Thursday, January 29, 2015

Project Feature: Belmont Revitalization - A Century's Worth of Changes

The Belmont community was built during the turn of the century and was the setting for homes and businesses that sustained the livelihood for some of Charlotte’s first laborers.  The proximity to local textile mills and other industries of the time made the neighborhood location well-suited for many families that wanted to own their homes and be within walking distance to neighborhood stores, churches, schools, their jobs, and the streetcar.

The community thrived for many years until the mills and industries closed and jobs slowly left the area.  In May 2003, the Charlotte City Council adopted the Belmont Area Revitalization Plan.  The long-range plan for guiding the community and enhancing the quality of life for residents was developed with input from many stakeholders including Belmont residents, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department, the Charlotte Housing Authority, the Neighborhood and Business Services Department, area churches and businesses, etc. The City received a 20 million dollar HOPE VI grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2004 to redevelop and create new housing options at the Piedmont Courts location and to reinvest in the Belmont Community.

USI was retained to provide planning and design services to help implement streetscape improvements identified in the Revitalization Plan.  Working with City/County staff, the team applied the Urban Street Design Guidelines (USDG) Six-Step Process during planning and design efforts for the streetscape such that land use and transportation goals were integrated into improvement recommendations to consider the needs of various users.  The results of the overall process included a comprehensive collection of design recommendations to the corridor as a whole. 

Today, many of the strategies identified in the Belmont Revitalization Plan have been realized.  The streetscape improvements have been constructed.  The new mixed-income development Seigle Point is fully functional and providing housing at the previous Piedmont Courts location.  The Charlotte Housing Authority has constructed two smaller public housing sites in the northern portion of the corridor appropriately named McAden Park. These improvements are an example of thoughtful planning and re-investment which are able to preserve the historical value and character of neighborhood assets, and make them viable and relevant for the future. 


No comments:

Post a Comment