Plan's
goal: Revive Eastland Mall area
City hopes to boost economy, change perception
by Earnest Winston, The Charlotte Observer
When Sue and Tom Lampley bought their house on Woodbriar Trail in east Charlotte 30 years ago, the neighborhood was mostly wooded and still in its infancy. Today, the street is lined with single-family homes and some rental units.
Housing isn't the only change in the Lampleys' community. The neighborhood has diversified and become home to a fast-growing mix of Hispanic, Asian and African residents.
But crime, including a number of home invasions, in recent years also has brought a sense of uneasiness among some residents.
So when the Lampleys heard about the city's plan to revitalize the Eastland area -- 15 square miles around Eastland Mall -- they were encouraged. They welcome any help to heal the area's image.
"I'm glad they're finally trying to do something," said Sue Lampley. "It's long overdue."
Several years in the making, Charlotte planners said the impetus behind the plan is to spur change in neighborhoods that have seen demographics change and have watched vacant storefronts grow. But perceptions must change first, planners say -- including an imprecise image in outsiders' minds of the Eastland area as crime-ridden and undesirable, the plan states.
The Eastland Area Plan calls for a number of remedies to energize the area bounded by Eastway Drive, Shamrock Drive, W.T. Harris Boulevard and Monroe Road:
• Create an international district along Central Avenue.
• Encourage zoning changes to allow a mix of housing, shopping and offices along Albemarle Road.
• Install more sidewalks and plant better streetside landscaping.
A public hearing on the plan is tonight at the Government Center.
Eastland opened to much fanfare and crowds in fall 1974, three years after SouthPark. But as SouthPark has mushroomed in size and stores, Eastland has faltered recently as some retailers have left for wealthier suburban centers. Now the mall's owners are trying to pump life back into the mall -- and the surrounding neighborhoods.
On June 16, the Charlotte City Council will hold a public hearing on a rezoning to allow an ambitious redevelopment of Eastland. Mall officials hope to launch a $14 million project by a public-private partnership -- including $4 million from the city -- that will fill the space vacated by J.C. Penney and turn the mall into a "town center" with cultural and transportation hubs. The goal is to finish the project within two years.
The rest of the Eastland area plan has no price tag. But city planners want to use the document as a "road map" to guide developers and homeowners. The city has begun some investment along Central -- sidewalks and landscaping are under way, and pedestrian medians and bike lanes are in the works.
Kyle Woudstra, president of the Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association, said he's confident the plan will bring about change.
"Unfortunately, there's a perception in many people's mind that the east side is kind of the dumpy side of town, when that's really not the case," he said.
Crime statistics for the area are a mixed bag. The planners reported that between 1999 and 2001, violent crime -- including homicides, rapes and robberies -- increased 21 percent. Overall crime dropped 6 percent in the study area.
Changing the perception some people have about the area is one task. But equally important is that the owners of the mall begin making improvements -- followed by more infrastructure upgrades by the city, said Joe Polite, executive vice president of Mulvaney Properties and an east side advocate. That's when developers are likely to jump on board, he said.
Plan has its critics
Not everyone is confident about the revitalization effort.East side activist Jim Roberts said the plan lacks specifics. He also fears too much public/private investment might spell trouble for some merchants.
"It's going to drive the small businesses, the minorities out of east Charlotte," Roberts said. "It will drive the price of the square footage of retail space up so to the point that they can't afford to stay there."
Still, says Landmark Diner manager Angelo Kaltsounis, an infusion of energy into the area is just what the community needs. The plan is far-fetched "but you got to do something," said Kaltsounis, whose restaurant is on Central. "I just hope that it works out."
Gail Phillips wants change, too. She wants to return to the days when she used to drive Central Avenue to uptown Charlotte to shop without any fears. Thirty years ago, Central led from uptown to subdivisions and single-family homes. Today, more apartments and strip shopping centers are the norm along the corridor. Many nationalities and their businesses make the area one of Charlotte's most diverse.
"Now you just don't know," said Phillips, 68, of the Windsor Park neighborhood. "I feel like you have to be real cautious, real careful."
`You just can't give up'
A new image must come before reinvestment, planners said.
Among the goals is to create a group that would be responsible for marketing the area, recruiting businesses, communicating with residents and coordinating events such as festivals.
All know change won't happen overnight.
Still, "You just can't give up," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg planner Kent Main.
2000 Demographics of Eastland Area Plan
Population: 37,300; grew 12 percent during the 1990s; citywide growth average was 22.7 percent.
Race: Caucasians make up 70 percent of population; African Americans, about 20 percent; and Hispanics and Asians, 10 percent.
Average household income: $52,300; citywide average is about $71,400
Housing: More than 6,000 single-family homes (40 percent) and 10,000 multifamily units (60 percent)
Source: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission
Find out what commercial real estate professionals in these companies have been up to!
Charlotte
Commercial Properties
Crosland
Grubb & Ellis|Bissell Patrick
McGuire Properties, Inc.
NAI Southern Real Estate
SouthEast Commercial Real Estate
Transwestern Percival, LLC
Get Your News in The Voice!
Email press releases to erica@crcbr.org
Don't wait until June,
2004!
Check out the new education schedule for
Fall 2003...
Mandatory Update - Commercial Ver.
Ethics for the Commercial REALTOR
Technology Classes
Commercial Certificate Program
Watch for more information on
these upcoming programs:
Fall Forecast -
September
Golf Tournament - October
Mixed-Use Bus Tour - November
Annual
Meeting - December
NEW to The Voice, career opportunities
may be placed in the newsletter by member companies free of charge.
Contact Erica Rohrbacher for more information at 704.377.8982 or email
erica@crcbr.org.
Click on the job title below to view a description.
Senior Asset Manager
Click on the links below to visit our sponsor websites.
Cousins Properties, Inc.
Floyd Smith
Office Park
Huntersville Business
Park
Kannapolis
Gateway
Business
Park
Lauth Property Group
AAC Real Estate
Services, Inc.
D.S.S. Corporation
The Keith
Corporation
Coldwell Banker
Commercial-MECA
Wishart Norris
Henninger & Pittman, PA
Klingman Williams
NAI Southern Real Estate
Trammell Crow Company
CRCBR
PO Box 36566
Charlotte, NC 28236-6566
704.377.8982 phone
704.377.8983 fax
info@crcbr.org
www.crcbr.org