Commoner

Thanks. Incidentally, I just got back from a quick stop at an EpiCentre-based establishment. The rumor going around there is that the Aloft bar doesn't have its liquor license. Hope they're wrong. It's a hell of a weekend for an uptown bar to not have its ducks in a row.

For the non-RE/retail professionals, does this mean the place if open for business? Can we walk through (as in any other uptown hotel) and check it out?

Anybody watch the CBS Evening News from CLT? Any good coverage?

I will admit that using the winter garden/overstreet walkway to get from the Arena Lynx stop to the office (any office on the east side of Tryon Street for that matter) during inclement weather (including 90+ degrees with opressive humidity) sounds divine.

American, British Airways and Iberia. The joke is something like ... American will handle the PR, BA will handle the catering and Iberia will fly the planes (but not between 2pm and 4pm). Joking aside, analysts expect both Delta-Air France (already a partnership mirroring that of AA/BA/IB) to become more formidable as a partnership after it completes its purchase of Northwest (which is already in a similar partnership with KLM) and "United-Lufthansa" (and Continental, who should join that partnership soon) to balance the American-British-Iberia partnership. What I think is interesting (and relevant to your comment) is that no analysts are saying anything about USAir's place in the Lufthansa-United-Continental venture. As we know US is already part of Star, (in fact all of the "partnerships" or "ventures" referred-to above are incestuous among existing alliances (One World, Skyteam, Star) but these inter-airline ventures are much more closely-knit than the alliances are. If US gets left without a dance partner, its long-term viability is bleak, in my opinion. For the short term, however, they can only benefit from increased market prices for the routes that are its most profitable.

Look at the last couple of pages on the Trademark thread. About a month ago, there was a party at Trademark. Beer bong from around the 12th floor, down to the pool. Organized by owners and renters, but I believe it was more owners than renters. I reckon that people have been bent out of shape about it because the revelers were, apparently, "intimidating" (being familiar with them, this is BS) and they don't like the "Frat Boy" image of their building that is presented. There is concern over deterioration in value. To answer your question, five story bongs are only a problem when you run out of beer.

Sorry - can you clarify whether you mean the stuff that one can get at Lowes (home improvement stores) or at Lowes (the condo project surrounding the new Lowes store in South End)?

Maybe he means that with the significantly higher price tag, you're less likely to encounter 60-foot beer bongs at the pool (cough-Trademark-cough-cough)

Since this is where the thread has gone, I figured I'd pile-on with my $0.02. The idea of "elite" dining at a mall is pretty funny. To us the lexicon, I "lolled." I don't mind showing my ass in this thread either, but my observation has been that people with real money (certainly not me - I'm guilty of hitting the bar at Morton's @ Southpark way too often) don't care whether the place they dine is considered "elite" or a dump - as long as the food and service are good. Evaluating one's (or one's own) SE status by whether one dines in a chain or local establishment, a cafeteria or a cafe, or anything else, is cheap (so to speak) and indicates that such person might be rich, but only with the "plastic" kind of money.

Growing? They're playing defense at this point... I thought that instead of going about the baggage price increase the way they did, American, USAir, Delta, etc. should have just instituted across-the-board fare increases of $50 (without so much fanfare), but at the same time, announced (with considerable fanfare) that any passenger flying with one bag receives a rebate at the counter for $25. Any passenger flying without a bag receives a rebate at the counter of $50.

It could also be that the land made available on Brevard has given the project life and that the developers intend to develop one of these parcels, as opposed to the Goodyear block - and that they simply released existing renderings depicting the original location, after deciding that the difference of a couple of blocks didn't warrant new renderings for this phase (whatever that may be) of the project. Something had to alter the status quo (indefinitely delayed contemplated project) and the release of the Brevard St. parcels seems like the only thing that has changed. Perhaps that made the project much more viable.

Doesn't the program hit the shelves, so the speak, on Thursday? Unless it's available during the practice rounds, I think they have until Thursday before they're caught with their pants down.

Actually, it depends on the form that any acquisition takes (stock v. asset acquisition) and the terms of the "orders." US Airways' successor doesn't automatically receive (or inherit) the rights and obligations of US Airways. Also, as of now, I don't know that there are any A350 orders - only commitment to order. These might (and likely would) have some non-assignment terms. If US Airways is acquired, the acquiror has a good deal of latitute to ignore those commitments. If US Airways is (somehow) an acquiror, that commitment just got a lot more valuable to Airbus.

As I recall, their commitment to purchase the A350 aircraft was expressly tied to their commitment to purchase A350s.

