La Noticia - The Spanish-Language Newspaper

Let’s not save Eastland Mall-let’s transform it
Sprawled on a parcel of land big enough to hold over 45 soccer fields, it was developed in 1975. As Charlotte’s first regional mall, it was built to cater to the city’s middle-income suburban population. It was anchored by four major department stores and was popular for years, particularly because of unique attractions such as an indoor ice skating rink.
But Eastland Mall’s days are numbered. Here were some of its slow, but certain death knells: the more affluent residents kept moving out farther from the city; another mall opened up just a few miles away catering to that higher income bracket; Wal-Marts and Targets have sprung up all around it; the tenant mix changed from national names to smaller, locally-owned stores; and two of the anchors have closed, with a third one likely to do so soon.
Now the residents and businesses of and around Eastland Mall face a huge challenge. The mall is dying, no longer able to serve the now diverse, multi-cultural population of the area. The area’s growth rate has slowed down. There has been very little investment in the urban fabric of the Eastside in the way of streets, sidewalks, parks and other public spaces. And crime is perceived to be a problem at the mall and in the neighborhoods.
But urban visionaries can see the potential in the Eastland Mall property. It’s the center of the east side communities with strong community access and visibility on major corridors. While the area population has increased five percent in the last seven years, average household income has increased 24 percent in the same time frame. The surrounding neighborhoods have high homeowner ratios. A multi-cultural community has now enveloped this area and makes it ripe for a redevelopment plan that creates a more sustainable and livable community.
Recently the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible use of land, released a study about the possible options for Eastland Mall. One option would be to simply remodel and re-tenant the mall. But the Institute’s research determined that the current building is way too large for the needs of the market. It would result in a waste of a substantial amount of land.
A second option considered selective demolition and redevelopment. Working with the existing structure, this plan would keep one of the anchor stores, and detach and remodel the other buildings with retail or maybe residential uses. This plan would retain much of the current character of the Eastland site, but that is part of the problem. Eastland’s current character has outlived its usefulness. It’s time for a total transformation.
And that is the third option proposed and recommended: an entirely new site development, with a new street layout and a mix of civic, retail and residential uses, as well as green open spaces with pedestrian and bike paths. This is the most viable development scenario. It will re-energize this part of our city that has lagged behind the rest of Charlotte, but has so much potential. It can strengthen community spirit with farmers markets, antique shows, street festivals and other events. It can include sports fields and a recreation center and can even bring back the popular ice skating rink.
Like anything worthwhile, it will not be an easy dream to realize. It will require a reassembly of parcels under a common development program, something made more difficult by the current situation of multiple owners on the site. It will require a public/private partnership to address infrastructure and civic use requirements, which could have ramification on our taxes. It will call for creativity and collaboration on the part of many stakeholders.
But Eastland Mall’s future is crucial to the well-being of the entire Eastside community in the coming years. The mall site should become the heart and soul of the east side neighborhoods. A solution that offers a mix of retail, dining, recreation, leisure, residential and civic facilities will make that goal a reality.





