Belk Place: Carolina Theater and Hotel Intercontinental

[QCxpat]

Today 1:50 p.m.

Edited November 9, 2020 by QCxpat

[ertley]

16 hours ago, QCxpat said:

Today 1:50 p.m.

Obviously the transformation of the south corner of Tryon and 6th is going to be primary, and have the most impact, but I didn't realize--until I saw this shot--how amazing this is going to look coming up Tryon, and what an effect it's going to have on the upper Tryon corridor in every direction. Those classic French limestone(?)-clad "big city" buildings juxtaposed with the new theatre facade and (eventual) hotel tower are going to rival any block in any city.

[j-man]

I’m confused. So if the bottom level will only be getting built for now, will the top be made as if it’s the roof and how will that work for the HVAC on top. 

[49er]

It seems incredibly costly to finish construction and then come back in a year or two to complete. Wouldn't they need to remove the elevator and put the crane back in? Would the crane be located in the street instead? 

[JRCLT]

I just find it strange that they chose a tower crane instead of a mobile crane just to build the lobby and a couple of floors. I am not very knowledgeable in construction methods but it just seems a little overkill if they are not planning going vertical with the hotel. Then again the convention center is using cranes for its renovation and it’s only about 3 stories. This project is a haze.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Yo Diaz!]

I just find it strange that they chose a tower crane instead of a mobile crane just to build the lobby and a couple of floors. I am not very knowledgeable in construction methods but it just seems a little overkill if they are not planning going vertical with the hotel. Then again the convention center is using cranes for its renovation and it’s only about 3 stories. This project is a haze.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That site is incredibly tight. They need to be able to stage materials. No room for a mobile crane unless they are gonna just take over all of 6th street. More range and better visibility in a tower crane too. I think someone here said that crane in the core will be Removed and another erected out closer to the street in the first quarter of 2021. There was previous discussion here about air rights being acquired and I’m sure the beer bug has slowed or changed the schedule a bit. I think they currently have a slow and steady pace. I think they are going to roll right into the main tower construction with out any significant work stoppage.
That is of course as long as the travel and hotel market doesn’t tank even harder, whether or not they have money to keep going, the acquisition of the air rights and whether or not the US goes on full lock down for 3 months come February.
I know some buildings are built on top of existing structures or parking decks awhile after they open, but I don’t know. I don’t see the theater being completed and the first 5 levels of the hotel, then opening for business and then in a year starting on the several hundred foot tower to go on top.
The whole site would have to close because it’s become an active construction site again.
Re working of the elevators, mechanical systems, sprinkler systems, a buck hoist on the outside of the building, Tower crane, all kinds materials and workers and more.
Perhaps the the theater and first 5 levels will be completed. Then it will just sit for a year or so? [emoji2369]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[j-man]

On 11/11/2020 at 10:05 AM, 49er said:

It seems incredibly costly to finish construction and then come back in a year or two to complete. Wouldn't they need to remove the elevator and put the crane back in? Would the crane be located in the street instead? 

Exactly my point. It would be like construction, then a year later  somewhat deconstruction of the top, then shutting the streets down all over again, and possibly closing the bottom half down then constructing the hotel. Seems pricey and a waste of time. 

[Rufus]

32 minutes ago, j-man said:

Exactly my point. It would be like construction, then a year later  somewhat deconstruction of the top, then shutting the streets down all over again, and possibly closing the bottom half down then constructing the hotel. Seems pricey and a waste of time. 

But, if I recall, isn't the hotel a separate project and developer? So, really that would be if they had the same contractor. Not sure if that plays a factor in this project or not. 

[JHart]

They have the same contractor Cleveland Construction. I don't see any way they stop construction and then restart again on the hotel portion. The hotel developer has been holding out to make a decision which I think is why it has dragged on so long but the way this country has been treating Covid I think the odds it gets built this time around keep getting worse and worse

[j-man]

1 hour ago, Rufus said:

But, if I recall, isn't the hotel a separate project and developer? So, really that would be if they had the same contractor. Not sure if that plays a factor in this project or not. 

