skyscrapers in NC downtowns that were never built

[cityboi]

Back in the early 1980s a 30-story glass tower was proposed for downtown Greensboro. It was to be the corporate headquarters for Southern Life Insurance Co and was to compliment the 12-story NC Trust building which is a glass building next to that site. Renderings had been drawn up but the company got bought out and moved to South Carolina. Consequently plans for the tower were scrapped. The sleek all glass tower would have been located where the 21-story Wachovia Tower is located today. The Wachovia Tower (former First Union Tower) was built in 1990.

What are some towers in downtowns of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Winston-Salem that were never built?

[Spartan]

Well, there's this one in Charlotte... I don't know how serious the proposal was, but we got a nice rendering out of it:

[RaleighRob]

These days the proposed Reynolds Tower in downtown Raleigh seems like it will never get built. Still a hole in the ground. The developer still says he's gonna do it....I'll believe it when I see it!

Also, we were told Hampton Inn would put in a highrise hotel too but nothing from that either.

And in downtown Durham, a twin tower to the Durham Center (the blue one with the pyramid top) was supposed to be built years ago...as a condo. Never happened. Oddly, they still have a website: http://www.therenaissancedurham.com/ that's saying they expect to open in 2010. Again, I'll believe it when I see it.

If I recall, Asheville was supposed to get a new tower too...about the height of the current BB&T building. Don't know whatever happened from that.

[rancenc]

I believe this tower was proposed as the new HQ's for the former First Union bank back in the mid to late 90's. This was prior to First Union's merger of Winston-Salem based Wachovia.

Well, there's this one in Charlotte... I don't know how serious the proposal was, but we got a nice rendering out of it:

[Gard]

These days the proposed Reynolds Tower in downtown Raleigh seems like it will never get built. Still a hole in the ground. The developer still says he's gonna do it....I'll believe it when I see it!

Also, we were told Hampton Inn would put in a highrise hotel too but nothing from that either.

And in downtown Durham, a twin tower to the Durham Center (the blue one with the pyramid top) was supposed to be built years ago...as a condo. Never happened. Oddly, they still have a website: http://www.therenaissancedurham.com/ that's saying they expect to open in 2010. Again, I'll believe it when I see it.

If I recall, Asheville was supposed to get a new tower too...about the height of the current BB&T building. Don't know whatever happened from that.

[cityboi]

I think there was even a 55-story BB&T headqaurters that was proposed for downtown Winston-Salem. That never happed either. It would have been the second tallest building in North Carolina just 5 stories shorter than the Bank of America Tower in Charlotte. If im not mistaken there was once a proposal for 10-story twin towers in downtown Winston-Salem. That project never happened either but I think it did make it to the stage of having renderings.

[InitialD]

One Charlotte was a nice looking building. Still trying to find a rendering of Holton Square on my PC.

One Charlotte:

[eastsider]

Holton Square at site of current Epicenter

2 Corperate Center at site of current Ritz Carlton & 1 Bank of America Center

office building above the Westin parking deck

unnamed building at 300 S Tryon

[eastsider]

A few more for Charlotte:

a couple more proposals at 300 South Tryon

Concourse

615 East Morehead

[krazeeboi]

Holton Square is a new one; didn't know about that one. Same goes for the proposed 300 S. Tryon tower.

Two Corporate Center (BOA) is still listed on DudaPaine's website in the portfolio section as though it actually got built.

First Citizens Bank was supposed to have built a tower in downtown Raleigh, but I think they opted for a suburban campus instead.

[Atlside]

Raleigh- First Citizens Bank headquarters now the site of RBC Plaza

A 29-story proposal for the lot bounded by Wilmington, Martin and Fayetteville streets. First Citizens Bank decided to keep its headquarters outside Downtown Raleigh

Raleigh- Martin & Wilmington Streets tower

Raleigh- Reynolds Tower

Raleigh- Edison

Located adjacent to the Progress Energy Center between Blount and Wilmington Streets.

Raleigh- Soleil Center/Westin Hotel

[Atlside]

Durham- New SunTrust tower

Durham is one of four regional headquarters for SunTrust Banks. There was talk of building a new tower in downtown Durham.

Durham Centre's twin tower was never completed

Franklin Wittenberg in 2003 tried to bring a Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons to occupy the unbuilt twin tower along with condos. Wittenberg sold the Durham Centre office building in 1989 but retains the rights to build a twin tower on the adjacent lot.

Durham Centre under construction, 1987

(Courtesy Durham County Library)

Durham-Erwin Square complex never completed. There were to be 3 towers of 15 floors in height and one tall tower to be 30 floors.

University Tower was to be part of a highrise district and the tower was originally planned to be taller

University Tower was developed by Dallas-based Tommy Stone.

Durham- Ashton Place twin towers

In 2002 architects Robert L. Wilson of The Wilson Organization in Stamford, Conn., and L.E. Tuckett of Durham had proposed to build 2 tall towers of condominiums and a cluster of townhouses for a total of 456 residential units and 12,000 square feet of retail space on the site where the Durham Multi-Modal Transportation Center now stands.

Ashton Place was to be 27 stories and would have had 2 levels of underground parking.

It would have topped out at 310 feet, making it 58 feet taller than North Carolina Mutual building, and about 30 feet taller than the tallest building downtown.

[Spatula]

I thought the Edison was merely delayed. If we can include projects like that...

-Charter Square. They had the crane and the foundation set up, but if it ever happens at this point it's a long way off.

-The Lafayette

-The L-building

-The Wake County Justice Center

pretty much everything except the Green Square, the Lightner Public Safety Center, and Powerhouse Plaza is either gone or on hold

Two of them are public projects, so they're guaranteed. Only one has actually started though. I think they're still on the fence about whether to move the Lightner center to the hole on Hillsborough street. (I would go for it personally and sell the other property if anyone wants it).

[Rufus]

The Edison is not necessarily delayed. Its timetable is much longer than other projects, mainly because of the scope of the project. I believe the total buildout date of the property is around 2015?

There have been numerous proposals in Wilmington (project adjacent to the USS North Carolina across the Cape Fear River from downtown) and in Asheville (the Grove Arcade Tower, both incarnations.)

[cityboi]

This plan for Raleigh would have been absolutely amazing if it had been built! It would have blown anything in North Carolina away!

[cityboi]

Original design of Center Pointe Greensboro condos. The building was constructed but looks totally different. The rendering also shows a future phase which includes a 30-story condo tower. There is evidence a second phase will eventually be built because the side of the building facing the site for the taller tower has no balconies. Center Pointe is actually a renovation where the 1967 Wachovia Bank building was completely stripped to its steel frame

first design

final design

actual building (notice the side of the building has no balconies. It faces the lot where the 30-story tower is suppose to go. All sides of the building except for that side has balconies)

[Gard]

This plan for Raleigh would have been absolutely amazing if it had been built! It would have blown anything in North Carolina away!

[cityboi]

well its great that its still on track. Its very ultra modern and New Yorkish

[Spartan]

Holton Square at site of current Epicenter