It's not quite that isolated. The Monarch apartment building is about a block away and it's 29 stories/323 feet. Also, site prep is underway at the nearby Seaholm site where a 22 story hotel/condo tower will be built.

By the way, the "Upstate Foodie Guide" insert in this week's Journal is top notch. It's very well done with good paper stock, excellent photos, and detailed write-ups of many of the area's best restaurants. That alone makes it worth getting a copy of this week's Journal.

The restaurant occupying the ground floor (and I assume mezzanine) space will be Chima Steakhouse. They are a upper-end "Brazilian Steakhouse", I suppose somewhat similar to Brazas.

There are ten projects that I am looking forward to getting started in Augusta in 2008.

They are:

1. Watermark project
2. TEE Center
3. Sibley Mill conversion
4. Downtown Baseball Stadium
5. Marshall Square (the new downtown Evans)
6. Evans Town Park
7. Village of Riverwatch
8. New downtown Library
9. New Justice Center
10. Mullins Crossing Phase 2

I think if these projects have the capacity to really transform Augusta.

My question: By the end of 2008 how many of these projects will have visible evidence of construction started (much less finished) ?

I don't remember when I 1st came across this oddly named fast food joint but it was within the last 8 months. I wondered if they were affilliated with Quaker State motor oil since their colors and logo are similar, still not sure. The term, "steak and lube" sounds really offputting, but apparently they have killer wings.

The reason that I'm posting this is that it looks like we're getting a franchise here in Greenville. Besides looking @ the TBA's in the Journal each week I like to look at who's applied for liquor licenses. Last week I noticed that QS&L did exactly that. Has anyone ever been to one, and if so, good or bad? Anyway, here's a link to their website:

http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/


after posting this, I just looked in this weeks legal notices and it's there as well. I guess the restaurant will be located @ 10 Chrome Drive in Greenville. I have no idea where that is.

You know all those buildings that we tore down that we wished we still had? Well, this is one of them, and it is still standing and just needs some amigos to put up the bricks again with some new mortar. Give me a break.

Back in summer of 2006 when I was formulating my tour business, I met with Phil Hughes to learn more about Riverplace. At the start of our meeting, he showed me a few conceptual sketches from a meeting that he just got out of with a client and said that it was ideas for phase 3 with a client who might possibly build the tallest skyscraper in the city. He wouldn't say who it was, but I've always remembered that there was serious talk in his meeting about building Greenville's largest there in phase 3. I've been anxiously waiting to see if it comes through. Hopefully it will be Fluor and it will be large.

As far as The Dickson, that ain't happening. Collins Haynes has divested his interest in the Mr. Tux property, and we hear the building is simply going to be renovated, probably with a spa tenant.

At Metro District, 15 of the 30 condos have either sold or are under contract since the first of the year. Seven are being occupied in a "lease-to-own" plan, where if the tenant decides to buy, their rent payments will be applied to the purchase price. So that's 22 of 30 with people in them. That's a lot better than the Legacy.

With Flake & Kelley marketing the Legacy, we might finally see something happen there. They have credibility, something Barber does not, and they are well connected in the affluent LR and Hot Springs circles, which means they'll be having open houses that aren't glorified keggers. Even though the building has liens and is in foreclosure, the receiver can grant clear title to anyone who wishes to buy a unit.

At the Lofts, around half the deposits are from out-of-staters and the rest are local. Judging by the number of small aircraft at Drake Field on any given Saturday, they are banking on a lot of those types as the demographic who'd buy a $400,000 condo on Dickson Street. Hopefully they are right.

John Nock came by and visited with me and toured some of my projects a couple weeks ago and he assured me the Ren would be built and that the delay, while a pain now for everyone, will be a distant memory some day when this tower is up and operational. I tend to believe him that it will happen still....

M

Another student housing project is being proposed next to this one. Summit, a 16 acre, 294 unit development atop the hill between Hill Place and Razorback Road is in the early stages of the city planning process. It is being developed by the owner of the Hill Place site, although Hill Place is being developed by Place Properties. According to this article the two will have over 1,000 bedrooms in over 500 housing units- quite a large impact for south Fayetteville.

Increased off campus student housing is needed if the university's plan to add thousands of more students is to be realized. This area is just south of campus and so is a logical area to add student housing. If it is added according to city ordinances and hopefully some type of conditional use requirement concerning the long term management of the complexes it should be a positive addition to the city.

NWA Times article

That Cracker Barrel isn't really in the Grovetown city limits, but it does have a Grovetown address as that's the city its closest to. And it would take about 10 to 15 minutes to get to the other location depending on traffic. I'm not a huge fan of Cracker Barrel but I like their biscuits and pancakes.

Very nice project. Not the sexiest lady in the bar, but still has a lot going for it. Austin is just completely being rebuilt it seems.

at least this time around things are getting built. the dot com bubble actually stopped construction on everything. Austin has come a long way. as a city it is likely better off, but I am sure many residents prefer the good old days when it was an exceptinally nice small city.

The price of premium here in South Beach has already hit $4.23/gallon so I wouldn't be surprised to see $5 by the end of the year.

The former RJ Gators is some kind of "club" at night so it looks abandoned most of the day.

John Nock came by and visited with me and toured some of my projects a couple weeks ago and he assured me the Ren would be built and that the delay, while a pain now for everyone, will be a distant memory some day when this tower is up and operational. I tend to believe him that it will happen still....

M

What are you talking about? They put up a sign. Thats it. Nothing but over grown weeds and trash on the lot right now.

I heard that it will have a large, well-known bookstore. As in, it will at least be well-known regionally, if not nationally. Keeping my fingers crossed for a multi-level store.