But even then. This projects was always planned to be built with the hotel at the same time. This is not like the Mint Museum and Museum tower where the plans were for construction of one and the other can just be added with no interruption. This is the complete opposite. 

[CLT Development]

On 11/11/2020 at 5:20 AM, j-man said:

I’m confused. So if the bottom level will only be getting built for now, will the top be made as if it’s the roof and how will that work for the HVAC on top. 

Its the lobby plus the additional floors of office and event space for the Foundation, and it'll be 2022 before the theatre is even close to opening, so no they will not have to stop anything, and take down anything. Its a pandemic, throw any expectations out the window, for literally everything.

Edited November 13, 2020 by The Real Clayton

[KJHburg]

walk by photos here and there were workers present (in fact I look through one of those peep holes and was face to face almost with a worker LOL)  

[DMann]

I walked by here as well and was somewhat surprised to see framing taking place.

[QCxpat]

Today 2:15 p.m.

Edited November 17, 2020 by QCxpat

[davidclt]

Don't know if this belongs in Bad News or here: https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2020/11/20/intercontinental-atop-theater-on-hold.html

Construction of InterContinental Hotel atop historic theater in uptown on hold

By Erik Spanberg  – Managing Editor, Charlotte Business Journal

Nov 20, 2020, 3:30pm EST

The start of construction for the planned, 257-room InterContinental Hotel atop the renovated Carolina Theatre in uptown has been indefinitely delayed, the Charlotte Business Journal has learned.

[navigator319]

Old news. Was known in 2018. [emoji12]

[DMann]

really hate that, but the good news is that we will be getting a jewel box on the corner and a probably beautifully renovated theatre!

[KJHburg]

the hotel and travel industry has just been decimated.  Unless you are a leisure destination there is not much of a market for business travel if any right now.  This is unfortunate and hopefully when the vaccines are widespread early next year from the 3 companies including the NC made Pfizer vaccine, business travel is going to be very slow to pick up.  Unfortunately Charlotte hotels make their money on business travel, conventions and to a lesser extent special events or leisure.  

I spent 10 nights in hotels driving from Charlotte to Houston to Austin and back.  Hotels is Austin, Houston, Atlanta were 25-35% occupied based on cars and people I saw in the lobbies.   All were business oriented hotels.  the only hotel I saw with somewhat normal occupancy was the Biloxi gulf front Hampton Inn I stayed in which is a leisure destination (beach, gambling etc) 

You can count the Moxy, the hotel by the Ellis, the 2nd hotel at Stonewall Station in limbo for the next couple of years as well as the hotel atop the deck at Vantage Southend.   A planned hotel in the Perimeter Center market of Atlanta was cancelled and replaced by a mid rise apartment tower.  

I do notice hotels along Interstates seem to be busier with travelling public and contractors and so forth  but downtown hotels are just a shell of themselves right now.  Vacation destinations like Hilton Head are having pretty good years even with 6 weeks of closure in the spring but they are leisure destinations.  

1000 room hotel uptown I would say that is a decade a way at best.  

As for me hotels are the best priced they have been in a decade for those wanting and willing to travel.  

[King of the Queen City]

Another thing to be considered is that the pandemic may have changed the business world permanently to some degree. Virtual meetings through Zoom, etc. may eliminate the need for business travel in some cases and the ability to work remotely may reduce the amount of office space needed (though I think most people prefer to work in person and will have cabin fever when all this is over if they don’t already).  I read an article somewhere suggesting that we are never going back to the old economy but to an altered economy.  That’s not to say that it won’t recover, but that it will be different.

[videtur quam contuor]

I agree with King (above). I think about what the doctor said when asked after my diagnosis of cancer, "When will I be back to normal?" "Never" he said. "There will be before diagnosis and after diagnosis."

Normal is an illusion created by humans to delay inevitability.

