The new NoDa: Can it keep its charm?

The Story

There is no stopping new construction in NoDa. The NoDa Neighborhood Association voted last week in support of the Charlotte-based Crescent Communities’ rezoning petition. If the rezoning is approved by the city, this will allow the 7 acres (where the ChopShop and Ultimate Gym currently sit) to be turned into mixed-use developments. The topic of discussion now is, what exactly are they going to put there?

The Facts

• The development will be up to 80 feet tall allowing possible space for a hotel.
• The building will include between 325 to 350 units, split between rentals and for-sale units (condos).
• Crescent is also the builder of the development uptown where the Whole Foods is rumored to go (at Stonewall and Caldwell streets, across from the NASCAR Hall of Fame).
• The site could also include overflow parking for the Lynx Blue Line extension and a boutique grocery.
• The NoDa Neighborhood Association voted in favor of the development 33-2.

Quotes

Via the NoDa Community Meeting Report minutes:

“These guys sound good, but this is the most important piece of real estate in neighborhood. Can we trust them without any plans to present? We need to shepherd this critical site.” – Member 1

“City is ready to rubber-stamp this site TOD (transit-oriented development). We should be glad to have a group seeking our input” – Member 2

“I just feel like Charlotte in general is one of those cities where everyone wants to see it grow, and as the city grows, they demand more culture, and then the first thing that Charlotte does is get rid of culture so they can bring more people in and have empty housing all over the place, they just do that to all the small little artsy areas everywhere else. It’s just kind of par for the course for Charlotte, I believe.” – Traci Nasta, co-owner of Chop Shop

C5’s Take

This is a hot debate inside the NoDa neighborhood, and for good reason. Charlotte is appealing to a lot of folks because it is a city of neighborhoods; each with a different flavor and vibe. Charlotte neighborhoods are tight-knit and enjoy the sense of ownership and community. When you get to the heart of the hesitation, I think it is a fear that NoDa will lose it’s charm and uniqueness. My counter to that is, it is the people that make NoDa what it is! It seems that the builders are doing their best to make the neighborhood feel involved and included. As long as builders keep collaborating with the community, I see this as a huge opportunity for NoDa to grow both economically and culturally.

Photo: Vikas Nambiar / Charlotte Observer & Google Maps

This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 12:41 AM with the headline "The new NoDa: Can it keep its charm?."