210 Trade | EpiCentre

[Dale]

1 minute ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

That place was purpose built for those types of tenants though. Likely had H&M in mind when they built the thing. Not to mention its on an incredibly popular beach. For any destination retail Epicenter would need a complete and total gut. 

Let’s call Jonathan Scott!

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Dale said:

Let’s call Jonathan Scott!

LOL, I did a project with him last year, he came in with 4 300x500 pixel pieces of "inspiration" that he found off google, gave it to some "nobody lowlife" (me) and then took literally all the credit. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmPFNC6FBE

Edited November 21, 2019 by Guest

[KJHburg]

5 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

LOL, I did a project with him last year, he came in with 4 300x500 pixel pieces of "inspiration" that he found off google, gave it to some "nobody lowlife" (me) and then took literally all the credit. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmPFNC6FBE

I am afraid that is what we call Hollywood...… and most of his shows are fake too. 

[mad_park]

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article237668974.html

17 incidents involving guns since 2017 - not sure how they turn this around.

[KJHburg]

5 minutes ago, mad_park said:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article237668974.html

17 incidents involving guns since 2017 - not sure how they turn this around.

sounds like they are going to really step up patrols there.   Honestly it would be a great location for a Krispy Kreme can you imagine the orders in the mornings for doughnuts and visitors in town stumbling upon it.  (and that is no joke) 

[cltcane]

The only redeeming quality EpiCentre has left is the pharmacy staff at CVS.

I remember seeing the old convention center coming down and EpiCentre being built in its place.  As a 20-something kid, I was super excited.  Now, I wish they’d tear the whole place down and start over.  However, I think the real problem is spillover from the transit center.

[videtur quam contuor]

On 2/28/2019 at 7:58 PM, tarhoosier said:

How soon will EpiCenter(re) be replaced with tower?

I posted this question in February in response to a discussion of general uptown redevelopment and not the crime issue which was not as top of mind as today. It started a discussion over two weeks or so about Epi. It is interesting to re-read those comments with the knowledge we have over the past few months. 

Also, Dandy Chiggens downvoted this singe sentence question four months later.

[Nick2]

3 hours ago, tarhoosier said:

I posted this question in February in response to a discussion of general uptown redevelopment and not the crime issue which was not as top of mind as today. It started a discussion over two weeks or so about Epi. It is interesting to re-read those comments with the knowledge we have over the past few months. 

Also, Dandy Chiggens downvoted this singe sentence question four months later.

I really hope that they don't get rid of the epicentre. Some of my first memories of Charlotte are of being there with my family for a Saturday night. It has such a great potential. They should just significantly beef up security in the ways that were mentioned and if certain establishments are repeat offenders of having their patrons causing these horrible problems, then force them out and let someone else try their hand at that location.

Dandy isn't very dandy is he?

[urbanlover568]

6 hours ago, cltcane said:

The only redeeming quality EpiCentre has left is the pharmacy staff at CVS.

I remember seeing the old convention center coming down and EpiCentre being built in its place.  As a 20-something kid, I was super excited.  Now, I wish they’d tear the whole place down and start over.  However, I think the real problem is spillover from the transit center.

BINGO

[thenewkage95]

I’ll say this again. This is LITERALLY the most Charlotte thing we can do. No other city would do this. We complain about Charlotte having no soul or identity, and then we immediately tear down, scrub, and sanitize any inkling of identity we might have had as soon as something potentially undesirable happens. This is one of the most fear-motivated cities I’ve ever heard of and this is coming from a Charlotte native. Literally increasing security presence would solve all of the problems the Epicenter is facing. Metal detectors, increased police patrol, armed security, as well as better surveillance is all that is necessary. Yet everyone decides that the best course of action is to remove everything fun, exciting, unique, and revenue-generating from existence. News flash. This is an issue all other major cities experience. The difference between them and Charlotte is the NIMBY-ism isn’t so overwhelming to the point that their instinctual reaction is to delete everything that makes their city special.

 

 

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[15895]

2 hours ago, thenewkage95 said:

I’ll say this again. This is LITERALLY the most Charlotte thing we can do. No other city would do this. We complain about Charlotte having no soul or identity, and then we immediately tear down, scrub, and sanitize any inkling of identity we might have had as soon as something potentially undesirable happens. This is one of the most fear-motivated cities I’ve ever heard of and this is coming from a Charlotte native. Literally increasing security presence would solve all of the problems the Epicenter is facing. Metal detectors, increased police patrol, armed security, as well as better surveillance is all that is necessary. Yet everyone decides that the best course of action is to remove everything fun, exciting, unique, and revenue-generating from existence. News flash. This is an issue all other major cities experience. The difference between them and Charlotte is the NIMBY-ism isn’t so overwhelming to the point that their instinctual reaction is to delete everything that makes their city special.

