500 West Trade (14 story apartments on site of former Polk Building)

[tozmervo]

The building could look wonderful, but it's run down and dilapidated. After a renovation it could look really nice, certainly better than another effing parking deck.

[Urbanity]

The building could look wonderful, but it's run down and dilapidated. After a renovation it could look really nice, certainly better than another effing parking deck.

I agree 100%.   I fear it being torn down to be parking lots.   At the same time, something has got to happen with the building and my guess is something will probably around the time of gateway station announcements

[DMann]

I agree 100%.   I fear it being torn down to be parking lots.   At the same time, something has got to happen with the building and my guess is something will probably around the time of gateway station announcements

I think Trinity Partners had plans at one point for condo / apartments for that spot.  I think it would make for a great hotel, Days Inn type.  Close to the coming Amtrak station as well as the sporting venues and Johnson and Wales.  I have no information to support that, just a thought that it could work well.

[Urbanity]

I remember the massive condo (and townhomes?) project planned that fell through with the market bust in 07-08.

 

What I would love to see happen (complete fantasy) for the Polk building is something similar to the Hearst Building in NY where they just kept the original building shell and built a modern tower above.   

[15895]

I would love to see something of significant height (23+ floors) especially office that far west of Tryon. Vue is a little lonely out there.

I just pray it doesn't become a parking lot

[jordan704]

I would love to see a hotel happen out of this building. Particularly a 21c Museum Hotel (http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/). They have some pretty cool concepts and would be a great would addition to Charlotte and the uptown area. They purchased the 17 story Hill building in 2013 in Durham planning to be open in 2015 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_Building) (http://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/company/future/).

 

21c St, Cincinnati

 

21c Louisville

[CLTProductions]

Wow I am all in on this concept!! Those look great. Super clean website too, they should enter the market! Just gotta change the perception of that building ha.

[dubone]

Most of the historic buildings that get reused look like crap before they get restored or adaptively reused.  The victorians of Fourth Ward looked horrifyingly bad before they were fixed back up, and now people pay for tours of the area.

 

The perk of reusing an old building is that you end up with something of genuine character because it has existed through out multiple generations. When you tear down for a fecking parking lot or deck, you are saying that storing cars is a higher and better use of urban land than a century old building where women in flappers and men in straw hats walked into to buy a Ford Model T once.    Charlotte now lacks character because we have torn down 90% of the pre-WWII buildings and most do not get replaced with anything architecturally interesting or notable.    It takes more effort to work from something already there, but that is exactly the point.

 

I just came back from holidays spent in Philly, NYC and Boston, and it is vastly more interesting to be at a sports bar in a 19th century building with real brick walls and old wooden floors than a 21st century.  It isn't that it is historic, it is that it is something that adds to the imagination of people using the building for the next generation.      If the brick facade is an uninteresting color or falls down, take it off and re-face it with new brick, even fascia brick if necessary.  If the stucco that the State smeared all over the granite at street level is cracked and looks bad, scrape it off and appreciate the granite again.  If the blackened windows the State put in make it look like a burned out shell, then replace it with modern reflective or daylighting glass or pink Desert Rose glass or WHATEVER makes the building work and look good for the 21st century.   There is no way that a structurally sound concrete building with lots of windows, tall ceilings, and sizeable floor plates is not re-usable.   

 

This isn't where the Constitution was written, it doesn't have to preserved as some artifact for a museum, but for god's sake, keep the building like we should have kept dozens of others as an interesting reminders that Charlotte was not founded in 1974.   

[CLTProductions]

Now I do agree with that sentiment, but we do live in modern times. That isnt to say we should forget the past, it's to say either do something with it standing or tear it down. That building standing as its been only adds the character of a dump. It looks awful and brings a bad visual aura to what is other wise a (now) great area.

 

That being said I do agree that uptown CERTAINLY lacks a cool feeling bar. I would give anything for a prohibition style bar (and no Prohibition uptown does not count. That place is garbage, not themed and the biggest waste of a name) in uptown or even a colonial style restaurant.

 

Whatever the case, the city has GOT to do something with this building. I still am not sure of the reason why its been vacant and abandoned for so long, can anyone clarify on the reason please?

[DMann]

Why does the city have to do something with it?  It is owned by Crosland and Trade Street Associates who purchased it in May of 2008 for about $14 Million.  Annual taxes are $113,722, and there is 105,082 HLA in the building.  That is about $133 per sq ft. That price probably included a lot of the land, though not the land on the immediate corner of Graham and West 5th.

 

I do not know the interior configuration but I understand there are ramps in it, so some of that sq ft is really not usable. Retrofitting that building with living units would require extensive plumbing additions.  Maybe someone with more refitting knowledge could venture a guess as to how much it would cost to turn it into living units.

 

As to cool old buildings, why didn't Cans succeed?  Brick walls, wood floors, tall ceilings, etc.  Charm does not always equate to profitability.

 

Getting back to my question about why should the city do something about it, taxes are current, look to Crosland not our supreme leaders.

[CLTProductions]

Oh, I wasn't aware of that, I thought the City owned it. Well in that case, its even more ridiculous. Why on earth would a company be okay with losing $100k+ a year. Thats a guaranteed loss!!! Why not invest and do SOMETHING???? I do not understand it at all.

