on cordia Av W 29t W h St 26t St h St

imes W 27t Gr h St ine St P N t r S la

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25th S AccessE 30t Road 33 r St d St t h St t W S 2 s E 4th St h 27th St c r E 2 Hobb St hu 6th St C N

ar St F l aison Av op P E M N 32nd St at h eson ryon St N T Char Av W les Av 23 rd S Char t les Av v A

E Yadkin 28 th St Jordan Pl

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ick Av v A n dki a 25th Street Station Y DunloeS St E ylva 25 E t nia h St 27 th Av t St L S eigh Av rd Wo od va re B si N de Av Creek E 26t

E h St le Sugar 23 tt r Li E 25 Av D d r St in ummo th Av St Yadk nd nckney Pi Av

E E 2 2 4 2nd St th St

E 2 E Everett 20t 1st St Pl h t St ll S e w d

N Cal Catawba Av

S E 19th S

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t St

Peg ram S t t rrill S G n race St Ha E eigle Av St 17 S lle son St A th S d Davi St t N n mstead o i U t St n

v E 16 U n S

la A aldwell Barry St C th St N St v Lo r A Pars E de e 2 gl 0th xan Park owell St S wood Ale Sei t Av E 15 N cd E t t 19th t h St N M S n t L St d E 18t llen S A n S B h elm St Plaza mstea thorne o E U nt Av 17 Parso th St The Haw

Legend Proposed Light Rail Alignment LYNX Blue Line Building Footprints Office

Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts 25th Street Land Use.pdf Land Street 25th Starts New BLE

Page 28 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

25th Street Station Area  Existing Zoning

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FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 29 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING STATION AREA 36TH STREET STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The 36th Street Station is located in the nationally registered historic mill district and ﬂ ourishing arts district of North Davidson (NoDa). The BLE station itself is strategically (continued) located just one block west of North Davidson and near 36th Street, within easy walking distance of the heart of NoDa. The broader station area encompasses the established historic communities of NoDa – neighborhoods that are transit-supportive in use and form and are ideal neighbors to the 36th Street Station.

Land Use and Community Design NoDa’s core area is a historic district of art galleries, shops, restaurants and a concert venue. The surrounding station area includes the neighborhoods of Highland Park Mill Village and Mecklenburg Mill Village as well as residential and commercial land uses along Tryon Street, and industrial land uses along the North Carolina Rail Road (NCRR) line.

Almost half the station area is made up of the historic mill communities and their supporting neighborhood retail and civic uses. These neighborhoods are comprised of small-lot single family homes originally Art galleries in 1927 storefronts along North Davidson Street built as housing for mill workers (below). Redevelopment has converted warehouse space to ofﬁ ces, live- work units and artist’s studios. The multi-family housing stock in the area is in the form of old mill buildings converted to loft residential units, as well as new apartment and condominium developments on North Davidson Street. The result is increased urban character and intensity in NoDa that has continued in spite of the sluggish economy.

36th Street Station Location in BLE Corridor

NoDa is a historic mill community with small-lot single family homes.

Page 30 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING 36th Street Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 22% Multi-Family 7% Commercial 5% Ofﬁ ce 2% Institutional 14% Industrial 26% Highland Park Mill, one of the region’s largest textile mills when built in 1904, has been Vacant/Open 25% converted to 150 loft apartments and retail space.

Street Network and Pedestrian Environment Employees or Residents Within The street network, for the most part, is a typical urban grid 1/2 Mile Radius of pattern. The rail line creates some disruptions. New network Station pieces can be built as industrial land uses between Brevard Single Family 1,051 Street and the proposed light rail line redevelop to more Multi-Family 1,714 transit-supportive uses. Commercial 801 Ofﬁ ce 142 Much of the station area has good pedestrian accessibility. Institutional 292 Measures such as improving east-west connections, extending Industrial 357 Brevard Street as part of redevelopment, and targeting pedestrian improvements on important neighborhood streets such as North Davidson, 36th and Tryon, will extend the reach of the station area and improve walkability.

Renaissance Townhomes (left) and NoDa 34 (right) are part of the more intense redevelopment occurring in NoDa.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 31 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

36th Street Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts 36th Street Land Use.pdf Land Street 36th Starts New BLE

Page 32 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

36th Street Station Area  Existing Zoning

F d rew Su nd i At w R Rd a re n F d al L o Av v n A Dr lo as Hi W Sil Cra

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BLE New Starts 36th Street Zoning.pdf Legend Av d Hu Proposed LYNX Dunc Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlotte Area Transit Sys tem, STV/RWA, Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 33 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING SUGAR CREEK STATION AREA STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The Sugar Creek Station is located along the North Carolina Rail Road (NCRR) west of (continued) Sugar Creek. The station core is made up mostly of industrial and commercial properties along Sugar Creek Road and residential uses south of the rail line. The residential areas are part of the North Charlotte and Howie Acres neighborhoods, located on the other side of the NCRR from the station.

Land Use and Community Design Commercial uses are found along the northern perimeter of the station area along Tryon Street, including small strip commercial and auto-oriented uses. The station area’s largest land uses are industrial, especially on the north side of NCRR, as well as a potentially historic industrial warehouse district on the southwest quadrant of the NCRR/Sugar Creek Road intersection.

There are a number of large parcels throughout the station area, including the Asian Corner shopping center. Many of these large parcels are underutilized. The station location is likely to directly inﬂ uence redevelopment in the station area, especially for the Asian Corner mall, which is expected to redevelop into higher density land uses and a more pedestrian-oriented development pattern and spur further redevelopment along the Tryon Street and Sugar Creek corridors.

The western portion of the station area is ideal for higher-density and intensity retail-based transit-supportive development because of the contiguous large properties to the north of the station and the strategic location near two The Asian Corner Mall is a landmark arterial streets (Tryon Street and Sugar Creek and pivotal land use in the station area. Road). Sugar Creek Station Location in BLE Corridor

About one quarter of the station area is composed of the single family neighborhoods of Howie Acres (right) and North Charlotte (opposite page)

Page 34 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING Sugar Creek Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 23% Multi-Family 3% Commercial 14% Ofﬁ ce 1% Institutional 6% Industrial 40% Vacant/Open 14%

Employees or Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of Station Single Family 996 Multi-Family 752 The intersection of North Tryon (running left to right) and Sugar Creek Road — the Asian Commercial 1,043 Corner Mall is in the upper left quadrant of the aerial photo; the NCRR rail line is out of Ofﬁ ce 231 view, just above the top edge of the photo frame, and the North Charlotte neighborhood Institutional 33 lies beyond (south of) the rail line. Industrial 727

Street Network and Pedestrian Environment

The station area is well-served by three arterial roads that provide regional connectivity: Tryon Street, Sugar Creek Road and The Plaza. There are local-serving streets in the residential areas south of the NCRR. To the north there is limited connectivity due to the industrial and auto-oriented nature of development. There is an opportunity to increase connectivity with new roads as the station area redevelops. NCDOT is pro- posing to grade separate Sugar Creek Road as part of a separate project. Two options under consideration as part of the grade separation are an underpass and an overpass.

The pedestrian mobility around the station area is limited by the few pedestrian crossing opportunities along Sugar Creek Road, Tryon Street and the NCRR.

The large block pattern of the Asian Corner shopping center has the potential to become more pedestrian-friendly as it redevelops and is broken down into a more walkable block structure.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 35 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

Sugar Creek Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Legend Proposed Light Rail Alignment LYNX Blue Line Building Footprints Office

Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts Sugar Creek Land Use.pdf Land Creek Sugar Starts New BLE

Page 36 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

Sugar Creek Station Area  Existing Zoning

t Holloway St

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t St ybr h St S s lt o Pl ne Me H n r ad Te rr y ow L pa B v Av y ap n T sle Acad We emy St BLE New Starts Sugar Creek Zoning.pdf Legend Proposed LYNX Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlott e A rea Transit Sys tem, S TV/ RWA , Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 37 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING STATION AREA OLD CONCORD ROAD STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The Old Concord Road Station is located just south of the intersection of Old Concord (continued) Road and North Tryon Street. The Old Concord Road Station is approximately the middle of the BLE alignment, which transitions here at a grade-separated crossing from existing railroad right-of-way to the median of North Tryon Street and continues northeast in the median. Land surrounding the station area consists of parks, industrial, commercial, ofﬁ ce and single family residential uses. About a quarter of the area is industrial and about 30 percent is institutional.

Land Use and Community Design North Park Mall is located on the eastern side of North Tryon Street, together with a few commercial outparcels, and is a signiﬁ cant redevelopment opportunity. There is also a storage facility and smaller retail malls that are also likely to redevelop. Single family residential land uses account for about 13 percent of the station area.

Old Concord Station Location in BLE Corridor

The potential development concept for the area encourages redevelopment of North Park Mall (photo above) and adjacent industrial uses to a higher-intensity ofﬁ ce and retail- based mixed use development around the station and a civic/park space (sketch above).

Page 38 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING Old Concord Road Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 13% Multi-Family 6% Commercial 11% Ofﬁ ce 3% Hidden Valley neighborhood Institutional 30% Industrial 24% On the north side of Tryon, the station area concept encourages multi-family residential Vacant/Open 13% development as a transition use between high intensity uses in the station area core and surrounding residential neighborhoods. The main single family neighborhood is Hid- Employees or den Valley (above), with homes generally built between the 1960s and 1980s. Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of A major land feature of the station area is Eastway Park, a 126-acre district-sized public Station park with active recreation areas adjacent to the rail line There will be a pedestrian Single Family 778 connection from the station to the park. Multi-Family 637 Commercial 716 Street Network and Pedestrian Environment Ofﬁ ce 58 Old Concord Road, North Tryon Street and Eastway Drive provide the primary con- Institutional 289 nections within the station area. Pedestrian facilities are minimal on these major streets Industrial 241 today, but there is the potential to formalize the pedestrian network as new streets and pedestrian parthways are created as part of the construction of transit-related parking facilities and as redevelopment occurs in the area.

The street network within the proposed station area is adequate, although there is room for improvement. Primary access is from Old Concord Road, North Tryon Street and Eastway Drive. In some areas, the topography is challenging, but new connections are expected as part of station area development and the park and ride. Sidewalks exist on Old Concord Road, North Tryon Street and Eastway Drive, and A mall and auto-oriented commercial uses line will be constructed as part of North Tryon Street. all new street connections.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 39 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

Old Concord Road Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Legend Proposed Light Rail Alignment LYNX Blue Line Building Footprints Office

Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE N ew Starts Ol d C onc ord Land Us e.pdf

Page 40 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

Old Concord Road Station Area  Existing Zoning

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FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 41 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING STATION AREA TOM HUNTER STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER Coming from Uptown, the Tom Hunter Station is the seventh along the BLE and is lo- (continued) cated just north of Tom Hunter Road within the median of Tryon Street.

Land Use and Community Design

The station has the largest acreage of residential land use within a half-mile radius among all BLE stations. Nearly 60 percent of the station area is residential, primarily in single- family neighborhoods like North Ridge Village and Hidden Valley. There are also sig- niﬁ cant multi-family developments, including the Maple Run Apartments (below), North Pointe Apartments and Orchard Trace Apartments.

The multi-block Maple Run apartment complex lies within the Tom Hunter Station Area.

Strong neighborhoods are found on either side of Tryon Street around the Tom Hunter station, although they are bordered by various auto-oriented commercial uses and vacant Tom Hunter Station or underutilized properties. Many of these parcels are appropriate for transit-oriented Location in BLE Corridor redevelopment. In particular, there are a number of retail parcels that, while not transit- supportive today, could be inﬂ uenced to redevelop if light rail transit is introduced.

The Tom Hunter station area’s development concept encourages the development of medium density residential-based mixed-use development with community-serving retail uses in the station area core.

On the west side of Tryon Street is North Ridge Village, a new single family neighborhood, and a portion of the established Hidden Valley area, along with several large apartment clusters with nearly 4,000 residents.

Page 42 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING Tom Hunter Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 28% Multi-Family 30% Commercial 6% Ofﬁ ce 1% Institutional 6% Industrial 5% Vacant/Open 25% The Station Area Concept Plan illustrative sketch depicts a future view of Tryon Street. Employees or Residents Within On the east side, be- 1/2 Mile Radius of hind a row of highway Station commercial properties, Single Family 1,522 are more suburban Multi-Family 3,913 density single family Commercial 555 residential uses (left). Ofﬁ ce 153 Institutional 30 Industrial 27

Ranch-style homes on Owen Boulevard (top), and new construction on Neal Drive, near the Tom Hunter station site.

Street Network and Pedestrian Environment North Tryon Street serves as the main artery and Tom Hunter Road is a collector street that serves a large residential population. Tom Hunter is a direct east-west connection between the neighborhoods and the proposed station.

Tryon and Tom Hunter are important pedestrian spines, too. Many of the businesses along North Tryon are within walking distance of the proposed BLE station, and an improved streetscape and enhanced pedestrian facilities can connect a large portion of the residential community to the proposed station.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 43 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

Tom Hunter Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Legend Proposed Light Rail Alignment LYNX Blue Line Building Footprints Office

Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts Tom Hunter Land Use.pdf Land Hunter Tom Starts New BLE

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Tom Hunter Station Area  Existing Zoning

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BLE New Starts Tom Hunter Zoning.pdf Legend Proposed LYNX Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 45 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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EXISTING UNIVERSITY CITY BOULEVARD STATION AREA STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT The University City Boulevard Station is the eighth station along the BLE. The station CHARACTER site is located just south of Stetson Drive and North Tryon Street. Its strategic location (continued) offers potential transit service to commuters accessing I-85 to/from City Boulevard and Tryon Street, as well as transit service to redevelopment of hundreds of acres of underutilized properties along Tryon Street.

Land Use and Community Design

Approximately 13 percent of the station area is comprised of residential land uses, including the neighborhoods of Forest Glen and Rocky River Village.

A few commercial properties line the east side of Tryon. On the west side, a number of industrial or warehouse parcels can be found; some of these properties are no longer occupied. As much as 75% of the station area’s half-mile radius is made up of vacant or industrial properties that are prime candidates for more transit-supportive uses.

The conﬁ guration of the North Tryon Street and University City Boulevard intersection – known as the “weave” (aerial photo below) – limited vehicular access to adjacent properties and has left large portions of the area around the station underdeveloped, despite its strategic location near an interstate exit.

The City of Charlotte and NC- DOT developed a solution to the “weave” condition that involved two at-grade intersections along Tryon Street. This solution not only increases accesibility, but also creates a more pedestrian friendly environment and frees up considerable land for future development.

The station area plan for this station – adopted as part of the University City Area Plan in 2007 University City Blvd Station – supports that solution and iden- Location in BLE Corridor tiﬁ es a network of new roadways that can connect transit to the development and redevelopment around it. This network will support higher intensity, mixed-use development appropriate around transit. Re-design of the “weave” has opened numerous TOD opportunities.

Page 46 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

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EXISTING University City Boulevard Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 13% Multi-Family – Commercial 10% Ofﬁ ce 1% Institutional 1% The southeastern portion of the station area includes Industrial 12% a neighborhod of ranch-style homes (above). Vacant/Open 63% The new IKEA store (right) is the only one of this popular brand between Washington and Atlanta.

Employees or Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of A portion of University City Boulevard has been constructed in conjunction with the Station development of an IKEA retail store and other related retail uses behind the proposed sta- Single Family 806 tion, close to the I-85 interchange. Multi-Family – Residential-based mixed-use is encouraged on the east side of Tryon as transit ties into Commercial 612 the existing neighborhoods. Commercial and offi ce-based mixed-use development is Offi ce – called for on the west side of Tryon Street; in particular, there is the potential for a large Institutional 4 transit-supportive mixed use development near the BLE station. There are signifi cant Industrial 59 vacant parcels around the station with excellent interstate access that offer potential TOD opportunities and also have excellent interstate access, which make them especially attractive locations for future development.

Since much of the station area is undeveloped, signifi cant infrastructure improvements are necessary, in addition to the recently constructed intersection; many will be required as development occurs. A signifi cant park-and-ride deck is planned for this station and will include a retail and/or offi ce component.

Street Network and Pedestrian Environment

The street network proposed in the 2007 University City Area Plan will provide the additional trafﬁ c capacity that is necessary to keep Tryon at-grade and at a pedestrian- accomodating design and speed. This includes a new street, adjacent to the transit station, that would extend on both sides of North Tryon Street and serve as the station area’s retail and pedestrian “main street.” Local street parallel to and on the east and west sides of North Tryon will provide connections to City Boulevard and internal connections within the station area.

Tryon Street and Rocky River Road are important connectors. Improving their pedestrian amenities and streetscape can enhance pedestrian mobility throughout the station area.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 47 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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University City Blvd Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts UCB Land Use.pdf Land UCB Starts New BLE

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University City Blvd Station Area  Existing Zoning

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FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 49 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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EXISTING STATION AREA McCULLOUGH STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The McCullough Station is located in the geographic center of the University City Mu- (continued) nicipal Services District (MSD). As such, it captures a large proportion of University City’s core commercial and ofﬁ ce uses. Although much of the station area is built out, there are a number of locations that are well-positioned for redevelopment and inﬁ ll.

Land Use and Community Design The McCullough Station Area is composed mainly of commercial and ofﬁ ce uses. The largest ofﬁ ce concentration outside Uptown and along the Northeast Corridor can be found in the University City Business Park on the southwest quadrant of the station area.

At the northeast edge of the station area is one of the largest potential generators for transit ridership on the BLE, the Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) University Hospital.

Carolinas Medical Center-University Hospital

Although the station area is almost built out, there are several large parcels available for McCullough Station redevelopment along Harris Boulevard and McCullough Drive. Location in BLE Corridor There are also two parcels at the intersection of Harris and North Tryon that could provide an impetus for further redevelopment. Underutilized outparcels at University Place have the potential to transition to a more pedestrian-friendly building scale. In addition, there is still a signiﬁ cant amount of vacant land located along I-85 and adjacent to several single family neighborhoods.

University Place, a retail, ofﬁ ce and residential development near the station is expected to redevelop to front North Tryon Street and encourage more intensive inﬁ ll development that includes a mix of pedestrian-oriented uses. Over time, existing suburban- scale development is expected to redevelop with higher intensity employment uses.

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EXISTING McCullough Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 3% Multi-Family 7% Commercial 31% Offi ce 21% Institutional 1% Industrial 2% Vacant/Open 34% Shoppes at University Place, a pedestrian-friendly, multi-use Employees or development Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of Station Street Network and Pedestrian Environment Single Family 64 Multi-Family 850 Harris and North Tryon are the two arterials that serve the station area. Streets within the Commercial 3,072 commercial and offi ce developments are internally oriented and connect to relatively few Offi ce 714 points on Harris and Tryon. However, there is potential for additional local road network that links major institutional land uses to the commercial core. Institutional 190 Industrial 39 Improving pedestrian amenities on Harris and Tryon can enhance pedestrian mobility throughout the station area. The station’s “walk shed” can be further expanded if new streets and pedestrian paths are introduced as part of redevelopment in the station area.

Grand Promenade commercial area at North Tryon and Harris Boulevard

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 51 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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McCullough Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts McCullough Land Use.pdf Land McCullough Starts New BLE

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McCullough Station Area  Existing Zoning

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BLE New Starts McCullough Zoning.pdf Legend Proposed LYNX Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlott e A rea Transit Sys tem, S TV/ RWA , Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 53 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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EXISTING STATION AREA JW CLAY BOULEVARD STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The JW Clay Boulevard half-mile station area encompasses approximately 400 acres of residential, ofﬁ ce and commercial land uses. Together with the McCullough Station, the (continued) JW Clay Blvd. Station serves two major activity generators – Carolinas Medical Center- University Hospital and the Shoppes at University Place – as well as part of the UNC Charlotte campus (which has its own station) and the new Charlotte Research Institute.

Land Use and Community Design

Potential transit riders around the station include residents from the more than 70 acres of multi-family apartment homes and 700 hotel and motel rooms within and adjacent to the Shoppes at University Place. This shopping area holds the largest concentration of retail uses in the area and is the location of the 15-story Hilton Hotel. There are also potential riders from CMC-University Hospital and UNC Charlotte. Over half of the station area is either commercial or institutional. There is a healthy density and good stock of multi-family housing in the station area, integrated with the Shoppes at University Place as part of the larger 1980s multi-use plan for the then- emerging University City. University City was the fastest-growing and urbanizing part of Charlotte-Mecklenburg in the 1990s and is approaching buildout in the station area. The new adopted station area plan for JW Clay Blvd. promotes mixed use development with a concentration of pedestrian-oriented uses with ground ﬂ oor retail west of North Tryon.

While there are few individual parcels vacant in the station area, both the hospital and UNC Charlotte do have areas that allow for future development. Most notably, the university is completing the Charlotte Research Institute across from the BLE station. Duke Hall at Charlotte Research Institute (left)

Waterside apartments at University City (left) and Shoppes at University Place

Page 54 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

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EXISTING J.W. Clay Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family 1% Multi-Family 19% Commercial 37% Ofﬁ ce 6% Institutional 20% Industrial –– Vacant/Open 17%

Employees or Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of Station Single Family 103 Multi-Family 2,484 Commercial 2,298 Ofﬁ ce 489 Institutional 1,095 Industrial 14

The Charlotte Research Institute (top) is under construction across North Tryon Street from the BLE station site. Grigg Hall is one of the buildings completed.

