Misc. Uptown Projects/News

[Blue_Devil]

1 hour ago, ES Charlotte said:

Don't have the energy to find the thread if it exists, but the 37 story apartment tower behind The Garrison sounds like a go. 

I know.....

I mean, people are flowing into Charlotte. I think we will see the number of new moves here to the city will have drastically increased year over year. We need capacity. 

[TheMightyBK]

1 hour ago, Blue_Devil said:

I mean, people are flowing into Charlotte. I think we will see the number of new moves here to the city will have drastically increased year over year. We need capacity. 

I expect relocations to pick up a bit more, too.  People from smaller cities and rural areas flock to cities in search of work during recessions...and we are most definitely in the midst of one now and for the foreseeable future.  That's what brought me to Charlotte back in '93 after I finished school...if you need a paycheck you go where the jobs are.  

[QCxpat]

Today 5:20 p.m. - Fourth Ward holiday decorations

Edited December 13, 2020 by QCxpat

[turbocraig]

So months and months ago someone asked why One Wells Fargo had shut its lights off and someone else replied that it was undergoing a lighting upgrade.  It’s been dark for maybe a year.  Tonight there was a glimmer at the top for about 10mins just now.  Maybe this is about ready to light up again. 

[Mgelbach]

10 hours ago, turbocraig said:

So months and months ago someone asked why One Wells Fargo had shut its lights off and someone else replied that it was undergoing a lighting upgrade.  It’s been dark for maybe a year.  Tonight there was a glimmer at the top for about 10mins just now.  Maybe this is about ready to light up again. 

I'll send the drone up to investigate either today or tomorrow!

[kermit]

File under long-shot silver-lining:

I wonder if the Nashville Christmas nutjob bombing may yield us a nice new developable lot at 200 N Caldwell -- the site of our ATT switching building. I am sure it would be a biotch to move, but I would think just about any other lot could offer better security.  The remainder of the block is pretty ripe for a big project with all the parking. What ever happened with ownership of the briefly-designated Federal Courthouse parcel next door?

This tiny section of uptown has really been dragging despite some huge advantages like centrality, the Gold Line, nice public space at the old town hall and the arena.

Edited December 30, 2020 by kermit

[tozmervo]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

File under long-shot silver-lining:

I wonder if the Nashville Christmas nutjob bombing may yield us a nice new developable lot at 200 N Caldwell -- the site of our ATT switching building. I am sure it would be a biotch to move, but I would think just about any other lot could offer better security.  The block is pretty ripe for a big project with all the parking. What ever happened with ownership of the briefly-designated Federal Courthouse parcel next door?

This tiny section of uptown has really been dragging despite some huge advantages like centrality, the Gold Line, nice public space at the old town hall and the arena.

If I can offer an addendum to your comment - the ATT switching building is ripe for selective demolition and a really cool renovation.

[JHart]

19 hours ago, tozmervo said:

If I can offer an addendum to your comment - the ATT switching building is ripe for selective demolition and a really cool renovation.

I really doubt it unless we are talking about more than 10 years. They still actively use the majority of the building and are spending several million during Covid on some larger maintenance projects. Absolutely wild building though, there's like 10 people that work in that entire place. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

2 minutes ago, JHart said:

I really doubt it unless we are talking about more than 10 years. They still actively use the majority of the building and are spending several million during Covid on some larger maintenance projects. Absolutely wild building though, there's like 10 people that work in that entire place. 

Man how I would love to see inside. What a relic of the 20th century.

[JHart]

3 minutes ago, Matthew.Brendan said:

Man how I would love to see inside. What a relic of the 20th century.

It is really crazy. They've left a ton of the old switchboards in place and only got rid of enough to fit the automatic boards which still are active and clicking away. Then there's a 10 year old data center on one of the floors that serves DirecTV for Meck county, looks brand new; crazy contrast against the rest of the place which is still "Bell South" everywhere.  Pretty sure they are legally required to maintain the phone switches for emergency services so I can't see them ever pulling out of this space until the US decides VoIP is satisfactory which I would assume is never

[videtur quam contuor]

Maybe? 20 years ago when my sister in law worked for BellSouth there was an urgent message to all employees on beeper (look it up) and whatever other messaging option at the time about an emergency security situation at that building. Someone who worked there reported that his/her access badge was stolen and another employee reported a BellSouth uniform stolen.  No one was allowed access to the building without a chaperone from the door to the work area, which there was a larger work area than now. She knew it was a frightening scenario and everything that the company feared worst. Fortunately trouble was averted.

[kermit]

I am not sure that it was intentionally planned back in the mid 1990s but my hat is off to the city and Jerry Richardson for building one of the most urban NFL stadiums. My fingers are crossed that whatever new stadium comes of of the ground will similarly deemphasize parking.

 

 

 

[videtur quam contuor]

I have never heard anyone complain about parking access at Panthers games. Cost, yes. Access, no. Parking is in Dilworth, Wilmore, neighborhoods just off Light rail, plus all the higher cost downtown locations. I was surprised about 10 years ago to discover the number of fans from Charlotte and the Carolinas who stay at hotels, downtown and elsewhere for a game, even if they could make it a day trip.

