First Ward Redevelopment:

Best Practices
A report from graduate students at

UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business

and the

Design+Society Research Center at the

UNC Charlotte College of Arts+Architecture

Student Project Team

Chris Muryn
Daniel Koebel
Daniella Fergusson
Nicholas Bushon
 Outline

• Client Objectives
• Existing Conditions
• Leveraging Strategic
Assets
• Conclusion
 Client Objectives for First Ward
• A Place to Celebrate Life
• Comprised of Mixed Uses
• Planned for Mixed Income
• Designed for Pedestrian-
Oriented Retail
• Suitable for Small
Proprietor Retail
• A Resilient Urban
Neighborhood
Existing Conditions
 Existing Conditions
• Study Area
• Site Focus Area
• Property Owners
• Downtown Charlotte’s History
• First Ward Historic Buildings
• Potential Impact of 2020 Vision Plan on Study Area
• 2020 Vision Plan Priority Areas
• Comparison of Priorities
• SWOT Analysis

Existing Conditions
 Study Area
• One of the original
four wards in Uptown
Charlotte
• Divided into:
• Garden District
• Parkside district
• Courthouse
District
• Downtown First
Ward
First Ward 1996 Master Plan

Existing Conditions
 Site Focus Area
• First Ward is
outlined in red

• Levine Properties
holdings are
outlined in orange

Existing Conditions
 Property Owners
• Red – Levine
Properties

• Green – Charlotte
Mecklenburg
properties

• Purple – Vacant
Charlotte Housing
Authority Parcels

• Blue – Spiritual
and cultural
amenities

Existing Conditions
 Downtown Charlotte’s History

Predomi
City Grid 4 Wards nance of Banking
Created Railroad Created Cars Center

Gold 2 Wards Electric Urban Today

Rush Created Trolley Renewal
System

Today Charlotte takes great pride in newness. Glistening towers

signal its position as the nation’s third busiest banking center
-- Dr. Thomas Hanchett

Existing Conditions
 First Ward Historic Buildings
First Ward Historic Buildings
in Purple
• William Treloar House (1887)
• St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
(1892)
• First United Presbyterian
(1893)
• John Price Carr House (1903)
• Old First Baptist Church
(1908)
• Philip-Carey Warehouse
(1910)
• Old Little Rock AME Zion
(1911)
• Carolina Theatre (1927)

Existing Conditions
 2020 Plan Impact on Study Area

Existing Conditions
 2020 Vision Plan Priority Areas
1. Regional Economic Engine
2. Walkable, Full Service Neighborhoods
3. Integrated Transportation Hub
4. Network of Parks, Recreation & Open Space
5. Premier Arts, Cultural & Entertainment Destination
6. Thriving Retail & Restaurants
7. Lifelong Learning
8. Wellness & Healthy Lifestyles
9. Civic Heart of the Region
10. Leader in Environmental Sustainability

Existing Conditions
 Comparison of Priorities
Client’s Goals 1996 First Ward Master Plan 2020 Vision Plan

A place to celebrate life 

Comprised of mixed uses
Planned for mixed incomes
Designed for pedestrian-oriented
retail
Suitable for small-proprietor retail
 

 

A resilient urban neighborhood 

Existing Conditions
 SWOT Analysis
Market St along with First
Ward Park will be the
focal point of First Ward

Existing Conditions
Priority Strategic Assets –
Infrastructure Upgrades
 New Infrastructure Upgrades
• Curbless Road • Crosswalk on 9th Street
• Colonnade • Market St Vendor Areas
• Crosswalk on 7th Street

Market Street Conceptual Perspective

Infrastructure Upgrades
 Site Plan

Infrastructure Upgrades
 Market Street

Market Street Pedestrian Area

Market Street with Vendors Market Street without Vendors

Infrastructure Upgrades
 Curbless Streets
Concept
• Prioritize pedestrian
movement over vehicular
• Provide improved access
and mobility

Best Practices Southeast False Creek neighborhood - Vancouver Canada

• Granville Island
• Southeast False Creek

Southeast False Creek neighborhood - Vancouver Canada

Infrastructure Upgrades
 Colonnade
Concept
• Prioritize pedestrian
movement over
vehicular
• Improve the pedestrian
experience
• Excellent source of
shade in warmer months
• Retail businesses can
extend frontage Retail with Colonnade – Florida
• Emphasizes outdoor
seating and promotes
feeling of activity

Best Practices
• 16’ depth
• Seating along columns
• Consistent facades

Paris, France
Hamburg, Germany

Infrastructure Upgrades
Concept
Crosswalk on 7th + 9th Streets
Best Practices
• Current plans diminish access to Market Street • Figure below shows the difference in
and draw people directly into the park pedestrian travel length
• Allows pedestrian traffic to be well received • Orange is current
into a safe and comfortable walking
environment • Red is proposed

Pedestrian Circulation Diagram

Infrastructure Upgrades
 Vendor Configuration
Concept
• Street design to
accommodate temporary
vendors
• Accessibility for vendors
unloading goods

Best Practices
• Farmers Markets
• Greenville, SC
• Madison, WI
• Roanoke, VA
• Little Rock, AK

Market Street without Vendors

Infrastructure Upgrades
Leveraging Strategic Assets
 Leveraging Strategic Assets
• New 9th Street Station
• New UNCC Charlotte Uptown Campus
• New First Ward Park
• Potential Boutique Hotel
• Potential Commercial Uses
• Potential Residential Uses

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 New 9th Street Station
Economic Concerns
• Increases accessibility to Market Street
• Precedent studies show entertainment, local-serving retail, and food services
retail tend to locate near light rail stations

Proposed 9th Street Station

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 New UNC Charlotte Uptown
Campus
Economic Concerns
• Spur economic
development through
research and infrastructure
development
• Attract new and retain
students to an area
• Enhance perception of an
area

UNC Charlotte Building - evening veiw – First Ward

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 New First Ward Park

First Ward Park Plan

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 Potential Boutique Hotel
Concept
• Generally less than 200 rooms
• Stylish and distinctive design
• Void of national chain limitations

Applications to First Ward

Ace Hotel – Portland, Oregon
• Attract adventurous crowd
• Compliment craft vendors in the
farmers market and local retail

21C – Louisville, Kentucky

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 Potential Commercial Uses
1. Local and Tourist Retail
• Leverage downtown location
with public transit, cultural
park, and educational
amenities
2. Market Street
• Temporary vendors
encourage entrepreneurship
and small proprietor
businesses
3. Commercial Uses
• Creative industries sector
Small Business Retail

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 Potential Residential Uses
First Ward Family-
Oriented Amenities
located in yellow

Potential to offer family-

oriented housing as
differentiated product in
soft real estate market

Leveraging Strategic Assets

 Potential Residential Uses
Economic Concerns
• Close proximity to transit systems attracts childless singles, couples, and active adults
• Income levels depend upon design and price of development
• Lack of affordable family oriented housing in First Ward
• Differentiate product in a down market
• Proximity to family services centers and educational facilities

Downtown Greenville, South Carolina

Leveraging Strategic Assets

Thank You!