Street Network and Pedestrian Environment

There is an opportunity to introduce new street network as part of the expansion of the hospital and university areas and these connections are included in the adopted Univer- sity City and University Research Park area plans.

The station’s “walk shed” serves several multi-family neighborhoods, Shoppes at Uni- versity Place, the hospital and the edge of the UNC Charlotte campus. The pedestrian reach of the sta tion could be extended with pedestrian connections throughout the station area.

Pedestrian improvements along Tryon Street and Harris Boulevard – particularly sidewalks and other amenities – are also important for station access. The station area plan recommends establishing “entrance parks” on both sides of the JW Clay/North Tryon intersection to serve as a focal point for this major pedestrian crossing.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 55 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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JW Clay Boulevard Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts JW Clay Land Use.pdf Land Clay JW Starts New BLE

Page 56 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT I. EXISTING LAND USE

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JW Clay Boulevard Station Area  Existing Zoning

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Mccu llough Dr d n R BLE New Starts JW Clay Blvd Zoning.pdf Legend it Unio Proposed LYNX Cred Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlott e A rea Transit Sys tem, S TV/ RWA , Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 57 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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EXISTING UNC CHARLOTTE STATION AREA STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER The UNC Charlotte Station is the terminus station for the BLE. It is an on-campus (continued) station, as the BLE route dips off its Tryon Street course at JW Clay Boulevard to stop directly adjacent to Cameron Boulevard and the Laurel Hall dormitory.

Land Use and Community Design

UNC Charlotte is North Carolina’s urban research university and the largest institution in the Charlotte region. It has seven colleges and offers eighteen doctoral programs, 62 master programs and 90 bachelor degrees, UNC Charlotte has more than 3,000 full and part-time employees and more than 900 full-time faculty comprise the university’s academic departments. Current enrollment exceeds 21,500 students, and projections for 2020 call for a student body of 35,000. UNC Charlotte’s 1,000 acre campus – including 75 buildings – is generally bound by North Tryon Street, Harris Boulevard, N.C. 49 and Mallard Creek Road.

The UNC Charlotte station will be centered in the student housing district, where 5,210 students now live. The campus master plan was updated in 2010 to address how the campus will develop around this station and how it will relate to the JW Clay Boulevard Station, which serves the Tryon Street side of the campus and the university’s Charlotte Research Institute.

One of the plan’s goals is to shift the campus center to the north, where the newest residence halls and new student union are located. Overall, the master plan addresses how the University will accommodate the growth to 35,000 students and also how it will link to the new Uptown campus under construction near the 9th Street Station.

UNC Charlotte Campus

UNC Charlotte Station Location in BLE Corridor

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EXISTING UNC Charlotte Station Area (continued) STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER (continued)

Land Use in the Station Area Single Family –– Multi-Family 2% Commercial 1% Ofﬁ ce –– Institutional 96% Industrial –– Vacant/Open ––

UNC Charlotte Student Union Employees or Residents Within 1/2 Mile Radius of Street Network and Pedestrian Environment Station Cameron Boulevard is the main street through the campus. There is an opportunity to Single Family –– increase network segments to provide pedestrian, vehicular and bicycle connections Multi-Family 5,290 throughout the campus and to the BLE station. Commercial 562 Ofﬁ ce 38 There are extensive pedestrian connections throughout the campus. All campus build- Institutional 2,775 ings in the campus core are within a ﬁ ve-minute walk of the center of campus, and Industrial 17 residence halls are generally within a ten-minute walk of the campus center. The 2010 UNC Charlotte Draft Campus Master Plan (Attachment 5) addresses pedestrian improvements on campus and to the future BLE station.

Woodward Hall, UNC Charlotte campus

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 59 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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UNC Charlotte Station Area  Existing Land Use

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Proposed Station Platform Roads Single-Family Public/Institutional Proposed Structures Railroad 400200 0 400 Proposed Multi-Family Industrial Streams Park-and-Ride Facilities Feet 06/28/11 Data Source: 1/2-mile Station Radius Parks Commercial Vacant Charlotte Area Transit System, STV/RWA, Mecklenburg County Tax Parcel - 2011 Land Use BLE New Starts UNCC Land Use.pdf Land UNCC Starts New BLE

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UNC Charlotte Station Area  Existing Zoning

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reek k C hu ard C rch R Mall d arry Rd n St St one Q u yo

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BLE New Starts UNCC Zoning.pdf Single Family Urban Residential Business Park Light Rail Alignment Blue Line Proposed Multi-Family Mixed Use Residential Business Station Platform Roads Proposed Manufactured Home Research Business-Distribution Structures Railroad Proposed Uptown Mixed Use Institutional Light Industrial 400200 0 400 Park-and-Ride Streams Mixed Use Office Heavy Industrial Facilities 06/28/11 1/4-mile Building Data Source: Transit Oriented Commercial Center Charlott e A rea Transit Sys tem, S TV/ RWA , Station Radius Footprints Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 61 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

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EXISTING  Station Area Maps identifying pedestrian facilities and access provisions for per- STATION AREA sons with disabilities PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, Sidewalks are provided on virtually all streets located within a half-mile walk of the including access Uptown through 9th Street stations. Curb ramps are typically provided at intersections for persons with to allow access for persons with disabilities. disabilities In addition to the sidewalks provided on streets, a pedestrian path parallels a majority of the rail line to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle connections to and between the stations.

A pedestrian path parallels the light rail line in Uptown, passing the 9th Street Station site above, right.

Pedestrian facility needs for stations in the corridor were identiﬁ ed as part of the Station Area Concepts, Station Area Plans, UNC Charlotte Draft Campus Master Plan and the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure (NECI) Program. Each of these include generalized maps or analysis of pedestrian mobility in station areas. These needs are further reﬁ ned through the inventories for the NECI program. Initial inventories have been made and those projects will progress as the BLE progresses. This approach was used in the South Corridor Infrastructure Progarm (SCIP) with great success.

 Documentation of achievement of curb ramp transition plans and milestones required under CFR 35.150(d)(2)

Charlotte’s Department of Transportation (CDOT) has a three-part program for the review and upgrading of curb ramps:

(1) The City reviews and replaces existing curb ramps to meet the most current standards on an ongoing basis as part of its regular resurfacing program.

(2) The City also takes calls and complaints from citizens on ADA/access issues. These are addressed on an individual basis from separate funding if other programs or funds do not apply.

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Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

EXISTING (3) The City has an ongoing program with the Advocacy Council for People with Dis- CORRIDOR AND abilities. The CDOT Staff meets monthly with the group’s Accessibility Commit- STATION AREA tee. The group identiﬁ es ramps for replacement, and funds are used from the City’s PARKING SUPPLY annual resurfacing program to replace ramps not otherwise budgeted.

Charlotte’s efforts on behalf of the disabled community resulted in a number of awards, including:

 2011 Walk Friendly Community Bronze Level Designation  2010 EPA Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Achievement Award (highest level)  2010 USDOT Transportation Planning Excellence Award Honorable Mention for the Urban Street Design Guidelines  2009 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement Policies and Regulations Category for the Urban Street Design Guidelines  2008 USDOT Transportation Planning Excellence Award Transportation Action Plan  2007 National Institute for Transportation Engineers Best Project Award for the Transportation Action Plan  2004 National ITE & Partnership for a Walkable America Pedestrian Project Award for Pedestrian Policy  2004 National ITE & Partnership for a Walkable America Pedestrian Project Award for the Elderly & Mobility Impaired  2003 American Foundation for the Blind Award Most Livable Community in America

 Existing parking spaces per square footage of commercial development and/or per dwelling unit

The number of parking spaces per square foot of commercial development, or per dwelling unit, varies greatly by the market conditions of different sections of the corridor. Charlotte’s zoning ordinance historically has required between 1 space per 300 square feet and 1 space per 600 square feet for most commercial uses. For residential uses, the ordinance has required between 1 and 2 spaces per unit. However, it should be noted that the TOD zoning has parking maximums that are comparable to minimums for other districts.

 Parking spaces per employee in the CBD and/or other major employment centers

According to a 2010 Parking Data survey conducted by Charlotte Center City Partners, there are 39,366 parking spaces in Uptown decks, with an average of 855 spaces per deck, to serve over 70,000 employees.

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EXISTING The number of acreage devoted to parking is expected to decrease and is currently CORRIDOR AND 29 acres. The Charlotte Zoning Ordinance prohibits new surface parking lots as a STATION AREA principal use. PARKING SUPPLY (continued)  Land area within 1/2 mile of station devoted to parking

The land area devoted to parking within ½ mile of the proposed transit stations varies by station. With the exception of Uptown, almost all parking within transit station areas is on-site parking associated with business or residential development. As redevelopment occurs, the land area devoted to parking is expected to decrease since the new transit-oriented zoning districts reduce the amount of parking to be provided.

 Average daily parking cost in the CBD and/or other areas

Daily parking rates for lots and garages serving the CBD range from $8 to $17 per day, according to the survey cited above. No average cost has been computed.

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Transit Supportive Plans and Policies

Pages 65-110

II. TRANSIT-SUPPORTIVE PLANS AND POLICIES

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II-A  REGIONAL PLANS OR POLICIES that promote increased development, inﬁ ll GROWTH development and redevelopment in established urban centers and activity MANAGEMENT centers, and/or limit development away from primary activity centers

CONCENTRATION The City of Charlotte is committed to sustainable principles and actions. The following OF DEVELOPMENT policies and actions by the City of Charlotte generally encourage moderate to high den- AROUND sity development in Growth Corridors and Activity Centers, and lower intensity develop- ESTABLISHED ment in the Wedges between transit corridors. ACTIVITY CENTERS AND REGIONAL  Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework TRANSIT The “Centers and Corridors” development framework was originally introduced in 1994 and the Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework (adopted in 2010) is the overarching growth policy for Charlotte (Attachment 7). This policy document revises the original Centers and Corridors concept by establishing a vision for future growth and development for Charlotte. It does this by identifying three geographic types used to categorize land in Charlotte’s “sphere of inﬂ uence” – Activity Centers, Growth Corri- dors, and Wedges – outlining the desired characteristics of each of these geographies.

This policy intends to help guide growth into areas that can best support it, and away from areas that cannot. Thus, much of Charlotte’s future moderate to higher intensity development is targeted within ﬁ ve major Growth Corridors and in designated Activity Centers – especially Transit Station Areas – consistent with area plans. This will help maximize existing infrastructure and services. Low to moderate density residential and services supporting neighborhoods are targeted for areas between corridors, referred to as Wedges.

Growth Corridors are fi ve elongated areas that stretch from Center City to the edge of Char- lotte. They are characterized by the diversity of places they encompass – from historic neighborhoods to vibrant mixed use areas to signifi cant employment and shopping districts – and by the accessibility and connectivity that they provide for these places. There are four distinct sub-areas identifi ed within Growth Cor- ridors – Transit Station Areas, Interchange Areas, Established Neighborhood Areas and General Corridor Areas.

These areas typically have a high level of accessibility, especially given that Growth Corridors include at least three high capacity transportation facilities – interstate/expressway, major thoroughfares, existing or planning rapid transit and or freight rail line – that run parallel to each other. Some areas within the Growth Corridors, particularly the Transit Station sub-areas, are appropriate locations for signiﬁ cant new growth. These areas will allow the most intense development within all of Charlotte.

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CONCENTRATION Activity Centers are focal points of economic activity, typically with concentrations of OF DEVELOPMENT compact development. Many existing Activity Centers have the capacity for signiﬁ cant AROUND ESTABLISHED new growth in conjunction with enhancements to the supporting infrastructure. ACTIVITY CENTERS AND REGIONAL Wedges are the large areas between Growth Corridors, where residential neighborhoods TRANSIT have developed and continue to grow. The Wedges comprise mainly low density housing, as well as a limited amount of moderate density housing and supporting facilities (continued) and services.

 General Development Policies (GDP)

The General Development Policies (Attachment 8) are adopted policies relevant to development and redevelopment in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. In particular, they address residential location and design, retail-oriented mixed/multi-use centers and transit supportive development. Addition- ally, the General Development Policies provide guidance to minimize the negative environmental impacts of land development and to more closely link land use and development decisions to the availability of infrastructure to support it.

The ﬁ rst element of the GDP update, the Transit Station Area Principles, was adopted by the Charlotte City Council in 2001. It focuses on general policies for station area development. The policies allow a much higher density and intensity of development in station areas than many of the existing land use plans for these areas and are used as the start- ing point in the more speciﬁ c transit station area planning process. The Transit Station Area Principles are discussed below on pages 68-70.

 Adopted Land Use Plans

Adopted land use plans include six geographic districts that make up the City of Char- lotte’s planning jurisdiction: the Northeast, East, South, Southwest, Northwest and Central districts. Each of these areas has a district plan that addresses a wide range of physical development issues and provides parcel-speciﬁ c land use recommendations for all properties within that district plan. These plans are updated through the area plan and transit station area planning processes.

 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan

The 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (2010) deﬁ nes the policies, programs and projects to be implemented over the next 20 years, providing transportation choices in Mecklenburg and western Union County (Attachment 9).

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CONCENTRATION  Transportation Action Plan (TAP) OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND The City of Charlotte’s Transportation Action Plan (2006) deﬁ nes the short and long ESTABLISHED term policies for accommodating motor vehicles, transit riders, bicyclists and pedestri- ACTIVITY CENTERS AND REGIONAL ans together with an implementation “blueprint” for improvements. The Transporta- TRANSIT tion Action Plan (Attachment 10) contains a comprehensive “toolbox” of transportation programs that help implement the policies in this plan. An update of the plan has been (continued) adopted in 2011.

 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan The 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan (Attachment 11) is a long-range multi-modal transportation plan that identiﬁ es ﬁ ve transportation corridors, a series of Center City improvements, and enhanced bus service and facility improvements throughout the region.

 Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) The Urban Street Design Guidelines (2007) offer a comprehensive approach to designing new and modiﬁ ed streets within the City. They are also a key component of the Transportation Action Plan and assist with street classiﬁ cations and cross-sections that will guide the design and redesign of streets. The USDG (Attach- ment 12) also address integrating land use and transportation to create synergy between the streets and land uses adjacent to them.

 REGIONAL PLANS OR POLICIES to concentrate development around major transit facilities

 Transit Station Area Principles

The Transit Station Area Principles section of the General Development Policies was adopted by the Charlotte City Council in 2001 (Attachment 18). These principles provide direction for developing and redeveloping properties around rapid transit stations. The policies focus on land use, mobility and community design, and apply to the area within ½ mile walking distance of an identiﬁ ed rapid transit station. It is important to note:  The principles set the framework for high-density, pedestrian-oriented development that will be transit-oriented.  The principles provide the basis for Station Area Plans, as the principles are applied to speciﬁ c station areas.  The principles also provide the basis for the TOD zoning districts.

The unanimous adoption of the Transit Station Area Principles demonstrates the City Council’s strong commitment to transit-oriented development. A summary of these principles begins on the next page.

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CONCENTRATION OF DEVELOPMENT Transit Station Area Principles AROUND Land Use and Development ESTABLISHED ACTIVITY CENTERS Concentrate a mix of complementary, well-integrated land uses AND REGIONAL within walking distance of the transit station. TRANSIT

(continued) Increase Land Use Intensity  Encourage higher densities for new development, concentrating the highest densities closest to the transit station and transitioning to lower densities adjacent to existing single family neighborhoods. Not only will this al- Transit Station low the most people to have walking Area Principles access to transit, it also helps to create a focal point around the station and Adopted by Mixture of Complementary provides an appropriate transition to Charlotte the adjacent neighborhoods. City Council Transit-Supportive Uses November 2001  In most cases, minimum densities for  Provide a range of higher intensity new residential development within ¼ uses including residential, offi ce, ser- mile walking distance from a transit vice-oriented retail and civic uses that station will be 20 dwelling units per are transit supportive. Such a mix of acre (net) or greater. Between ¼ and land uses increases the attractiveness ½ mile walking distance, the typical of the area and increases trip options minimum density will be 15 dwelling for transit uses. units per acre (net) or greater.  Disallow automobile-oriented uses.  In most cases, non-residential or  Provide uses that attract/generate pe- mixed-use intensities within the ¼ destrian activity, particularly at the mile walking distance from a transit ground fl oor level. station will be at a minimum .75 (net)  Consider special traffi c generators – FAR (fl oor area ratio) and should such as cultural, educational, enter- yield at least 65 employees per acre. tainment and recreational uses – to Between ¼ and ½ mile walking dis- locate either within or adjacent to sta- tance from a transit station, the non- tion areas. residential or mixed-use intensities will be at minimum .5 FAR (net) and  Encourage multi-use developments, should yield 50 employees per acre. which include a mixture of uses on the same site. Mixed-use develop-  In some cases, station area plans will ments, with a mixture of uses with the recommend lesser intensities or den- same buildings, are also encouraged. sities for new development. These lesser intensities might be necessary  Encourage a mixture of housing types. to preserve existing structures, to  Preserve and protect existing stable insure that new development is con- neighborhoods. sistent with the character of existing  Encourage the development of work- transit supportive development, to force/affordable housing. protect existing neighborhoods, or to mitigate traffi c impact.

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CONCENTRATION OF DEVELOPMENT Transit Station Area Principles AROUND ESTABLISHED Mobility ACTIVITY CENTERS Enhance the existing transportation network to provide AND REGIONAL good walking, bicycle and transit connections. TRANSIT

(continued) Street Network

 Within station areas, design streets to be multi-modal, with an emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle circulation and set vehicular levels of service to reﬂ ect an emphasis on pedestrians and bicyclists.  When necessary, redesign existing street intersections with a greater emphasis on safe and comfortable pedes- Pedestrian and Bicycle System trian and bicycle crossings.  Develop an interconnected street net-  Provide an extensive pedestrian sys- work designed around a block system, tem throughout the station area that with maximum block lengths of 400 will minimize the walking distances feet. for pedestrians.  Ensure that the pedestrian network  Eliminate gaps in the station area pe- will accommodate large groups of destrian networks. pedestrians comfortably, especially  Establish pedestrian and bicycle con- within ¼ mile of the station. nections between station areas and  Consider new mid-block street cross- surrounding neighborhoods. walks in congested areas where there  Design the pedestrian system to be are long distances between signalized accessible, safe and attractive for all crossings. users.  Incorporate trafﬁ c calming into the  Ensure that the pedestrian network design of new streets. will accommodate large groups of pedestrians.  Utilize planting strips/street trees, on- Parking street parking, and/or bicycle lanes to  Reduce regulatory parking require- separate pedestrians from vehicles. ments in station areas and establish  Encourage the provision of bicycle maximums. amenities, especially bicycle parking  Minimize large surface parking lots facilities. (greater than two acres) for private development, especially within ¼ mile of the station. Instead of surface lots, well-designed parking decks are preferred.  Encourage shared parking facilities.

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CONCENTRATION OF DEVELOPMENT Transit Station Area Principles AROUND Community Design ESTABLISHED ACTIVITY CENTERS Use urban design to enhance the community identity of station areas, AND REGIONAL making them attractive, safe and convenient places. TRANSIT

(continued)

Building and Site Design Streetscape

 Design buildings to front on public  Design the streetscape to encourage streets or on open spaces, with mini- pedestrian activity. mal setbacks and with windows and  Include elements such as street trees, doors at street level instead of expan- pedestrian scale lighting and benches sive blank walls. in streetscape design.  Locate building entrances to minimize  Place utilities underground whenever the walking distance between the tran- possible. sit station and the building.  Locate surface parking, with the exception of on-street parking, to the rear of buildings and, where necessary, provide pedestrian paths through surface parking to stations.  Design parking structures to include active uses on ground ﬂ oor street frontage.  Typically limit building heights to 120 feet, with the tallest and most in- tensely developed structures located near the transit stations and buildings Open Space adjacent to establish neighborhoods  Establish public open spaces that act limited to low-rise structures. as development catalysts and serve as  Screen unsightly elements, such as focal points around transit stations. dumpsters, loading docks, service en-  Design open spaces to be centers of trances and outdoor storage from the activity that include items such as transitway. benches, fountains and public art.  Take safety and security concerns into  Orient surrounding buildings onto the account during design. open spaces.

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CONCENTRATION  LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANS or capital improvement plans that give pri- OF DEVELOPMENT ority to inﬁ ll development and/or provide for opportunities for higher density AROUND redevelopment ESTABLISHED ACTIVITY CENTERS AND REGIONAL  Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework TRANSIT The City of Charlotte’s Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework (Attach- (continued) ment 7), adopted by Charlotte City Council in 2010, provides an overall vision for future growth and development. It does this by identifying three geographic types used to categorize land in Charlotte’s “sphere of inﬂ uence” – Activity Centers, Growth Corridors and Wedges – and outlining the desired characteristics of each of these geographic areas.

