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I know Sears corporately is in pretty bad shape, but I haven't heard anything about the one at the mall closing. It would make sense, though; the last time I was in there it felt like a ghost town. If it does leave, the first order of business should be tearing down the Auto Center ASAP. I don't care what happens to that lost (other than more surface parking), but that building needs to go. A cool concept could be a new Municipal Auditorium, either in that spot or as part of the redevelopment of the Beni Kedem Temple/Fifth Quarter lots (there's more than enough room for a new performance venue and the hotel). I'm torn, as the current Municipal Auditorium has some history (plus the fact that the City probably couldn't afford it), but having the entertainment venues all in one place would be nice.
Agreed - I hope Forest City is talking to someone to gauge interest by new tenants just in case Sears goes pear-shaped (which seems to be where the company as a whole is headed). It would look bad for both CTC and the new Civic Center if Sears went belly-up and that space sat empty. One potential issue is that the Sears building at CTC is massive -- 3 full stories (Macy's, JCP, and Brickstreet/old Mongomery Ward are all 2). I wonder whether a new anchor would want that whole space. Dillard's, Boscov's, Belk, and Bon-Ton would all be good fits for Charleston, and none have a presence here yet (well, Bon-Ton and Elder-Beerman are under the same corporate umbrella).
On the subject of the Civic Center, the Urban Renewal Authority has enlisted BBL Carlton to knock down 100 Lee Street since they're right there anyway. For reference, it's that one-story brick building between the Greyhound station and the Health Department that's been empty for ages. That will help keep a blight from being right across the street from the shiny-new Civic Center when all is said and done.
I hope that the Beni Kedem property becomes a hotel with mixed use characteristics. They will likely have to have a parking structure for any hotel, but that could go under ground (at least one level down). Any hotel there should consider restaurant and retail space on street level. Also conference space should be a requirement for any hotel on that lot. Having that will allow for a much greater capacity for hosting events/conferences/conventions/shows/tournaments/concerts/festivals/etc... Then in my opinion the property should also have residential space and/or office space. Not a whole lot, but enough to matter. I'm picturing this being two multi store buildings (the hotel side being 10-12 stories)(residential/office side being 6-10 stories). With 3-4 stories connected all the way through. I agree with in needing to be an upper scale hotel like a Hyatt or Hilton. I really like Omni Hotels but I couldn't imagine that brand ever stepping foot into Charleston.
I am praying that this will happen! This would be such a great step in the right direction. What the city can't allow to happen is anything plopping itself onto that property. Example 1) Holiday Inn Express or similar lower grade hotels. Example 2) Pharmacy/Convenient Store/Sheetz etc... Example 3) Smaller building 1-3 stories that could be built anywhere else.
If Sears goes (which there has been no word on that) then the mall needs to work its rear end off to land a Dillard's or something of that nature. A dead three story department store space is that last thing the mall, city, civic center or anybody needs for that matter!!! If they can't attract another department store then, they need to consider reshaping the thing into multiple spaces. I could see a gym like LA Fitness/Gold's etc... a Barnes and Noble, a Trader Joe's, and possibly even include some smaller stores as well. Then like elewis stated, the auto center has to go. Then with the added amenities to the mall, including grocery and work out space, the next obvious step is to build apartment buildings across the street at the former auto center. Then develop the property beside the Holiday Inn with more apartment space, and then you have a corridor of urban living right beside the mall and civic center! Now somebody tell me that wouldn't be awesome!!!
Agreed - I hope Forest City is talking to someone to gauge interest by new tenants just in case Sears goes pear-shaped (which seems to be where the company as a whole is headed). It would look bad for both CTC and the new Civic Center if Sears went belly-up and that space sat empty. One potential issue is that the Sears building at CTC is massive -- 3 full stories (Macy's, JCP, and Brickstreet/old Mongomery Ward are all 2). I wonder whether a new anchor would want that whole space. Dillard's, Boscov's, Belk, and Bon-Ton would all be good fits for Charleston, and none have a presence here yet (well, Bon-Ton and Elder-Beerman are under the same corporate umbrella).
On the subject of the Civic Center, the Urban Renewal Authority has enlisted BBL Carlton to knock down 100 Lee Street since they're right there anyway. For reference, it's that one-story brick building between the Greyhound station and the Health Department that's been empty for ages. That will help keep a blight from being right across the street from the shiny-new Civic Center when all is said and done.
