1267 replies to this topic

[queensguy06]

If he does decide to build in Charlotte I highly doubt it will be Trump International - I mean look at the cities that have those towers: NY, Chicago, Toronto, and New Orleans.  Charlotte really isn't anywhere near the status of any of those cities.  I would imagine Boston, Miami, Dallas, San Diego, Seattle, etc. would all be considered before Charlotte.

[rockhilljames]

I think if he studies the market (and by "he" I mean his development team) that we'll end up with a mixed-use tower featuring an office, hotel, and residential component. If they are really looking at a 1000' footer, it's the only thing to me that makes sense.

[AuLukey]

Just imagine if say this is built, even on a pessimistic scale of say 700', imagine the view at Panthers games once the Vue, WB, and this are built.  From the skyline angles of the stadium, it would seem that uptown surrounds the stadium.  I know he's looking at the "tallest," but just for the sake of our skyline I hope he isn't putting the tallest there.  This is in a spot that little could be built around it.  277, the observer, the AACC, the Westin complex, and the convention center all border this plot.  If this is built as the tallest, the only way it would look right is if the skyline made the leap over 277 toward the Arlington.

[Charlotteman]

Seattle is going to allow high rise condo towers outside the CBD now. The only catch is that city will levy a hefty land use fee for developers to pay before they break ground.  (Of course the buyers of the units ultimately pay it)

Also FYI the land costs in downtown Seattle are so astronomical that it is questionable if a Trump project would be financially feasible.

If Trump were to build in Seattle, he would face roadblock after roadblock, delay after delay, expenses going up by the minute....I highly doubt he would think it worth the effort to build in Seattle.

[schmopperX]

Bled_man, on Feb 22 2007, 08:18 AM, said:

How can you be so confident that everything said in this thread is not true?  I don't know if Trump will build here or not, but I know for a FACT that he was looking at proposals for the tallest building in Charlotte.  Whether or not it happens is another story.  If you know anything else, please share it.

Ok so I’m an extreme pessimist, but it just seems that UPers get excited every time someone comes on and says, “I have a good source & I heard...
Look, I love, love Charlotte, I'm a native and I'm an Engineer that's worked in this city for years & I've heard many schemes come and go & if I take my
selfish feelings out of this and look at it with common sense, I'd say, no way. It just seems like Charlotte would be far down the list and development announcements are a dime a dozen in this city, if it's not coming out of the ground then I tend to be a skeptic. Please take no offense, I'm just very reserved, rumors abound on UP.

[Charlotte_native]

aussie luke, on Feb 22 2007, 05:29 PM, said:

the only way it would look right is if the skyline made the leap over 277 toward the Arlington.

They will and are!  

[cooperdawg]

schmopperX, on Feb 22 2007, 08:58 PM, said:

Ok so I’m an extreme pessimist, but it just seems that UPers get excited every time someone comes on and says, “I have a good source & I heard...
Look, I love, love Charlotte, I'm a native and I'm an Engineer that's worked in this city for years & I've heard many schemes come and go & if I take my
selfish feelings out of this and look at it with common sense, I'd say, no way. It just seems like Charlotte would be far down the list and development announcements are a dime a dozen in this city, if it's not coming out of the ground then I tend to be a skeptic. Please take no offense, I'm just very reserved, rumors abound on UP.

Schmopper, I agree with you totally, working in development always makes you a skeptic untilthe shovel hits the dirt.  What type of engineer are you by the way?  Civil, mechanical, structural, something else?

[schmopperX]

cooperdawg, on Feb 23 2007, 02:02 PM, said:

Schmopper, I agree with you totally, working in development always makes you a skeptic untilthe shovel hits the dirt.  What type of engineer are you by the way?  Civil, mechanical, structural, something else?

Electrical Engineer.

It's not that I wouldn't want a development to happen, actually just the opposite. It's just that things get wildly out of hand here on UP. People tend to get brave in these posts and spout off.
I would love for Charlotte to have a new tallest, especially, as implied over on the land where the Cabaret sits and the hotel.
But the odds that The Donald would build something of that scope here is kind of absurd to me. The Wachovia project & the proposed 300 S. Tryon and the new BofA tower are way more than enough in the way of office space. We have 3 times as many residential high rises announced as will ever get built. It would be nice to have another hotel, but even in a mixed use with all three, a 1000' tower doesn't really seem plausible does it?

[monsoon]

Those towers would be fine in Charlotte as long as there isn't a big TRUMP sign on it like some of his other endeavors and if the base is designed well.

[Batou]

If it is going to be the new tallest I hope it has a unique top of it because like what has been said it will be the new crown.

[monsoon]

There should also be an observation deck.   Maybe he will add this feature that is sorely missing from Charlotte's towers.

[krazeeboi]

This must be something in the early speculative stages. Otherwise, with all of the condo projects planned and under construction for Uptown, I'm not sure if this would be feasible at present.