Activity Centers are the focal point of economic activity, typically with concentrations of compact development. The future expectation for Activity Centers includes:  Further infi ll development and intensifi cation in Center City;  Infi ll development, as well as redevelopment of underutilized sites, in existing Mixed Use Centers;  Greater emphasis on a mix of commercial and civic uses and the inclusion of moderate and, in some cases, high density housing in Mixed Use Activity Centers;  Multi-modal transportation system and interconnected network of streets, especially in Center City and Mixed Use Activity Centers;  More urban and pedestrian-oriented form of development;  Pedestrian and bicycle facilities throughout the Centers and connecting to adjacent neighborhoods; and  Activity Centers (in addition to Growth Corridors) to be priority areas for enhancements to supporting infrastructure, particularly the transportation network.

The City’s fi ve Growth Corridors stretch from Center City to the edge of Charlotte. They are characterized by the diversity of places they encompass – from historic neighborhoods and vibrant mixed-use areas, to signifi cant employment and shopping districts – and by the accessibility and connectivity they provide for these places. The future expectation for Growth Corridors is:  Preservation and enhancement of established single family neighborhoods;  Greater emphasis on offi ce, residential and mixed-use development, especially around transit stations;  Additional development of vacant land and redevelopment of vacant land and redevelopment of underutilized properties;  Increased intensity and a more pedestrian form of development in Transit Station Areas;  Multi-modal transportation system with a dense network of interconnected streets; and  Growth Corridors (in addition to Activity Centers) to be priority areas for enhancements to supporting infrastructure, particularly the transportation network.

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CONCENTRATION There are four distinct sub-areas identiﬁ ed within Growth Corridors – Transit Station OF DEVELOPMENT Areas, Interchange Areas, Established Neighborhood Areas and General Corridor Areas. AROUND ESTABLISHED These areas typically have a high level of accessibility, especially given that Growth ACTIVITY CENTERS Corridors include at least three high capacity transportation facilities – an interstate/ AND REGIONAL expressway, major thoroughfares, existing or planning rapid transit and or freight rail TRANSIT line – that run parallel to each other. Some areas within the Growth Corridors, particularly the Transit Station sub-areas, are appropriate locations for signiﬁ cant new growth. (continued) These areas will allow the most intense development within all of Charlotte.

Transit Station Areas are located within about a ½ mile walking distance of an existing or planned rapid transit station, but generally exclude any established low density neighborhoods within that walking distance. The Transit Station Areas should:

 be pedestrian-oriented districts designed to include a mixture of complementary moderate to high intensity residential, ofﬁ ce, retail/entertainment and civic uses located within easy walking distance of a rapid transit station;  be designed as gathering places for the surrounding community; and  have a dense, interconnected street network with extensive pedestrian facilities.

 Charlotte City Council Focus Area Plans

The City of Charlotte has selected ﬁ ve key Focus Areas that help maintain the community’s quality of life. These focus areas provide direction to City staff based on guidance and priorities set by the Mayor and City Council. Focus Areas are reviewed annually for accountability and to ensure they remain reﬂ ective of the community’s needs.

The City Council’s ﬁ ve Focus Area Plans enable the organization to direct limited resources to the areas deemed most important by City Council. The Focus Areas that are most relevant to transit planning activities are:

 Transportation: This initiative is broadly deﬁ ned as addressing all issues related to transportation opportunities and challenges, including maximizing public transit; implementing and maintaining roads; adopting and implementing land use policies to support growth and transit goals; and ensuring adequate pedestrian and bicycle connections while meeting stringent federal air quality standards.

 Economic Development: This initiative involves sustaining prosperity and assuring the opportunity for participation by all residents. It also involves a focus on keeping jobs and the tax base in Charlotte by building and maintaining infrastructure, as well as building a skilled and competitive workforce, to encourage businesses to locate and remain in Charlotte.

 Corporate Strategy

The City of Charlotte applies its sustainability objectives beyond land use and transportation planning and economic development. The City administration uses these objectives as a component of its corporate strategy, a framework of goals and objec-

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CONCENTRATION OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND ESTABLISHED ACTIVITY CENTERS AND REGIONAL TRANSIT

(continued)

Infrastructure improvements were part of the City’s successful revitalization plan that stimulated housing and improved livability in First Ward, near the Ninth Street Station in the BLE Corridor.

tives for all business units (departments). These objectives are implemented through a variety of programs that link to inﬁ ll and redevelopment activities including;

 Capital Improvement Program. The City’s Capital Investment Plan (CIP) is a ﬁ ve- year infrastructure plan, which matches the City’s highest priority capital needs with a ﬁ nancing schedule. The plan includes investments in neighborhoods, housing, storm water projects, roads, transit, water and sewer projects, the airport, and government facilities. The CIP now has $20 million for BLE station area infrastructure improvements under the NECI (Northeast Corridor Infrastructure program) to promote higher density redevelopment in these areas. A similar program was very successful in the development of the South Corridor Blue Line.

The City also funds the several other programs that facilitate inﬁ ll and redevelopment:

 Business Corridor Revitalization Strategic Plan: The City of Charlotte recognizes that strong urban business districts not only impact the overall health of our community, but they also strengthen the residential neighborhoods immediately surrounding them, providing employment opportunities together with goods and services to commuters and neighborhood residents alike. A variety of business ﬁ nancial assistance programs that target corridor revitalization are a part of the city’s economic development strategy.

 Priority Business Corridors: In 2007, with the help of a steering committee comprised of private, business and nonprofi t representatives from across the community and from within the Corridors, the Charlotte City Council approved a Business Corri- dor Revitalization Strategic Plan and identifi ed fi ve priority business corridors,

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CONCENTRATION including half of the BLE alignment along North Tryon Street. There are several OF DEVELOPMENT ﬁ nancial programs available to these corridors that help with everything from making AROUND ESTABLISHED capital improvements to buildings to assisting with environmental assessments and ACTIVITY CENTERS cleanup. AND REGIONAL TRANSIT  Transit Oriented Development: A component of quality and sustainable corridor revitalization is Transit Oriented Development (TOD). The purpose of TOD is to create (continued) compact, walkable communities centered around high quality transportation systems, including a mixture of uses in close proximity including ofﬁ ce, residential, retail and civic uses. For example, the LYNX Blue Line along South Boulevard has generated more than $1.8B of private development. The City has taken an active role in the development of the Scaleybark station area and is anticipated to do the same with select BLE station areas.

The LYNX Blue Line has spurred transit oriented development in the South Corridor, such as the 3030 South condominiums at the New Bern Station.

LAND  Growth management plans (e.g. growth management areas, urban growth CONSERVATION boundaries, agricultural preservation plans, open space preservation AND plans) with maps MANAGEMENT Growth Management

Charlotte’s Charlotte’s Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework provides the overall vision for future growth and development. In the early 1990s, the Char- lotte City Council recognized that the City’s quality of life in the coming years would be largely dependent upon how the City responded to growth and development. After extensive study and citizen input, the Council endorsed the concept known as Centers and Corridors as a tool to guide growth into areas that could support new development or were in need of redevelopment, and away from areas that could not

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LAND support growth. The original Centers and Corridors concept was a valuable tool, provid- CONSERVATION ing an overarching policy basis for critical growth-related initiatives, such as the develop- AND MANAGEMENT ment of the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land Use Plan and the subsequent planning for fi ve rapid transit corridors. (continued) The Centers and Corridors concept was updated in 2010 to better refl ect changing conditions and resulted in the Center, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework. The Growth Framework refi nes the vision for future growth and development in Charlotte by identifying three geographic types – Activity Centers, Growth Corridors and Wedges – and outlining the characteristics of each of these geographic areas.

Another growth management tool is Charlotte’s General Development Policies (GDP). The GDP, ﬁ rst approved in 1990, were updated and approved by City Council in 2003 and again in 2007. A major thrust of the GDP is to direct development to transit corridors and inner city locations. Speciﬁ c policies promote the placement of higher density housing and more intense commercial development in the transit station areas and transit corridors, rather than the Wedge areas between the Corridors.

Open Space

County land acquisition for parks, open space, greenways and watershed protection is based on criteria described in the 2008-2018 Park and Recreation 10 Year Master Plan, the 2008 Greenway Plan Update and the 2008 Nature Preserve Plan. Voters passed $250-million in Park and Recreation bonds in November 2008 to continue the creation of a system of public open space that complements the spatial distribution of housing, employment centers and transportation infrastructure.

Environment

The City of Charlotte has selected fi ve key focus areas that help maintain the community’s quality of life. These focus areas provide direction to City staff based on guidance and priorities set by the Mayor and City Council. Focus Areas are reviewed annually for accountability and to ensure they remain refl ective of the community’s needs. Coun- cil’s fi ve focus area plans enable the organization to direct limited resources to the areas deemed most important by City Council.

One of the ﬁ ve focus areas is the Environment. The City of Charlotte recognizes that environmental stewardship, both now and in the future, is fundamentally important to the community’s quality of life and essential to maintaining a vibrant economy. Protecting the community’s natural resources, promoting conservation on all levels and improving the environment enhance the City’s mission to enhance the quality of life for its citizens. The City is committed to:

 promoting environmental best practices and protecting the community’s natural resources – the air we breathe, the water we drink and the natural ecosystems we cher- ish, including the tree canopy;  recognizing important interrelationships among air quality, water resources, land preservation and energy and resource conservation;

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LAND  making sound land use decisions regarding our future growth and development; CONSERVATION AND  becoming a natural leader in the successful stewardship of the community’s envi- MANAGEMENT ronment by maintaining a cooperative and open agenda with Mecklenburg County, regional neighbors and the business community; and (continued)  leading by example and promoting sound, cost effective environmental and energy conservation practices in City operations.

In addition, each City department has Environmental targets and measures for which staff are accountable.

In 2007, Charlotte City Council adopted the Environment chapter of the General Devel- opment Policies (GDP). The Environment chapter gives guidance to City Council, staff and the broader community in acknowledging environmental factors in decision-making and day-to-day operations. The chapter focuses on issues that are directly related to land use and seeks to address the interrelated impacts of growth and development on our air, land and water resources.

In practice, the environmental policies help guide staff recommendations and City Council action on a variety of initiatives including land use policies and plans, development proposals, rezoning petitions, regulatory petitions, regulatory and process changes and the design and construction of public projects. In addition, the environmental policies can help in establishing priorities and guiding coordinated action among City departments in a way that uses the City’s resources to maximum advantage in protecting our community’s environment.

 Policies that allow for transfer of development rights from open space or agricultural land to urban areas

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department has not used “transfer of development rights” per se. However, an objective “in kind” has been accomplished indirectly through the Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework and the General Devel- opment Policies, which transfer perceived development rights from Wedges to Cor- ridors and Activity Centers through their emphasis on directing more intense development to the transit corridors.

The City of Charlotte Zoning Ordinance allows for increased density and/or density bonuses for floodplain areas and/or for the dedication of public open space. The Char- lotte Tree Ordinance has similar provisions.

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II-B  Adopted city, county and regional plans and policies, and private sector TRANSIT plans and initiatives, that promote development in the transit corridor and SUPPORTIVE station areas; plans may include general plans, speciﬁ c plans (sub-area, CORRIDOR station area, etc.), redevelopment project plans, or other district plans POLICIES  Examples of transit supportive policies include: general policy statements PLANS AND in support of transit as a principle mode of transportation within the corri- POLICIES TO dor; policies that support and promote the use of transit; policies/plans that INCREASE provide for high density development within the corridor and station areas; CORRIDOR AND and policies that support changes to zoning within the corridor and station STATION AREA areas DEVELOPMENT Major Policy Plans The Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework provides a policy framework for increasing transit corridor development. It does this by identifying three geographic types used to categorize land in Charlotte’s “sphere of inﬂ uence” – Activity Centers, Growth Corridors and Wedges – and outlining the desired characteristics of each of these geographic areas.

Growth Corridors include Transit Station Areas as sub-areas and are identifi ed as appropriate locations for signifi cant new growth. Specifi c direction for land use decision-making is provided by the more detailed station area plans.

Draft Station Area Concepts and Adopted Station Area Plans

Station Area Concepts have been completed for nine of the station areas in the BLE, and three of these were refined and adopted by City Council as Station Area Plans.

The individual Station Area Concepts are overview documents intended to serve as the planning step between Charlotte’s overall adopted Transit Station Area Principles and future, more detailed Station Area Plans. For the stations with concepts as the current land use policy guide, future station area plans will be prepared with area stakeholders and will guide the specific land use changes and infrastructure projects necessary to implement transit-supportive development around each station. Station area plans are:

 designed to require high density/intensity transit-supportive development around transit stations.  developed with the adopted Transit Station Area Principles as the basis for plan recommendations.

The station area plans examine the physical context of the areas within 1/2-mile (about a ten-minute walk) of the LRT stations. Each plan outlines a growth strategy that integrates LRT by identifying future development opportunities, reinforcing local community goals, and creating an urban pattern that supports transit use. In addition, station area plans:  Define the growth and development vision for the area surrounding the BLE stations;  Make recommendations for land use, transportation, urban design and other development-related topics;

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PLANS AND  Update the Centers, Corridors and Wedges boundaries for the plan area from those POLICIES TO initially outlined in the Transportation Action Plan; and INCREASE CORRIDOR AND  Serve as the official streetscape plan for the station area once adopted. STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT These plans call for minimum densities/intensities consistent with the Transit Station Area Principles. The transit-oriented zoning districts (TOD and TS) that have been de- (continued) veloped will be used to implement these plans. TOD zoning won’t be initially applied to all properties. TS (Transit Supportive) zoning, a somewhat more permissive district, may be applied to some properties. With the exception of properties within established single family neighborhoods, the long-term goal is to achieve these minimums:  Development of all properties within a ¼ mile walk of the station will require minimum residential densities of 20 units per acre and non-residential FARs of .75;  For properties within a ½ mile walk of the station, minimum residential densities of will be determined by building height limits and setback requirements.

The combination of station area planning and use of the transit-oriented zoning districts and similar urban zoning districts will substantially increase station area development over the low, suburban level densities that are currently allowed. The minimum densities will help make these areas more attractive to the development community.

City Council’s previous adoption of the Transit Station Area Principles (2001) and three station area plans for the BLE (2007) is solid evidence of the City’s commitment to promoting development in accordance with these principles.

Three station areas – University City Boulevard, McCullough and JW Clay Boulevard – have station area plans that were adopted as part of the University City Area Plan in 2007 (see Attachment 4). Two of these station area plans will need to be modified through the plan amendment process, as the station location has shifted slightly, but they include more specific land use and transportation recommendations for each of the station areas. The remaining station area concepts will be refined and adopted over the next eighteen months.

The 9th Street Station, which is in the heart of Center City Charlotte, is covered by the First Ward Master Plan (Attachment 2), the Center City 2010 Plan (Attachment 3) and the Draft Center City 2020 Vision Plan (Attachment 28), currently being developed.

A separate plan will be prepared for the UNC Charlotte Station. That station area was also addressed by the university’s 2009 Campus Master Plan.

Potential Station Area Development

 Pages 79-101 contain a consultant’s summary of potential development for the corridor as a whole and for each of the eleven station areas, as well as illustrative development scenarios for each station area prepared by staff.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Economic Development Potential in the Northeast Corridor INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Summary based on Key Conclusions from STATION AREA Economic Development Potential Around Northeast Corridor Transit Stations DEVELOPMENT Noell Consulting Group, December 2010 (Attachment 13) (continued)

Summary The Northeast Corridor largely traverses already-developed areas of the city, although greenfi eld opportunities exist primarily around a few stations in the University City area. Still, numerous opportunities exist for signifi cant redevelopment and intensifi cation of under-developed and vacant properties along the corridor. Over the next 25 years, station areas in the Northeast could capture nearly 12,400 new residential units, 3.8 million square feet of new offi ce space and roughly 1.35 million square feetof new retail space.

Offi ce Outside of Center City, the majority of offi ce space in the Northeast Corridor can be found in the University City area sub-market. While some larger corporate relocations have occurred nearby, the overall offi ce market in the Northeast has struggled in recent years. Outside of corporate campuses, the area has been hard hit by the recession; but positive absorption can be expected to return to the market given time to absorb excess vacant space.

Retail The University City area and Northeast Mecklenburg have been among Charlotte’s most active submarkets in the last decade, adding more than 2.5 million square feet of space (most in the Northeast Corridor), including IKEA and Wal-Mart. The retail space added has come in conventional center formats and/or free-standing uses, with little to no mixed-use or town center retail existing. Retail market conditions become much more challenging in aging areas of the corridor.

Residential The Northeast Mecklenburg for-sale housing market has remained one of the most active in the county, accounting for roughly one in fi ve new detached homes. The area remains a relatively affordable sub-market, with average home prices being the second lowest of Mecklenburg County’s seven sub-markets. The rental market is the strongest in the county, fueled by a combination of university-related demand and the relocation of larger employers and retailers to the area. Although inner city areas have seen less signifi cant residential development, the area between 9th Street and NoDa has seen signifi cant new infi ll and should be attractive for future residential growth.

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PLANS AND Table II-1: Station Area Estimated Growth, 2010-2035 POLICIES TO OFFICE RETAIL RESIDENTIAL INCREASE STATION AREA CORRIDOR AND Sq. Ft. Sq. Ft. Units STATION AREA 1. 9th Street 2,166,438 111,567 1,774 DEVELOPMENT 2. Parkwood 126,226 83,691 1,167 (continued) 3. 25th Street 90,898 69,608 1,107 4. 36th Street 111,140 116,613 1,728 5. Sugar Creek 35,328 44,272 508 6. Old Concord Road 47,354 122,942 613 7. Tom Hunter 42,583 58,085 565 8. University City Blvd 232,967 353,599 1,829 9. McCullough 440,214 160,979 1,416 10. JW Clay Blvd 508,303 226,112 1,678 11. UNC Charlotte (no market development assumed for campus) TOTAL STATION AREAS 3,801,451 1,347,468 12,385

Source: Noell Consulting Group, Economic Development Potential Around Northeast Corridor Transit Stations (December 2010)

Intown Charlotte Station Areas (9th Street to 36th Street) The North Davidson corridor – from Center City to NoDa – is an increasingly attractive, yet still edgy, residential corridor intown. Over the past 10 to 20 years, signifi cant revitalization has occurred at both ends, and some initial infi lling of residential and commercial uses in the between station areas. More residential infi lling is expected around all four stations as the area continues to gain momentum, helped by implementation of light rail.

Inner Suburbs (Sugar Creek to Tom Hunter) Redevelopment and revitalization in these three stations will be quite challenging with demand potential being tempered by a number of factors, including lower household incomes, moderate home prices and retail abandonment. Moderate opportunities exist for inﬁ ll residential (largely attached) and some retail inﬁ ll. Critical in this area will be working with developers and/or property owners to redevelop aging uses. In addition, place- making and creating a sense of location will be important to grow redevelopment beyond a particular site.

University City Stations (University City to UNC Charotte) This suburban area has been the most active of the Northeast Corridor and is home to numerous demand generators, including UNC Charlotte, the hospital, large offi ce uses in the nearby University Research Park and a growing population base. In addition, some greenfi eld sites still exist, allowing for relatively inexpensive development in the short term. The more signifi cant challenge in this area is creating greater value; value needed to increase rents, home prices and property values. These higher values will be critical to achieving higher-intensity redevelopment. Incenting higher-density develpment will underscore signifi cant residential, retail and offi ce opportunities in this area.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO 9th Street Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  This Center City station area is the largest development area along the (continued) Northeast Corridor and features numerous underutilized properties in highly desired locations.

Developable  The addition of UNC Charlotte’s Property new Uptown campus and ongoing growth of First Ward create strong Estimated opportunities for residential and Vacant Acres: 34 commercial land uses in the area.

Estimated  Product will be delivered in a Under- high-rise or mid-rise format, with Utilized Acres: 18 retail largely occurring as a ground ﬂ oor use.

