A 99-year-old building in uptown Charlotte is set to be demolished. The Builders Building on West Trade Street was considered the “premier office building for construction professionals” when it opened in the 1920s, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. The commission designated it a historic landmark in 2004. So why is it coming down? Tony Mecia of The Charlotte Ledger joins WFAE’s Marshall Terry for our segment BizWorthy.
Marshall Terry: I didn’t realize Charlotte had any buildings that old left. Why is this one marked for demolition?
Tony Mecia: Yeah, there are some buildings that old. The city has put in a demolition order against it because it's in disrepair. This is, as you mentioned, the Builders Building. It's at 312 West Trade Street. That's the corner of Pine and Trade Street, about three blocks away from Trade and Tryon, right in the center of town. The code violations that the city found — they've cited it for bad wiring, floor damage, and that it's a breeding area for rodents or insects. It's owned by First Presbyterian Church. The building has been ordered to come down, but it sounds as though the church is not quite ready to tear it down. There were some plans that came out earlier this year that a hospitality company wanted to turn it into a hotel, according to a presentation to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. Nothing has been announced on that yet. Maybe there's something in the works there going forward.
Terry: This is the Charlotte story, right? We tear down everything that’s old. Is there any chance of it being saved at this point? I mean, I guess you were talking about some plans that may be in the works.
Mecia: Well, we really don't know. Like I say, nothing's been announced. It's possible that it could be saved, I suppose, and turned into a hotel or might have a different future. A lot of people do complain, as you mentioned, that Charlotte has a reputation for tearing down old buildings. This one is in a pretty bad state of disrepair. I don't think anybody wants a building that's not up to code just sitting there just because, but it would be nice if there were another use for that that was imagined in the center city.
Terry: OK, over to some grocery store news. Wegmans' first Charlotte store is set to open in Ballantyne next month, and it’s causing a lot of excitement for fans of the store. But you report it’s already looking at a second Charlotte-area location. Where?
Mecia: Yes, Wegmans confirmed this week that it has an agreement to buy about 62 acres in Cornelius on land owned by Atrium Health, right next to Atrium Health Lake Norman. It's not a done deal yet. It's just under contract, but you would think that if a major grocery store chain puts 62 acres under contract and wants to buy it, that's a pretty good indication they're going to go there. Wegmans says it's evaluating the site.
Terry: What is it about Wegmans that inspires such fervor?
Mecia: Well, that's a good question. I don't want to be a hater, but I don't entirely get it. I think part of it is that you have a lot of people in the Charlotte area from the New York area, grew up with Wegmans, have known Wegmans for a long time, and really like it. I think the other part of it is, they have a very good selection of ready-to-take-out-of-the-store-and-eat food. They have a lot of selection. I think that's part of what's driving the frenzy, but you are going to see a lot of excitement in the next couple of weeks as this opens down in Ballantyne.
Terry: Finally, the landmark Charlotte restaurant Sir Edmond Halley’s says it’s looking for some customers who stole a picture off the wall by the bar. What’s it a picture of, and what’s the latest on the people who took it?
Mecia: Yes, it's a mystery at Sir Edmund Halley's over there at Park Road Shopping Center. The owner posted a video to Facebook and Instagram, a surveillance video, of a couple of patrons. They look to the right, they look to the left. One guy took it off the wall and stuck it into his bag. It's a photo of some friends. It has no actual value except for sentimental value, the owner said, but it's something that the owner would like to get back and hopes to find some more information about who these people are and why they took it. In the meantime, he's saying he's looking a little more closely at maybe attaching the photos to the wall in more of a sturdy way so that people can't take them down.
Terry: Thrill seeker maybe stealing pictures off of barroom walls? I don't know.
Mecia: Yeah, who knows? They also paid in cash, so there's no way to track them with credit cards, he said.
Headline: Charlotte orders nearly century old uptown building demolished
Support for BizWorthy comes from the law office of Robertson & Associates.
Support for BizWorthy comes from the law office of Robertson & Associates.
