Drive down West Rosemary Street and you will now see a huge pile of rubble where several buildings used to be. Tom Tucker's "Rosemary Village" development is finally underway. I'm both scared and excited.
To me, this represents a new era for Chapel Hill, especially downtown. Tucker's development will be compact but dense, and truly mixed-use. Street-level retail with upscale condos (and a few token affordable rentals) on top. The plan has some flaws, but that's no surpise since we've only done one or two things like this before (ie: The Fountains). It's decidely urban, and I like that.
If it's done wrong, this could be a huge drag to Northside. If done right, it could jumpstart healthy revitalization of West Rosemary Street. I like Tom Tucker, and I trust that he wants to help the community (as long as he still makes money). Still, it's so tall!
Issues:
Comments
I think the Tommy Tucker
I think the Tommy Tucker development is a great idea as long as it does not negatively impact the Northside area. I think the larger issue regarding economic development is can Orange County increase its commercial tax revenue? Do we have a strategy as we do for open space and parks to improve that tax revenue stream? If we do what is it? If we do not, why not? Joal
I think that , instead of
I think that , instead of experimenting with ways to lure commercial development that could mean compromising our social & environmental policies, we should go where the tax money already is. That would be in the obscenely bloated military budget and other corporate welfare budget items.
The N.C. Association of County Commissioners should decide to send an aggressive lobbyist from each county to D.C. for 6 months. That would be a hundred lobbyists demanding that the money be brought home where it belongsto serve human needs. Maybe other states would follow suit.
Mark
Good point Joal. But is
Good point Joal.
But is should be noted that Tucker's development on Rosemary is designed to avoid the "bedroom" community phenomenon that you reference that plagues are experience with S.Village and Mmount.
Since the development is located within the Town Center, has very limited parking, and includes a mix of retail...it is hoped that this development will enhance W.Rosemary and help lead a renaissance in that "bridge" area between Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
With Tucker's new development underway, maybe we'll soon see something start on Rosemary between Merrit Mill and Graham.
Isn't this development going
Isn't this development going to have a significant impact on the Hargraves area community? Seems like the small, affordable homes in that area might not benefit from this development ... increased tax values, additional traffic, changed neighborhood character, etc.
Also, are there plans to widen/improve Rosemary going toward Carrboro in order to handle the additional traffic load? I must have been sleeping when this development was proposed.
Terri
The bigger issue about the
The bigger issue about the economy of Orange County is it sustaining the people who live here or are we destined in the next ten years to be an even more expensive bedroom community for Durham, RTP, and the rest of the Triangle? Joal