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • The First Ward neighborhood continues to see infi lling of condos, townhouses and Development some single family homes. 2010-2035 • UNC Charlotte is developing large classroom space and may seek additional develop- Residential ment opportunities nearby. 1,774 units 2,947 population • An opportunity exists in the abundant surface parking around the station itself and that 19 total acres is largely under one ownership and could be developed with transit supportive uses. • The 9th Street Station Area also borders Bank of America’s large Center City holdings Offi ce and is likely to see some expansion of offi ce in the coming years. 2,166,438 sq. ft. 7,878 employment • Over the past ten years, the area has seen signifi cant offi ce building construction and 5.0 total acres resurgence in residential construction. Retail Development Opportunities 111,567 sq. ft. 223 employment • The most signifi cant opportunities are for higher-density residential, including rental 0 total acres apartments and condominiums, largely in a mid-rise to high-rise format. • Offi ce development is also an opportunity as the Bank of America may look northward Source: in the future to expand its campus. Retail opportunities can be a mix of neighborhood- Noell Consulting Group (2010) serving and offi ce-serving uses, with some opportunities for destination-type uses, too. see Attachment 13 • Plans are actively underway to redevelop 32 acres of underutilized land in the First Ward. This new urban village will include 2 million square feet of offi ce, 282,000 square feet of retail; 2,150 residential units and a three-acre park. Plans call for a public investment of as much as $26 million in tax-increment fi nancing from the City and County to help pay for improvements. UNC Charlotte’s new academic and offi ce building (described above) is the fi rst part of this project.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Parkwood Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT Ron/Nicole?  Parkwood has just recently begun to see new private investment with the de- (continued) velopment of two projects just outside of the half-mile radius – Alpha Mill and the redevelopment of Piedmont Courts – that will create upside for redevelop- Developable ment in the station area. Property  The station area’s “next to Center City” Estimated location positions it well to see continu- Vacant Acres: 63 ing residential inﬁ ll and, as the base of residents in the area grows, increasing Estimated retail and ofﬁ ce development as well. Under- Utilized Acres: 15

Trends and Conditions

Estimated • Some new infi ll development is occurring along North Davidson Street, although short- Potential term market conditions have impacted demand. Development • Two projects just outside the half-mile radius – Alpha Mill and the redevelopment of 2010-2035 Piedmont Courts – provide a catalyst for redevelopment in the station area. Residential • The station’s location between Center City and NoDa is a positive both for residnetial 1,167 units and smaller offi ce users alike. 2,038 population 55.3 total acres • Newer residential and commercial development, including infi ll high density residential and mill conversions have occurred in this area because of its proximity to Uptown. Offi ce 126,226 sq. ft. Development Opportunities 459 employment 11.6 total acres • The Davidson Street corridor will continue to emerge as a growing residential and com- Retail mercial corridor, with the greatest opportunities existing for infi ll residential, including 83,691 sq. ft. apartments, condo fl ats and townhouses. 167 employment • Opportunities also exist for smaller offi ce development, with most tenants being under 7.7 total acres 5,000 sq. ft. Retail opportunities are solid from a demand perspective.

Source: • Retail and commercial uses will continue to emerge to serve the residential population. Noell Consulting Group (2010) see Attachment 13

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Parkwood Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential Parkwood Station transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: Location in BLE Corridor • Multi-family town homes and apartments adjacent to existing Belmont and Optimist Park neighborhoods. • A park as a focal point of the station area and allow more visibility of the station. • Neighborhoold retail around the station area core and fronting 16th Street. • Community facilities and open space that incorporates the stormwater buffer and the Little Sugar Creek Greenway as a community focal point.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO 25th Street Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Residential uses represent the most signifi cant potential in the station area, (continued) and will backfi ll as opportunities in NoDa become more limited.  This area lacks major east-west connections and is fl anked on the west by Developable Property rail yards.  Although local-serving retail and Estimated creative-type industries may be Vacant Acres: 25 attracted to the industrial character of Estimated the station area, the lack of regional ac- Under- cess tempers its commercial attractive- Utilized Acres: 3 ness.

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • Initial infi ll development is occurring along North Davidson Street around 28th Street; Development which can be an extension of NoDa as short-term economic issues are overcome. 2010-2035 • The 25th Street Station Area is largely characterized by industrial uses and lower to Residential moderate-income neighborhoods, with some revitalization occurring. 1,107 units 1,935 population • The area is challenged by impacts from a rail yard, creek, dead-end roads and Matheson 63.2 total acres Bridge. • A condominium development (Yards at NoDa) is proposed about three blocks east of Offi ce the station. 90,898 sq. ft. 331 employment 8.3 total acres Development Opportunities Retail • Conversion of industrial and commercial properties to residential uses is the most sig- 69,608 sq. ft. nifi cant opportunity for the area. On the commercial side, smaller offi ce uses represent 139 employment additional opportunities, with retail opportunities being greatly limited by the lack of 8.3 total acres major cross roads and fragmentation. Source: • Investments in the area, possibly via a greenway system or park, could signifi cantly Noell Consulting enhance the development potential of the area. Group (2010) see Attachment 13

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO 25th Street Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of poten- 25th Street Station tial transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: Location in BLE Corridor • Neighborhood-scaled townhomes and apartments adjacent to existing neighborhoods. • A public plaza/park is a focal point that allows a physical and visual connection to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway extension and the visibility of that station. • Mixed-use residential and ground ﬂ oor retail uses around the station area core. • Light industrial and ofﬁ ce uses on existing industrial parcels.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO 36th Street Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  The station is located in the heart of NoDa, which has transitioned (continued) over the last two decades from an abandoned and aging retail core to a vibrant arts and entertainment-based retail and residential core. Developable Property  The area functions as a price alter- native to other urban neighborhoods Estimated close to Center City, a factor that Vacant Acres: 89 will continue to fuel demand.

Estimated  The greatest opportunities in the Under- next 25 years will continue to be Utilized Acres: 31 for new infi ll residential as well as local-serving retail and creative-type offi ce uses. Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • 36th Street has emerged as an intown destination, fueled fi rst by art galleries and more Development recently by infi ll residential and ongoing housing rehabs. The station area has perhaps 2010-2035 the most signifi cant sense of place and character of any along the Northeast Corridor, a Residential strong building point for future residential and commercial development. 1,728 units • Residential development to date has included new construction condo fl ats, townhouses 3,033 population and the rehab of an aging mill into rental apartments. Commercial uses have largely 86.0 total acres occurred in existing buildings, although some new ground fl oor retail has been provided Offi ce in new fl at condo properties. 111,140 sq. ft. • Because of its established character as an arts district, development interest continues to 404 employment be strong in anticipation of future light rail service. 10.2 total acres

Retail Development Opportunities 116,613 sq. ft. 233 employment • Residential development opportunities remain quite strong along North Davidson, with 10.7 total acres opportunities still existing for apartment, townhouse and condo development. • Additional vacant properties exist along the rail line that are within walking distance of Source: the station area and could develop as residential uses. Noell Consulting Group (2010) • Commercial uses are somewhat limited by the lack of large, well-located parcels, but see Attachment 13 could occur in ground ﬂ oor uses and towards North Tryon Street. • A nearby mill site housing the historic Johnston and Mecklenburg Mills was converted to apartments and is expected to be renovated or rehabilitated in the near future.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO 36th Street Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

36th Street Station • Intersection improvements and pedestrian enhancements at 36th and Davidson. Location in BLE Corridor • New mixed-use development with ground fl oor retail. • Ground fl oor retail with offi ce/residential. • New offi ce-based mixed-use development adjacent to station.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Sugar Creek Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Residential is the strongest opportunity in the area, with additional (continued) demand for neighborhood-serving retail. Ofﬁ ce uses will be less sig- niﬁ cant and will be local-serving.  The Asian Corners retail center Developable Property at North Tryon and Sugar Creek represents a primary target for Estimated redevelopment in this station area. Vacant Acres: 62  Whether at that site or another near- Estimated by, some initial economic develop- Under- ment stimulus may be needed to spur Utilized Acres: 49 revitalization in a manner consistent with a desirable TOD format.

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • Sugar Creek is comprised of aging retail, industrial and working class residential. The Development street network results in the area being disconnected from NoDa and the redevelopment 2010-2035 and revitalization occurring there. Residential • The area lacks a major anchor from which to encourage redevelopment. Although the 508 units Asian Corners shopping center is currently struggling with vacancies; the parcel is 712 population underutilized and represents perhaps the most signifi cant redevelopment opportunity in 43.5 total acres the area. Offi ce • Industrial and retail land uses are expected to experience a net decrease, but residential 35,328 sq. ft. and offi ce uses are expected to increase. 128 employment 3.2 total acres Development Opportunities Retail 44,272 sq. ft. • Development opportunities in the station area are fairly limited and will likely require 89 employment some type of public stimulus to occur. 4.1 total acres • Greater opportunities are for infi ll residential and redevelopment of existing retail into Source: mixed use projects. A redeveloped Asian Corners, in particular, could act as an anchor Noell Consulting for development in the area and could accommodate a small park or public plaza. Group (2010) see Attachment 13 • The proximity of industrial and undeveloped or underdeveloped parcels of signifi cant size make redevelopment more likely in the short term.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Sugar Creek Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential Sugar Creek Station transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: Location in BLE Corridor • Industrial uses to develop on existing industrial parcels. • Multi-family development to develop adjacent to existing neighborhoods, compatible in density and character to existing development. • New park and open space will occur as part of redevelopment. • Mixed-use and ofﬁ ce to develop near Sugar Creek Road and Raleigh Street.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Old Concord Road Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Opportunities are most signifi cant for attached residential uses and (continued) local-serving retail, with smaller offi ce uses, possibly medical related, being a less signifi cant opportunity.

Developable  Smaller warehouses and storage Property facilities also represent potential re development targets (this may Estimated require some type of stimulus to Vacant Acres: 149 occur).

Estimated  Development opportunities are most Under- signiﬁ cant on aging retail properties, Utilized Acres: 141 such as the old North Park Mall.

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • Old Concord Road Station is characterized by low-intensity commericial and industrial Development uses, many of which are aging and in need of reinvestment/redevelopment. 2010-2035 • Station area lacks a signiﬁ cant residential base, with very little housing existing within Residential the half-mile radius. 613 units 934 population • Some newer development has occurred on the west side of North Tryon, mainly in the 76.8 total acres form of newer auto dealerships and an elementary school. Retail in the area is struggling and is competing with newer, big box centers farther out. Ofﬁ ce • This station has the potential to catalyze the redevelopment of the North Park Mall, 47,354 sq. ft. 172 employment incorporating new moderate and high density residential spurred by Eastway Park. 4.3 total acres

Retail Development Opportunities 122,942 sq. ft. 246 employment • Redevelopment of the old North Park Mall property is in order, given its proximity to 11.3 total acres the station, relatively large parcel size and its outdated format.

Source: • In addition, several storage and small industrial parcels around the station are primed for Noell Consulting redevelopment as retail, mixed-use and/or residential development. Group (2010) see Attachment 13 • Given the affordability of the area, most new residential product will be delivered in the form of rental apartments (along Tryon) and small-lot single-family homes (east of Tryon). • The City recognizes the need and is planning for additional connections and street network to make development and redevelopment more viable.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Old Concord Road Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: Old Concord Station Location in BLE Corridor • Mixed-use commercial and ofﬁ ce development along North Tryon Street with active ground ﬂ oor retail uses around the station core. • Mixed-use development could include residential uses north of Eastway Park. • Develop new street connections as part of redevelopment to allow more connections between the station area core and the surrounding neighborhoods.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Tom Hunter Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Opportunities are most signifi cant for attached residential infi ll, with (continued) retail and local-serving offi ce uses being less signifi cant given the lack of regional access and a major Developable “hard corner.” Property  The Tom Hunter station area is challenging, since it lacks sig- Estimated nifi cant parcel depth along North Vacant Acres: 126 Tryon Street and has limited con- Estimated nectivity locally and regionally. Under- Utilized Acres: 34

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • Some new residential development has occurred west of the station area, mainly in the Development form of smaller-lot single family homes. There is a signifi cant count of rental apart- 2010-2035 ments in the area, that could benefi t from reinvestment. Residential • There is a very large, predominantly single family neighborhood, Hidden Valley, adja- 565 units cent to the station. Hidden Valley has many transit users and Tom Hunter has opportu- 963 population nities for multi-family residential development. 60.9 total acres • The North Tryon retail market is challenged with retail abandonment. Offi ce • The area lacks a signifi cant offi ce market, in spite of its proximity to University City; it 42,583 sq. ft. 155 employment is hampered by its lack of destinations and smaller, lower-income populations nearby. 3.9 total acres Development Opportunities Retail 58,085 sq. ft. • Residential uses (particularly rental apartments and smaller lot single family homes) 116 employment represent the most signifi cant opportunities. 5.3 total acres • While retail is generally oversupplied, opportunities may exist for a smaller, neighbor- Source: hood retail center anchored by a grocery store. Offi ce opportunities are also moderate, Noell Consulting with local-serving, smaller fi rms being the most likely target markets. Group (2010) • A critical factor in Tom Hunter is creating some type of value proposition on which new see Attachment 13 development or redevelopment can occur; this could be a small park, plaza area or other anchor in addition to a new rail station. • A commercial-based mixed use development around the station core is possible to serve the surrounding neighborhoods.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO Tom Hunter Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the station (shown by dashed line) The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: Tom Hunter Station Location in BLE Corridor • Improve pedestrian connections; activate the streetscape with ground ﬂ oor retail. • Create walkable block patterns and provide new connections across North Tryon. • Develop multi-family residential uses adjacent to existing residential uses. • Encourage commercial-based mixed-use development around the station core to serve the retail needs of surrounding neighborhoods.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO University City Boulevard Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Opportunities will continue for retail. Ofﬁ ce uses may be an opportunity, (continued) given the superior access the station features.  Residential opportunities will also be signﬁ cant, with areas west of North Developable Property Tryon featuring rental apartment development, and areas east likely Estimated being developed as single family and Vacant Acres: 250 some attached for-sale.

Estimated  The major restructuring of the road Under- network in this area should greatly Utilized Acres: 40 further development potential, as the area offers huge regional access.

Trends and Conditions Estimated • New I-85 interchange and straightening out the Tryon “weave” are creating signifi cant Potential Development upside for retail development in the area, with IKEA and Wal-Mart already on board. 2010-2035 Additional retail is planned with remaining portions of Belgate and University Pointe. • Two apartment communities are planned in Belgate and will likely occur as the market Residential regains its footing and fi nancing opens up. Retail along the N.C. 49 Corridor struggles 1,829 units 3,089 population somewhat, with centers lacking in visibility and perhaps an oversupply of big boxes. 179.5 total acres • The station area is lacking in offi ce, given historical access problems that are being cor- rected, and has acted somewhat as a transition from the new University City area to the Offi ce older, lower-income North Tryon corridor. 232,967 sq. ft. 847 employment • The park-and-ride facility for the station includes a road that connects North Tryon 21.4 total acres Street and IKEA Boulevard and sets up future connections to adjacent properties.

Retail Development Opportunities 353,599 sq. ft. 707 employment • The major road changes have changed the orientation of the station area and created 32.5 total acres new opportunities for an emerging retail and residential core.

Source: • Retail is a real possibility, given the stronger location this station area represents. Noell Consulting Ofﬁ ce development is likely to be more limited relative to the more established Harris/ Group (2010) U.S. 29 area, and dominance of retail in the area. see Attachment 13 • Large properties to the east remain available for development and could emerge as a mix of retail, some ofﬁ ce and residential development. • Since much of the area is undeveloped, many of the needed infrastructure improvements will likely happen as development occurs.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO University City Boulevard Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: University City Blvd Station Location in BLE Corridor • Create a new “main street” connecting transit to either side of North Tryon. • Multi-family residential-based mixed-use development. • Station parking to include active ground ﬂ oor uses. • Commercial based mixed-use development around the station core.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO McCullough Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Demand opportunities will be signifi cant for offi ce and residential (continued) uses, as well as some retail closer to Harris Boulevard and North Developable Tryon. Property  McCullough has signifi cant potential and is fairly underutilized to- Estimated day, with low-rise offi ce and retail Vacant Acres: 181 uses dominating the landscape and Estimated little residential. Under-  It is in the greatest need of value Utilized Acres: 28 creation, as it has been developed in a piecemeal fashion lacking a real sense of place.

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • Land uses developed to date have been very suburban in character and lack any com- Development mon theme or design. 2010-2035 • The area is still seeing some residential infi ll, including apartments targeting students, Residential but is largely developed. The offi ce market along U.S. 29 is struggling in the current 1,416 units recession. Retail is generally performing well, with University Place a major shopping 2,469 population destination for the region. 79.8 total acres • While only 28 acres are recognized as being underutilized, arguably the most developed Offi ce properties in the station area are underdeveloped and could intensify going forward. 440,214 sq. ft. 1,601 employment • Additional vehicular connections are needed to improve access to all properties and it is 40.4 total acres expected that these improvements will occur through new developmenet and redevelopment. Retail 160,979 sq. ft. Development Opportunities 322 employment 14.8 total acres • Signifi cant opportunities for intensifi cation of current uses exists, with several greenfi eld opportunities still available. This station area is one requiring a stronger anchor and Source: sense of place. Noell Consulting • Potential investments should include greenway trails, small parks, etc. to enhance the Group (2010) see Attachment 13 attractiveness as a place to live, work and shop. • Residential, including rental apartments and townhoues, are continuing market opportunities, with a greater amenity orientation needed to thrive. Offi ce opportunities should be in the highest visibility locations and will require some time to overcome the high vacancies seen in the area today.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO McCullough Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the McCullough Station station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential Location in BLE Corridor transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: • Provide new street connections across North Tryon to capitalize on existing commercial/ofﬁ ce development and provide a framework for new transit-supportive land uses. • Encourage commercial-based mixed-use development around the station area core. • Encourage employment/ofﬁ ce-based mixed use development.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO JW Clay Boulevard Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Opportunities are greatest for ofﬁ ce and residential uses, with regional- (continued) serving (possibly town center) retail also having real potential. Developable  Originally planned as a large-scale Property urban mixed use community, the area has generally evolved in a fairly con- Estimated ventional suburban pattern, although Vacant Acres: 98 key ingredients do exist for creation of Estimated more dense products. Under-  Stronger infrastructure is needed, but Utilized Acres: 11 could generate some of the corridor’s more dense development.

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • JW Clay Boulevard is perhaps the strongest station area along the Northeast Corridor Development today and has the potential to remain so going forward. Charlotte Research Institute 2010-2035 (CRI), the hospital and portions of University Place act as solid anchors to build on and Residential not only create demand but offer potential design cues on which to build. 1,678 units • The station area acts as the retail core for the University and Northeast Mecklenburg, 3,017 population and draws large-scale support from outside the area. The ofﬁ ce market is minimal and 69.6 total acres is an opportunity to offer more space in a more cohesive environment. The residential Ofﬁ ce base is small and aging somewhat, although opportunities still exist. 508,303 sq. ft. • The station area is enhanced by its connection to UNC Charlotte across North Tryon 1,848 employment Street. 46.7 total acres

Retail Development Opportunities 226,112 sq. ft. 452 employment • Focus on creating a more cohesive look and theme to the area, building potentially on 20.8 total acres university/CRI architecture. Focus also on intensifying surface parking areas with new ofﬁ ce, retail and residential development. Source: • Residential development can focus on a mix of apartments, townhouses and some Noell Consulting condo ﬂ ats, but requires greater amenitization to encourage growth. Extend greenway Group (2010) see Attachment 13 systems out of University Place to the rest of the station area and identify potential smaller park spaces. • There has been strong interest in creating an “urban village” around the station area. • A Conference Center and hotel at the CRI campus will take advantage of convenient access to the BLE station.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO JW Clay Boulevard Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

JW Clay Station This graphic illustrates a potential development scenario for the half-mile area around the Location in BLE Corridor station (shown by dashed line). The plan shows the intended use, scale and form of potential transit-supportive development in the station area. Key concepts include the following: • Provide intersection improvements at JW Clay Boulevard and at the proposed street that connects to UNC Charlotte and Carolinas Medical Center–University. • Provide pedestrian connections to the existing greenway. • Encourage the development of supporting medical ofﬁ ce facilities adjacent to the hospital. • Encourage high-density mixed-use around the station core that tie in with existing residential and commercial development.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO UNC Charlotte Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Summary STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT  Nearly all the station area is located within the UNC Charlotte campus, (continued) with only a few properties being privately owned Developable  UNC Charlotte’s continued growth, Property however, will result in new dormitories being developed adjacent to the Estimated planned station, a new football sta- Vacant Acres: 16 dium within a short walk, and other campus facilities that will likely Estimated Under- generate demand for transit. Utilized Acres: 2

Trends and Conditions Estimated Potential • The station area is almost entirely within the UNC Charlotte campus, so no outside Development market trends are relevant. 2010-2035 • A new football stadium is planned west of the transit station, and will have 15,000 seats Residential upon opening in 2013. 0 units • New dorm construction has occurred close to the station site and contains approxim- 0 population 0 total acres tately 485 beds. • UNC Charlotte has incorporated the station area into its updated Campus Master Plan. Offi ce 0 sq. ft. 0 employment* Development Opportunities 0 total acres • Given the station location, the most signifi cant opportunities are for the development of Retail student dormitories around the transit station itself. 0 sq. ft. • One new dorm is currently under design and will include 400 beds. Beyond that, dormi- 0 employment tory construction is less defi nied, although the station area is one of two areas on campus 0 total acres where dormitory growth will likely be focused.

Source: • The Campus Master Plan describes the area around the station as the “North Village.” Noell Consulting Possible development includes a clinical teaching school and child care center. Group (2010) see Attachment 13

*This campus area should see new employment of 2,237 by 2035.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO UNC Charlotte Station Area INCREASE CORRIDOR AND Potential Development Scenario STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

• UNC Charlotte will develop a station area plan as part of the completion of the UNC Charlotte Station Campus Master Plan. Location in BLE Corridor • Create direct connections to Laurel Hall and other student housing.

