Truist - New HQ (BB&T-SunTrust Merger)

[Tyrone Wiggum]

On 4/2/2019 at 3:43 PM, KJHburg said:

Combined BBTSunTrust banks contribute $30 M to affordable housing

So they contribute literally 1/10 of 1% of their annual revenues to affordable housing.  Where would we be without them?  THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR THEIR UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

/not directed at your KJH, but that's kind of deplorable.

[Niner National]

8 minutes ago, Tyrone Wiggum said:

So they contribute literally 1/10 of 1% of their annual revenues to affordable housing.  Where would we be without them?  THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR THEIR UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

/not directed at your KJH, but that's kind of deplorable.

So can we expect to see your >$30 million donation in the news soon?

[King of the Queen City]

3 hours ago, Tyrone Wiggum said:

So they contribute literally 1/10 of 1% of their annual revenues to affordable housing.  Where would we be without them?  THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR THEIR UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

/not directed at your KJH, but that's kind of deplorable.

I heard Bernie Sanders’ voice in my head as I read that, lol.  I’m not going to defend everything that big banks do, but I’m glad they are doing this. They didn’t have to give anything at all, but they did and it will be helpful. They are also moving their headquarters here without any incentives. There’s not much to complain about here.

[queensguy06]

7 hours ago, Tyrone Wiggum said:

So they contribute literally 1/10 of 1% of their annual revenues to affordable housing.  Where would we be without them?  THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR THEIR UNSPEAKABLE GIFT.

/not directed at your KJH, but that's kind of deplorable.

Using annual revenues of any business as a litmus for what a company pays out of PROFITS is incredibly misleading.  It's a great sound bite and used in media quite a bit, but not a realistic metric by any means.  Revenue is all money received by a company through transactions over a given period.  That dollar amount doesn't account for annual expenses (i.e. overhead, salaries, taxes, etc., etc.).  So if a company makes $1,000,000,000 in revenue, but their operating expenses are $999,999,999 then the company only profited $1.

I don't know what the combined profit for these companies is, but I'd imagine it is less than 25% (and probably less than 10% realistically) of total revenue.  I know it's not apple to apples, but State Farm, the largest single auto/home insurer in the country with roughly 1/5 of the market operates at a 10% profit margin, if I remember correctly.

Edited April 23, 2019 by queensguy06

[KJHburg]

On my peace mission to mend the relationship and wounded pride of Atlanta with the bank merger and HQ to Charlotte.   Hey but Atlanta has a real live Batmobile! 

60 story Sun Trust Plaza 867 feet tall in downtown and the 17 story BB&T Center at Atlantic Station.  I am betting they keep space in both buildings especially the BB&T due to its visibility along the Downtown Collector 75/85.  Today and they have some other space that they will probably give up in not as visible buildings.

 

[Rufus]

Purely speculative, but also wishful...what is the likelihood that this new entity will tear down the BB&T building and it's god-awful deck? 

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, Rufus said:

Purely speculative, but also wishful...what is the likelihood that this new entity will tear down the BB&T building and it's god-awful deck? 

they don't own it. 

[SydneyCarton]

Whenever I cross the SC border into Ga., I ALWAYS play “Georgia on my Mind”!

I like Atl., but its residents are utterly delusional about the caliber of the city.  Personally, I think that Savannah and Charleston are a lot better.

[KJHburg]

this is where Sun Trust's investment bank is based another high profile office location in Buckhead over GA 400 and MARTA station.   They do have a few very high profile office locations here while I think space may be reduced lots of this space will be kept but people may be shuffled around.    I have heard rumors of needing 700K space in Charlotte which of course is huge!  But with their investment bank being based of the merged bank here some may be offered jobs in Atlanta from Winston.  

[U_R_]

22 hours ago, KJHburg said:

As many of you know the merger between BB&T and SunTrust caused quite a bit of concern and mourning in Atlanta especially when the new HQ of the merged bank was announced to be in Charlotte. So on my trip to the ATL this week I will try to smooth things over so we can Peace with Atlanta in our lifetimes.  (read some of the earlier articles in this thread from Atlanta about the merger if you think I am kidding)

 

First decided to bring some peace offerings from the Winston Salem founded and now Charlotte based Krispy Kreme.  And we all now these beat the Atlanta based Cinnabon.  