[RANYC]

16 hours ago, KJHburg said:

the hotel and travel industry has just been decimated.  Unless you are a leisure destination there is not much of a market for business travel if any right now.  This is unfortunate and hopefully when the vaccines are widespread early next year from the 3 companies including the NC made Pfizer vaccine, business travel is going to be very slow to pick up.  Unfortunately Charlotte hotels make their money on business travel, conventions and to a lesser extent special events or leisure.  

I spent 10 nights in hotels driving from Charlotte to Houston to Austin and back.  Hotels is Austin, Houston, Atlanta were 25-35% occupied based on cars and people I saw in the lobbies.   All were business oriented hotels.  the only hotel I saw with somewhat normal occupancy was the Biloxi gulf front Hampton Inn I stayed in which is a leisure destination (beach, gambling etc) 

You can count the Moxy, the hotel by the Ellis, the 2nd hotel at Stonewall Station in limbo for the next couple of years as well as the hotel atop the deck at Vantage Southend.   A planned hotel in the Perimeter Center market of Atlanta was cancelled and replaced by a mid rise apartment tower.  

I do notice hotels along Interstates seem to be busier with travelling public and contractors and so forth  but downtown hotels are just a shell of themselves right now.  Vacation destinations like Hilton Head are having pretty good years even with 6 weeks of closure in the spring but they are leisure destinations.  

1000 room hotel uptown I would say that is a decade a way at best.  

As for me hotels are the best priced they have been in a decade for those wanting and willing to travel.  

Time to reevaluate best and highest uses for uptown lots.  The old formulas, the usual expectations just won’t cut it any longer.  My fear, a decade of stagflation for uptown, even after virus under control.  Shouldn’t rest on laurels.  If we want to make uptown a draw, have to get out in front of this.  I’d love to see incentives for tons more housing and street-level activation specifically in uptown.

[JacksonH]

9 hours ago, RANYC said:

Time to reevaluate best and highest uses for uptown lots.  The old formulas, the usual expectations just won’t cut it any longer.  My fear, a decade of stagflation for uptown, even after virus under control.  Shouldn’t rest on laurels.  If we want to make uptown a draw, have to get out in front of this.  I’d love to see incentives for tons more housing and street-level activation specifically in uptown.

Exactly.  Time to build Lake I-277!

Edited November 22, 2020 by JacksonH

[JacksonH]

Article in the Agenda about the hotel and theater.

https://www.charlotteagenda.com/240362/carolina-theatre-restoration-promises-a-community-living-room-for-uptown-even-if-its-delayed/

[15895]

18 hours ago, King of the Queen City said:

Another thing to be considered is that the pandemic may have changed the business world permanently to some degree. Virtual meetings through Zoom, etc. may eliminate the need for business travel in some cases and the ability to work remotely may reduce the amount of office space needed (though I think most people prefer to work in person and will have cabin fever when all this is over if they don’t already).  I read an article somewhere suggesting that we are never going back to the old economy but to an altered economy.  That’s not to say that it won’t recover, but that it will be different.

The Fortune 500 I work for in the DC area had to address whether we will continue to have flexibility to work remotely. 

A company surveyed showed an overwhelming amount of people like teleworking with a bunch of comments. We were very flexible and had at least 1 telework day a week pre-Covid. Until it became inevitable with stay at home orders. 

A video was sent out that we all will be returning to work because there is value in interactions. Whether it’s even just social, in the elevators - it will help us be more innovative to have that communication. In addition, he said it’s too hard to collaborate on video conferencing because multiple people can’t talk at the same time.

At BofA, from what my friends told me (at least in GT&O) they were very reluctant to telework for Covid. They started to even have 1/2 the workers come in 1 week and rotate. 
 

I think everything will go back to status quo. DC and the suburbs continue to break ground on new & large projects. And I think I’ve seen some Raleigh announcements and maybe even Charlotte. There have been no projects put on hold due to Covid I’ve seen. 

Edited November 22, 2020 by AirNostrumMAD

[King of the Queen City]

17 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

I think everything will go back to status quo.

I’m not saying that everything is going virtual in the future (or even most things), but I think this has given companies the chance to experiment with new ways of doing things and in certain situations where  the new way proves to be more efficient they may be hesitant to go back to the old way.