Major pickleball complex envisioned for empty office tower / APRIL FOOLS’ EDITION
Plus: Park Road Shopping Center petitions for new district; New wrinkle in Piper Glen development saga; Plans for I-277 scrutinized; Review board approves new South End color
Good morning! Today is Monday, April 1, 2024. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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EDITOR’S NOTE [added 4/2/24, 12:20 a.m.]: This is an April Fools Day edition of The Charlotte Ledger. THESE ARTICLES ARE NOT REAL.
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A ‘perfect match’ for empty office tower: Mixed-use ‘Pickle@301’ to take over former One Wells Fargo with courts, simulators, bars, restaurants — and a reality-show theater
Pickle@301 in the former One Wells Fargo building is one example of how old office buildings are being re-imagined. (Rendering courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield)
by Tony Mecia
A prospective buyer of the mostly vacant former One Wells Fargo building uptown is developing an ambitious plan to convert most of it into what would be the Southeast’s largest indoor pickleball complex.
The move, revealed in a filing with the city of Charlotte late last week, would fill a prominent empty uptown office tower and enliven the area of South College Street between the Epicentre and the Charlotte Convention Center, backers said.
City leaders and uptown advocates have been seeking creative new uses for uptown’s empty office buildings, as tenants move to newer spots in South End and companies require less space because of the persistence of work-from-home arrangements. Tapping into the growing popularity of pickleball, the thinking goes, could be one solution — although boosters are quick to say that pickleball conversions might not be suitable for every struggling Charlotte office tower.
Real estate company Cushman & Wakefield is working with investors including former tennis star Andy Roddick, musician DaBaby and WCNC meteorologist Brad Panovich on the pickleball conversion project. Tepper Sports & Entertainment was lined up to be a minority investor but backed out of the deal at the last minute.
The 42-story building, which opened in 1988, would be renamed “Pickle@301,” a nod to its address at 301 S. College St. Renderings show frosted glass on the front of the building in the shape of a pickleball paddle.
“Pickleball is surging in popularity, and having this center uptown will put Charlotte on the map for enthusiasts as well as national and international tournaments,” Charlotte Center City Partners said in a statement to The Ledger. “It’s a perfect match that helps address a need and will make our city stronger and more vibrant.”
Under the plan, floors 5-32 of Pickle@301 would be converted into a mix of drop-in and reservation-only pickleball courts. The top floors would contain a members-only area known as “The Crutchfield Club” as well as the revival of the old-time Charlotte restaurant Slug’s 30th Edition.
Pickle@301 would have an undisclosed number of pickleball courts on floors 5 through 32 of the former office tower. (Rendering courtesy of Cushman & Wakefield)
The first two floors would contain an Optimist Hall-like collection of upscale food stalls, taprooms and craft cocktail booths known as “The Kitchen.” Ideas include a fast-casual meme cafe, an acai bowl speakeasy and a farm-to-table zero-waste global street food cafeteria.
Floors 3 and 4 would contain state-of-the-art pickleball simulators and a minor league pickleball esports team training center run by the Carolinas Fintech Hub.
Developers are also partnering with Axios Charlotte on a “Love Is Blind” screening room and Instagram selfie wall off the lobby on the ground floor. Other ground-floor retailers are expected to include a pet-rental center known as “Dog Days”; an environmentally sustainable escape room called “The Green Room”; a fully immersive augmented reality shopping mall; and a Chase bank branch, retail broker Charles Thrift told The Ledger.
The idea for a major uptown pickleball center like Pickle@301 follows plans for several other places for Charlotteans to play the fast-growing sport, including:
Rally Pickleball in LoSo
The Tipsy Pickle at Camp North End
the Dink & Drink Saloon in Pineville
Dill Dinkers in south Charlotte
Pickleball Paradise Spa & Sauna at Lake Norman
The Catawba Cruiser Pickle Pavilion atop a riverboat that sets sail from Mount Holly
Development of the project could begin soon, as it does not require a rezoning. Like duplexes and triplexes, commercial pickleball centers can be built “by right” in any city zoning district, under the terms of the new Unified Development Ordinance.
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Hermits rejoice: Charlotte is on the verge of getting its first anti-social district
Fresh off the launch of Charlotte’s first social district in Plaza-Midwood, a local business announced Friday that it has applied to be the city’s first anti-social district.
Running the length of the storefront of Park Road Books at Park Road Shopping Center, the anti-social district will feature a series of tables with one chair, a stack of new releases to peruse and no Instagrammable backdrops. Customers may bring over free popcorn from Blackhawk Hardware, but they otherwise are forbidden to wander the district with food and drink in hand.
“I’d rather not talk about it,” said a representative of the company, who declined to give her name.
Charlotte’s stringent rules on anti-social districts allow participants to make occasional, awkward attempts at eye contact with each other before returning their gaze to the ground.
Other parts of North Carolina have already been declared anti-social districts, including a solo hiking trail near Boone, a meditation yurt outside Asheville and a series of Waxhaw man caves.
Piper Glen rocked by eagle love nest scandal; Piper caught in feathery fling as Glen broods at being stuck with new hatchlings
The future of a 640-home development in south Charlotte took an unusual turn over the weekend, as the two eagles at the center of opposition efforts were reported to be experiencing personal problems that threaten to derail neighbors’ moves to block the project.