 

Now lets talk chicken.  Atlanta home to Chick-fil-A and Charlotte home to Bojangles.  As part of my proposed peace settlement lets agree Bojangles has the better breakfast and best tailgating boxes especially for weekend football games.  But let's also agree drive through efficiency and lunch offerings are better at Chick-fil-A and their friendliness if off the charts. 

 

Coca Cola was born invented in Atlanta and Cheerwine is from our region.  But let's remember the Biggest independent bottler of Coca Cola is based here in Charlotte. .

 

Airlines:  Delta based in Atlanta once left my bag on a nonstop flight from Mexico City back in ole Mexico  . Likewise American left my bag in Los Angeles .  Lets call it even on airlines. We both have Chick-fil-A's in our airport but we have a Bojangles too! 

 

I will give Atlanta the prize for the best drive in burger joint in the country that being the Varsity.  This does beat South 21. This one spot serves more Coca Cola than any single place on earth! 

 

Hardware wars!  Home Depot is from Atlanta and Lowes is from this region.  I like Lowes better and I buy lots of appliances from them.  But lets agree Home Depot does do things better in some areas.  

 

Sports at this time we can not have any peace between those Dirty Birds the Falcons and the Panthers.  And no peace between our Hornets and their Hawks

 

Atlanta is like the big brother that sprawls ( and I mean in every direction for 40 miles across the Georgia red clay) Charlotte is like the younger brother out to prove something.  Atlanta will always be bigger but that does not mean better.   I like Atlanta but probably would not ever live there over Charlotte but for a sprawling city over 5 million it is not all bad. Just not my cup of sweet tea.   

 

I will be holding a floating peace summit on Lake Allatoona in NW Cobb later in the week. I have too many friends in the Atlanta metro to hate the City Too Busy to Hate. So lets make peace with Atlanta except for sports and when they slight us (which is often) let's remember bigger does not mean better!  

Peace Out KJ

 

1.  a few for the trip down I-85  2. 6 dozen of KK's finest  3. our local based chicken chain 

 

 

 

(I hope ya'll realize that this was not meant seriously, but I just couldn't let KJ get away with that)

As an Atlantan I agree with a few of your points, but I have a couple of statements of colourful commentary. 

To start, while I love Krispy Kreme and their doughnuts, Cinnabon certainly takes the win. Also, Krispy Kreme isn't even American owned anymore. It was bought by JAB Holdings.  I hardly doubt that Bojangles or Krispy Kreme can withstand the might of Roark Capital, Chik-fil-A, and Zaxby's. Plus, Chik-fil-A/Zaxby's>Bojangles.

The Varsity definitely does not have the best burger in the city. However, the view from the elevated eating area is phenomenal.

There not really any difference between Home Depot and Lowe's.

I think it would be a fairer fight for Delta vs. American if it was actually headquarters in Charlotte ;), but ya'll got us beat with banks so that's a draw.

I wouldn't even try comparing Coca-Cola to Cheerwine. Nice try :). 

Wait, I realized something. Atlanta has top tier universities while Charlotte has... Davidson? UNC Charlotte? Hmmmm?

(I hope ya'll realize that this was not meant seriously, but I just couldn't let KJ get away with that)

Also while in town, I would definitely advise the Botanical Gardens (another win for ATL), the Sundial Restaurant (whatever its called now... the restaurant on top of the Westin) and just walking around everywhere. I think Midtown might surprise you with how much denser it's getting + the Westside/Beltline.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Ric0_0

[GeauxCLT]

13 minutes ago, Ric0_0 said:

Wait, I realized something. Atlanta has top tier universities while Charlotte has... Davidson? UNC Charlotte? Hmmmm?

Pretty sure Davidson is ranked higher compared to its peers than anything ATL has. Just sayin. 

[U_R_]

17 minutes ago, GeauxCLT said:

Pretty sure Davidson is ranked higher compared to its peers than anything ATL has. Just sayin. 

If you consider liberal arts colleges then yes, but Atlanta has Emory and GA Tech  while also have some of the best HBCU's. I would overall still say atlanta wins by a big margin.

[CityHeart]

19 minutes ago, GeauxCLT said:

Pretty sure Davidson is ranked higher compared to its peers than anything ATL has. Just sayin. 