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PLANS AND Area-Specifi c Plans in the Transit Corridor POLICIES TO INCREASE The Uptown portion of the corridor, where the proposed 9th Street Station is located, CORRIDOR AND is the fi rst section where transit-oriented development was planned. A series of area- STATION AREA specifi c plans have been adopted for this portion of the corridor. DEVELOPMENT

(continued)  First Ward Master Plan (1997) This document (Attachment 2) provides the policy framework for a new “traditional” neighborhood in First Ward, located in the southern portion of the BLE corridor. The design of this rapidly emerging neighborhood is traditional in form with a strong pedestrian network. Higher intensity development in mid-rise, mixed use buildings is called for closest to the rail corridor, with moderate density mixed-income housing farther from the transit line. The plan laid the groundwork for a remarkable transformation of this neighborhood that has succeeded in energizing Uptown residential development.

 Center City 2010 Vision Plan (2001)

This plan (Attachment 3) highlights the role of Charlotte’s Center City (Uptown) as “the heart of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the Piedmont region.” One of the primary objectives of this plan is to “focus the urban density required to function as a central node for transit destinations and connections.” To this end, the plan outlines a future for Center City Charlotte that is pedestrian-oriented with a mixture of uses. A number of strategies are provided to help accomplish this and other goals of the plan.

 Center City 2020 Vision Plan (under development)

The new Charlotte Center City 2020 Vision Plan is a cooperative effort – by the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and Charlotte Center City Partners – to prepare a comprehensive, strategic plan that provides a “big picture” framework and unifying vision for Center City’s growth and development. The study area for the 2020 Vision Plan ex- pands the scope of previous planning efforts and reﬂ ects the inclusive nature of the plan and process. While Uptown is the anchor and traditional center of the City, the study area also reaches beyond the I-277/I-77 freeway loop to embrace all of the surrounding Center City neighborhoods.

The new plan, nearing completion in 2011, sets forth a bold vision for the future and provides a set of innovative, transformative strategies that chart the course for achieving the vision. And it outlines clear implementation actions and performance measures to ensure that these ideas become reality in the coming years.

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PLANS AND  Elements of adopted city, county and regional plans and policies that promote POLICIES TO a transit-friendly character of corridor and station area development ENHANCE THE TRANSIT- The Transit Station Areas are identified as a subarea of Growth Corridors in the FRIENDLY Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework and are further defined as; CHARACTER OF STATION AREA  being pedestrian-oriented districts designed to include a mixture of complemen- DEVELOPMENT tary moderate to high intensity residential, office, retail/entertainment and civic uses located within easy walking distance of a rapid transit station;  being designed as gathering places for the surrounding community; and  having a dense, interconnected street network with extensive pedestrian facilities.

Area specific plans such as the First Ward Master Plan and the Center City 2020 Vision Plan and the transit station area concepts and plans reinforce these recommendations. Each of these plans calls for a mixture of high intensity, pedestrian-oriented residential, office, retail and civic uses. Development is to be designed to promote street level activity, with active uses on the ground floor and buildings located at or near the back of the sidewalk.

The adopted Transit Station Area Principles provide the framework for transit-friendly development around the stations outside of the Uptown areas. Specifically, these principles call for development that fronts directly on public streets, that includes active uses on the ground floor street frontage and has windows and doors at street level. New automobile-dependent uses, such as car sales lots, are discouraged and existing uses are encouraged to be upgraded to make them more transit-friendly.

In addition to the overarching policy, each Station Area Concept and Station Area Plan further defines the type of transit-friendly development, street network and pedestrian amenities that should be included within the station area.

 Policies to promote mixed use projects

As described above, the Transit Station Areas that are defined as subareas of Growth Corridors in the Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework call for a mixture of mixture of complementary moderate to high intensity residential, office, retail/ entertainment and civic uses located within easy walking distance of a rapid transit station.

The Transit Station Area Principles call for “a range of higher intensity uses, including residential, office, service-oriented and civic uses that are transit-supportive . . . and encourages a mixture of uses within the same building.”

Existing area-specific plans, such as the First Ward Master Plan and the Center City 2020 Vision Plan also call for a mixture of uses, as to the Station Area Concepts and Station Area Plans. The Station Area Plans are implemented through zoning districts that promote mixed-use development, as described in the following Section II-C.

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PLANS AND  Policies to promote housing and transit-oriented retail POLICIES TO ENHANCE THE Transit Station Area Principles TRANSIT- The adopted call for a range of uses “including resi- FRIENDLY dential, office, service-oriented retail, and civic uses.” Specific Station Area Con- CHARACTER OF cepts and Station Area Plans provide further guidance on the appropriate use for each STATION AREA station. Most station areas have locations designated for higher intensity residential DEVELOPMENT land uses. The transit-oriented zoning districts promote high density urban housing in (continued) transit station areas. The Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework identifies appropriate uses in Transit Station Areas as including a mix of complementary transit supportive uses, per the Transit Station Area Principles. These uses typically include residential and neighborhood serving retail land uses.

In addition, the Housing Location Policy was developed for transit corridors (see At- tachment 14). The Charlotte City Council appointed an Affordable Housing Strategy Implementation Team to make recommendations for policy improvements. The Implementation Team consisted of citizens and representatives of the development, finance, housing, nonprofit and real estate sectors. The committee developed a report that was adopted by City Council in 2001. This policy was updated and adopted by City Council in 2011. The recommendations address a wide range of circumstances:  Create a transit-oriented zoning district to be applied along identified rapid transit corridors.  A minimum density is to be 20 units per acre and 65 employees per acre; open space and general retail to be included.  Within transit corridors, affordable housing is required if the City of Charlotte participates in a meaningful way in the financing.  A Housing Trust Fund has been developed, with a reserve for funding affordable housing in transit station areas.

Related housing recommendations are included in the Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines adopted in 2003 by the local governing bodies and the Met- ropolitan Transit Commission (Attachment 15). In addition to the housing policy described above, this document recommends the development of Location Efficient Mortgages for home or condominium buyers near transit stations.

Retail development is also supported in stations areas, especially as part of larger mixed-use developments. Both the Transit Station Area subareas of the Centers, Cor- ridors and Wedges Growth Framework and the Transit Station Area Principles recommend that retail development serve the surrounding area.

The Joint Development Principles and Policies also recommend the creation of “Mar- ketplace Venues” at or near stations. These retail opportunities may be as simple as kiosks located at the transit station or may be ground floor retail facilities in adjacent transit-oriented development projects. The station area plans reinforce these policies by highlighting the best locations for residential and transit-oriented retail land uses.

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PLANS AND  Policies that allow or promote vertical zoning within the corridor POLICIES TO ENHANCE THE Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Frame- TRANSIT- The Transit Station Area subarea of the FRIENDLY work recommends that uses “be well-integrated, either vertically and/or horizontally.” CHARACTER OF Similarly, the Transit Station Area Principles allow the mixture of uses within one STATION AREA building, either vertically or horizontally. DEVELOPMENT It is the policy of the City of Charlotte to allow vertical mixing of uses in many of the (continued) City’s zoning districts. Land use recommendations, typically implemented through the rezoning process, in the Second Ward Neighborhood Master Plan, First Ward Master Plan, and the Center City 2010 Vision Plan allow for the vertical mixing of uses. The Station Area Concepts and Station Area Plans also promote the vertical mixing of uses. In addition, the transit-oriented zoning districts (TOD and TSD) also facilitate the vertical mixing of uses.

 Façade improvement programs

The City’s Neighborhood and Business Services Department administers the Façade Improvement Grant Program (Attachment 16) that provides 50 percent reimburse- ment to businesses or property owners for eligible architectural renovation expenses. Maximum award amounts are based on building square footage up to $45,000. Part of the North Tryon corridor is eligible for the program.

In addition, the Joint Development Principles and Policies call for expansion of the façade improvement program to transit station areas to make existing buildings and properties more transit-friendly.

 Funds to support transit-oriented plans

CATS has funded the development of Transit Station Area Plans and other transit planning projects for the BLE and other corridors. This money has funded consulting services for the development of station area concepts. Funding also has been provided to pay for staff time for Planning, Transportation and Economic Development staff working on transit-oriented development policies, transit station area plans and the development of tools for transit stations, including transit-oriented zoning districts and station area infrastructure improvements such as pedestrian enhancements.

The City has allocated capital funds for transit-oriented planning related to specific development proposals.

University City Partners, which manages a special tax district in the University City area, including a portion of the BLE corridor, sponsored the development of the University City Area Plan (2007), which includes three Transit Station Area Plans and continues to be involved in monitoring plan implementation to ensure development occurs in a transit supportive manner.

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PLANS AND POLICIES TO ENHANCE THE TRANSIT- FRIENDLY CHARACTER OF STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT

(continued)

This new private sector initiative – The Colony – in NoDa, near the 36th Street Station, combines ground ﬂ oor retail with residential units above.

 Private sector plans and initiatives consistent with the public plans and policies listed above

The private sector has initiated numerous transit-oriented development projects, especially in the Center City and NoDa portions of the corridor. Typically, these projects are mixed-use, with ground floor retail and office and/or residential land uses also included in the project.

There have been a number of transit-oriented projects along the Blue Line Extension, and despite the economy, developers and property owners continue to explore opportunities for development of transit-oriented projects. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Plan- ning Department, in conjunction with CATS and City Economic Development staff, has been meeting with private property owners to discuss transit-oriented development opportunities and to understand the interests of property owners and developers.

As described above, University City Partners (UCP) was established in 2003 to coordi- nate planning, marketing and other activities in the Municipal Services District (MSD) and to serve as an advocate for the area’s rate payers. UCP has hosted several planning, transportation and urban design conferences with a focus on the BLE. In 2005, UCP hired a planning consultant to develop a vision and plan for transforming the future BLE corridor into a “grand urban boulevard” within the MSD and to create a pedestrian-oriented town center for University Place.

To implement the vision established in the Urban Boulevard Study, University City Partners collaborated with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department to sponsor the development of the University City Area Plan, which was adopted by Charlotte City Council in 2007 and provides land use, transportation and design policy guidance for a portion of the BLE corridor and includes three Station Area Plans.

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PLANS AND The Historic North Charlotte Neighborhood Association (HCNCA) prepared the POLICIES TO NoDa Vision 2030 Plan to document the neighborhood’s vision for NoDa’s future. The ENHANCE THE TRANSIT- year-long process was guided by a Vision Committee and was open to the public. FRIENDLY The plan has not been adopted by City Council, but will be used as a tool by Char- CHARACTER OF lotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department staff in developing the 36th Street Station STATION AREA Area Plan. DEVELOPMENT

(continued)  Requirements and policies for sidewalks, connected street or walkway networks, and other pedestrian facility development plans for station areas

PLANS TO The LYNX BLE will enhance existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The project IMPROVE proposes multi-use paths, bicycle lanes, median refuge areas for pedestrians and PEDESTRIAN vehicular speed reductions along North Tryon Street. These connections would im- FACILITIES, prove bicycle and pedestrian access to the light rail stations and promote connectivity including facilities between stations. for persons with disabilities In Center City Charlotte, a pedestrian path from 9th Street to 12th Street would be constructed parallel to the light rail in order to meet the Uptown Streetscape Ordi- nance Design Standards. Multi-use paths, for pedestrian and wheelchair accessibility, would also be constructed leading up to all station areas as part of the LYNX BLE project.

Pedestrian improvements will come as part of new development through the adopted transit-oriented zoning districts; for example, the zoning districts require streetscape and sidewalk improvements along the street frontage of all properties (see Attachment 17 for Transit Oriented Development zoning).

The City of Charlotte has multiple existing or planned initiatives that are designed to enhance the pedestrian-friendly character of station areas. The City’s Sidewalk Improvement Program, managed by the Charlotte Department of Transportation, incorporates spending an average of $7.5 million per year for new sidewalks on thoroughfares and non-thoroughfares city-wide (in addition to funding for repair and maintenance). Projects are prioritized based on a point system which includes additional points for locations on or near a transit route.

The Charlotte Subdivision Ordinance requires street connections and that sidewalks be constructed on both sides of the street in conjunction with new development or redevelopment. Additionally, road and sidewalk improvements near the BLE stations will be made as part of the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Program (NECI).

To help implement the Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) policy, several local ordinances are being updated – the Subdivision Ordinance, the Zoning Ordinance and the Tree Ordinance. The Subdivision Ordinance updates address street types, block lengths, and design elements (planting strips, street trees)and standards to enhance overall connectivity.

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PLANS TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, including facilities for persons with disabilities

(continued)

A pedestrian pathway, with landscaping and lighting, runs alongside the South LRT Corridor rail line.

 Capital improvement programs to enhance pedestrian-friendly design in station areas.

The City of Charlotte has initiated the Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Program to make infrastructure improvements that are intended to support and encourage future development in the Northeast Corridor.

The program will include intersection enhancements, improved connectivity, street- scapes, sidewalks and bicycle routes. Implementation of these improvements will enhance access to neighborhoods and businesses and promote transit-oriented development in station areas. The program will be similar to the South Corridor Infrastructure Program (SCIP) implemented in parallel with the South Corridor Light Rail Project.

 Curb ramp transition plans and milestones required under CFR 35.150(d)(2), and other plans for retroﬁ tting existing pedestrian infrastructure to accommodate persons with disabilities in station areas

All sidewalks installed as part of the LYNX BLE project will meet ADA requirements. Curb ramps, truncated domes and accessible parking at park-and-ride stations will be included as part of the proposed LYNX BLE project.

The previous sections identify a number of capital programs that make pedestrian improvements in transit station areas. All improvements will meet ADA requirements.

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PLANS TO IMPROVE As described on page 62, the City’s Department of Transportation also reviews and PEDESTRIAN replaces existing curb ramps on an ongoing basis and responds to individual calls and FACILITIES, complaints from citizens on access issues. They also meet monthly with the Acces- including facilities for persons with disabilities sibility Committee of Disability Rights and Resources, a local advocacy group for people with disabilities, to identify ramps for replacements. A special fund provides (continued) for needed ramp replacements not otherwise budgeted. Approximately 200 ramps are installed or replaced each year.

 Street design guidelines or manuals addressing pedestrian and transit- oriented street design (lighting, street furniture, sidewalk width, etc.)

In 2006, the City adopted the Transportation Action Plan (TAP), a comprehensive transportation plan that:  describes policies and implementation strategies to achieve the City’s transportation-related goals and  provides citizens, elected officials and staff with a comprehensive plan that includes the City’s goals, policies and implementation strategies to achieve the City’s transportation vision.

The TAP’s goals and policies include sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, etc. Five years after its adoption, the TAP is now being updated to consider the transportation challenges and opportunities facing Charlotte over the next 25 years.

A key component of the TAP is the Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG), which were adopted by City Council in 2007 (Attachment 12) and describe how Charlotte’s streets will be evaluated, planned for and designed. The USDG is an implementation tool intended to create “complete” streets – streets that provide capacity and mobility for motorists, while also being safer and more comfortable for pedestrians, cyclists and neighborhood residents.

Staff from the Charlotte Department of Transportation and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department are currently updating local ordinances to reflect the adopted USDG policy.

In addition, the final station area plans specifically address street design for streets within each station area. The plans provide proposed cross-sections in the TOD portion of each station area.

Each station are plan identifies future curb lines, building setbacks, sidewalk widths and locations, the location of street trees and pedestrian lighting, future street crossing locations and street improvements for the pedestrian. In addition, facilities for cyclists, including dedicated bike lanes, are identified in each of these plans.

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PARKING  Policies to reduce parking requirements or cap parking in station areas, and POLICIES policies establishing maximum allowable parking for new development in areas served by transit

The Charlotte City Council adopted Transit Station Area Principles (Attachment XX) that call for reduced parking in station areas, with consideration of parking maximums within ½ mile walking distance of transit stations.

These policies will be implemented through transit-oriented zoning districts that include parking caps for new development, as shown in the following chart. The TOD zoning districts (adopted in 2003 and revised in 2009) have parking maximums for all development types, but there are no minimums for most uses.

Table II-1: Parking Minimums/Maximiums Under TOD Zoning

Use Minimum/Maximum Number of Parking Spaces Minimum of 1 space per dwelloing unit for properties on Residential blocks with single family zoning, no parking minimum for all other properties. Maximum of 1.6 spaces per dwelling unit.

Maximum of 1 parking space per 300 square feet of offi ce Offi ce space. Mixed-use developments and multi-use developments of residential and offi ce uses may share parking spaces.

For all sites within 800 feet of single family zoning, minimum Restaurants/ of 1 parking space per 150 square feet of restaurant/nightclub Nightclubs space. For all other sites, no minimum.

Retail Maximum of 1 space per 250 square feet.

The maximum number of parking spaces permitted is listed All Other Non- as the minimum amount required in Table 12.202, per non- Residential Uses residential use.

 Shared parking allowances The Charlotte Zoning Ordinance currently allows the joint use of up to 50 percent of required parking spaces for two or more uses located on the same or adjacent parcels, if the hours of operation do not substantially overlap.

 Mandatory minimum cost for parking in areas served by transit The City of Charlotte is not currently mandating minimum cost for parking in areas served by transit, but is using other tools (such as parking maximums) to manage parking instead.

 Parking taxes The City of Charlotte is not currently using the parking tax concept, and is instead using other tools (such as parking maximums) to manage parking.

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II-C  Ordinances and maps describing existing zoning (allowable uses and SUPPORTIVE densities) ZONING REGULATIONS In 2003, the Charlotte City Council adopted three new zoning districts that are NEAR TRANSIT specifically designed for transit station areas (see Attachment 17 for TOD zoning). STATIONS Charlotte’s Transit-Oriented Zoning Districts include: ZONING  minimum residential density of 20 units per acre within ¼ mile walking ORDINANCES distance of the transit station, and 15 units per acre between ¼ and ½ mile THAT SUPPORT walking distance of the station; and INCREASED  minimum floor area ratio of .75 within ¼ mile walking distance of the tran- DEVELOPMENT sit station. DENSITY IN TRANSIT A fourth district, the Transit Supportive Overlay District (see Attachment 19), was ap- STATION AREAS proved by the Charlotte City Council in 2005. This district is designed to be applied in transitional areas where the market for transit-oriented development is not fully developed. The overlay district includes:  minimum residential density of 12 units per acre where a station area plan has been adopted, or a minimum of 10 units where no plan has yet been adopted; and  minimum floor area ratio is not less than .50 where a station area plan has been adopted, or a minimum FAR of .35 where no plan has been adopted.

The City of Charlotte Zoning Ordinance includes a wide range of zoning districts. They vary from high intensity, transit-supportive districts to lower-density districts of a more suburban character. As an implementation strategy for the station area plans, the lower intensity suburban districts in station areas are expected to be rezoned to more appropriate transit- supportive zoning districts.

In addition to the TOD zoning districts, three other transit-supportive zoning districts are currently being used and are described below:  The Uptown Mixed Use District (UMUD) (Attachment 20) is the most intense of Charlotte’s zoning districts and is applied primarily in the Uptown area. The main purpose of this district is “to strengthen the high density core of the central city.” This district has no maximum floor area ratio (FAR) or height, allows a range of transit-supportive uses, and has resulted in the construction of numerous mid-rise and high-rise structures. All of the properties located along the portion of the BLE Corridor that runs through Uptown are zoning UMUD.  The Mixed Use Development District (MUDD) (Attachment 21) is another transit- supportive district that is similar to UMUD. As with UMUD, the MUDD district has no FAR limitation and permits a range of transit-oriented uses. Building heights are limited to 120 feet. Some property owners along the inner portion of the BLE Corridor, through NoDa, have rezoned properties to MUDD.

 The Pedestrian Overlay District (PED) (Attachment 22) is designed to allow a mixture of transit-supportive uses developed in a pedestrian-friendly manner.

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ZONING The development standards for this district allow a significant increase over the ORDINANCES amount of development that is feasible under the more suburban zoning districts. THAT SUPPORT INCREASED For example, there is no maximum FAR for this district and, under certain condi- DEVELOPMENT tions, building heights can be up to 100 feet. DENSITY IN TRANSIT STATION AREAS

(continued)

The PED regulations include setbacks that encourage sidewalk cafes in commercial areas.

 Recent changes to zoning ordinances to allow or encourage development with transit-supportive densities and uses

The Charlotte City Council adopted three new transit supportive zoning districts designed specifically for transit station areas in 2003 and a fourth district in 2005. These districts were updated in 2009. The districts were based on the Transit Station Area Principles, adopted by City Council in 2001 (see Attachment 18). This document provided direction to staff in developing the TOD and TS districts. The principles:

 Define transit-supportive uses.  Stress the importance of a concentrated mix of complementary, well- integrated land uses within walking distances of the transit stations.  Encourage minimum higher densities and minimum floor area ratios.  Address the need for an integrated pedestrian, bicycle, and street network.  Encourage reduced parking requirements.  Stress the need to use urban design to enhance the community identity of station areas and to make them attractive, safe, and convenient places through building and site design, streetscape elements, and open space.

In addition, the Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines were adopted by local governing bodies and the Metropolitan Transit Commission in 2003 (see Attach- ment 15). This document provided another framework in drafting the Zoning Text Amendments. Like the Transit Station Area Principles, this document encourages and promotes transit supportive development at transit stations. Specifically, it outlines specific programs, strategies and tools that can be used to implement the Principles and the Station Area Concepts and Plans.