Which brings us to ... US Airways and American Airlines as the odd men (airlines are masculine, right?) out. After DL/NW, all sources point to a UA/CO combination. AA and US are both on record for supporting further industry consolidation, including to the extent it involves themselves. I don't know much about how their current financials compare, but I can't imagine US having the market cap (or access to capital markets) to pull off an offer for AA like its prior offer for DL. I assume a combined US/AA would be based in Miami, would continue to use Miami, DFW and O'Hare as major hubs. It seems like Philadelphia would have a place in the new network. Phoenix though? Is it too close to DFW? And does it benefit AA to keep CLT at its current capacity? It was over ten years ago, but they shuttered their RDU hub after MIA became the what it is today. This hypothetical hasn't been discussed much, so I'm interested to hear people's thoughts.

You're right to be skeptical of US Airways' long-term prospects, but he makes a good point. Airbus and GE have periodically provided additional capital to struggling airlines, to keep them viable and out of bankruptcy. Airbus obviously sells and leases aircraft; GE sells engines to manufacturers who's orders need to be paid for, and has its own leasing business. More than ever, there are distinct foreign currency exchange advantages for Airbus. I also can't immediately think of a negative political repurcussion behind another U.S. investment - especially after the bad blood between Airbus and Boeing after the tanker deal. If US' position continues to worsten and if the DOJ (and shareholders) approve DL-NW and UA-CO mergers, then assuming AA doesn't make a play for US, it sounds like Airbus could benefit from another investment in US.

It looks like some kind of invite-only event is going on at Epicentre tonight. Anybody have any details?

I can't speak to the accuracy of the $10B, but there's no way US gets $1B in debt to fund an aquisition right now. They'd have to fund it with stock, like Delta did - and that's not nearly as attractive.

True - contemporary noise restrictions were the death knell of the 727 (the best selling passenger airliner in history, until the 737). /well... that, and the cost of fuel and the third flight deck staff member (the Flight Engineer).

I agree with your economic argument (as to the irrationality of demand for high rise condos), but as to the "credit flood" -- the difference this time (as in since the current trend of dropping interbank lending rates began) is that that credit isn't making its way to the consumer and commercial borrowers. I agree that it will be a long time (likely 3-5 years before the next proposal (but I hope I'm wrong)) before these kind of projects re-emerge, but this will be due to the scarcity of credit.

The model isn't of a scale where something as subtle as street-level retail on the parking deck would be particularly well represented, but no -- there's no street-front retail evident. Also -- since 4pm (or thereabout) the model has been lit. The top of the hotel is brightly lit, and most of the office building (taking advantange of the transparent glass) is lit. Very nice.

Sure - my impressions: 1. The building is quite tall -- I think what deceived me (with respect to 2-D renderings) is that one College St.-facing corner of the building features trees on every other floor. I think I assumed these atria were on each floor, which (not counting floors) led me to believe that the building wasn't THAT tall. Judging by the model, the building is certainly at least as tall as the former IJL-Wachovia building across Tryon from Hearst. 2. Neither building appears to flare over the parking deck. I assumed that the Ritz and office tower would each sit on the ground and, at the appropriate height, the top of the parking deck. In the model, both appear to sit solely on the ground. The parking deck (at least from the model) appears unchanged. It looks like the Ritz will cut a very small footprint - and it looks like it has a good ways to go height-wise. 3. Color -- the light colored building materials, combined with the clear (minimal tint) glass and the green roof(s) will look great. It really looks like they plan to place trees in visible places inside the office tower, too. 4. Winter Garden. It's hard to judge from the model (especially when viewed from upstairs) but the renderings look good. There are some renderings that we haven't seen, and they're huge. This looks like the most exciting part of the project (im my opinion at least). It will be very wide and is clearly a focal point for both buildings. Sorry about the lack of pics -- hope everyone can see it for him/herself.

There is now a model, along with large new renderings, on display on the first floor of Founders Hall (near Jos. A Bank). The model shows the new office tower, hotel and winter garden, in the context of Church St. through Brevard, and then from 10th Street through First (though the Wachovia projects are missing). I would post pics, but I don't have a camera.

Most probably know, but for what it's worth - Chapter 11 isn't necessarily dissolution, just reorganization under the supervision of the US District Courts. It could result in some store closings, but a wholesale dissolution would necessarily occur after a Chapter 7 filing.

This won't be worth much to most of y'all but I just saw a new rendering of the new block consisting of the Ritz, the winter garden, the office tower and the rest of the visible parking deck. I was in the overstreet mall (b/t BOACC and Hearst) and someone was carrying a large photo-quality rendering. I definitely stared at it while he walked by. My impressions were that (1) the roof of the Ritz is definitely GREEN. Looks like a fairway. (2) The office tower doesn't look like it could possibly be the square footage we've heard/read about. I don't know if it's been scaled down, if my vantage was deceiving or if I just overestimate what that number of square feet looks like.