turbocraig

I mean, it’s rectangular.

We’re all entitled to our opinions but I’m with Toz on this one. When you try to associate your brand with glamour and excitement and a 5-star experience, shouldn’t your aesthetic be just as important as your bathroom soap brands and sheet thread count? That’s like saying Rolls Royce doesn’t need all the flash and should stick to building reliable but above-board comfortable transportation. I realize those are my words and not yours, but I truly believe that should absolutely be the case. This structure is as exciting outside as the old 1970s Marriott on Trade St. Look at the JWs in our peer group, Austin (red stone and glass) and Nashville (swoop). How’d we get this thing? And I’m not talking size either - I realize these are tourist cities. But in the end, it’s what feels like a hand-me-down cost cutter design for Charlotte or a 3/4 version of what everyone else gets. That irritates me and I won’t make excuses for it either. Design better. *credit: Stross Stock *credit: Rod Haines

Even, like, four stories would’ve made a huge difference. Not saying I don’t appreciate the building, I’m just saying…

I don’t completely disagree, but all those potential hotel guests wandering around and supporting restaurants and bars on the north end of town has to count for something.

So with rising interest rates, what are the odds this hotel misses the boat a second time? Wait long enough and some economic calamity will derail you every time… if it even was back on the table, which I honestly have no idea. This project is so opaque.

On another note - I'm just thankful it is majority glass and not some towering EIFS/Hardie house-of-cards concoction like another Ellis...

What was the purpose of all that again?

Interesting music choice. I worked for the Bank years ago and was lucky enough to see it from the top (60th floor, the Board rooms, where the tall windows are at the base of the steel crown). The corporate dining room is on 59 and C-level offices top out on 58.

Montreal has at least one building close to Notre Dame that does it. I hope they keep it. And why did UNCC take the projected miner logo off the side of their building? Why was that temporary?

We used to go to Cherry Berry a lot, but I was under the impression that Covid did them in. They closed a couple of months after lock-down IIRC.

I’m familiar with the Century, but am more intrigued by the white sedan next to it. It looks like a cross between the 4th-gen S-Class and a late 80s Mazda 929. Wonder what that one is…

“When life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, tap into your inner Moxy.” is someone writing this down?

I went to the one in Tempe last month. Pass. I had never heard of it before but it felt/tasted really corporate. It sounded cool.

I’m glad your stuff is moving. That’s a hopeful sign. My last chain of correspondence with them, which was basically a yes/no question, began on 01Apr22 and was finally answered on 07Oct.

But David Tepper was Matt Rhule’s biggest fan. When people were calling for Rhule’s head last year, Tepper was all “relax, Rome wasn’t built in a day” and all that. He also said with “give it 5 years” when he hired him, but this just wasn’t tenable. I mean, people had time to custom-order “Fire Matt Rhule” jerseys for games this season. Tepper may not have the best rep here lately, but this wasn’t justified? C’mon.

I assume the turnaround time on these large-scale commercial projects would be faster than residential, but since Covid, HDC moves at a GLACIAL pace. Even staff reviews for residential (not full-committee submissions) are taking months just to get questions answered. They’ll email that they need details on X, then when those are provided, it’s a months-long turnaround. Then they’ll have more questions about whatever it is they’ve asked for (which could have been asked in prior correspondence). Answers are provided, then more months pass for their next reply. And you have to submit via email exclusively. If I said “snail’s pace”, that would be lighting speed. Again, not sure if that’s how it is for commercial or this project specifically, but they are seriously under water over there.

You don’t know him!

That has to be the answer if these units are commanding these kinds of rents. But it’s interesting to me that folks whose careers are based on ROI wouldn’t want to invest themselves in something that they’d have equity in and will ultimately make money on. Maybe housing stock in nearby desirable neighborhoods is just too much of a barrier?

Or $5235 for a 1 bed/1 bath!! Which in actuality is a 1.5 bath. So maybe it is justified…

Since the renderings are from pre-Covid, are they still accurate, to the best of your knowledge? Or are these hypothetical renditions?

Funny. As luck would have it a friend is flying to Milwaukee this morning. She sent me this pic 5 mins ago.

That shot shows that building at its absolute best angle - one which you hardly get to see in reality. Oddly, the end that actually faces the center of Ballantyne is completely unadorned, windowless, and slathered in grey EIFS, and the top of it… good god where do you start? Or stop? It’s an absolute unfinished-looking mess. Who looked at the drawings for this and said “Yup, marquis design for the center of Ballantyne right there!” My parents live in Ballantyne and I have to look at this steaming pile frequently (though not nearly as frequently as my mom would like). It’s heinous and I have to avert my eyes every time I go down there. It’s Ballantyne’s TRUIST. Ugh. Have I made my feelings clear?

Why is the theme song from ‘Good Times’ suddenly in my head? How sad and depressing looking. Anyone know how many square feet that Belk was (*cough @KJHburg@tarhoosier)? It’s huge!

Sure. Pay no mind to that giant headquarters tower I’m building in that crime-ridden, high taxation hellhole.

Well that just sounds stupid.