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Empire's Heilig-Levine/Odd Fellows/Highland Bldg


jlblaes

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Hell yes! Jones, I think I mentioned that same awful metal facade to you in Durham. Man that thing is terrible! Looks like an old Marine Corp barracks or something :lol: . And the Ladies Shop could use some sprucing up as well. I'm guessing since those are more recent purchases, Empire will get to them after the H-L block is done.
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Yeah, the Hargett corridor is the entrance to Cherokee's space. There was a small/temporary sign on the window a couple of weeks ago. I think the "Empire welcomes Cherokee" sign on the Wilmington face was confusing.

The Brass Grill metal is as bad, if not worse, than what was above McCrory's/Dollar Zone. It seemed like once that metal came off, they didn't do much more than some window cleaning and facade painting. I think they want to get through the old Raleigh Furniture/various clubs building (next to Roly Poly) before fencing off the Brass Grill/Ladies Shop area, but that is pure speculation on my part. The back side of Wachovia and One Exchange doesn't do any favors for Wilmington's appearance at night.

Using the Heilig/Levine windows for art would not be in the way of Nemondade work behind it. There was an art installation in the Ladies Shop a couple of months ago, but it only lasted a few days. Maybe the the Fish Market, the NCSU student gallery can move above ground into the Ladies shop?

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  • 4 weeks later...

"... Hatem has signed up the Capital Barber Shop as a tenant. The barber shop was in the building before its renovation since 1927."

I think he is charging them the same rent as when they were last in there, which is awesome. I watched the video and he mentioned along with the barber shop, they will have a bar in the Odd Fellows (mid blk Hargett) Bldg and a restaurant in the first floor of the Furniture Bldg (eastern side).

Hatem has done so much for Raleigh, I think it's not an exageration to say that he's developing a local legacy for himself. People might look back in 50 years and say that Hatem was the guy who championed preservation in Raleigh.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Unless it's in a different part of the "complex," I think the rumor of Neomonde leasing space at the corner space in Heilig-Levine is proving false... there's a sign that says "available, call Empire Properties..." I can't recall who posted it or where (in the retail thread?), but I hope I'm wrong.

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Morning Times really doesn't take up that much space either -- just the counter/display case/register -- and could move there.

But if something new wants the visibity of that corner, let them have it. An ice cream store (Ben and Jerry's?) could fit in there easily as well. I do think locopops would fit in well at that location, with Dos Taquitos opening in the next year on Wilmington to the north. Or over on the next eastern block of Hargett to get closer to Moore Square and Exploris.

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  • 2 months later...

A couple of thoughts on this one:

1. Is it just me or does it look like the exterior of the windows have not been painted. The buildings look great with the exception of the windows.

2. I was watching PBS the other night and they were doing a story on Ed Mitchell of Wilson and his contributions to bbq. It said that he was opening a restaurant in Downtown Raleigh that would open by Christmas. Then they interviewed his partner, and low and behold it was Greg Hatem. He said they are preparing the space and they have contracted with a local farmer to raise free range, heritage breed pigs exclusively for the restaurant. They both spoke about returning bbq to the way it was 100 years ago...

I would bet that this is what is going into that space. I walked by there a couple of nights ago and it said that the space was leased.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was walking around last night and noticed they painted the side along Hargett from Wilmington to the bus station. It looks pretty good, though I only got a camera phone picture of it. I always see the best pictures when I *don't* have my camera!

A one chair barber shop appears to have been moved back in on the block, with a beauty salon upstairs.

The "available" signs all have "leased" stickers, but there are no signs as to what the new tenants will be.

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A couple of updates:

First, Cherokee's space in Heilig Levine is NC's first project to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Thumbs up to Empire & Cherokee for what they have done and will do for preserving and constructing urban buildings in DTR. :thumbsup:

I can also report that interior work is underway on the retail space on the Hargett/Wilmington corner (rumored to be Neomonde).

Also, a photo of the updates on the facade:

2785823220098570895S600x600Q85.jpg

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A couple of thoughts on this one:

1. Is it just me or does it look like the exterior of the windows have not been painted. The buildings look great with the exception of the windows.

2. I was watching PBS the other night and they were doing a story on Ed Mitchell of Wilson and his contributions to bbq. It said that he was opening a restaurant in Downtown Raleigh that would open by Christmas. Then they interviewed his partner, and low and behold it was Greg Hatem. He said they are preparing the space and they have contracted with a local farmer to raise free range, heritage breed pigs exclusively for the restaurant. They both spoke about returning bbq to the way it was 100 years ago...

I would bet that this is what is going into that space. I walked by there a couple of nights ago and it said that the space was leased.

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This ads a LOT of charm to downtown - too bad we don't have more of that.

A couple of updates:

First, Cherokee's space in Heilig Levine is NC's first project to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Thumbs up to Empire & Cherokee for what they have done and will do for preserving and constructing urban buildings in DTR. :thumbsup:

I can also report that interior work is underway on the retail space on the Hargett/Wilmington corner (rumored to be Neomonde).

Also, a photo of the updates on the facade:

2785823220098570895S600x600Q85.jpg

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  • 5 weeks later...

Empire's website page for the Heilig-Levine complex has some very beige pictures of the facade before the repainting.

It also has a small writeup of the history of the Odd Fellows building, how African-Americans had a separate lodge from the "caucasian" one further down on West Hargett, similar segregation to the city's masonic temples. The restored barber shop was one of the cornerstones of Hargett Street's history.

I have heard the Neomonade rumors still persisting, though it will probably be more upscale than Neomonade's current location off Hillsborough behind the Waffle House. Other rumored tenants include a bar that opens to the hidden courtyard between the buildings and the parking deck, and maybe another restaurant/bar in the ground floor of the Raleigh Furniture building. They have dug a lot of dirt to the west side of that building, so the basement may have windows and/or a seperate entrance eventually?

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  • 7 months later...

I just posted this here because my question is near here....on a google map of this section of hargett street, the building with Two T's has a huge arrow on the roof pointing south. Anyone have any idea whats up with that?

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No idea... the grassy area to the south is visible but fenced off from the Wilmington Street/CAT transfer station pedestrian connector.

Also, Two Ts was "Yancey's Juke Joint" for a year or so either during or after his Durham club/restaurant near Brightleaf was in business, then returned to the Two Ts name after a short closure. The upstairs club in that building was (is?) run by the son of a member of the backup band for the artist formerly known as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince". Maybe they had something to do with it? A rooftop bar somewhere over there would be neat, a step up from the patio bars at Slim's and Landmark Tavern.

Alter EGO, a salon on the second floor of the Raleigh Furniture building is now open. It and Adam Cave Fine Art, also in the Empire cluster, are mentioned in this WRAL story on non-street level downtown retail. Vintage Habits on Wilmington also falls in that category.

edit - added website links

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