[Charlotte_native]

monsoon, on Feb 23 2007, 07:51 PM, said:

Those towers would be fine in Charlotte as long as there isn't a big TRUMP sign on it like some of his other endeavors and if the base is designed well.

Exactly!  Couldn't have expressed my thoughts any better.

monsoon, on Feb 24 2007, 05:29 AM, said:

There should also be an observation deck.   Maybe he will add this feature that is sorely missing from Charlotte's towers.

That would be fantastic.  I was up on the 60th floor of BofA last night, never been up there, and was amazed at the view.  We made it for the sunset, phenominal.

Edited by Charlotte_native, 24 February 2007 - 08:13 AM.

[cltheel.sdl]

Charlotte_native, on Feb 24 2007, 09:13 AM, said:

Exactly!  Couldn't have expressed my thoughts any better.
That would be fantastic.  I was up on the 60th floor of BofA last night, never been up there, and was amazed at the view.  We made it for the sunset, phenominal.

How did you get up there?

Well, I personally feel that this tower may have some truth to it because so many of our truly reliable sources are backing its truth.  An observation deck will definitely be cool, maybe with a spinning restaurant like the one in the Space Needle.

[Charlotte_native]

cltheel.sdl, on Feb 24 2007, 11:23 AM, said:

How did you get up there?

An observation deck will definitely be cool, maybe with a spinning restaurant like the one in the Space Needle.

We were at an HRC event that was at BofA last night.  Funny part up there, you can look down into the top of the Wachovia jukebox.  I don't work for a bank so its fun to see the little things that might be part of the power contest.

Have you been in the revolving restaurant on top of the needle in Toronto?  It is unbelievable.  The views up there are bizarre, you are looking down onto the roofs of 50 and 60 story buildings and are twice as high -- pretty scary actually but I loved it.

[roningreensboro]

IMO I feel that whatever Trump does, mix use or strictly office, that the building be in Art Decco form.  That is the one tower that Charlotte is missing.  Every tall building is an International style or New Age.  Charlotte needs something that reflects something of the past but at the same time very modern.  IMO Art Decco towers are very beautiful and eye appealing.

[A2]

aussie luke, on Feb 21 2007, 12:22 PM, said:

While I would LOVE for this rumor to be true, I can't see him building here right now.  Is the market really here for an enormous spec tower?

Yes. Charlotte has the LOWEST vacancy of Class A Office space in the US. It is actually somewhat unhealthy to not have 8-10% of readily available space at any given point in time. This prevents large firms from relocating or expanding in a desirable market. This can also lead to suburban office parks that continue to sprawl out further and further from the Center of the city (ie Ballantyne). Any additional space IMO would be viewed as a great thing.

A2

[A2]

queensguy06, on Feb 22 2007, 05:03 PM, said:

If he does decide to build in Charlotte I highly doubt it will be Trump International - I mean look at the cities that have those towers: NY, Chicago, Toronto, and New Orleans.  Charlotte really isn't anywhere near the status of any of those cities.  I would imagine Boston, Miami, Dallas, San Diego, Seattle, etc. would all be considered before Charlotte.

I have to disagree. Charlotte is a MAJOR growth market and considering its powerful ties to Banking and Finance it is all the more reason to build. Charlotte is a MAJOR hub of Fortune 500 firms, as well as the Nation's 6th largest Distribution center. This all comes with great weather (4 mild seasons) and an office and condo market that are not suffering like the above listed cities you mentioned.

Status means nothing, making money does. If I were a Big developer I am skipping by cities like San Diego and Miami which are overbuilt and overpriced and instead focusing on markets on the upswing to make larger profits. Charlotte is a lot more of a player than I think many like to recognize. Sure it is no Chicago, NYC, or Toronto, but it can hold its own to many cities around the country.

A2

Edited by A2, 24 February 2007 - 02:19 PM.

[cltheel.sdl]

Charlotte_native, on Feb 24 2007, 02:53 PM, said:

We were at an HRC event that was at BofA last night.  Funny part up there, you can look down into the top of the Wachovia jukebox.  I don't work for a bank so its fun to see the little things that might be part of the power contest.

Have you been in the revolving restaurant on top of the needle in Toronto?  It is unbelievable.  The views up there are bizarre, you are looking down onto the roofs of 50 and 60 story buildings and are twice as high -- pretty scary actually but I loved it.

That's cool.  Yeah, I've been to the CN Tower, but didn't eat at the restaurant.  Is the restaurant in the even higher portion or in the main portion with the main observation deck?

[krazeeboi]

A2, on Feb 24 2007, 02:59 PM, said:

Yes. Charlotte has the LOWEST vacancy of Class A Office space in the US. It is actually somewhat unhealthy to not have 8-10% of readily available space at any given point in time. This prevents large firms from relocating or expanding in a desirable market. This can also lead to suburban office parks that continue to sprawl out further and further from the Center of the city (ie Ballantyne). Any additional space IMO would be viewed as a great thing.

A2

I was under the impression that we were talking about a residential tower here?