 

 

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Can’t agree more. Also a Charlotte native. Born in ‘92 at Presby hospital on Elizabeth who spent their entire like from birth to 25 spending almost all my time uptown, every festival, every event, every spot (from Frazier and Rays Splash Planet). 
 

it’s just so sad living in an era post the bulldoze of downtown, where I grew up lamenting and imagining what uptown was before it was only bank lobbies and spending my young lifetime convincing people we aren’t soulless and bland vanilla office workers and then this hysteria breaks out. It’s literally satirical Charlotte would want to tear the place down. Something a NYT smear article on the soulless ness of Charlotte would say.

 

(ps. Look up The NY Times article saying how soulless and bland Charlotte is) 

[TheOneRJ]

2 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

Can’t agree more. Also a Charlotte native. Born in ‘92 at Presby hospital on Elizabeth who spent their entire like from birth to 25 spending almost all my time uptown, every festival, every event, every spot (from Frazier and Rays Splash Planet). 
 

it’s just so sad living in an era post the bulldoze of downtown, where I grew up lamenting and imagining what uptown was before it was only bank lobbies and spending my young lifetime convincing people we aren’t soulless and bland vanilla office workers and then this hysteria breaks out. It’s literally satirical Charlotte would want to tear the place down. Something a NYT smear article on the soulless ness of Charlotte would say.

 

(ps. Look up The NY Times article saying how soulless and bland Charlotte is) 

I agree, but to be fair, that article is almost 6 years old. 

[mad_park]

On 11/23/2019 at 4:52 PM, thenewkage95 said:

Metal detectors, increased police patrol, armed security, as well as better surveillance is all that is necessary.

That will do wonders for attracting clientele

[videtur quam contuor]

TSA body scanners, pat-downs and voilà, safety for the eleven patrons.

[thenewkage95]

1 hour ago, mad_park said:

That will do wonders for attracting clientele

45 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

TSA body scanners, pat-downs and voilà, safety for the eleven patrons.

Sounds like they’re already losing clientele what with the news reporting about how many killings and stabbings there have been this year alone. I’m guessing that’s not doing any favors for increasing the number of patrons. Plus multiple people in this thread alone have said they now refuse to go to the Epicenter due to all of the violence so what exactly have we got to lose by increasing security? 
 

Also, if any patron had a problem simply walking through a metal detector or being checked for weapons for their own safety, something is seriously wrong with them...and I doubt that’s the kind of clientele we want to be attracting anyway.

Edited November 25, 2019 by thenewkage95

[Madison Parkitect]

Are y'all really talking about the EpiCentre as some highlight of Charlotte architecture and culture? Like losing it would be some big loss and anything like the loss of actual historic buildings in this city? Come on. The EpiCentre was cool when it opened 10 years ago and it was the only place to go in Charlotte, and from day one it's slowly turned into a crumbling mess that's already outdated, redundant, and largely irrelevant. It's crappy architecture empty of any value, it's hard to navigate when you're inside it, and it would be better for the city's vibrancy if all the little restaurants and bars (and the CVS) in it were instead spread out over the street-front spaces in uptown. Nothing would be lost in tearing it down.

[Bruco72]

On 11/23/2019 at 4:52 PM, thenewkage95 said:

I’ll say this again. This is LITERALLY the most Charlotte thing we can do. No other city would do this. We complain about Charlotte having no soul or identity, and then we immediately tear down, scrub, and sanitize any inkling of identity we might have had as soon as something potentially undesirable happens. This is one of the most fear-motivated cities I’ve ever heard of and this is coming from a Charlotte native. Literally increasing security presence would solve all of the problems the Epicenter is facing. Metal detectors, increased police patrol, armed security, as well as better surveillance is all that is necessary. Yet everyone decides that the best course of action is to remove everything fun, exciting, unique, and revenue-generating from existence. News flash. This is an issue all other major cities experience. The difference between them and Charlotte is the NIMBY-ism isn’t so overwhelming to the point that their instinctual reaction is to delete everything that makes their city special.

 

 

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Cities close down clubs that are having issues with violence all the time. Frankly I see nothing enduring or unique or interesting about the epicenter. I hope they can figure out the issues and it can continue to provide some entertainment options, but nothing hurts cities reputations and tourism and business relocation prospects more than random violence in its core business and tourism district. 

And metal detectors will guarantee it’s demise.  Just what I want to do is get a drink with a client after a meeting is go somewhere with a metal detector. 

And I’m not a Charlotte nimby. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Bruco72

[Dale]

I vote for removing the TSA from the airport and placing them in EpiCentre.  Granted, the airport would lose some of its ambience, being barked at while waiting to board your flying bus.

 

[Temeteron]

1 hour ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Are y'all really talking about the EpiCentre as some highlight of Charlotte architecture and culture? Like losing it would be some big loss and anything like the loss of actual historic buildings in this city? Come on. The EpiCentre was cool when it opened 10 years ago and it was the only place to go in Charlotte, and from day one it's slowly turned into a crumbling mess that's already outdated, redundant, and largely irrelevant. It's crappy architecture empty of any value, it's hard to navigate when you're inside it, and it would be better for the city's vibrancy if all the little restaurants and bars (and the CVS) in it were instead spread out over the street-front spaces in uptown. Nothing would be lost in tearing it down.