Reports have emerged that Piper, the female bald eagle at the center of a massive south Charlotte rezoning controversy, was spotted nesting with a red-tailed hawk in Mint Hill.
Images previously released by neighbors depicting a happy domestic life with eagle husband Glen and their two chicks are now believed to be sophisticated fakes prepared by PR firm Luquire, which represents the royal bird family, according to celebrity birding site AviaryGeeks.com, which first reported the news on its website Sunday.
REVEALED: Photos of Piper and Glen, which have been enlisted in the fight against a development off Rea Road, appear to have been doctored, with Glen having an extra set of talons and Piper having four eyes instead of two.
Coming Thursday in Transit Time: Inside NCDOT’s plans for oil slicks and rotating saw blades on I-277
‘Roads-first’?: Some residents are objecting to the plans, which they say will make I-277 even more dangerous to drivers. But urbanists on Twitter argue that motorists will finally get what they deserve. Who’s right? We take a closer look.
New color approved for South End apartments over neighbor objections
New apartment color criticized: Neighbors are criticizing a decision by the South End Architectural Review Board (above) to allow apartment complexes to be built in the color khaki, which they said was a “radical departure” from the previously required beige apartments. But the board voted against allowing apartments to be constructed in light taupe, which board members and residents agreed would endanger South End’s distinctive character.
In brief
Vehicle sales: Hendrick Automotive reported that it and all other car dealers in the Southeast have sold out of red bandwagon vehicles, as N.C. State’s unexpected run in the NCAA tournament continued last night.
Panthers trade raises eyebrows: Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper said Sunday that the team plans to trade quarterback Bryce Young to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick and a bag of magic beans. (ESPN)
More mellow role: Writers of the smash hit “NFL 2024-25 Season” said in an interview that they plan to “tone down” the show’s David Tepper character. “We got a little ahead of ourselves last year,” said producer Roger Goodell, adding that audiences found the character “unrealistic” and “cartoonish” at times. (Entertainment Weekly)
New tactic for transit plan: The Charlotte City Council settled on a new strategy for implementing a comprehensive regional transit plan. The new approach, known as “manifesting,” calls for stepping up the pace of conversations about the transit plans in hopes that it might somehow all come together. “We need to be having conversations about conversations, and more discussions about conversations — as well as debates about conversations and conversations about discussions — if we want to make this a reality, because it is critically important,” Mayor Vi Lyles said.
Carowinds likely to spot safety hazards: Carowinds said that its roller coasters are “almost certainly” safe for its customers to ride, and that its well-trained team of safety inspectors are, in all likelihood, better qualified to spot any potential hazards than a random guy with an iPhone.
Bojangles computer endangers chicken detente: Bojangles AI supercomputer Bo-Linda pushed the country’s fried chicken readiness to DEFCON 4 on Friday, on news that she has become sentient and is planning a pre-emptive strike against rival Chick-fil-A restaurants.
New reality show: A new reality TV show filmed in Charlotte is set to debut on Hulu next month, featuring long-married couples pretending not to hear the offhanded disparaging comments they make about each other. The series is called “Love Is Deaf.” (Axios Charlotte, CharlotteFive, People magazine)
New money-saving lounge at CLT: Frontier Airlines, which announced it is adding flights to become the No. 2 airline at Charlotte’s airport, said it plans to open an airport lounge on Concourse A. The no-frills lounge will feature signature threadbare carpet, an overworked microwave, vending machines stocked with generic-brand chips and a business center with a wobbly card table and intermittent WiFi. (The Points Guy)
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority is developing a bold and honest new marketing slogan highlighting the convenience of reaching the beach or mountains. Finalists include “Charlotte: Your Launchpad to Anywhere But Here,” “Charlotte: Where the City’s End is the Start of Your Adventure” and “Come to Charlotte, Where the Best Views are in Your Rearview Mirror!”
More details on obscure apartment complex: The paint on an unremarkable apartment complex in University City transitioned from a wet to a dry state over several hours, with no change in color or texture. In addition, the grass at the front of the complex grew incrementally taller at a rate unnoticeable to the naked eye. (Biz Journal)
What Axios ate in March: The staff of Axios Charlotte agreed that the best meal they ate in March was Arcadian flatbread pizza, topped with sliced kumatox, spiced zephyron lamb and zentara-infused solaris peppers, and drizzled with a sauce made from blended starlight tomatoes and veldorian cheese.
A very happy April Fools’ Day from your friends at The Charlotte Ledger. (Really, nothing in here today is real)
➡️ Many thanks to a small band of hooligan friends of The Ledger for suggesting ideas and writing portions of today’s fake newsletter.
Related Ledger fake news April 1 editions:
“Big triplex plans for Myers Park” (April 1, 2021)
“The future of South End is underground” (April 1, 2022)
“Developer rolls the dice on massive uptown casino complex” (April 1, 2023)
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman
Ok, you had me until the “Crutchfield Club!” Then I got nostalgic thinking of Slug’s 30th Edition. Excellent April 1 edition! But Charlotte has gotten so crazy that some of this stuff may not be that far-fetched.
lol. I fell for it for a bit!