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ZONING Both documents were the springboard for development of the Transit Oriented Devel- ORDINANCES opment (TOD) Zoning Districts. TOD includes three base zoning districts, as summa- THAT SUPPORT INCREASED rized below: DEVELOPMENT DENSITY IN  Transit Oriented Development – Residential (TOD-R) TRANSIT The TOD-R district is established to support high-density residential communities STATION AREAS that also accommodate a limited amount of retail, institutional, civic, restaurant, service and small employment uses. Densities range from a minimum of 20 dwell- (continued) ings per acre within ¼ mile walking distance from a transit station, to a minimum of 15 dwellings per acre between ¼ to ½ mile walking distance from a transit station. The station area concept or plan will classify parcels according to whether they are within the ¼ or ¼ to ½ mile walking distance. A limited amount of retail development is also allowed.

 Transit Oriented Development – Employment (TOD-E) Note: For all new The TOD-E district is established to accommodate primarily high intensity office development in any uses or office support services in a pedestrian-oriented setting. High intensity of- TOD zoning district, fice uses and office support services require a minimum FAR of .75 within ¼ mile 21 transit-supportive walking distance from a transit station, or a minimum FAR of .5 between ¼ mile to uses are allowed by ½ mile walking distance from a transit station. Employment uses are required to right, 14 other uses comprise a minimum of 60% of the new development. A limited amount of resi- are allowed under dential and/or retail development is also allowed. prescribed condi-  Transit Oriented Development – Mixed Use (TOD-M) tions, and a number The TOD-M district is established to support a blend of high-density residential, of accessory uses high intensity employment/office, civic, entertainment, and institutional uses, as are allowed by right. well as a limited amount of retail uses in a pedestrian friendly area. Again, high intensity office uses, office support services, civic, entertainment and institutional uses require a minimum FAR of .75 within ¼ mile to ½ mile walking distance from a transit station, or a minimum FAR of .5 between ¼ mile to ½ mile walking distance from a transit station. This district allows maximum flexibility. Projects can include high-density residential, office or a mixture. In addition, a limited amount of retail development, typically 20% of the total development gross square footage, is allowed.

 Transit Overlay Zoning

 Transit Supportive Overlay District (TS) The TS district was adopted in 2005 to promote a transit supportive form of development in transitional areas where the market for “pure” transit-oriented development is not fully developed. This district will overlay on existing zoning categories and will allow many of the uses allowed in the underlying zoning districts. How- ever, development will be required to be of an urban form, with buildings brought to the street to facilitate pedestrian access. The minimum residential density is 12 units per acre where a station area plan as been adopted, or a minimum of 10 units where no plan has yet been adopted. The minimum floor area ratio is .50 where a station area plan has been adopted, and .35 where no plan has yet been adopted.

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ZONING  Zoning incentives for increased development in station areas (density ORDINANCES bonuses, housing fund subsidies, regulation relaxation, expedited zoning THAT SUPPORT review, etc.) INCREASED DEVELOPMENT DENSITY IN As described previously under the Transit Station Area Principles, the new TOD zon- TRANSIT ing districts and the TS district developed for transit station areas include minimum STATION AREAS densities and intensities, instead of maximums. The amount of allowed development will be limited only by required building setbacks and height limits. The new transit (continued) zoning districts will result in significant relaxation of existing density limitations.

In addition, the Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines, adopted in 2003, outline the public and private sector partnerships and strategies that will be used to implement station area plans. The document includes a recommendation that an expedited zoning review for transit supportive development in station areas be implemented.

After adoption of the guidelines, the City initiated a process to route all properties zoned TOD or TS through a coordinated interdepartmental review process designed to provide the all development comments at one time, instead of department-by-department, thus reducing conflicts and time for review.

ZONING  Zoning regulations that allow mixed-use development ORDINANCES that enhance the Most of Charlotte’s urban zoning districts allow mixed-use development – TOD, TS, transit-oriented MUDD, UMUD, and PED. Multi-use development is also permitted. character of station area  Mixed-use development is defined by the Charlotte Zoning Ordinance as any development development that includes at least two of the following uses in the same building: and pedestrian office, institutional, civic, residential, and retail/service uses in a pedestrian-ori- access ented, compact, mixed-use setting.

 Multi-use development is defined as any horizontally integrated development that includes at least two of the following uses: office, insti tutional, civic, residential, retail/service uses in separate but abutting buildings, and located on one tract of land.

The UMUD, MUDD and TOD districts allow and encourage office, retail, residential and civic uses in mixed-use buildings. The PED and TS districts are overlay districts that permit the transit-supportive uses allowed in the underlying zoning districts and encourage mixed-use development.

 Zoning regulations addressing placement of building footprints, pedestrian facilities, façade treatments, etc.

The TOD, MUDD, UMUD, PED and TS zoning districts are designed to support urban forms of development.

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ZONING  Minimal setbacks allow buildings to directly front the street. The UMUD and ORDINANCES MUDD districts have 12-foot and 14-foot setbacks from the curb, respectively. THAT ENHANCE THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED TS zoning requires a 16-foot setback. The setback requirements for areas zoned CHARACTER OF PED and TOD are to be determined by approved streetscape plans and depend on STATION AREA the geography in which they are located; however, in transit station areas building DEVELOPMENT setbacks will be minimal, while providing enough room for wide sidewalks and AND PEDESTRIAN street trees. ACCESS Parking (continued)  in the MUDD, PED, TOD and TS zoning districts must be located to the side or rear of buildings and cannot be located between the building and the street. This is required so that pedestrians do not have to walk through parking lots to reach their destination.

 Urban design standards in the UMUD, MUDD, PED, TOD and TS zoning districts are designed to encourage development that is inviting to pedestrians. Long expanses of blank walls (over 20 continuous feet, without architectural interest) are prohibited, and clear glass windows are required along at least 50 percent of all commercial, civic and institutional buildings. The first floor facade of all buildings, including structured parking facilities, is to be designed to encourage and complement pedestrian-scale, interest and activity. Design elements are required on facades to animate and enliven the streetscape. Elements may include ornamentation, molding, rustication, stringcourses, belt courses, changes in material or color, and architectural lighting. Or, design elements may be incorporated in the site design: works of art, fountains and pools, street furniture, stoops, landscaping and garden areas and display areas. No reflective surfaces are permitted on the street level façade.

 Building entrances opening to the street are required in PED, TOD and TS districts. In the TOD zoning districts, at least one or more operable entrances per building are required when a lot abuts a public street, public open space or a transit station, when a building face is within 100 feet of a public right-of-way, and when a building face is within 100 feet of a light rail transit station platform or loading area. Such entrances are required to be distinguishable from the rest of the building to provide a sense of entry and to add variety to the streetscape. On corner lots, buildings may provide one main entrance oriented to the corner or facing either of the streets.

 Connectivity and circulation standards are contained within the TOD and TS zoning provisions. Uses in these districts are to be integrated with the surrounding community, easily accessible and have a good internal circulation system for a variety of travel modes. The pedestrian sidewalk system should provide internal sidewalk connections in addition to the sidewalk requirements along street front- ages, and external connections from the buildings to adjacent transit facilities, bicycle facilities, multi-use trails, parks and greenways. In addition, the on-site pedestrian circulation system should be lighted to a level where employees, residents, and customers can safely use the system at night. Bicycle parking and storage facilities are also required.

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ZONING  Urban open spaces for public congre- ORDINANCES gation and recreational opportunities THAT ENHANCE THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED are required in the TOD and TS zoning CHARACTER OF districts for all new buildings with a STATION AREA gross floor area over 50,000 square DEVELOPMENT feet. Such buildings must provide AND PEDESTRIAN useable open space behind the setback ACCESS proportionate to the building square (continued) footage. Open space requirements are based on the lot size; for example, if the lot size is under 20,000 square feet the open space requirement is 1/200 of GFA. The open space may be either public or private, located outside, or on rooftops, enclosed on the ground The TOD and TS floor, and improved with seating, zoning districts plantings, and pedestrian amenities, require open space and be visible from the street or pedes- for all new trian areas. FAR credits are allowed buildings over when open space is available to the 50,000 square feet. public.

 Architectural design guidelines and mechanisms for implementation/ enforcement of these guidelines

The TOD and TS zoning districts require that the base of buildings exceeding five stories in height provide architectural design so that the first three floors above street grade are distinguished from the remainder of the building with an emphasis on design elements that will enhance the pedestrian environment. Such elements can include cornices, belt courses, string courses, rustication, corbelling, molding, ornamentation, changes in material or color, recessing, architectural lighting, and other sculpturing of the base. In addition, the design of the building façade is to pay attention to the appearance both during the day and at night. Special attention is given to the design of windows in the base; band windows are discouraged and recessed windows and the use of arches, pediments, mullions, and other treatments are encouraged.

In TOD and the TS district, the top treatment of buildings is also important. All rooftop mechanical equipment on buildings over 60 feet in height are required to be screened from public view from below by parapet walls or similar architectural treatments. Buildings under 60 feet in height must screen all rooftop mechanical equipment from public view from above or below (based on the type of mechanical equipment utilized) by integrating it into the building and roof design.

In addition to the issues discussed above, the UMUD, MUDD, PED, TOD and TS zoning districts contain additional requirements for development at the pedestrian

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ZONING level. These include standards for building canopies, arcades, and balconies, sign age ORDINANCES requirements, and requirements for the design of parking decks. All of these stan- THAT ENHANCE THE dards are designed to help provide a pedestrian friendly environment. TRANSIT-ORIENTED CHARACTER OF Applicants who are planning any development or redevelopment within a UMUD, STATION AREA DEVELOPMENT MUDD, PED, TOD or TS area are required to meet with the staff of the Charlotte- AND PEDESTRIAN Mecklenburg Planning Department, Charlotte Engineering and Property Management ACCESS Department, and Charlotte Department of Transportation at two points in the design process: (1) during the conceptual design process in order that the staff may offer (continued) input into urban design objectives, and (2) during the design development stage to ensure that the plans meet the desired objectives and the minimum standards for each district. Building permits cannot be issued until the Planning Department staff ap- proves the proposal as being in conformance with the zoning ordinance.

ZONING  Residential and commercial parking requirements (minimums and/or maxi- ALLOWANCES mums) in station areas under existing zoning FOR REDUCED PARKING Charlotte’s urban zoning districts require substantially less parking than the suburban districts. UMUD, MUDD and PED require a minimum of 1 space per residential unit, while suburban districts typically require a minimum of 1.5 spaces per unit. The TOD and TS districts have a minimum of one space per dwelling unit for properties on blocks with single family zoning, no parking minimum for all other properties, and a maxium of 1.6 spaces per dwelling unit.

Parking for non-residential uses is also greatly reduced. MUDD requires a minimum of 1 space per 600 square feet of non-residential space, while business and office districts require a minimum of 1 space per 300 square feet. For most commercial uses, the TOD and TS districts have no parking minimums, except for restaurants/nightclubs within 800 feet of single family zoning, and parking maximums of 1 space per 300 square feet for office uses and 1 space per 250 square feet for retail uses.

 Zoning ordinances providing reduced parking requirements for development near transit stations

The zoning districts that will be used around transit stations all provide for a significant reduction in parking below the typical standards in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The TOD and TS districts have a minimum of one space per dwelling unit for residential properties on blocks with single family zoning, no parking minimum for all other residential properties and a parking maximum of 1.6 spaces per dwelling unit. For most commercial uses, the TOD district has no parking minimum and the maximum parking allowed for office uses is 1 space per 300 square feet, while the maximum parking for retail uses is 1 space per 250 square feet. Restaurants and nightclubs in TOD require a minimum of 1 space per 150 feet of restaurant/nightclub space, but no more than 1 space per 75 square feet of building area. This minimum/maximum is included to prevent the spillover restaurant/nightclub parking into adjacent residential areas. Parking maximums may be exceeded up to a total of 30 percent of the maximum in some circumstances.

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II-D  Promotion and outreach activities by the transit agency, local jurisdictions, TOOLS TO and/or regional agencies in support of station area planning, growth man- IMPLEMENT agement, and transit-oriented development. LAND USE POLICIES Residents in Charlotte-Mecklenburg have a key role in the decisions shaping what transportation systems and services will be part of their communities. The Charlotte OUTREACH TO GOVERNMENT Area Transit System (CATS) has used a number of techniques to ensure public input AGENCIES AND is incorporated in the decision-making process. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning THE COMMUNITY Department has also made extensive public involvement a long-standing standard IN SUPPORT practice in land use planning. Local citizens expect to be involved. OF LAND USE PLANNING Indeed, in 1998 the voters of Mecklenburg County gave a solid 58 percent majority to passage of a referendum supporting the imposition of a local half-cent sales tax dedicated to transit. In 2007, voters again affirmed the half-cent sales tax for transit, this time with a 70 percent majority. CATS views the citizen as the transit consumer who can help identify public values and needs, gather information, and help build consen- sus on programs as the new rapid transit system is developed.

CATS has a special commitment to ensuring that special population groups are included in the public involvement process. Often, this segment of the population is least likely to participate. It is important that these residents are aware of proposals that can benefit them or their neighborhoods. Efforts to involve all stakeholders in defining transit and land use issues along the BLE are guided by these goals:

Goal 1: Inform/educate the public in a factual and objective manner about the transit/ land use plan and its associated opportunities and challenges for the BLE light rail project. Goal 2: Proactively seek the participation and views of the BLE community so that transit/land use improvements reflect the needs of the community. Goal 3: Incorporate public feedback and input at all levels of the decision-making process. Goal 4: Ensure that all public involvement activities identify and address the needs of area minority and low-income populations along the BLE alignment.

See Attachment 23 for an updated sampling of public involvement materials used in this project.

 Inter-local agreements, resolutions, or letters of endorsement from other government agencies in support of coordinating land use planning with transit investment

The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) was created in 1999 pursuant to an Inter- local Agreement between the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the six towns in Mecklenburg County to develop and operate a regional transportation system for the area. CATS, technically a City department, works closely with the City and County managers, staff of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission, other

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OUTREACH TO City departments, public officials from the six towns in Mecklenburg County, and GOVERNMENT representatives of jurisdictions outside of Mecklenburg County. AGENCIES AND THE COMMUNITY Outreach to government agencies and the community, regarding the BLE, is outlined IN SUPPORT OF LAND USE in the corridor’s Public Involvement Plan (see Attachment 24). The plan reflects the PLANNING City of Charlotte’s well-established history of conducting proactive outreach programs in the community to achieve public awareness and interaction throughout the (conitinued) entire project development process.

Previous public involvement efforts related to the BLE were linked to the development of the 2025 Integrated Transit/Land Use Plan, completed in 1998 and the Ma- jor Investment Study, completed in February 2002. The 2025 Plan was updated and adopted by the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) in 2006 to the 2030 Transit Corridor System Plan. These plans, developed by the City of Charlotte and Meck- lenburg County, in conjunction with the six incorporated towns in the county, provide the foundation of effective public involvement strategies and techniques that could be used in future project development phases.

See Attachment 25 for resolutions and letters of endorsement.

 Actions of other groups, including Chambers of Commerce, professional development groups, citizen coalitions, as well as the private/commercial sector, in support of transit-oriented development practices

While the public sector is primarily responsible for provision of transit facilities and development policies and regulations along the corridors, the success of transit- oriented development concepts rests primarily with the private sector’s willingness to undertake such development. For that reason, the participation of the private sector in transit planning is critical.

The Charlotte development community has demonstrated community support of regional transportation planning, focusing particularly on roads, transit and land use planning, and remains committed to the concept of transit-oriented development around the BLE light rail stations.

Efforts are ongoing to engage representatives of the development and business community in dialogue about transit-supportive development. Discussions have been held with representatives of the local ULI District Council, Charlotte Chamber Land Use Committee, University City Partners (UCP) and University Partners Owners As- sociation (UPOA).

 Public outreach materials and brochures

CATS has used a number of techniques to ensure public involvement and incorporation of public input into the decision-making process. See Attachment 23 for an updated sampling of public involvement materials used on this project.

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REGULATORY  Regulatory incentives (e.g. density bonuses, streamlined processing of AND FINANCIAL development applications) for developments near transit INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE During the spring of 2003, the Charlotte City Council, Mecklenburg Board of Coun- TRANSIT- ty Commissioners, Metropolitan Transit Commissioni and Charlotte Mecklenburg SUPPORTIVE Board of Education passed the Joint Development Principles and Policy Guide- DEVELOPMENT lines (Attachment 15). The principles provide a framework for local government to promote transit supportive development around rapid transit stations. The Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines outlines a comprehensive approach to implementing transit oriented development in station areas.

The Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines document also outlines a range of regulatory incentives to be applied to the transit station areas. A key component of Charlotte’s regulatory strategy is public sector initiation of changes to transit-oriented zoning to allow, and ensure, that transit oriented development occurs around stations. In addition to zoning, other regulations (transportation, planning, engineering, building) will be reviewed and amended to facilitate transit- supportive development.

Streamlining the permitting process for transit supportive development is another of the strategies identified in this document. Properties zoned TOD or TS are routed through a coordinated interdepartmental review process designed to provide all the development comments at one time, instead of department by department, thus reducing conflicts and time for review.

 Zoning requirements for trafﬁ c mitigation (e.g. fees and in-kind contribu- tions) and citations of how such requirements can be waived or reduced for locations near transit stations

The Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) currently requires that traffic analyses be performed for significant new developments and, if warranted, that traffic system improvements be made to mitigate impacts from new development. In an effort to foster development near transit station areas and in activity centers, and to balance transportation for all uses, CDOT has implemented flexible traffic impact study requirements and mitigation measures on a case by case basis.

However, with the significant transportation infrastructure investment that will be made through the BLE project and complementary Northeast Corridor Infrastruc- ture Program, CDOT has agreed that signalized intersections within transit station areas will not be expanded beyond what is already programmed and funded. Con- sequently, traffic mitigation requested will be limited and development costs in transit station araeas, related to the provision of transportation infrastructure, will be significantly lower than the costs typically required for comparable greenfield development.

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REGULATORY  Programs that promote or provide incentives for transit-oriented develop- AND FINANCIAL ment such as tax increment ﬁ nancing zones, tax abatement programs, and INCENTIVES TO transit-oriented loan support programs PROMOTE TRANSIT- SUPPORTIVE The Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines identifies a variety of finan- DEVELOPMENT cial incentive programs to be used in Charlotte to support transit-oriented development. (continued)  The City of Charlotte successfully used its Smart Growth Revolving Fund to provide $10 million for support of transit-oriented development in light rail station areas and to help enable the development of a streetcar starter alignment. The Smart Growth Revolving Fund monies helped fund acquisition of land around transit stations for transit-supportive development and for funding strategic infrastructure investments that helped promote transit oriented development. At completion of the projects, the fund will have leveraged nearly $20 in private investment for every $1 invested by the fund. The City will look to duplicate this proven strategy by securing a recapitalization of the fund.

 The City has developed a Transit Investment Gap Financing Program, as identified in the Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines. This program funds a variety of strategic capital investments including land write-downs, infrastructure and streetscape improvements, building demolitions and project gap financing through subordinated debt. The fund is eligible to be used within the Business Corridor Geography which includes all transit station areas. The fund is currently capitalized at $17 million.

 Another strategy identified in the Joint Development Principles and Policies Guidelines is “project development ﬁ nancing.” Since the document’s adoption, the state of North Carolina has created enabling statutes allowing for a variety of tax increment finance structures. The City of Charlotte has adopted a set of policy guidelines around the appropriate use of these new tools which include prioriti- zation for transit supportive projects. The City has enabled a number of projects utilizing these tools including a comprehensive mixed use development of eight city blocks valued at over $800 million which surrounds a future transit stop and includes underground parking and a new 5 acre public park amenity.

 Other economic development and revitalization strategies for station areas or within the corridor

The Transit Station Area Concepts provide an economic development framework for station areas, and the Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines outline the revitalization strategies to be used to implement these plans. The individual Station Area Concepts describe a compelling future for each station area. The Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines provides the tools to realize each station area’s vision. Building on the success of the $50 million South Corridor Infrastructure Program (SCIP) the city has already authorized $30 million in the first phase of the Northeast

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REGULATORY Corridor Infrastructure project (NECI). Like SCIP, NECI is designed to enhance the AND FINANCIAL economic development potential for the stations along the entirety of the BLE through INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE enhanced connectivity. TRANSIT- In addition to projects designed to improve the pedestrian and bicycle components of SUPPORTIVE the transportation system, NECI includes funding streetscape enhancements at key DEVELOPMENT intersections, and funds to support private sector transit-oriented development. The (continued) funds will be used for infrastructure improvements and streetscape enhancements to be constructed in conjunction with new transit-oriented development. Other revitalization strategies recommended in the Joint Development Principles and Policies Guidelines include:  the use of Municipal Service Districts to provide increased public services in station areas;  the construction of public facilities such as libraries and recreation centers to make the areas more attractive for economic development; and  the construction of needed retail facilities at or near the station to provide retail services in neighborhoods with special population groups.

