Information Items:
- Temporary closure of the South Corridor Multi-Use Trail
- ULI Panel on the University Research Park

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Information Items:
Temporary Closure of the South Corridor Multi-Use Trail
Resources: 
       Tina Votaw, CATS, 704.432.3013 or tvotaw@ci.charlotte.nc.us
       Ashton Watson, CDOT, 704.432.4638 or abwatson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
       Kent Main, Planning, 704.336.5721 or kmain@ci.charlotte.nc.us
       Peter Zeiler, EDO, 704.432.2989 or pzeiler@ci.charlotte.nc.us

A portion of the City's multi-use trail that parallels the LYNX Blue Line will be temporarily closed between Remount Road and Tremont Avenue to facilitate the integration of the trail into two adjacent Transit Oriented Developments. The Morgan Group (The Spectrum Project – 330 Apartments) and Hanover Company (The Ashton at South End – 310 Apartments) will upgrade the trail to include the required Charlotte Fire Department access, install pedestrian scale lighting, landscaping, and decorative fencing to connect their projects to the trail as envisioned in the City's South End Transit Station Area Plan and to provide adequate working room to complete construction activities related to both projects.

The developers' work is being coordinated to minimize the closure duration. The closure between Remount and Tremont is projected to begin in mid-October and last approximately three to five weeks. Signage will be installed to notify trail users in advance that the trail will be temporarily closed. The existing sidewalks along South Boulevard, which pedestrians utilized before the trail was available, will be the primary detour route.

City staff will continue to work with both developers and will provide information regarding the temporary closure on the City's website, through email "blasts" to the cycling community and through CCCP/Historic South End.

ULI Panel on the University Research Park
Resource:
       Brad Richardson, 704-336-3857 or brichardson@ci.charlotte.nc.us

We are working with University City Partners to host a three-day Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel next week to determine strategies to better position the University Research Park (URP) for growth in the research and technology business sectors. The URP was originally conceived as a technology research park, but today, with only a few exceptions, it functions as a general office park with large tracts of vacant or underutilized land. With the emergence of the Charlotte Research Institute at UNCC and the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, we want to ensure that the URP is well-positioned to attract new businesses in emerging science and technology fields.

To prepare for its October 2 report of its recommendations, the panel will spend next week touring the URP and the surrounding area, reviewing local demographics and data, and meeting with stakeholders (including tenants, brokers, developers, elected officials, City and County staff, and university officials). City Council is invited to attend the presentation of the ULI Panel's report on Thursday, October 2 at University City Partners' annual conference from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. at the University Hilton.