I hope that the Beni Kedem property becomes a hotel with mixed use characteristics. They will likely have to have a parking structure for any hotel, but that could go under ground (at least one level down). Any hotel there should consider restaurant and retail space on street level. Also conference space should be a requirement for any hotel on that lot. Having that will allow for a much greater capacity for hosting events/conferences/conventions/shows/tournaments/concerts/festivals/etc... Then in my opinion the property should also have residential space and/or office space. Not a whole lot, but enough to matter. I'm picturing this being two multi store buildings (the hotel side being 10-12 stories)(residential/office side being 6-10 stories). With 3-4 stories connected all the way through. I agree with in needing to be an upper scale hotel like a Hyatt or Hilton. I really like Omni Hotels but I couldn't imagine that brand ever stepping foot into Charleston.
I am praying that this will happen! This would be such a great step in the right direction. What the city can't allow to happen is anything plopping itself onto that property. Example 1) Holiday Inn Express or similar lower grade hotels. Example 2) Pharmacy/Convenient Store/Sheetz etc... Example 3) Smaller building 1-3 stories that could be built anywhere else.
If Sears goes (which there has been no word on that) then the mall needs to work its rear end off to land a Dillard's or something of that nature. A dead three story department store space is that last thing the mall, city, civic center or anybody needs for that matter!!! If they can't attract another department store then, they need to consider reshaping the thing into multiple spaces. I could see a gym like LA Fitness/Gold's etc... a Barnes and Noble, a Trader Joe's, and possibly even include some smaller stores as well. Then like elewis stated, the auto center has to go. Then with the added amenities to the mall, including grocery and work out space, the next obvious step is to build apartment buildings across the street at the former auto center. Then develop the property beside the Holiday Inn with more apartment space, and then you have a corridor of urban living right beside the mall and civic center! Now somebody tell me that wouldn't be awesome!!!
I hope that the Beni Kedem property becomes a hotel with mixed use characteristics. They will likely have to have a parking structure for any hotel, but that could go under ground (at least one level down). Any hotel there should consider restaurant and retail space on street level. Also conference space should be a requirement for any hotel on that lot. Having that will allow for a much greater capacity for hosting events/conferences/conventions/shows/tournaments/concerts/festivals/etc... Then in my opinion the property should also have residential space and/or office space. Not a whole lot, but enough to matter. I'm picturing this being two multi store buildings (the hotel side being 10-12 stories)(residential/office side being 6-10 stories). With 3-4 stories connected all the way through. I agree with in needing to be an upper scale hotel like a Hyatt or Hilton. I really like Omni Hotels but I couldn't imagine that brand ever stepping foot into Charleston.
I am praying that this will happen! This would be such a great step in the right direction. What the city can't allow to happen is anything plopping itself onto that property. Example 1) Holiday Inn Express or similar lower grade hotels. Example 2) Pharmacy/Convenient Store/Sheetz etc... Example 3) Smaller building 1-3 stories that could be built anywhere else.
If Sears goes (which there has been no word on that) then the mall needs to work its rear end off to land a Dillard's or something of that nature. A dead three story department store space is that last thing the mall, city, civic center or anybody needs for that matter!!! If they can't attract another department store then, they need to consider reshaping the thing into multiple spaces. I could see a gym like LA Fitness/Gold's etc... a Barnes and Noble, a Trader Joe's, and possibly even include some smaller stores as well. Then like elewis stated, the auto center has to go. Then with the added amenities to the mall, including grocery and work out space, the next obvious step is to build apartment buildings across the street at the former auto center. Then develop the property beside the Holiday Inn with more apartment space, and then you have a corridor of urban living right beside the mall and civic center! Now somebody tell me that wouldn't be awesome!!!
I always seem to find myself outside the box on these matters. From what I have seen over the recent years, big mall stores are a thing of the past. Those that exist are scrambling to find ways to compete with their own online presence, much less their competitors. A high end brand is a great thing to have in the cities resume but I do not see Charleston supporting such an outlet. Indeed, Belk balked at coming to Charleston as an alternative to Brickstreet moving in. I doubt the fiscal climate has improved enough to change their minds. Most of the big chains are streamlining down to the most profitable stores and if they don't have a store in Charleston by now, they aren't likely to step in any time soon.
The new Civic Center and rumored convention hotel would boost the mall immensely, especially if it had a second level walking bridge into the mall. I am generally not a fan of pedestrian walkways as I think they take away from the street presence and foot traffic that makes a city feel vibrant, but there are places where they would be logical and that connection for one to Town Center qualifies in my opinion.
But, what would replace Sears would have to be something that reversed the ghost town feel to Town Center in the evenings. A new store is not going to do that.