[nonillogical]

As to cool old buildings, why didn't Cans succeed?  Brick walls, wood floors, tall ceilings, etc.  Charm does not always equate to profitability.

Just to this point, Cans was successful for a time but it was only really competing with the 5th street and N. College clubs for nightlife draw at the time. Since then its been a bunch of different places (noticed its something new walking past this weekend but already forgot the name), but it will always struggle with a generic club formula when the Epicenter, NCMF, 5th St, N. College are all more centralized locations for that scene. If they could get a BIG restaurant/bar tenant, I think it would succeed. The atmosphere there is definitely a plus to most crowds, just ironically not the one they're focusing on generally. 

 

The Polk building calls for a creative use. I want to see it saved but a simple apartment project probably isn't going to cut it. The renovation will be really expensive to begin with so they probably just need to go the extra mile for something that will be decidedly upscale and able to charge very high rents. As much as I like the hotel idea I'm not sure how much sense it would make with the layout. 

Edited January 6, 2014 by nonillogical

[CLTProductions]

Since then its been a bunch of different places (noticed its something new walking past this weekend but already forgot the name)

It is called Vanity now....same exact crowd and same exact demo focus as 5th element. They basically just renamed the place. Makes no sense to me, oh well, it'll last a few months.

[dubone]

Maybe they updated the sink areas and were so proud of it, they renamed to match.

[Urbanity]

Cans/Vanity/Whatever should really turn itself into a mega sports bar and restaurant and take advantage of its proximity to The Vault and the BB&T Ballpark.   Add a micro brewery aspect and it could be a major spot on game days (which between now two sports would be a significant time of the year)

[CLTProductions]

Cans/Vanity/Whatever should really turn itself into a mega sports bar and restaurant and take advantage of its proximity to The Vault and the BB&T Ballpark.   Add a micro brewery aspect and it could be a major spot on game days (which between now two sports would be a significant time of the year)

Could NOT agree with you more. It is a little farther away, but with the renewed interest in Charlotte Basketball this would be great. As it stands now uptown SORELY lacks a sports bar that really has a sports feel. Ale House is there but I just feel like it is lacking something, can't put my finger on what. Champions is always empty so I don't know if can count that, and Strike City....well its a bowling alley too. 

 

I think if you have a huge sports bar (maybe split it in half between that and a restaurant) and add that craft beer aspect, that seems like something that can actually LAST in this spot.

 

On a side note, shouldn't this be in a different thread?? 

Edited January 7, 2014 by Jayvee

[Guest]

Could NOT agree with you more. It is a little farther away, but with the renewed interest in Charlotte Basketball this would be great. As it stands now uptown SORELY lacks a sports bar that really has a sports feel. Ale House is there but I just feel like it is lacking something, can't put my finger on what. Champions is always empty so I don't know if can count that, and Strike City....well its a bowling alley too. 

 

I think if you have a huge sports bar (maybe split it in half between that and a restaurant) and add that craft beer aspect, that seems like something that can actually LAST in this spot.

 

On a side note, shouldn't this be in a different thread?? 

Does Stool Pigeons not exist anymore?

[CLTProductions]

Does Stool Pigeons not exist anymore?

It's actually called Dillingers now (even though the Stool Pigeons signs still exist for some dumb reason?) however all their TVs are old (the projection TV is awful). They have a great selection of beers, so I guess this place is mediocre.

[ScottCLT]

It is called Vanity now....same exact crowd and same exact demo focus as 5th element. They basically just renamed the place. Makes no sense to me, oh well, it'll last a few months.

 

Looks like they put a lot into their website, you know with the "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet" text and everything...

 

http://vanitycharlotte.com/about-us/

[CLTProductions]

Are you surprised? 

[ScottCLT]

It's actually called Dillingers now (even though the Stool Pigeons signs still exist for some dumb reason?) however all their TVs are old (the projection TV is awful). They have a great selection of beers, so I guess this place is mediocre.

Mediocre is true. Their claim s "50 sandwiches and 50 beers on tap," but I haven't had much luck with their food and the Stool Pigeons sign is still up and lit every night...but it's only been like 2 years since they closed...I am sure they'll take it down soon.

[CLTProductions]

Mediocre is true. Their claim s "50 sandwiches and 50 beers on tap," but I haven't had much luck with their food and the Stool Pigeons sign is still up and lit every night...but it's only been like 2 years since they closed...I am sure they'll take it down soon.

Yeah I do not understand keeping those signs up, honestly Stool Pigeons is an awful (and gross) sounding name, I would want to take those signs down immediately. As for their food, its decent, sometimes I think its good. Best thing they got going for them is their beer selection. 

[Urbanity]

I used to live a few blocks away from them when they were Stool Pigeons and frankly they never appeared to have a big crowd.  Makes you wonder why they would keep the name up as it certainly can't be for customer fondness.    

[rickrodewd]

Has anyone heard of anything with the James Polk building at 500 W. Trade?  Seems to be empty.

[ah59396]

Has anyone heard of anything with the James Polk building at 500 W. Trade? Seems to be empty.

Yeah, I think it was just vacated the other decade!