You do know Georgia Tech and Emory University  are located in the  ATL right ?? Maybe I misunderstood your statement. 

 

Ric0_0 beat me. 

Edited April 24, 2019 by CityHeart

[CLT>]

 

 

 

 

3

23 hours ago, KJHburg said:

 

Airlines:  Delta based in Atlanta once left my bag on a nonstop flight from Mexico City back in ole Mexico  . Likewise American left my bag in Los Angeles .  Lets call it even on airlines. We both have Chick-fil-A's in our airport but we have a Bojangles too! 

 

While I'm firmly on Team Charlotte, ATL does have a Bojangles as well, T Gates.

[DeleteMe]

 

 

 

2 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Whenever I cross the SC border into Ga., I ALWAYS play “Georgia on my Mind”!

I like Atl., but its residents are utterly delusional about the caliber of the city.  Personally, I think that Savannah and Charleston are a lot better.

Georgians, in general, are delusional.  All you have to do is go to the North Carolina mountains or the Carolina or Florida coast and count the Georgians escaping Georgia (Georgia "mountains" -- LOL.  Beaches?  ROFL) to see that Georgia, without Atlanta, was well suited to be a penal colony.   Savannah is great if you're an alcoholic or a dock worker, but Charleston is infinitely more attractive, has better food, and when it comes to the water -- rivers and ocean -- it's no contest.   Of course, Georgia does have nice swamps.

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

1 minute ago, MACyr said:

Georgians, in general, are delusional.  All you have to do is go to the North Carolina mountains or the Carolina or Florida coast and count the Georgians escaping Georgia (Georgia "mountains" -- LOL.  Beaches?  ROFL) to see that Georgia, without Atlanta, was well suited to be a penal colony.   Savannah is great if you're an alcoholic or a dock worker, but Charleston is infinitely more attractive, has better food, and when it comes to the water -- rivers and ocean -- it's no contest.   Of course, Georgia does have nice swamps.

Athens is unlike anywhere else in the Southeast.  And Georgia has the best golf course (and one of the best permanent site sporting events in the world). 

[SydneyCarton]

11 minutes ago, MACyr said:

Georgians, in general, are delusional.  All you have to do is go to the North Carolina mountains or the Carolina or Florida coast and count the Georgians escaping Georgia (Georgia "mountains" -- LOL.  Beaches?  ROFL) to see that Georgia, without Atlanta, was well suited to be a penal colony.   Savannah is great if you're an alcoholic or a dock worker, but Charleston is infinitely more attractive, has better food, and when it comes to the water -- rivers and ocean -- it's no contest.   Of course, Georgia does have nice swamps.

That's funny, but I actually like Georgia a lot, and I like Atlanta.  However, Atlanta is not what its residents think that it is.   Philly and Boston, from my perspective, are dramatically better cities.

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

9 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

That's funny, but I actually like Georgia a lot, and I like Atlanta.  However, Atlanta is not what its residents think that it is.   Philly and Boston, from my perspective, are dramatically better cities.

Maybe, but those climates would be a non starter for many. I personally think Atlanta has better restaurants than Philly, albeit more spread out. I also think Atlanta has the best and widest variety in the south (including TX & FL) besides Miami. 

[AuLukey]

I agree with just about everything, but I gasped aloud when you had the AUDACITY to say The Varsity was the best drive in burger joint in the country. I remember being reccomended to eat there many years ago. After being yelled at by the cashiers (WHATYA HAVE?) -which i let slide because the food was supposed to be amazing- I received my burger and hot dog(i was starving)- this was glorified Stadium food at best. The burger was flat and bland, and the hot dog was the same thing you could buy at a gas station.  There are a million places in Charlotte(Bad Daddy's, Pinkies, Cookout) that serve a better burger than that flat flappy little thing I received. 

Sorry I'm so passionate about this, but you struck a nerve. How dare you. 

 

Sorry to bring this back up but, THIS 1000%!!!

 

I don’t understand how anyone likes that place. I too went on the recommendation of family/friends/reputation and I just didn’t get it... at all. Went twice (I usually give places a second chance) and it was just as bad the second time.

 

I’m so glad you said this because it irks me as well.

