Why hasn't the Mountain Island Lake area picked up
Originally Posted by taben
Why has that area, in the ever growing Charlotte, not picked up?
I don't think the recession is the only reason. The growth stopped long ago. No YMCA, Starbucks, Home Depot, Movie Theater, etc. Nothing.
Why did the area stop growing and won't grow? My take is this:
First, two words, "West Charlotte". These two words together strike fear in the White folk of Charlotte. When people hear Hwy 16 they think West Charlotte. (I agree that MI lake has nothing to do with this, but perception is 99% of this)
The USAirlines hub in Charlotte. When Piedmont Airlines opened the hub in 1982, it immediately killed a number of nice neighborhoods in the western area due to the noise from planes taking off. A number of lawsuits were filed that took years to resolve and ended in the city buying up some neighborhoods and tearing down houses. It cast a pall over the entire area that kept developers away.
Bias towards SE Charlotte and Lake Norman.
Long term Charlotte residents always considered the area around the river and the border with Gaston county to be where the lowlife and riffraff hung out. It was also the location of several 60's era motorcycle gangs like the Outlaws and Hell Angels. There was also a bias against Gaston county. This is why development headed into York, Union & Cabarrus instead.
Crescent properties did open a number of communities oriented towards living on MI lake. But there isn't enough critical mass to make a huge difference. Much of MI lake is protected and it's a very small lake.