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King's... rising from the ashes

DanRNC

By DanRNC
in Triangle Coffee House

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DanRNC Burg

DanRNC

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It looks like King's will be booted from its current location sooner than people had thought. Paul Siler, one of the owners, said they are scouting sites in DT but worry about rental rates now. This club has a ton of support, even from Meeker, so I think they should land somewhere decent. Article in is the Independent this week.

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ChiefJoJo Town

ChiefJoJo

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Stout says it would have been possible to build the parking deck and the mixed-use space without demolishing Kings. Tearing down the building now, though, will save the project $20,000. Otherwise, that money would have been used to protect the Kings property from damage during construction.

According to Kings co-owner Paul Siler, the Kings staff was certain they'd be in their current space until the convention center opened, even though they've been renting on a monthly basis from Lewis since last March. Otherwise, they would have been looking for a new space.

"It would be more satisfying if we had just gotten tired of it or weren't making enough money," says Siler. "But it's kind of annoying not to be given a choice and just told, 'OK, the building is coming down in April.'"

Siler says he hopes to find a new space within the year. He wants to stay downtown, but he's not sure the changing real estate market will allow that. Lewis says he regrets the end of Kings on South McDowell Street, nut he's excited about a bigger building on the same property.

"I'm going to build something much larger on that space's footprint," Lewis says, adding that he hopes to build a multi-level, mixed-use space not long after the convention center is open. "Those guys [at Kings] had a good seven-year run in that building. It's just time for something else."

Maybe Greg Hatem will set them up.

You know the irony is that he is part of the reason they are moving out with Empire's 209 Davie St/Wake Co project. I think that whole area down around the RCC is going to go vertical in the next few years and places like Kings and those tire stores will be history.

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dmccall Burg

dmccall

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But it's kind of annoying not to be given a choice and just told, 'OK, the building is coming down in April.'

Are we supposed to play our violins for renters who want all of the perks of progress but won't that the true risks it takes to achieve progress?

Speaking of getting other people to pay for things, what ever happened to the city's proposal to convert the 1st story of the Progress Energy garage (on Cabarrus) to a nightclub? They almost talked Charlie Goodnights into doing the deal but CG backed out. Seems like this would be a good place to entertain the idea of a Kings relocation.

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ChiefJoJo Town

ChiefJoJo

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Speaking of getting other people to pay for things, what ever happened to the city's proposal to convert the 1st story of the Progress Energy garage (on Cabarrus) to a nightclub? They almost talked Charlie Goodnights into doing the deal but CG backed out. Seems like this would be a good place to entertain the idea of a Kings relocation.

Do you mean opposite the Lincoln Theatre? Wow, I never heard that--I mean I had heard some idea of them moving but did not know where. It DEFINITELY be a better use for that first floor. It would seem like a pricey upfit though.

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ncwebguy Burg

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I though the city was trying to lure Goodnight's into the space that Fins will be moving into. The first floor of the garage on the NE corner of Wilmington and Cabarrus can be converted to a non-parking use when the city finds the right tenant fit. If Kings moved there, it would be right across the street from Lincoln Theater. I don't know if that would be a good or bad idea.

As far as Empire properties, Kings would have been a good fit in the former Barefoot Press space on West Martin. Howerver, designbox is moving there. The move does free up designbox's old space on Bloodworth behind the magnet middle school. The neighbors will probably complain, but that would be an ideal space -- close to downtown but not in an area that is under redevelopment pressure. The old icehouse next door, close to the Bloodworth/Davie intersection would be further from the houses on the north end of the block, but across the street from Carlton Place. A Pooles/Kings combination could easily fit there, and there is plenty of parking nearby at night unused by the middle school and church on East street.

I like the idea of taking over Martin Street/Raleigh Music hall's space, or the Berkley Cafe space. If they are doing as well as the Indy article indicates, they'll end up somewhere. There are a lot of empty warehouses on Maywood between South Saunders and Lake Wheeler, but that might not be considered a "downtown" location. And I think there is a live music club in one of those spaces already.

If it wasn't for the Cargill smell, the warehouses SE of the Person/Hoke intesection could be redevloped into a "gritty" urban area.

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Justin6882 Hamlet

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Speaking of getting other people to pay for things, what ever happened to the city's proposal to convert the 1st story of the Progress Energy garage (on Cabarrus) to a nightclub?

Dana, this is the first space that came to my mind as well. Especially with Site 1 coming along, Fin's opening, Palladium Plaza nearing completion, and Fayetteville Street reopening - I think this space is as good as any.

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Jones_ City

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This was something like two years ago....Charlie Goodnights simply decided it was not a god deal for them...I assume the city was paying for enough upfit and CG's probably realized their old character filled building was a better fit than any shiny, no matter how expensive the upfit, building could ever be. If Tucker Hall from the 1860's (think from The Prestige the movie) still stood where American Pita Grill does that would work great but all our new stuff does not necessarily qualify as progress if a business decides it does not meet its needs.

Our downtown missed the middle class citizen with its rebirth and Kings is another great example. How can a successful nightclub go from being a great rent payer, to being booted out and then not thinking there is even anywhere for them to go? All the highrise high end condo, $10 a drink for Skye Vodka places make it so that condos will never be 150k for livable square footage, and places like Kings cannot or will not be allowed to stay. As much as I love to downtown becoming something other than a place for suburbanites to be scared of, I am increasingly irritated by the state affairs concerning afforability for both the middle class citizen and small businesses that provide the real essence in a real city.

