A developer is seeking to build an office building and a Walgreens with a drive-thru at Morehead Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
Here's a detailed proposal for the site plan from developer Lincoln Harris, originally posted by WSOC-TV. It shows building sketches and a layout for the proposed site, which would cover a significant portion of the street from Morehead down Kenilworth, across from Ascension Lutheran Church and Carolinas Medical Center.
Some neighbors are concerned with the project. From the Dilworth Community Development Association: "They plan to tear down the existing homes and build a Walgreens drug store with a drive-thru and a small office building. Major concerns include: 1) the use of the site as a pharmacy, 2) the precedent of having a drive-thru window on Morehead St., and 3) the traffic impact if left-hand turns are allowed in and out of the site."
The buildings torn down would include the Tudor-style apartment building on the corner, the adjacent white house, and three adjoining houses on Kenilworth. Those properties are all owned by Edward Springs and his company, Edward H. Springs Interiors, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
Springs was not available to talk about the proposed development plan this week, according to his office.
Lincoln Harris vice president Alex Kelly said the developer is meeting with community members to address their concerns. "We're working with the neighborhood," he said. "We're going to whatever extent it takes" to discuss and try to resolve issues, he said, but said he couldn't discuss the project's details.
The proposed drug store and drive-thru would be 14,540 square feet, excluding loading and servicing areas, according to the site plan. The two-story office building would be 16,000 square feet.
The 18-unit apartment building on the site was built in 1927, according to property records. The white house and Edward H. Springs Interiors office next door was built in 1940.
The rezoning request will have a public hearing in September and go before the city council in October.
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| The apartment building. Picture from Mecklenburg County property records. |
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25 comments:
I can't believe someone wants to demolish those beautiful old buildings, just to put up a generic Walgreen's and a cookie-cutter office building. Charlotte and its greedy developers have no shame at all.
As a neighbor of this property, I hope this does not go through. Fight it DCDA!
Please, no drive through in Dilworth. It will be highly fought and justifiably so.
Tear down a nice looking building in a historical neighborhood and put up a Walgreens. So classically Charlotte! You might as well block off Morehead and make it a parking lot, too. That's what it will become anyway.
Nope take that back to the planning department. That is too suburban and will definitely increase traffic and wrecks. We don't need to have 200 parking spaces on that small of a site. Also, allow people walking to access it, finally get rid of the drive-thru. Charlotte's got south park and ballantyne for that. Fix those and I'm alright with it.
Major concerns include: 1) the use of the site as a pharmacy, 2) the precedent of having a drive-thru window on Morehead St., and 3) the traffic impact if left-hand turns are allowed in and out of the site.
1) Why? There's a hospital close by and it has a pharmacy. It hasn't been a problem for you, but this pharmacy is? Could the issue be that it's out where you can see it?
2) Why? Is it going to increase traffic, crime, noise--what's the problem? Folks with a mobility impairment--or parents with several kids in the car--find drive-thrus very helpful. They generally don't seem to attract problems, so what's the real issue?
3) That one I can agree with. People making lefts will probably cause some issues. Set it up so that they can't make a left turn.
Seems to me the people in Dilworth simply don't want a drug store cluttering up the neighborhood and are grasping at any excuse to keep it out. They need to realize that if you live in an urban area, you will have to live side-by-side with commercial spaces; its the nature of the beast. You want to live in some pristine, controlled area, there are numerous planned developments in Charlotte and the surround area for you.
Why are people fighting this? It's a commercial area. Sorry to break the news to anyone.
This makes me very sad, my dad grew up in the Tudor house behind this apartment building. I have many fond memories of my grandparents house and hate to think of it being torn down for a Walgreens!
Why not tear down that ugly abandoned office building on the opposite corner and put this development there?
I'm surprised there isn't more drug stores surrounding the hospital. It's also a logical choice since its on a road that most people take to get to the hospital. Only real concern is the traffic at the intersection and people trying to get in-and-out of the location.
Freeholder - if you knew anything about Dilworth you would realize that there are already several pharmacies. In fact, there is a family owned place right in Kenilworth Commons. There is also a CVS and a Rite Aide (with a drive-thru) on South. People who actually live in Dilworth don't want to see beautiful buildings torn down for another generic building. Not to mention, there is plenty of empty office space in the area. If they want to build this mess, they should destroy the eye-sore across the street that actually comes with a parking lot. That intersection already produces a lot of traffic, adding to it will create an even larger mess.
This is horrible fight it DCDA!!! There is simply no need for a drive thru on morehead. This will cause a lot of wrecks. Finay, get rid of the sea of parking.
How many people will die there. The city will have blood on their hands if they pass it. That Is too busy for a drivethru and left turns. Especially people flying around the corner onto kenilworth. Dont like it
The issue is not having commercial development on Morehead. The issue is having blatantly SUBURBAN commercial development on Morehead, an area that should either be preserving or moving towards sustainable urbanism. If they were going to build a Walgreens in the area (and there are many better sites to do so that won't demolish beautiful still-useful buildings), then they should build it in an urban fashion, oriented to the street, NO DRIVETHRU, pedestrian-friendly.
The last thing this part of Dilworth needs is a frickin' drive thru pharmacy. We have enough people getting hit by cars in the area without having to worry about some soccer mom in a hurry, whizzing through and running someone over. Not to mention they would be demolishing a beautiful building for some cookie cutter development. Some developers in Charlotte have no shame. And it's nauseating.
Freeholder - what's wrong with people exerting their right to speak out against the development? Are you saying they have no right to voice their opinions?
It definitely doesnt pass the urban test. I don't think people are against the idea just it needs to be urban and allow pedatrians access and no drive thru and fit the neighborhood. It looks like South Park or Park Road
Why tear down a perfectly good building when there are several unoccupied and deteriorating buildings across the street!
If a drive-thru pharmacy gets approved, on what basis can a drive-thru Burger King or Taco Bell be turned down?
Terribly replacement of some of the few older buildings left in this Town. Charlotte needs to go the Charleston route and basically make it illegal to tear down anything built prior to WWII. Aren't there enough freakin' boring suburban Walgreen's in this town? i don't even live near here and still hate to see this. Fight it neighborhood!
I am surprised not to see a more densely developed plan with the drug store on the bottom level of a 5 story apartment complex above, and a second level structured parking solution. This would integrate a mix of uses better. Perhaps the corner of Morehead and Harding or Kings Drive would be a better location for a drug store. The area maintains its value not from the existing quaintness but the proximity to the CBD. Given the sluggish economy it is good to see some investment return.
Once again Lincoln Harris is involved in a horrible development plan in Dilworth. I wonder if CHS is secretly behind this one too?
Like others have said there is plenty of empty space that could be used without tearing down something with character.Especially the decrepit office building across the street.
You can't It's already owned by CHS. Their scope knows no boundaries......!
What a shame! I used to live in that apartment. The owner was alway good to us. I would hate to see if go!!!!
Really! They tore down the other side of Kenilworth's for a parking deck and lost a row of older homes, now the other side is in danger too. The DCDA should preserve the side in question and not allow this development. It will congest that corner and create more blandness in our neighborhood. Im mean there is pharmacies all around, Harris Teeter, Target, etc...
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