If were me making the choice, I would not try to find solution but rather a framework of pieces to solve the problem. Charleston desperately needs something to lure folks downtown at night. I would take the old Sears Auto Center location and do all I could to drag a chain like Cheesecake Factory in here and sit it there. It could be a Brio Tuscan Grill, Macaroni Grill or anything of that nature. I would carve up the first floor of Sears and bring in several smaller bars. Claddagh Irish Pub, Joes Crab Shack, maybe something like Japanese Steak House, you know the type, something heavily themed that has a spectacle quality to it. Then on the 2nd and 3rd floors I would bring in a new cinema. I know three is Park Place 5 blocks away, but that is 5 blocks away and you have to go through the transit mall to get there - not my idea of a casual stroll or even a safe one. There is already a parking garage entrance on the second level into sears that would serve this well. Also the Sears store has a dedicated drive through alone that is great for valet service for the pubs on the first floor.
This would transform this corner of Town Center into a evening entertainment destination that caters to many tastes and would be very welcome by conventioneers at the new hotel. All of this could be connected by walkways as well. The mall gets tourists inside when the evening hours seem ho-hum and you might see Marriot up their game as well as Embassy asking for walkways into the Town Center. This would turn the mall into a gathering place for people with money instead of a gathering of place for people begging for money.
Realistically I have my doubts with the current situation Charleston and WV is in that there will be any type of worthwhile development on the Shriner's property. Charleston doesn't have good recent track record of making things happen or having any vision so while I'd love to see a 20+ story multi-use high-rise connected to the civic center and mall reality is a 3 or 4 story Hilton Garden even if that I'm all too afraid.
Sears...who knows. I doubt another retailer would locate in that space. The chances of landing a Belk are about next to nil. If the Huntington Mall couldn't replace Elder Beerman with a Belk they sure aren't going to the CTC. And speaking of Elder Beerman not sure how long their other two locations are going to be around either. I doubt they would locate in the old Kanawha Mall although it would be nice to have an alternative location in Charleston besides the CTC that offers decent family clothing that is better than Kohl's.
I wish I was had a better outlook but with jobs leaving and no companies coming in and no plan to attract or invest in businesses there really isn't much reason for retailers to locate here or restaurants or anything else. I'm not sure we can support another hotel as well.
Realistically I have my doubts with the current situation Charleston and WV is in that there will be any type of worthwhile development on the Shriner's property. Charleston doesn't have good recent track record of making things happen or having any vision so while I'd love to see a 20+ story multi-use high-rise connected to the civic center and mall reality is a 3 or 4 story Hilton Garden even if that I'm all too afraid.
Sears...who knows. I doubt another retailer would locate in that space. The chances of landing a Belk are about next to nil. If the Huntington Mall couldn't replace Elder Beerman with a Belk they sure aren't going to the CTC. And speaking of Elder Beerman not sure how long their other two locations are going to be around either. I doubt they would locate in the old Kanawha Mall although it would be nice to have an alternative location in Charleston besides the CTC that offers decent family clothing that is better than Kohl's.
I wish I was had a better outlook but with jobs leaving and no companies coming in and no plan to attract or invest in businesses there really isn't much reason for retailers to locate here or restaurants or anything else. I'm not sure we can support another hotel as well.
According to a friend of mine at CASCI, Embassy Suites reports 87 employees and Marriot Town Center reports 116 employees. I am sure that number varies by season and event, and most likely even daily, but they are probably core targets for the number of jobs provided by those properties at 90 and 120 respectively. The Charleston Newspaper report says that 100-150 jobs will be provided by this new endeavor. That would imply a hotel slightly larger than the existing Marriot Charleston Town Center property. The footprint open to a property that size is about equal to the exist Marriot as well. This would imply a property 2 or 3 floors taller. As the current Marriot is 14 floors above grade, the new property is roughly 17 floors - about equal to the Laidley Tower.
The vacancy rate for the existing properties is roughly 90% meaning that only 10% of the rooms are open at any time. That includes the Courtyard and Four Seasons, but I do not think it includes the Holiday Inn Express or the Hampton Inn.
I also have a bit of a pessimistic outlook on the cities future. But, in spite of my reservations, Charleston has success. It is slower than I would like and the results are not always as grand as I might wish, but progress is made here. I have been a partner to CURA since 1987 and over that time period, much has bee accomplished but much has been let fall through the cracks. Some stuff happen in spite of the city not really promoting and some stuff the city really wanted went belly up. It happens.
A hotel tied to a convention center is a given for success. Malls that are thriving have hotels and business offices attached to them as well. Charleston as a rare set of proximity for both to feed off of each other. Will it happen? I hope so but it might more likely of the city gets out of the way and lets the free market call the shots. This isn't capitol street where no none wants to play nice. I just wish capitol street would burn down and all of those property holders got their insurance check and the city could properly develop that critical street.
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