EFFORTS TO  Outreach, education and involvement activities targeted at the development ENGAGE THE community (including developers, property owners, and ﬁ nancial institutions) DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IN In addition to general meetings on transit-supportive development and station area STATION AREA plans, City staff has held developer and property owner meetings about potential PLANNING AND transit-supportive developments at several BLE stations. Based on these discussions, TRANSIT staff has identified likely locations for transit oriented development at the 9th, 25th, SUPPORTIVE DEVELOPMENT 36th, University City Boulevard and JW Clay Boulevard stations. City staff, including representatives from the City Manager’s Office, CATS, and the Planning Depart- ment, will continue to take a proactive approach with the development community, especially with respect to potential transit-supportive developments.

 Transit-oriented market studies

In December, 2010, an extensive market analysis was completed by Noell Consulting Group for all eleven BLE station areas between 9th Street and UNC Charlotte. Sum- maries of potential development in each station area and in the corridor as a whole are found on pages 79-100 of this document.

The analysis is similar in scope and approach to a similar study conducted in 2009 and included meetings with local development representatives, analysis of extensive background information and on-site field visits. The resulting study compared market potential for the eleven stations, identified development opportunities at these stations, targeted locations for development, projected timing of transit-oriented development at each station and recommended strategies to incent transit oriented development at the stations. In addition, the study provided TOD growth projections for these stations.

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EFFORTS TO The transit-oriented market studies are used as information in developing and updat- ENGAGE THE ing the transit station area concepts and plans and the development projections were DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IN used as input for transportation modeling to assess future infrastructure needs. The STATION AREA results are also useful in helping to determine where public assistance with transit- PLANNING AND oriented development would be most valuable in the near term. TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DEVELOPMENT  Joint development programs and proposals

(continued) The Joint Development Principles and Policy Guidelines, adopted in 2003, outline a joint development program for the City of Charlotte. In addition to the incentive programs described previously, the document recommends disposition of excess property purchased with transit funds. The policy states that this property should be used for transit supportive development, consistent with the station area plans. In addition, as the transit-oriented development market matures, the possibility of convert- ing CATS surface parking facilities to transit-oriented development that incorporates the CATS parking needs is recommended.

 Letters of endorsement or other indicators of support from the local development community

See Attachment 25.

PUBLIC  Description of public involvement process, including corridor and station INVOLVEMENT IN area land use planning activities CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA Three station area plans were developed and adopted as part of the University City PLANNING Area Plan in 2007 (Attachment 4). The planning process for this area plan began, in effect, when the University City Partners brought stakeholders together in 2004 to discuss the Municipal Service District’s (MSD) future development.

This led to an Urban Boulevard Study for a portion of the alignment within North Tryon Street and community involvement intensified. University City Partners held a number of community forums in 2005 and 2006, including a design charrette where various scenarios for the North Tryon Corridor were created. In addition, a number of one-on-one interviews with affected property owners, business owners and others were held to solicit ideas and input.

The culmination of all the community engagement efforts and the public unveiling of the Urban Boulevard Study recommendations occurred at UCP’s 2006 community forum with over 130 people attending.

This in turn led to the development of the area plan and station area plans, which incorporated the ideas and recommendations from this process. The UCAP plan development process itself included several public meetings, stakeholder meetings and other opportunities for public comment through the review and adoption process.

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PUBLIC  Description of the level of participation in land use planning activities and INVOLVEMENT IN support for these activities by the general public and community groups CORRIDOR AND STATION AREA PLANNING CATS has experienced a great deal of participation and support from its various publics, including corridor residents, community groups, local developers, elected (continued) officials and people in the general Charlotte area.

Interested members of the community seem to have a comprehensive understanding of the BLE project, not only in relation to light rail transit, but also in relation to land use and economic development implications. This knowledge is often demonstrated by the types of questions people ask and the extensive input that the BLE team receives. Whether sponsored by CATS, the City or community groups, meetings are generally well-attended and feedback is always gathered. Staff incorporates that feedback into the decision-making process so that when future meetings are held, staff can communicate back to the public how its input was used. This raises CATS’ and the City’s credibility with members of the public and gives integrity to the public involvement process.

 Public outreach materials and brochures

See Attachment 23 for an updated sampling of public involvement materials used in this project. CATS and the City have used a number of techniques to ensure public involvement and the incorporation of public input into the decision-making process.

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III-A  Documentation of projects that recently have been built consistent with transit- PERFORMANCE oriented design principles OF LAND USE POLICIES  Documentation of projects that incorporate a mix of uses or increased amounts of housing

DEMONSTRATED See Attachment 26 for newspaper reports on transit-supportive station area development in CASES OF Charlotte’s Northeast Transit Corridor DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTED BY TRANSIT Center City SUPPORTIVE POLICIES Charlotte’s Center City, or Uptown, historically has developed with transit supportive uses. The Uptown area is divided into four quadrants: First, Second, Third and Fourth Wards. Each ward has evolved with a unique character. In addition to their conventional downtown ofﬁ ce and commercial functions, three of the four wards have experienced substantial residential development in recent years. Second Ward has functioned as the government district, but the neighborhood master plan (2002) calls for establishing a residential neighborhood and this year (2011), a high-rise residential project is being completed in that area.

First Ward

The dramatic change in First Ward in recent years is a remarkable story of inner city revitalization. In 1993, the Charlotte Housing Authority received a $41 million Hope VI grant from HUD to redevelop the 409-unit Earle Village public housing project. A 1997 concept plan was the basis for subsequent development in First Ward. Today, First Ward is a striking new community of apartments, single family homes and condominiums, within an easy stroll from Center City ofﬁ ce towers.

First Ward continues to experience major development bringing new residential complexes and entertainment venues to the district. The neighborhood is now home to the Spirit Square Arts Center, Levine Museum of the New South and ImaginOn. Bank of America recently completed a 30-story, 700,000 square foot offi ce tower in First Ward, across the street from its corporate headquarters; a 17 story Ritz-Carlton hotel was also completed as part of the project. UNC Charlotte has constructed a 150,000 square foot academic and offi ce tower for its Center City campus. Another attraction is the Time Warner Cable Arena on East Trade Street, home to the NBA Bobcats franchise and the Checkers hockey team, and also host to many concerts and First Ward Place, with Uptown family events. offi ce towers in background

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Developers have vied to build projects in revitalized First Ward. These different types of projects face each other across Alexander Street, south of Eleventh Street.

DEMONSTRATED Since 2001, 785 residential units have been added in First Ward. Recent residential proj- CASES OF ects include: DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTED BY  The Enclave – 85 residential units completed in 2008. TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE  Quarterside – 202 residential units completed in 2008. POLICIES  Garden Row District – 11 units completed in 2007.  Courtside – 104 condo units located two blocks from the Blue Line’s Seventh Street (continued) Station and the BLE’s Ninth Street Station.  Court 6 – 80 residential units and 2 retail parcels attached to Courtside and two blocks from the Time Warner Cable Arena, completed in 2007.  Skyline Terrace – 44 market rate town homes.  Tivoli – 93 market rate condominiums.

Second Ward

Once a bustling residential area, Second Ward has not had housing since urban renewal took place in the 1960s. Now known as the “government district,” this quadrant is home to City and County ofﬁ ce buildings, the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools administration center, the Law Enforcement Center, the Charlotte branch of the Federal Reserve Bank, the Convention Center, Mecklenburg Aquatic Center and First Baptist Church.

However, Second Ward is poised for change. In 2001, the Center City 2010 Plan (Attach- ment 3) recommended creating new housing in the area to weave the 11-block area into the fabric of the Center City neighborhoods. Consequently, the Second Ward Neighbor- hood Master Plan (Attachment 27) was developed and adopted in 2002. The long-range plan calls for relocating some of the institutional buildings and reconﬁ guring the street grid, breaking up superblocks into smaller and varying block sizes to create a new “urban fabric” that could eventually include neighborhood retail and services and a multi-story high school campus.

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DEMONSTRATED Since 2002, 91 residential units have been added in CASES OF Second Ward. These include: DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTED BY  The Tower - 26 residential units on 15 ﬂ oors TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE completed in 2007. POLICIES  The Trust - 8 upscale condominiums on 7 ﬂ oors completed in 2007; and (continued)  Ratcliffe on The Green – 57 upscale condominiums on 10 stories completed in 2002.

Signiﬁ cant development in Second Ward was spurred by the relocation of the City’s Convention Center, completed in 1995. Since its opening, Wachovia/ Wells Fargo has expanded their footprint to four ofﬁ ce towers, including the new tower that is part of the Levine Center for the Arts. Their gift to the City, the nationally renowned park built on the roof of an underground parking garage – The Green – has added enchanting greenspace, playful art and street and park level retail.

The LYNX Blue Line has three LRT stations in Second Ward – Stonewall Station, 3rd Street/Convention Center Station and the Charlotte Transporta- tion Center/Arena Station – which serve the Convention Center, Westin Hotel, EpiCentre, Time Warner Cable Arena, Bank of America NFL Stadium and other nearby uses. Other recent development includes:

 Westin Convention Center Hotel– with a design that incorporates a LYNX “The Green” Blue Line station (the LRT line actually runs through the Convention Cen- ter) and includes 700 hotel room and 53,000 square feet of meeting space.  Hilton and Hampton Inn Hotels – includes 181 rooms in one 14-story building and 149 rooms in an 11-story building.

Other projects that have changed the face of the district in recent years include new government buildings, remodeled ofﬁ ce towers and the new NASCAR Hall of Fame.  The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened in 2010 and is an entertainment attraction honoring the heritage and history of NASCAR. It includes 40,000 square feet of exhibits and artifacts, a 275-seat theater and a 102,000 square foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000 square foot, 5,000 person ballroom.  EpiCentre is an entertainment destination that opened in 2008 on the site of the City’s former convention center with movie theatres, restaurants, night clubs, retail and a hotel. The City contributed sidewalks, streetscape improvements and the platform that connects EpiCentre with the Blue Line NASCAR Hall of Fame station. The project is strategically located in the heart of Uptown and across from the Time Warner Cable Arena.

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Gateway Village, in Center City’s Third Ward, includes ofﬁ ces and residences, as well as shops and a park.

DEMONSTRATED Third Ward CASES OF DEVELOPMENTS Third Ward is the most diverse of the four Center City quadrants. In addition to high rise AFFECTED BY ofﬁ ce and supporting retail development, Third Ward includes the Bank of America NFL TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE football stadium and surrounding entertainment facilities. North and west of the stadium POLICIES is a neighborhood of single family homes, apartments and condominiums, reinvigorated in the early 1980s with new investment and construction. (continued) Anchoring the west end of Third Ward is Bank of America’s 1.5 million square foot mixed use complex called Gateway Village, combining ofﬁ ce, residential, retail, restaurants and a park. Johnson and Wales University opened in the fall of 2004 with 1,200 students and enrolment is expected reach 3,000 students.

The Levine Center for the Arts near the Charlotte Convention Center was completed in 2010 and includes a 48 fl oor tower with 1.5 million square feet of offi ce and retail space along with a 46 fl oor condominium tower. The mixed use campus includes street level retail, the 1,200 seat Knight Theater, Wake Forest’s Business School, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, a new Mint Museum of Art and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and Culture.

Other plans for the area include the new Charlotte Gateway Station – that will serve the proposed LYNX Red Line commuter rail, Amtrak and inter-city buses – and Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation’s plans for an urban park in the district. Recent residential projects in Third Ward include:

 Levine Center for the Arts – 300 residential units and 1.5 million square feet of ofﬁ ce and retail completed in 2010.  Twelve Charlotte – 579 residential units in a 39-ﬂ oor building completed in 2009.  Trademark – 192 residential units completed in 2007.  First Row – 83 residential units completed in 2007.  Catalyst – 462 residential units in a 27-story tower completed in 2010.

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DEMONSTRATED Fourth Ward CASES OF DEVELOPMENTS Outside of the Uptown ofﬁ ce core, this predominantly residential neighborhood blends AFFECTED BY restored 19th-century homes with newer construction designed for historic compatibility. TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE It is home to over 3,000 people, dozens of Victorian homes, the McColl Center for Visual POLICIES Art and the new North Carolina Dance Theater facility. Along the edge of the neighborhood is the North Tryon arts and entertainment district, as well as upscale condomini- (continued) ums. Several projects have combined ofﬁ ces, retail and restaurants on the Tryon Street side, with residential on the Church Street side.

Fourth Ward is an example of successful public-private partnerships over the years. In the 1970s, the North Carolina National Bank (predecessor of Bank of America), neighborhood activists and City government set out to restore properties in the declining inner city area as an urban in-town neighborhood. Fourth Ward’s prosperity today testiﬁ es to the success of this strategy.

Residential projects, including high rise condominium towers, are prominent on the skyline of Charlotte. Recently completed and proposed Fourth Ward project involving residential uses include:

 500 West Trade (proposed) – 400 residential units and 30,000 square feet of retail located adjacent to the Gateway Multi- modal Station and Johnson and Wales University (proposed).  The Vue – a 50-story high rise condo with 411 residential units completed in 2010.  The Avenue – a 50-story high rise with 386 residential units completed in 2007.  City View Towers – 145 residential units completed in 2003.  626 North Graham Street – 43 residential units completed in 2003.  Fifth and Poplar – 305 residential units with a Harris Teeter Express supermarket at ground level, completed in 2002.  Silo Urban Lofts – 32 residential units completed in 2001.  Cotton Mills – 183 residential units completed in 2001. Jefferson Square (top) and 400 North Church are two Fourth Ward condominium projects in the heart of Center City.

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DEMONSTRATED North Davidson (NoDa) CASES OF DEVELOPMENTS Numerous transit-oriented projects have been built in the NoDa area as a result of changes AFFECTED BY TRANSIT in policies and zoning. Many of these projects incorporate a mix of uses, including urban SUPPORTIVE housing. The design of these projects reﬂ ects the City’s transit supportive policies. New POLICIES buildings are located closer to the public streets with parking typically to the rear. Most (continued) of the projects have taken advantage of parking reductions. Many uses have doors that connect directly to public walkways. Projects are multi-story and mixed use, often with ground ﬂ oor retail. Urban housing is a frequent component of these development projects.

Development intensities in NoDa have increased substantially as a result of changes to policies and regulations. Most new projects are multi-story, and cover a majority of the site. Structured parking is usually constructed as part Live-work units at The Colony of the development. The increase in development intensities is particularly striking when compared to the typical single story commercial structures previously located in NoDa.

In recent years there has been signiﬁ cant investment with 14 projects developed. These projects add nearly 192,721 square feet of ofﬁ ce and retail development and 2,280 residential units.

Table III-1: North Davidson Development

HOUSING RETAIL/ PROJECT AND DEVELOPER ACRES UNITS OFFICE sq. ft. 36th and McDowell (Lat Purser and Associates) .50 17 -- 3123 North Davidson (Chris Ingram) .72 -- 1,500 South Point Neighborhood Center (NoDa Tidewater, LCC) 13.57 300 -- 529 Charles Avenue (Isa Raﬁ di) .20 -- 1,416 Matheson Avenue/30th Street (First Industrial B&L, LLC) 15.99 327 4,400 NoDa at 27th Street (NoDa at 27th Street, LLC) 3.63 200 40,000 Charles Avenue Village (Liberate Financial, LLC) 1.91 11 -- Merriﬁ eld Partners, LLC .54 -- NA The Mercury (North Davidson Acquisitions) 3.87 160 42,000 Galleries at NoDa (BBC Development, LLC) .71 50 12,000 Bungalows on McDowell (Bungalow Designs) .69 4 -- 516 East 35th Street (Lat Purser and Associates) .36 20 --

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DEMONSTRATED Table III-1, continued CASES OF HOUSING RETAIL/ DEVELOPMENTS PROJECT AND DEVELOPER ACRES AFFECTED BY UNITS OFFICE sq. ft. TRANSIT 3340 Spencer Street (Amy Carver) .49 2 -- SUPPORTIVE POLICIES Yards at NoDa (Gateway Homes, LLC) 10.09 340 -- New Fellowship Worship Center 1.3 10 -- (continued) Fat City (Fat City Investment) .47 21 38,000 Davidson at 28th (Greg Godley) 5.5 180 20,000 Renaissance on North Davidson (Gateway) 10.54 234 15,000 NoDa 18 Condos (Tuscan Development) .66 17 -- NoDa Lofts (JDH Development) .25 9 3,525 Steel Gardens (Half Moon of Union) 11.13 242 -- Highland Mills (Highland Mills, LLC) 9.29 90 11,300 Colony (Gateway Homes) 2.81 34 -- Lofts 34 (Crosland) .27 12 3,580 TOTAL 95.49 2,280 192,721

STATION AREA  Description and plans for new development, including joint development pro- DEVELOPMENT posals, with size, types of uses and expected dates of start of construction and PROPOSALS completion AND STATUS The LYNX Blue Line Extension’s southern portion (closest to Center City) has experienced the most transit-oriented development. Interest in TOD has been seen throughout the corridor, based on conversations between City staff and developers, but announced TOD projects are located primarily in the Center City and NoDa area of the LYNX BLE corridor.

Center City

 In an effort to enhance their presence in Center City, UNC Charlotte is constructing a 150,000 square foot academic and offi ce building in the First Ward, to be fi nished in 2011. Upon completion, the University will move all of its Center City operations, which include the Architecture and Business Administration departments, out of the Mint Museum of Craft and Design into the new building. The new building will accommodate masters programs in the following colleges: Information Technology, Health and Human Services, Engineering, and Arts and Sciences. The project is the fi rst component of the new First Ward Urban Village.

 Plans are actively underway for the First Ward Urban Village, which will redevelop 32 acres of underutilized land. This new urban village will include 2 million square feet of ofﬁ ce space; 282,000 square feet of retail space; 2,150 residential units; and

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STATION AREA a three acre park. Plans call for a public investment of as much as $26 million in tax- DEVELOPMENT increment fi nancing from the City and County to help pay for improvements. UNC- PROPOSALS AND STATUS Charlotte’s new academic and offi ce building, described above, is the fi rst piece of this project. The urban village is also within 1/4 mile of the 9th Street LYNX BLE station. (continued)  Romare Bearden Park will be created on a fi ve acre parcel located in Third Ward between Church and Mint Streets and Martin Luther King (MLK) Boulevard and Fourth Street. Bearden was an internationally renowned artist who was born in Charlotte in 1912 and at one point in his childhood, lived near the new park. The park design is based on the work of Norie Sato and her concepts were inspired by Bearden’s multi- media collages where he used memory, experiences and tradition as the basis of his work.

 Brooklyn Village is a major mixed-use project proposed for Second Ward. Mass Mu- tual and Spectrum Properties have plans to redevelop Marshall Park and the neighbor- ing Board of Education building into Brooklyn Village, envisioned as a mixed-use project that will include 284 apartment units, 411 condominium units, a common park, 40,000 square feet of retail space and 180,000 square feet of ofﬁ ce space. Brooklyn Village is a key component of a larger plan for a minor league baseball park and the West Park Neighborhood Plan, proposed by Charlotte Center City Partners. Some of the residential units in Brooklyn Village will be affordable housing units.

artist’s rendering of potential Second Ward development in Brooklyn Village

 The old Carolina Theatre site on North Tryon Street is planned to redevelop with 125 condominiums above the existing historic theatre. The original Carolina Theatre was damaged by a ﬁ re in 1980. Camden Management Partners, Inc. and the Carolina The- atre Preservation Society are spearheading the redevelopment and ARK Management will manage the new theatre that will average 10 shows per month.

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STATION AREA North Davidson (NoDa) DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS Despite the downturn in the economy, NoDa has continued to see development and rede- AND STATUS velopment activity. While there are limited projects in the planning or construction stages, (continued) as planning for the LYNX BLE continues additional TOD projects are anticipated, based on conversations between City staff and developers. NoDa’s 36th Street station has been described as a strong station area with great neighborhood charm and inﬁ ll redevelopment momentum.

 Yards at NoDa, a previously approved project that Gateway Homes plans to construct, will include a 620 unit residential complex on vacant industrial land adjacent to the rail line and near the 36th Street Station.

 Lat Purser and Associates has plans to develop 16 residential units on a ½ acre parcel near the corner of East 36th and North McDowell streets, near the 36th Street station.

 NoDa Tidewater Development has begun construction on 300 residential units on 13 acres with a clubhouse and pool within a ½ mile of the 36th Street station.

III-B  Description or inventory of land near transit stations that is vacant or available POTENTIAL for redevelopment, and the amount of development anticipated for these parcels. IMPACT OF TRANSIT PROJECT There is a signiﬁ cant amount of land throughout the BLE corridor that is available for ON REGIONAL redevelopment. The table below shows the acreage that has been proposed for transit- LAND USE supportive redevelopment and the acreage anticipated to be developed or redeveloped by 2035 for each of the eleven station areas on the LYNX Blue Line Extension. ADAPTABILITY OF STATION AREA Table III-2: Transit-Supportive Development and Redevelopment in the LAND FOR Northeast Corridor (LYNX Blue Line Extension) DEVELOPMENT Proposed Transit-Supportive Redevelopment Anticipated Station Area Development (acres) By 2035 (acres) 9th Street 52 23.9 Parkwood 78 74.1 25th Street 28 79.9 36th Street 120 106.5 Sugar Creek 111 52.1 Old Concord Road 290 92.5 Tom Hunter 160 70.1 University City Boulevard 290 232.7 McCullough 209 129.2 JW Clay Boulevard 109 134.1 UNC Charlotte 18 NA TOTAL CORRIDOR 1,465 995.1

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ADAPTABILITY OF For the station areas in the inner portion of the corridor, those properties identiﬁ ed for STATION AREA transit-oriented development have been determined to be appropriate for redevelopment LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT if currently in use and the value of the land is greater than the value of the structure or the land is currently vacant. Many of these properties are strip commercial or older, obsolete (continued) industrial uses.

