The Next Big Thing

[swampfox43]

Would he have moved the power substation and flooded that land to make the lake?

There is no power substation in Marshall Park to my knowledge. There is at the former Lakewood Park site though.

[Seabreeze]

yeah the same guy recently tried to get a reasonably tall hotel built near lake norman but failed

[crispin]

This thread.

Actually, the Observer feature just celebrated its first anniversary in february. they had a thing in the paper. so it started well before this thread.

[UptownGrrl]

How about a bank museum from Bank of America or Wachovia where one lucky visitor a day could go home with some cash.

Bank of America did open a museum - a really small one anyway. Its at the back of their new company store in Founder's Hall. I think they call it The Heritage Center or something like that.

[dubone]

Actually, the Observer feature just celebrated its first anniversary in february. they had a thing in the paper. so it started well before this thread.

You know what, I saw the date wrong, you're right. I thought it said this thread was started in 2004. Nevermind.

[crispin]

Bank of America did open a museum - a really small one anyway. Its at the back of their new company store in Founder's Hall. I think they call it The Heritage Center or something like that.

Yeah, the Heritage Center. It's small, but it's actually pretty cool -- a lot of unique artifacts, like a letter from Thomas Jefferson asking the Bank of the Metropolis for more time to pay his debts. I spent an hour there. It wasn't worth more time, but I was glad I went.

[28202]

For you old timers, I remember back in, let's see, maybe the early to mid-80's when one of Charlotte's more eccentric visionaries had proposed a Space Needle type structure in downtown. The Observer had a rendering that reminded me of the Olympic Stadium structure in Montreal, except taller (and without the stadium).

I can't remember this guys name. He had quite a few proposals for Charlotte. Had a long scraggly beard. Anyone remember his name? I assume he was an architect. I also remember him as being the one staunch supporter of the Performing Arts Center to be a separate stand-alone structure other than it's current incarnation with the BoA building.

proposal but I never got it.

His name is Bert Gellman(sp?) and his son Jonathan had "Jonathans" where the fox & hound is now. They had a jazz club downstairs and it was probably the best nightlife in uptown. Gelman owned the building across the street, now Transamerica and 400 N. Church(formerly doctors offices but vacated) BofA under one of its' previous alias foreclosed and put the wrecking ball to the building and developed what you see now.

Gellman, had many visionary ideas but always pursued them independently which seemed to be the primary reason for their demise. His recent development at Lake Norman(Nautilas) and the sale of his apartment building, burned out in the 1200 block of queens rd., are the only things that have made the screen with his name attached recently.

Finally, regarding Dougs' next big thing, this thread could end up being more successful, that article does not seem to be his best work. Though I give it credit for evolving, (his "notebook" piece holds more interest) and it rarely features a story that has not already been printed by the Business Journal.

It also seem to be the spot where they can get some needed ad revenue from local developers even though they turned them away initially because it was to be comercial development oriented...

[swampfox43]

His name is Bert Gellman(sp?) and his son Jonathan had "Jonathans" where the fox & hound is now.

Gellman, had many visionary ideas but always pursued them independently which seemed to be the primary reason for their demise. His recent development at Lake Norman(Nautilas)

Ahh, thank you for reminding me of this guys name. I remember always liking his inspirational ideas back in the 80's when I was studying architecture.

I remember the Nautilus plans but somehow I missed the link between the designer and the visionary I had come to respect from the 80's.

I'd like to find the original drawing he had proposed for the Charlotte "Space Needle".

[chopper]

Ahh, thank you for reminding me of this guys name. I remember always liking his inspirational ideas back in the 80's when I was studying architecture.

I remember the Nautilus plans but somehow I missed the link between the designer and the visionary I had come to respect from the 80's.

I'd like to find the original drawing he had proposed for the Charlotte "Space Needle".

Here's the link to another Bert creation: http://www.inspiretower.com/

Kind of a space needle

[DigitalSky]

wow that looks sharp and pointy.

[rjp212]

I think it's actually really ugly.

[cha]

yea, i think they could do a whole lot better, it just looks like someone stuck a needle through a flyin saucer

[dubone]

Those space need structures just seem really dated to me. If you want to see what the city looks like from up high, call up Air Star 6 and have them take a picture for you. If you want to see it from the First Ward area, it'll be easy, they always seem to be here hovering over my house freaking out my dog .

[monsoon]

Actually they are getting ready to build The New Tokyo Tower in Tokyo. When completed it will surpass the CN Tower as the tallest freestanding tower in the world. (It's the replacement for the Tokyo's version of the Effel tower called, not surprisingly, The Tokyo Tower) More here.

These towers are quite popular in cities around the world. I would say something like this would do a lot more for Charlotte than the building of yet another sports stadium downtown. yawn.

[dubone]

Yeah, but at least stadiums bring thousands on thousands of people to downtown during off-hours. Space needles are just for viewing from afar, or for going up and viewing the city from afar.

Out of curiosity, what are the typical visitor numbers for on top?

Now, one major positive of building a very tall radio tower is that (am I right in this interpretation?), is that radio transmissions will go farther. So many people beyond Greenville, Columbia, Greensboro and Fayatteville will get Charlotte radio stations and feel more connected to this city.