[KJHburg]

Just to be sure everyone knows this when I write in blue it is tongue and cheek for I am not bashing Atlanta  or Georgia.   Atlanta is a great city but I prefer the size and vibrancy of Charlotte better.  

However I have clipped this from one of my earlier post to get back to the merger and since I have photographed many of the SunTrust and one big BB&T office here in Atlanta today here is roundup of their space here.  In a metro area of close to 6 million they will still be big here just not as big in space in the future.   Let's not make this a Atlanta vs Charlotte thread.  

"SunTrust will maintain a large presence in Atlanta, but it's possible the bank will consolidate much of its office space across the city."   (this was from the Atlanta Business Chronicle article.

There's a lot of it, according to market data.

About 675,000 square feet at the 303 Peachtree Street headquarters.    that is the big 60 story building downtown     
About 400,000 square feet in the tower's Garden Offices.   adjacent to the big 60 story building downtown   
Almost 200,000 square feet for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey's offices in Buckhead's Atlanta Financial Center.    this is the office in Buckhead near Lenox Square on Peachtree St
Just under 100,000 in Midtown's Campanile building.      My guess is this could be consolidated into their ATL footprint MY guess
Another 50,000 at Peachtree Center.    Dittos for this.  
By comparison, BB&T's Atlanta office footprint is a fraction of that size. It has multiple floors at its regional office in Midtown's 271 17th tower overlooking Atlantic Station. Overall across metro Atlanta, BB&T occupies just over 100,000 square feet.""     this could be reduced too but it is a highly visible tower from 75/85 connector

while here I was trying to get the secret ingredients for the Chick-fil-A sauces and recipes but no luck in cracking the safe LOL 

[DeleteMe]

I don't get the appeal of Chick-filet.  It's breaded chicken with seasoning.   Waffle fries?  Seriously?  Big deal.  

[Desert Power]

2 hours ago, Ric0_0 said:

(I hope ya'll realize that this was not meant seriously, but I just couldn't let KJ get away with that)

As an Atlantan I agree with a few of your points, but I have a couple of statements of colourful commentary. 

To start, while I love Krispy Kreme and their doughnuts, Cinnabon certainly takes the win. Also, Krispy Kreme isn't even American owned anymore. It was bought by JAB Holdings.  I hardly doubt that Bojangles or Krispy Kreme can withstand the might of Roark Capital, Chik-fil-A, and Zaxby's. Plus, Chik-fil-A/Zaxby's>Bojangles.

The Varsity definitely does not have the best burger in the city. However, the view from the elevated eating area is phenomenal.

There not really any difference between Home Depot and Lowe's.

I think it would be a fairer fight for Delta vs. American if it was actually headquarters in Charlotte ;), but ya'll got us beat with banks so that's a draw.

I wouldn't even try comparing Coca-Cola to Cheerwine. Nice try :). 

Wait, I realized something. Atlanta has top tier universities while Charlotte has... Davidson? UNC Charlotte? Hmmmm?

(I hope ya'll realize that this was not meant seriously, but I just couldn't let KJ get away with that)

Also while in town, I would definitely advise the Botanical Gardens (another win for ATL), the Sundial Restaurant (whatever its called now... the restaurant on top of the Westin) and just walking around everywhere. I think Midtown might surprise you with how much denser it's getting + the Westside/Beltline.

I think spelling y'all wrong certainly hurts your southern cred

Midtown is indeed sweet, but Uptown Charlotte crushes downtown Atlanta....

[sakami]

6 minutes ago, MACyr said:

I don't get the appeal of Chick-filet.  It's breaded chicken with seasoning.   Waffle fries?  Seriously?  Big deal.  

Get out

[lancer22]

14 minutes ago, MACyr said:

I don't get the appeal of Chick-filet.  It's breaded chicken with seasoning.   Waffle fries?  Seriously?  Big deal.  

Heresy I say!

[SydneyCarton]

42 minutes ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

Maybe, but those climates would be a non starter for many. I personally think Atlanta has better restaurants than Philly, albeit more spread out. I also think Atlanta has the best and widest variety in the south (including TX & FL) besides Miami. 

The climate, the beautiful, wooded topography, and the low cost of living all add to Atlanta’s allure, and I like it for those reasons.  It’s like a huge version of Charlotte, but I prefer the Queen.