I work for the ad agency that is designing the Park Avenue web page. Back in the beginning of this thread, you guys made some awesome comments (Is it Christmas???, "Strodes involvement is the best case scenerio" and things like that.) What I would love is permission and names and put those quotes on their web page. It is launching in a few weeks, and you guys may not realize it, but your enthusiasm would really help us sell this development to potential retailers. If you guys are serious about the potential for Midtowne (which, I think you are), having a few key quotes from locals would clench the sale.
I have some quotes in particular that I think are great, I would just need names, and if anyone would like to volunteer any other helpful quotes, that would be great too!

Officials also expect to announce next week the finalization of a deal for a 300-room, 25-story Westin Hotel. It will be attached to a $50 million convention center and a parking deck.

The Westin project, at a cost of nearly $200 million, will be one of the most heavily subsidized projects downtown. The city will build the convention center, which will be paid for with meals and hotels taxes. It will also provide LTD Management, the hotel’s majority developer, with a $7.5 million “performance grant.”

That stained glass flower pattern that's in the logo and some of the windows of the shopping center doesn't appeal to me much either. It's kind of original, I never remember seeing something like that before but it just doesn't seem to fit as well as the developers thought it would.

Strong sources involved in the project sate there are NO plans to stop the project. Instead, The developers have their hands full doing the Underwood condos project, the Metro, Bank of America bldg among others. Also, the city has received every payment required for liquidated dameges in the contract. Crane or no crane is not the question. Timing is.

TBA in this week's Journal said that we should hear something about this project within 30 days. I'm still waiting to hear about the Gateway Project, myself...is that 30 days up yet?

...not all of us get the stupid, political welfare check written on borrowed funds.

I can think of a couple people up here with deep enough pockets and good enough credit to make something happen there. Of course, four years ago you would have said the same thing about the guys involved with Renaissance.

It is just sort of hard to understand the inability to get financing when Brandon Barber can still get a $17M loan from Enterprise Bank in Mo. for the Bellafont in spite of all his problems and the "credit crisis" we keep hearing about.

People who blame the homeless for keeping other people away from anywhere are just using the homeless as a scapegoat.

Anyone else thinking about phase three of RiverPlace?

With the addition of such a company, downtown would become a prime candidate for a new large-scale mixed-use/residential development as well. I could see RiverPlace expanding well beyond its current conceptual plans.

I work for the ad agency that is designing the Park Avenue web page. Back in the beginning of this thread, you guys made some awesome comments (Is it Christmas???, "Strodes involvement is the best case scenerio" and things like that.) What I would love is permission and names and put those quotes on their web page. It is launching in a few weeks, and you guys may not realize it, but your enthusiasm would really help us sell this development to potential retailers. If you guys are serious about the potential for Midtowne (which, I think you are), having a few key quotes from locals would clench the sale.
I have some quotes in particular that I think are great, I would just need names, and if anyone would like to volunteer any other helpful quotes, that would be great too!

My dream for Main Street is that it become home to trendy, eclectic, gourmet restaurants--including ethnic and international cuisine. Not chains, not beer and wings, and not college or even family-oriented. Funky, artsy, bohemian . . these are some words that come to mind (and there are plenty of others that would flock to such in this "most liberal" city in the state). Downtown Greenville has tons of new exciting restaurants such as these (and we all know Charleston has had for years.) We can too, hopefully. It has to be something that the Vista and 5 Points don't offer --- sophistication. (I am stunned that there are NO Thai restaurants anywhere downtown, for instance.) Places like Hush, Rust, Goatfeathers, Bird on a Wire and the like are examples of what would be ideal on Main Street, IMO (with unique concepts of their own, of course). Locally-owned with delicious food and fabulous ambience. Martini and Cosmo bars . . tiki huts . . cigar or hookah lounges . . Cuban, Vietnamese, and churrascaria restaurants . . bring 'em on!

Such as?

how about that lovely, small stage on floor 2 of the cityarts factory? any opinion as to why it's not used as much as it could be?

<br /><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2008/05/12/story1.html?b=1210564800^1632033&page=1" target="_blank">Memphis Business Journal</a><br /><br />New developments in One Beale. Down to 1 tower. It will be taller, but no word on how much taller. Hopefully, we'll hear more soon.<br />

There's a slew of great Norfolk pictures on the Skyscraper City site.

I am so extremely disappointed in this project. I was really looking forward to those midrise towers. They were awesome and would have looked amazing in that location. Oh well, I guess the rental demand doesn't really constitute that type of development right now. I feel so let down.

It is a shame that "you clogged it, you fix it" doesn't apply to Johnston County. Instead, the rest of the state pays for their mistakes, and they plow ahead with making the same mistakes over again (more more more!) It is a good deal for them to not have to raise impact fees or real estate transfer fees when everyone else foots the bill for their 22 new bridges and 10 miles of four land highway. US 70 was already built to freeway standards from west of Smithfield/Selma to east of 95. There isn't much industry that way, so the roads built with tax dollars are not to attract jobs but to make Johnston County homes and strip malls more atrractive.

Signs for the new bypass are already up and covered on 40. The "business" designation over the current US 70 to Clayton from I-40, with a temporary blank green piece covering it. The sad thing is this project drew money from the DOT area that also incudes Wake County. I-40 from the Wade Ave split to 1/64 had to stay at two lanes each way while Fred Smith, umm I mean Clayton, got a bypass for the uncontrolled growth (Super Wal Mart, other shopping centers) on their old bypass. All the while sucking life out of the original downtown (slowly improving due to arts while the swelling population barely notices) built on the train tracks that are still maintained.

I-40 will still be two lanes each way down there (for now), so the congestion will be somewhat relieved and shifted.

Wonder what will finally happen to the Krispy Kreme building next door?? That property ain't cheap!