[KJHburg]

see I leave town and head south and y'all go start renaming buildings.  Bank of America Plaza at Trade and Tryon is no more.  the new name drumroll please is 

One South at the Plaza 

and BofA vacated a chunk of space and they Cousins have 350,000 sq ft to FILL out of a 891,000 sq ft building.   Since they have 2 major landownerships in southend perhaps they could market as swing space until they build to suit down there if desired.  Otherwise that is a huge chunk of space and I doubt ANY new office buildings will be announced uptown in the next 2-3  years.  Notice I said uptown not Southend.  Duke will empty out of 400 South Tryon and where is US Bank to go if they are pushed out of Truist Tower?  I still think US Bank should look at this space and get naming rights to consolidate their space uptown. 

Cousins Properties renames uptown tower, plans renovations after Bank of America's exit - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

[Robbie Charlotte]

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

see I leave town and head south and y'all go start renaming buildings.  Bank of America Plaza at Trade and Tryon is no more.  the new name drumroll please is 

One South at the Plaza 

and BofA vacated a chunk of space and they Cousins have 350,000 sq ft to FILL out of a 891,000 sq ft building.   Since they have 2 major landownerships in southend perhaps they could market as swing space until they build to suit down there if desired.  Otherwise that is a huge chunk of space and I doubt ANY new office buildings will be announced uptown in the next 2-3  years.  Notice I said uptown not Southend.  Duke will empty out of 400 South Tryon and where is US Bank to go if they are pushed out of Truist Tower?  I still think US Bank should look at this space and get naming rights to consolidate their space uptown. 

Cousins Properties renames uptown tower, plans renovations after Bank of America's exit - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

Are you still confident about 10 Tryon?

[KJHburg]

1 minute ago, Robbie Charlotte said:

Are you still confident about 10 Tryon?

I am for now.  It is smaller building above the publix and will attract smaller users.  This hole in the old BofA Plaza is tougher nut to fill. They will be looking for someone to take a couple floors if they can. 

[KJHburg]

Here is the One South at the Plaza's new website aka BofA Plaza aka Nationsbank Plaza aka NCNB Plaza.    if they get a big tenant there will be a new sign on the Charlotte skyline.

how quickly this leases up will determine future uptown office buildings construction.  We have big blocks of space in this building,  121 West Trade, First Citizens, Ally Bldg on S Church, never rented space in Legacy 2, etc.   But this is the biggest hole to fill uptown until Duke completes their building and starts emptying out of 400 South Tryon. 

One South at the Plaza

[atlrvr]

Big hole also at 301 S College, aka 3 Wells Fargo, aka 3 Wachovia, aka First Union HQ

[Blue_Devil]

2 hours ago, atlrvr said:

Big hole also at 301 S College, aka 3 Wells Fargo, aka 3 Wachovia, aka First Union HQ

Space at 3 wells will eventual be taken up by Wells, at least I would think given their space issues. 

[JRNYP2C]

On 1/12/2021 at 12:58 PM, atlrvr said:

Big hole also at 301 S College, aka 3 Wells Fargo, aka 3 Wachovia, aka First Union HQ

So, I have heard that the Wells population in 3WF (401 S. Tryon) will be condensed to a different floor or over into 2WF above the bank branch and in that building.  Not sure how much space will be kept in the old Jukebox Building since they are getting out.  The old AT&T Building - diagonally from NASCAR was rehabbed and is sitting empty from Covid at this point.  With Duke's building going up on S. Tryon, that would open up the WF building (aka DEC) for them to either use or lease.  Work from home is drastically changing what is happening to our space and with WF wanting to get out of real estate, they will shed what they can or not build anything new.  More than likely, they will NOT be building the two other 10 story towers in Ballantyne in the near future - or if at all.  The current building in Ballantyne is being restacked and there are no longer assigned seats in that building.  We haven't seen what the new layout will be with social distancing and the like, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

We had to clean our our desks last month.  When we do have the ability to go back into the office, it is a first come-first serve basis in terms of seating.  There are still going to be two floors that are secure for HR purposes and we will have a "neighborhood" area to sit in.  I'm just hoping that the WFH aspect stays in place and I go in once or twice a month.

Overall, I don't think we will see any new office towers dot our skyline for several more years.

[Urban Cowboy]

Convention center looking sharp.

[videtur quam contuor]

This project and the Springhill triangle across from Spectrum Center win the "design within site limits" award with very honorable mention for logistics control.

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Now, if we could only get the Westin on the other side to get spruced up a bit.  That streetscape on that side is dated, dirty, and not all that inviting.  Always thought they should add an entrance on the corner (Stonewall & College) to their bar SoCo to activate that corner a bit more.  Anyone know details or status of that multi-million dollar renovation they publicized a year or two ago?

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

Now, if we could only get the Westin on the other side to get spruced up a bit.  That streetscape on that side is dated, dirty, and not all that inviting.  Always thought they should add an entrance on the corner (Stonewall & College) to their bar SoCo to activate that corner a bit more.  Anyone know details or status of that multi-million dollar renovation they publicized a year or two ago?

I would say all renovation projects are being delayed unless you have a well capitalized owner and the Westin is limping along now with the rest of the uptown high rise hotels.  

[j-man]

21 hours ago, CharlotteWkndBuzz said:

Now, if we could only get the Westin on the other side to get spruced up a bit.  That streetscape on that side is dated, dirty, and not all that inviting.  Always thought they should add an entrance on the corner (Stonewall & College) to their bar SoCo to activate that corner a bit more.  Anyone know details or status of that multi-million dollar renovation they publicized a year or two ago?

The Westin needs serious renovations on the ground floor and outdoor area. Has so much potential and opportunity. And most of all they need to do something with that big beige structure around this hotel! It’s quite hideous and never understood the purpose. I mean at least paint it grey. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by j-man