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ChiefJoJo Town

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Our downtown missed the middle class citizen with its rebirth and Kings is another great example. How can a successful nightclub go from being a great rent payer, to being booted out and then not thinking there is even anywhere for them to go? All the highrise high end condo, $10 a drink for Skye Vodka places make it so that condos will never be 150k for livable square footage, and places like Kings cannot or will not be allowed to stay. As much as I love to downtown becoming something other than a place for suburbanites to be scared of, I am increasingly irritated by the state affairs concerning afforability for both the middle class citizen and small businesses that provide the real essence in a real city.

You raise a point that we've debated many times here. At what cost is the city developing it's downtown? The loss of historic buildings is alway tough to deal with--it begs the question, was King's building historically significant? I'm sure it's pre-WWII. Also, it's premature to say there's a not space for them somewhere. Empire has quite a few to offer.

As far as the affordability thing--it's not different than any rising urban community is facing right now, even areas more known for historical preservation. I think we are at a point right now where the market has moved to fill the higher-end demand, but their remains a gap to be filled in the middle ($150-250 range) that will be addressed by a few upcoming projects. Also, if it's a priority for the city, then we can make it happen with incentives (density bonus for affordable housing is on the books), but we've got to put our money where our mouth is. My personal wish would be for the parking requirements to go away and Hatem to convert the old Masonic temple or the Raleigh Bldg (next to oddfellows) across F-St to condos. I could definitely take one of those. :)

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Subway Scoundrel Hamlet

Subway Scoundrel

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This does s**k. I think in a city, you have to have renters and nothing better than a sucessful music place. If you have to own the place you are in, we end up with nothing but $500K condos. I hope they land feet first. Is the nightclub near Dillon Supply on the dead end street still open? I forget the name but it was a private dance place ?

What about those Hatem places being redone between Raleigh Times and Moore Square/ Would it be too loud ?

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capitalapts Whistle-Stop

capitalapts

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This was something like two years ago....Charlie Goodnights simply decided it was not a god deal for them...I assume the city was paying for enough upfit and CG's probably realized their old character filled building was a better fit than any shiny, no matter how expensive the upfit, building could ever be. If Tucker Hall from the 1860's (think from The Prestige the movie) still stood where American Pita Grill does that would work great but all our new stuff does not necessarily qualify as progress if a business decides it does not meet its needs.

Our downtown missed the middle class citizen with its rebirth and Kings is another great example. How can a successful nightclub go from being a great rent payer, to being booted out and then not thinking there is even anywhere for them to go? All the highrise high end condo, $10 a drink for Skye Vodka places make it so that condos will never be 150k for livable square footage, and places like Kings cannot or will not be allowed to stay. As much as I love to downtown becoming something other than a place for suburbanites to be scared of, I am increasingly irritated by the state affairs concerning afforability for both the middle class citizen and small businesses that provide the real essence in a real city.

great post

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ncwebguy Burg

ncwebguy

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Raleigh is going through a "reshuffling" of what goes where, but I don't think Kings will be gone for good....

Was CBGBs right next to Madison Square Garden or the Javits Convention Center? No. Yet Kings would have been almost across the street from the new CC in Raleigh. There are plenty of other places in or near downtown Kings can move to. Hopefully it will be closer to the "core" of downtown than DC's 9:30 Club or even Disco Rodeo.

There are plenty of places downtown that don't live on $10 Skyy Vodkas -- Fayetville Street Tavern, Times Bar, Slim's, the Big Easy, Woody's City Market, etc. I don't like the number of pseudo-high end places that have sprung up downtown, but there will be a shake out of those eventually too, since there are only so many people that want $10 drinks.

As with drinks and housing, if the high end market isn't tapped out, it will be catered to. At the same time, the amount of available land downtown is more than what will sustain the high end. I hope that land won't continue to serve as parking lots until the high end market expands.

The warehouse district, especially near the CAM project, would be cool. But a lot of the ideal locations are already taken by White Collar Crime, Kulture, Ess, Mosquito, Sin City, Nana's, the Office, Five Star, Legends, CCs, etc.

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  • 2 weeks later...
reed Whistle-Stop

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It looks like King's will be booted from its current location sooner than people had thought. Paul Siler, one of the owners, said they are scouting sites in DT but worry about rental rates now. This club has a ton of support, even from Meeker, so I think they should land somewhere decent. Article in is the Independent this week.

There is one more Neu Romance party this Saturday at King's. It will continue in the warehouse out back after 2am.

Apollo Heights, Brite Boy & the Neu Romance DJs will be providing the music.

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Jones_ City

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There is one more Neu Romance party this Saturday at King's. It will continue in the warehouse out back after 2am.

Apollo Heights, Brite Boy & the Neu Romance DJs will be providing the music.

Damn i'll miss Neu Romance.....even though I havn't been in a while it was always good to know that you could prolong the weekend a bit more on Sunday night and hope the Whole Foods people brought in some food :cry:

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Jones_ City

Jones_

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It looks like the Pour House will be absorbing some of the shows from Kings that were booked for June. I heard they were close to finding another spot but have no idea where its located.

I want to know where so I can buy up all the nearby land and in ten years sell it off for high price condos and parking decks!!

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dmccall Burg

dmccall

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It looks like the Pour House will be absorbing some of the shows from Kings that were booked for June. I heard they were close to finding another spot but have no idea where its located.

I hope it isn't out on Capital Blvd. I am not happy with the Red's move. (They were going to Seaboard but the deal fell through.)

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