Couldn’t agree more.  The Epicenter was an awesome place between 2008-2013ish.  After that it became super ghetto and the tenants have become less and less appealing. Furthermore,   the architecture is horrible and is falling apart.  It’s interesting because I remember when it opened it started taking away business from the other nightlife venues (Forum, Republic, Sunset Club and others that don’t exist anymore).  Now the opposite.  I don’t even know if Alive After 5 is still going on there to be honest

Edited November 25, 2019 by Temeteron

[Durhamite]

1 hour ago, Bruco72 said:

Cities close down clubs that are having issues with violence all the time. Frankly I see nothing enduring or unique or interesting about the epicenter. I hope they can figure out the issues and it can continue to provide some entertainment options, but nothing hurts cities reputations and tourism and business relocation prospects more than random violence in its core business and tourism district. 

And metal detectors will guarantee it’s demise.  Just what I want to do is get a drink with a client after a meeting is go somewhere with a metal detector. 

And I’m not a Charlotte nimby. 

Lol, If that's was the case, Bourbon St wouldn't exist!  Are y'all talking about the same Epicentre I frequent when in town?  I was just there two weeks ago, no problem.  Some of these perspectives align with what a lot of people in Raleigh/Cary think about downtown Durham.  Total exaggeration and culture fear, especially when it's not watered down lilly White.  So, it's a little rough around the edges, Good!  You don't have to go there, everything doesn't have to be watered down to the point of khaki-nation.    Charlotte has plenty of other options to hangout.  Back to the  other poster's point as to why that type of thought leadership historically gutted the city decades ago. I guess it' wash, rinse, repeat.

[Bruco72]

25 minutes ago, Durhamite said:

Lol, If that's was the case, Bourbon St wouldn't exist!  Are y'all talking about the same Epicentre I frequent when in town?  I was just there two weeks ago, no problem.  Some of these perspectives align with what a lot of people in Raleigh/Cary think about downtown Durham.  Total exaggeration and culture fear, especially when it's not watered down lilly White.  So, it's a little rough around the edges, Good!  You don't have to go there, everything doesn't have to be watered down to the point of khaki-nation.    Charlotte has plenty of other options to hangout.  Back to the  other poster's point as to why that type of thought leadership historically gutted the city decades ago. I guess it' wash, rinse, repeat.

Shootings in the middle of the afternoon is “rough around the edges” and “good”? And to compare it to an iconic location like Bourbon Street is laughable. And yes concern over crime is a major issue in New Orleans. 

And lastly I lived in Chicago for 10 years, so I know how reputations are built. People think that city is a war zone (it’s not), but headlines like a CEO being gunned down in the middle of the afternoon ain’t good for the old reputation of Charlotte. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by Bruco72

[TheOneRJ]

Sorry, but to the first time/unfamiliar visitor to Charlotte, the EpiCentre is still the place to go if you’re looking for Uptown nightlife. Saying it’s uncool or irrelevant simply isn’t true and any weekend crowd would agree regardless of how the building looks cosmetically or how many locals hear about the recent crimes on the news. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by TheOneRJ

[KJHburg]

I drove by the Epicenter around 2 on Sunday afternoon and there was a long line of cars at the valet or dropping people off.   I don't think it needs to be torn down (how would that happen anyway with 3 hotels including a 22 story one)  However I think the best bet is this:  more retail focus less clubs, possible redevelopment of the entire or part of the building at Trade and College into another hotel to fuel more retail customers. As we do have bar districts so to speak uptown at the corner of Tryon and 5th  and over at the NC Music Factory and of course spread around the city.  More visible security at all times should be implemented  immediately.  Absolutely no metal detectors unless at clubs as they would tell everyone this is a dangerous place to avoid.  Epicenter has a purpose and it is by no means rough on the edges as it across the street from BofA Plaza, 1 Bank of America Corp Center and the bank owned Ritz Carlton.   

[KJHburg]

photo of the Epicenter to right.  Took the photo up so you can't  see all the activity at street level  and there was a lot yesterday. 

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by KJHburg

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

I was recently in Seattle and the Pacific Place reminded me of the Epicentre a little bit (design).  Although theirs is enclosed, it has a similar open-air, multistory retail destination.  No clubs, not too many bars, but rather shopping retail and restaurants.  This is probably a similar vision the Epicentre's owners would like to emulate.  Anchored by a Barnes & Nobles, shops that include Francesca's, Victoria's Secret, Kate Spade, J Crew, Michael Kors, JNBY to name a few.  An AMC Theaters up top.  Just a very cool place downtown and something I wish the Epicentre could become someday.  Let's hope changes come sooner rather than later.