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					No salvemos Eastland Mall, transformémoslo Desarrollado en 1975, sobre un terreno lo suficientemente grande para albergar 45 campos de fútbol, fue el primer centro comercial regional de Charlotte, construido para atender a la población de clase media suburbana de la ciudad. Sostenido por cuatro importante tiendas por departamento, fue un éxito por años, en particular por sus atracciones únicas como la pista de patinaje sobre hielo dentro del centro comercial. Pero los días de Eastland Mall están contados. Estas fueron algunas de sus campanas fúnebres: los pobladores más opulentos se siguieron mudando lejos de la ciudad; otro centro comercial abrió sólo a unas millas de distancia, atendiendo al sector de mayores ingresos; tiendas Wal-Mart y Target han surgido en sus alrededores; los inquilinos han cambiado de nombres nacionales a tiendas más pequeñas y locales; dos de las tiendas por departamento han cerrado, y una tercera con probabilidades de cerrar pronto. Ahora, los residentes y negocios de sus alrededores enfrentan un gran reto. El centro comercial está muriendo y no es capaz de seguir atendiendo a la diversa y multicultural población del área. El crecimiento de este sector ha disminuido. Han habido muy pocas inversiones en la urbananización del sector, en lo que respecta a carreteras, aceras, parques y otros espacios públicos. Y el crimen es percibido como un problema en el centro comercial y vecindarios. Pero visionarios urbanos pueden ver aún el potencial en la propiedad de Eastland Mall. Es el centro de las comunidades del lado este, donde hay un fuerte acceso a la comunidad y visibilidad a importantes avenidas. Mientras que la población del área se ha incrementado 5% en los últimos siete años, el ingreso promedio de los hogares ha aumentado un 24% en el mismo período de tiempo. Las vecindarios circundantes tienen una alta proporción de propietarios. Una comunidad multicultural ha envuelto el área, preparándola para un plan de renovación que cree un sector más sostenible y habitable. Recientemente el Urban Land Institute, una organización sin fines de lucro que promueve el uso responsable de terrenos, publicó un estudio sobre las posibles opciones para Eastland Mall. Una opción simple sería remodelar y realquilar el centro comercial. Pero la investigación determinó que el actual edificio es demasiado grande para las necesidades del mercado. Resultaría en el desperdicio de una substancial cantidad de terreno. Una segunda opción consideró la demolición selectiva y renovación. Trabajando con la estructura ya existente, este plan dejaría a una de las tiendas por departamento y separaría y renovaría los otros edificios para uso de venta al por menor o residencial. Este plan retendría mucho del carácter actual del área, lo que es parte del problema. Éste ha sobre vivido su utilidad, y es tiempo de una transformación total. Lo que lleva a la tercera y recomendada propuesta: el desarrollo de un sitio completamente nuevo, con un nuevo diseño de carreteras y una mezcla de uso cívico, de venta al detalle y residencial, así como espacios verdes descubiertos, con senderos para peatones y bicicletas. Este es el escenario de desarrollo más factible, el cual inyectará de energía esta parte de la cuidad que ha quedado atrás pero que aún tiene potencial. Este sector puede fortalecer el espíritu de la comunidad con mercados de granja, exhibición de antigüedades, festivales al aire libre, entre otros eventos. Se pueden incluir campos deportivos y centros de recreación, e incluso revivir la popular pista de patinaje sobre hielo. Como todo lo que vale la pena, no será un proyecto fácil de realizar. Requerirá un nuevo montaje de parcelas bajo un programa de desarrollo común, algo que se ha hecho más difícil por la situación actual de múltiples dueños. Requerirá una asociación pública/privada para dirigirse a requisitos de uso cívico y de infraestructura, los cuales podrían tener una ramificación en nuestros impuestos. Esta tercera propuesta, pedirá de la creatividad y colaboración de varias partes interesadas. El futuro de Eastland Mall es crucial para el bienestar de la comunidad del lado este en los años venideros. El área del centro comercial debe convertirse en el alma y corazón de los vecindarios de la zona. Una solución que ofrezca variedad de venta, cena, recreación, ocio, instalaciones residenciales y cívicas, hará de esta meta una realidad. Ir arriba Let’s not save Eastland Mall-let’s transform it Sprawled on a parcel of land big enough to hold over 45 soccer fields, it was developed in 1975. As Charlotte’s first regional mall, it was built to cater to the city’s middle-income suburban population. It was anchored by four major department stores and was popular for years, particularly because of unique attractions such as an indoor ice skating rink. But Eastland Mall’s days are numbered. Here were some of its slow, but certain death knells: the more affluent residents kept moving out farther from the city; another mall opened up just a few miles away catering to that higher income bracket; Wal-Marts and Targets have sprung up all around it; the tenant mix changed from national names to smaller, locally-owned stores; and two of the anchors have closed, with a third one likely to do so soon. Now the residents and businesses of and around Eastland Mall face a huge challenge. The mall is dying, no longer able to serve the now diverse, multi-cultural population of the area. The area’s growth rate has slowed down. There has been very little investment in the urban fabric of the Eastside in the way of streets, sidewalks, parks and other public spaces. And crime is perceived to be a problem at the mall and in the neighborhoods. But urban visionaries can see the potential in the Eastland Mall property. It’s the center of the east side communities with strong community access and visibility on major corridors. While the area population has increased five percent in the last seven years, average household income has increased 24 percent in the same time frame. The surrounding neighborhoods have high homeowner ratios. A multi-cultural community has now enveloped this area and makes it ripe for a redevelopment plan that creates a more sustainable and livable community. Recently the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible use of land, released a study about the possible options for Eastland Mall. One option would be to simply remodel and re-tenant the mall. But the Institute’s research determined that the current building is way too large for the needs of the market. It would result in a waste of a substantial amount of land. A second option considered selective demolition and redevelopment. Working with the existing structure, this plan would keep one of the anchor stores, and detach and remodel the other buildings with retail or maybe residential uses. This plan would retain much of the current character of the Eastland site, but that is part of the problem. Eastland’s current character has outlived its usefulness. It’s time for a total transformation. And that is the third option proposed and recommended: an entirely new site development, with a new street layout and a mix of civic, retail and residential uses, as well as green open spaces with pedestrian and bike paths. This is the most viable development scenario. It will re-energize this part of our city that has lagged behind the rest of Charlotte, but has so much potential. It can strengthen community spirit with farmers markets, antique shows, street festivals and other events. It can include sports fields and a recreation center and can even bring back the popular ice skating rink. Like anything worthwhile, it will not be an easy dream to realize. It will require a reassembly of parcels under a common development program, something made more difficult by the current situation of multiple owners on the site. It will require a public/private partnership to address infrastructure and civic use requirements, which could have ramification on our taxes. It will call for creativity and collaboration on the part of many stakeholders. But Eastland Mall’s future is crucial to the well-being of the entire Eastside community in the coming years. The mall site should become the heart and soul of the east side neighborhoods. A solution that offers a mix of retail, dining, recreation, leisure, residential and civic facilities will make that goal a reality.


	Edición No. 465 - 14 al 20 de marzo del 2007