 Near the 9th Street station, in the Center City portion of the corridor, there are a number of parcels available for new development, some of which are currently being used for parking.

 In the Parkwood and 25th street station areas, there remain some older industrial and distribution sites that are available for redevelopment. The anticipated conversion of the intermodal truck yard and associated industrial land uses around it to more transit- supportive uses offers much development opportunity to the Parkwood station area. The intermodal truck yard is scheduled to be relocated by 2013.

 The Sugar Creek and Old Concord Road stations both have redevelopment opportunities with a signiﬁ cant amount of underutilized retail land available in the station areas.

 The University City Boulevard station area has some of the corridor’s largest tracts of vacant land. The development potential of these properties will be greatly increased by the introduction of transit and future at-grade City Boulevard intersection, currently under construction.

 The McCullough station area has signifi cant potential and is fairly underutilized today. Signifi cant demand is expected for offi ce, residential and some retail uses.

 Projected timeline for development of station area properties

Table III-3 indicates the projected timeline for development of the station areas. By 2035, these eleven stations are projected to have over 10,000 new housing units, over 3.8 million square feet of new ofﬁ ce, and over 1.3 million square feet of new retail. Once the sites are rezoned, this new deevelopment will be required to be developed in a transit-friendly form.

Table III-3: New Development Projected by 2035 in the Northeast Corridor (LYNX Blue Line Extension)

Multi-Family Ofﬁ ce Retail Station Area (units) (sq. ft) (sq. ft) 9th Street 1,774 2,166,438 111,567 Parkwood 1,064 126,226 78,896 25th Street 979 90,898 64,812 36th Street 1,549 111,140 111,812 Sugar Creek 391 35,328 58,650 Old Concord Road 324 47,354 122,942

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ADAPTABILITY OF Table III-3, continued STATION AREA Multi-Family Ofﬁ ce Retail LAND FOR Station Area DEVELOPMENT (units) (sq. ft) (sq. ft) (continued) Tom Hunter 355 42,583 58,085 University City Boulevard 1,185 232,967 346,312 McCullough 1,035 440,214 160,979 JW Clay Boulevard 1,417 508,303 226,112 UNC Charlotte NA NA NA TOTAL CORRIDOR 10,073 3,801,451 1,340,167

Source: Noell Consulting Group (January 2011) Note: 95 percent of the land within the 1/2 mile radius around the UNC Charlotte station is within the campus and no new private sector development is assumed for this station area.

 Amount of development allowed at station area build-out, compared to existing amount of development

Table III-4, below shows the existing development in the LYNX BLE corridor. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning is expected in these areas and minimum densities of at least .75 FAR or 20 dwelling units per acre within one-quarter mile of a station, or .5 FAR or 15 dwelling units per acre in the area between one-quarter and one-half mile of a station, will be required for all new development. This is at least two to three times the existing intensity of most development in these station areas.

Table III-4: Existing Non-Residential and Residential Development in the Northeast Corridor (LYNX Blue Line Extension)

Station Area Non-Residential (Sq. Ft.) Residential (SF & MF Units) 9th Street 2,475,140 860 Parkwood 786,969 598 25th Street 725,966 437 36th Street 1,820,925 1,510 Sugar Creek 2,258,892 850 Old Concord Road 1,343,672 594 Tom Hunter 544,853 2,087 University City Boulevard 885,814 310 McCullough 2,446,065 568 JW Clay Boulevard 1,975,034 1,345 UNC Charlotte 1,790,233 137 TOTAL CORRIDOR 17,053,563 9,296

Source: 2010 U.S. Census Data

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CORRIDOR  Regional and corridor economic conditions and growth projections ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT In 2010, the total population within the six-county Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) transportation model (which includes some areas outside the county) was 2,174,353 persons in 4,294 square miles. The comprehensive table at the end of this submittal (pages 143-146), gives full 2010 Census data for this geographic area.

 Population of the Northeast Corridor (excluding the CBD) is 87,286 in 40.4 square miles. The corridor represents 7.4% of the county land area, but 9.5% of the population. At 2,161 persons per square mile, the corridor is denser than the county-wide ﬁ gure of 1,685 persons per square mile.

 Multi-family dwellings comprise 55% of household units in the LYNX BLE corridor, exceeding the county average of 40%. Higher percentages of multi-family dwellings are found in three areas of the county: Center City, the LYNX BLE transit corridor where the UNC Charlotte is located, and the West Corridor, which extends to the airport.

 Employment of 50,314 in the LYNX BLE corridor (excluding the CBD) represents 5% of the MSA employment total of 1,054,740. The county-wide employment for the base year (2010) is 532,602. At 1,245 employees per square mile, the LYNX BLE corridor employment density is considerably higher than the county average of 975. The corridor has, by far, the highest employment density of any of the city’s Growth Corridor or Wedge, but less than Center City’s 31,271 employees per square mile.

Recent population and employment projections for Mecklenburg County indicate growth will remain strong, with approximately 529,804 new jobs and 425,450 additional people expected to be added to the County between 2010 and 2035. Growth policies are designed to capture a signifi cant share of this growth in the fi ve designated Growth Corridors. Specifi cally, capture targets in the Growth Corridors are:  75% of new offi ce growth, and  70% of new multi-family growth.

The Noell Consulting Group market study (Attachment 13) indicates that the station areas of the LYNX BLE corridor could absorb signiﬁ cant increases in population and employment, if the City continues to take a proactive approach in attracting transit oriented development to station areas.

 Development market trends in existing corridors and station areas (for areas with existing transit)

In November 2007, CATS began operation of its ﬁ rst light rail service, the LYNX Blue Line. This line connects Center City to Activity Centers and communities in the South. The line extends 9.6 miles with 15 stations. The Blue Line continues to surpass initial ridership projections and reached a major milestone in December 2009 as ridership during the ﬁ rst two years of operation surpassed 10 million. Average daily ridership on the

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CORRIDOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (continued)

In the South Transit Corridor, the LYNX Blue Line has generated nearly 1,200 new residential units in the last ﬁ ve years, including these at the Bland Street station.

Blue Line continues to exceed expectations with almost 6,000 more weekday rider trips than originally projected. This achievement illustrates that the community continues to ﬁ nd LYNX to be a safe and reliable option for commuting.

Charlotte experienced relatively rapid growth in the 2000s, much of it driven by expansion in the fi nancial services industry. This helped encourage a signifi cant amount of development in and around Uptown, and the convenient access provided by light rail to Uptown offi ce jobs made projects along the new light rail increasingly attractive for residential development.

Between 2005 and 2009, 1,194 residential units were built within the LYNX Blue Line corridor with about two-thirds of that development occurring Uptown, near the Seventh Street, CTC/Arena, Third Street and Stonewall stations. Recent residential development varies in density from three story row houses to midrise apartments and condominium towers.

During that same time period, 1,121,210 square feet of non-residential development was added in the corridor. Recent development has included a wide variety of retail, entertainment, ofﬁ ce, residential, cultural and institutional uses, including the Time Warner Cable Arena, ImaginOn, the new UNC Charlotte Uptown campus and other public uses. A signiﬁ cant amount of development also occurred in the South End, located immediately south of Uptown, much of it being the redevelopment and reuse of older manufacturing buildings. Most recent projects in South End were residential or mixed-use residential

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CORRIDOR and retail, along with a few ofﬁ ce projects. Projects range from lower density town- ECONOMIC house projects to an 11 story high rise project. DEVELOPMENT (continued) Once the Blue Line was built, it was clear that the new linkage created value for the South End area and developers also began to look at station areas further south along the line. While a few projects were initiated during the late 2000s, most were put on hold because of the economic downturn. A few projects have moved forward at the New Bern Station, including 3030 South, a multi-phase, mixed-use project with a variety of housing types.

South of the New Bern Station are several areas with relatively low-density commercial development that are expected to redevelop over time, including some large shopping centers, big box stores and strip centers. For example, the Arrowood Station was identifi ed early on as having the greatest proportion of vacant land within the station area of all stations along the line. The vacant land was identifi ed as a location for a “greenfi eld transit village” consisting of mixed-use, higher density development. Nearby low density shopping centers were expected to redevelop over time to more intensive uses. The City recognizes that station areas located farther from Uptown, such as Arrowood, will require signifi cant investment in pedestrian and other infrastructure to support redevelopment.

 Demonstrated market support for higher-density and transit pedestrian- oriented development

As referenced in previous sections, there has been increasing higher density residential and mixed use development within the station areas closer to Uptown. In particular, the NoDa area around the 36th Street Station has seen new investment in higher density residential development and shops, restaurants and art-related retail uses. NoDa offers nearby residents a pedestrian-oriented atmosphere where retail and entertainment venues are easily accessible by neighborhood residents.

At the 36th Street Station in the LYNX Blue Line Extension, new and old development merge to create an accessible, pedestrian-oriented atmosphere.

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CORRIDOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (continued)

Charlotte Research Institute, served by JW Clay Blvd. and UNC Charlotte BLE stations

To encourage and support the growth and development of the University City area, a Municipal Services District (MSD) was created in 2003 and shortly thereafter University City Partners was formed to guide policies and development within the MSD. University City Partners and the City of Charlotte completed the University City Area Plan in 2007 (Attachment 4), and that plan includes three station area plans.

A primary goal of the plan is to encourage transit- and pedestrian-oriented development to support and beneﬁ t from the BLE corridor, of which University City is the core. The plan calls for improvements to existing land use patterns and connectivity; identiﬁ es opportunities for transit-oriented development; and introduces a boulevard concept for North Tryon Street. The plan seeks to promote the corridor as a premier public space and gateway into the University City area.

Development on the UNC Charlotte campus includes research facilities, administration buildings, classrooms and laboratories, student housing and recreational facility. The University has constructed several new buildings in recent years, including the Charlotte Research Institute. As a university campus, development is pedestrian-oriented.

The intense residential and mixed-use development in Center City in recent years, described earlier, also reﬂ ects the market for high density residential living in proximity to working, entertainment and shopping opportunities.

 Locations of major employment centers in the region, and expected growth in these centers

Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework identiﬁ ed the Uptown/Center City as the center of the region, with ﬁ ve corridors of activity extending outward. These corridors have since been designated as transit corridors.

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CORRIDOR The Northeast Corridor is proximate to or intersects important Centers or nodes, as ECONOMIC described below: DEVELOPMENT (continued)  Center City is the business, employment and cultural center of the region, as previously described. The Northeast Corridor’s LYNX Blue Line Extension will connect with other corridors in the Center City.

 University City is Charlotte’s fastest growing sub-market and includes the CMC- University Hospital, UNC Charlotte, University Research Park and is centered in University Place, a 500,000 square foot regional center. The JW Clay Boulevard station is in the heart of the University City area.

 Carolinas Medical Center-University is the largest hospital in north Mecklenburg County and southwest Cabarrus County. The Emergency Department is the second busiest in Charlotte-Mecklenburg with over 70,000 patient visits per year. CMC- University is located within the JW Clay Boulevard station area.

 University of North Carolina Charlotte had a Fall 2010 enrollment exceeding 21,500 students, with enrollment projections for 35,000 students by 2020. UNC Charlotte has more than 3,000 full-time and part-time employees and more than 900 full-time faculty comprise the university’s academic departments. The UNC Charlotte main campus will be served by the UNC Charlotte station. UNC Charlotte also has a 150,000 square foot academic and ofﬁ ce tower under construction in Center City that will be served by the LYNX Blue Line Extension 9th Street station.

 University Research Park is located west of the UNC Charlotte campus and home to over 100 companies and over 25,000 employees. An area plan was recently completed for the Research Park that describes a more mixed-use development future. It will be served by a feeder service from the University City Blvd. station.

Page 140 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IV. OTHER LAND USE CONSIDERATIONS

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

OTHER  Regional Transit Plan UNIDENTIFIED OR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, The Northeast Corridor’s LYNX Blue Line Extension (BLE) light rail system is part of CONDITIONS, OR an overall regional transit vision. In 2006, the Metropolitan Commission adopted the CONSTRAINTS 2030 Transit System Plan. This updated, long-range plan consists of: under which the transit agency  multiple rapid transit improvements in ﬁ ve corridors; operates and which  a series of Center City transportation improvements; and inﬂ uence local and  bus service and facility improvements throughout the region. regional land use policies, plans and Once complete, the system will consist of 25 miles of commuter rail, 19 miles of light implementation rail, 16 miles of streetcar, 14 miles of bus rapid transit and an expanded network of buses and other transit services.

 Transportation/Land Use Integration

The City of Charlotte and other towns in Mecklenburg County have made a strong commitment to the integration of land use and transportation planning. This integration is emphasized from broad policy formulation to plan implementation. As such, it is more than just developing a new plan or a new zoning district. Integration of transit and land use begins by looking comprehensively at the broad policy level, as evidenced by the Centers, Corridors and Wedges Growth Framework, then apply- ing policy to speciﬁ c transit station areas, developing station area plans, developing a strategy for implementing those plans and ﬁ nally, implementing that strategy.

This commitment is reinforced by the extensive coordination between staff of the Charlotte Area Transit System and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department, as well as other City of Charlotte departments such as Neighborhood and Business Ser- vices and the Charlotte Department of Transportation. As a City department, many of the CATS staff are physically located in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Cen- ter, which also houses the Planning Department, Charlotte Department of Transporta- tion, Charlotte Engineering Department and the City Manager’s Ofﬁ ce. The proximate location of these agencies and organizational structure with the City of Charlotte government fosters a collaborative environment with a high level of inter-department communication and involvement in transit and land use planning.

Project meetings for the BLE are held regularly and involve staff from CATS, Plan- ning, Engineering, Neighborhood and Business Services and CDOT. Numerous BLE meetings requiring interdepartmental participation are held each month. As part of a city-wide Growth Strategy Steering Team (GSST), agency leaders for CATS, Plan- ning, Engineering, Neighborhood and Business Services and CDOT meet with BLE staff and consultants to discuss transit and land use planning. Both land use and transit planning decisions take into account input from each of these agencies and their staff.

FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 141 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Information Requested Documentation Supporting Land Use Criterion

OTHER  Brownﬁ elds Redevelopment UNIDENTIFIED OR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, The Norfolk Southern Intermodal Yard, located just northeast of Center City Charlotte CONDITIONS, OR between 16th Street and 30th Street, will relocate to the Charlotte Douglas Interna- CONSTRAINTS tional Airport as part of a separate project. The LYNX BLE proposes to redevelop the (continued) former intermodal site as a vehicle storage yard and day maintenance facility. This site has been found to be environmentally contaminated. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources administers a tax program to assist with the clean-up of brownﬁ eld sites in eligible areas. A portion of the BLE corridor is eligible, including the Norfolk Southern Intermodal Yard. CATS will apply for these funds to assist with remediation efforts.

Additional sites that may have environmental issues along the BLE have been identifi ed in the Final EIS. Phase II Environemental Site Assessments will be performed for all full or partial property acquisitions determined to be at signifi cant risk of hazardous material contamination which would impact the LYNX BLE. Results of these assessments will be used to determine appropriate property valuations and provide detail for design requirements, including but not limited to protection of human health and the environment, waste management practices and work and monitoring practices required for the smooth execution of construction activities. For sites of low concern, CATS will use a special provision in the construction contract specifi cations for the excava- tion and disposal of non-hazardous contaminated sites.

 Feeder Bus Connections

Serving other hubs outside the corridor will be an important factor in further planning for the LYNX Blue Line Extension project. Major employment centers, such as the University Research Park, and entertainment destinations such as Verizon Amphithe- ater, are not located along the light rail line but can be easily linked through feeder bus service. To make such a feeder service more efﬁ cient, it will be necessary to work with developers of these employment, entertainment and mixed-use hubs to make them more transit-friendly.

 Projected population, employment and growth rates in corridor or station areas, compared to the region

See the table beginning on page 143, for projected population, employment and growth rates.

Page 142 FY 2013 New Starts Report / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Quantitative Information

Population and Employment Data

Pages 143-146

QUANTITATIVE LAND USE INFORMATION Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project – LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Metropolitan Area, Central Business District and Northeast Corridor Base Year 2010 Forecast Year 2035 Growth (Pct.) Metropolitan Area Total Population 2,174,353 3,424,496 57% Total Employment 1,054,740 1,883,870 79% Central Business District Total Population 11,184 33,360 198% Total Employment 65,670 118,289 80% Employment Pct. of Metro Area 6% 6% CBD Land Area (Square Miles) 2.1 2.1 Population Density (Per Square Mile) 5,326 15,886 198% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 31,271 56,328 80% Northeast Corridor (excludes Charlotte CBD) Total Population 87,826 128,623 47% Total Employment 50,314 124,711 148% Population Pct of Metro Area 4% 4% Employment Pct of Metro Area 5% 7% Corridor Land Area (Square Miles) 40.4 40.4 Population Density (Per Square Mile) 2,161 3,184 47% Employment Density (Per Square Mile 1,245 3,087 148%

Population and Employment Data for Northeast Corridor (1/2 Mile Radius) TOTAL ALL STATION AREAS 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 9,296 21,391 130% Population 24,745 48,962 98% Employment 26,048 44,790 72% Land Area (Square Miles) 7.00 7.00 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 1,328 3,056 130% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 3,535 6,995 98% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 3,721 6,399 72%

9th Street (1/4 Mile Radius) 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 860 2,634 206% Population 1,406 4,353 210% Employment 7,114 15,215 114% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.196 0.196 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 4,388 13,439 206% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 7,173 22,209 210% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 36,296 77,628 114%

FY 2013 New Starts / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 143 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Population and Employment Data for Northeast Corridor (1/2 Mile Radius)

Parkwood 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 598 1,765 195% Population 1,549 3,587 132% Employment 707 1,324 87% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.446 0.446 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 1,341 3,957 195% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 3,473 8,043 132% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 1,585 2,969 87%

25th Street 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 437 1,544 253% Population 830 2,765 233% Employment 554 1,014 83% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.249 0.249 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 1,755 6,201 253% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 3,333 11,104 233% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 2,225 4,072 83%

36th Street 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 1,510 3,238 114% Population 2,765 5,798 110% Employment 1,592 2,220 39% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 1,924 4,125 114% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 3,522 7,386 110% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 2,028 2,828 39%

Sugar Creek 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 850 1,358 60% Population 1,748 2,460 41% Employment 2,034 2,280 12% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 1,083 1,730 60% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 2,227 3,134 41% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 2,591 2,904 12%

Page 144 FY 2013 New Starts / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT QUANTITATIVE LAND USE INFORMATION

Population and Employment Data for Northeast Corridor (1/2 Mile Radius)

Old Concord Road 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 594 1,207 103% Population 1,415 2,349 66% Employment 1,304 1,722 32% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 757 1,538 103% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 1,803 2,992 66% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 1,661 2,194 32%

Tom Hunter 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 2,087 2,652 27% Population 5,435 6,398 18% Employment 765 1,036 35% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 2,659 3,378 27% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 6,924 8,150 18% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 975 1,320 35%

University City Blvd. 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 310 2,139 590% Population 806 3,895 383% Employment 675 2,215 228% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 395 2,725 590% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 1,027 4,962 383% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 860 2,822 228%

McCullough 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 568 1,787 215% Population 914 3,034 232% Employment 4,015 5,938 48% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 724 2,276 215% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 1,164 3,865 232% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 5,115 7,564 48%

FY 2013 New Starts / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Page 145 Northeast Corridor Light Rail Project - LYNX Blue Line Extension (Charlotte)

Population and Employment Data for Northeast Corridor (1/2 Mile Radius)

JW Clay Blvd. 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 1,345 2,930 118% Population 2,587 5,444 110% Employment 3,896 6,197 59% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.609 0.609 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 2,209 4,811 118% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 4,248 8,939 110% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 6,397 10,176 59%

UNC Charlotte 2010 2035 Growth (Pct.) Housing Units 137 137 0% Population 5,290 8,879 68% Employment 3,392 5,629 66% Land Area (Square Miles) 0.785 0.785 Housing Unit Density (Per Square Mile) 175 175 0% Population Density (Per Square Mile) 6,739 11,311 68% Employment Density (Per Square Mile) 4,321 7,171 66%

Sources: Housing Units and Population: Census 2010 Employment: InfoGroup (2010) Station Areas: Noell Consulting Group (December 2010) Metropolitan Area, CBD and Corridor: Metrolina Regional Model

Page 146 FY 2013 New Starts / LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT