Observations Of The Town (Charleston, Huntington: 2014, condos, hotel)
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My apologies for not being very active on this forum in recent months. This past summer I moved away from Charleston area, and so I haven't been super familiar with what is going on around town. However, back during Thanksgiving I did spend a little bit of time and noticed a few things that are worth mentioning.
For starters, the renovated and expanded library looks really nice! When finished, it will be a remarkable addition of modern architecture in the heart of downtown.
Just up Summers street, I thought that the work on Slack Plaza was coming along. It too will be a much needed dose of life in the heart of the CBD.
The former Huntington Bank Building, which is being renovated into condos, looked like it was well underway. I'm glad to see huge investments like that by the private sector.
I might be in the minority, but I really like the new R-Cut intersection on Corridor G (near Oakwood Rd). I hear a bunch of people complaining, but when I was there it seemed to move traffic through that area more efficiently then the previous setup. There was plenty of traffic to test it out, and it seemed to hold up to expectations from the DOH. I wouldn't be surprised to see more of these types of intersections in the coming years around the state.
As usual, not a lot else is happening around the city. I didn't notice any new businesses, but a few buildings here and there undergoing renovation.
I didn't go into the CTC or throughout the western part of the Kanawha Valley (St Albans/Nitro/Cross Lanes).
I will be back in WV for Christmas, and I will most certainly swing by Charleston again to see friends and family. Maybe I will have a better diagnosis of the area.
There is a brewery going in downtown called fife street brewing. I think secret sandwich society is going to be on capitol street but I’m not sure how far along it is
There is a brewery going in downtown called fife street brewing. I think secret sandwich society is going to be on capitol street but I’m not sure how far along it is
I know the brewer. He comes to our local homebrew meetings. The equipment is scheduled for delivery next month and beer should flow in March. (He's an experienced brewer and makes some first rate beer.)
My apologies for not being very active on this forum in recent months. This past summer I moved away from Charleston area, and so I haven't been super familiar with what is going on around town. However, back during Thanksgiving I did spend a little bit of time and noticed a few things that are worth mentioning.
For starters, the renovated and expanded library looks really nice! When finished, it will be a remarkable addition of modern architecture in the heart of downtown.
Just up Summers street, I thought that the work on Slack Plaza was coming along. It too will be a much needed dose of life in the heart of the CBD.
The former Huntington Bank Building, which is being renovated into condos, looked like it was well underway. I'm glad to see huge investments like that by the private sector.
I might be in the minority, but I really like the new R-Cut intersection on Corridor G (near Oakwood Rd). I hear a bunch of people complaining, but when I was there it seemed to move traffic through that area more efficiently then the previous setup. There was plenty of traffic to test it out, and it seemed to hold up to expectations from the DOH. I wouldn't be surprised to see more of these types of intersections in the coming years around the state.
As usual, not a lot else is happening around the city. I didn't notice any new businesses, but a few buildings here and there undergoing renovation.
I didn't go into the CTC or throughout the western part of the Kanawha Valley (St Albans/Nitro/Cross Lanes).
I will be back in WV for Christmas, and I will most certainly swing by Charleston again to see friends and family. Maybe I will have a better diagnosis of the area.
Where did you end up Chriscross?
I was in over Thanksgiving and enjoyed the Brawley Walkway Christmas lights and some of the new things going in - Distillery over in Elk City and then also Slack Street condo work. Went to a new vegan place downtown near Black Sheep that was really good and also heard about the new Fife Street Brewing mentioned above.
I was in over Thanksgiving and enjoyed the Brawley Walkway Christmas lights and some of the new things going in - Distillery over in Elk City and then also Slack Street condo work. Went to a new vegan place downtown near Black Sheep that was really good and also heard about the new Fife Street Brewing mentioned above.
I moved to the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. It's been a great decision, but the Charleston area will always be home. Living up here, I see a lot of things that would work well in Charleston and WV, but would take some investment and entrepreneur spirit.
It's great to hear about the brewery going in and Secret Sandwich Society.
I moved to the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. It's been a great decision, but the Charleston area will always be home. Living up here, I see a lot of things that would work well in Charleston and WV, but would take some investment and entrepreneur spirit.
It's great to hear about the brewery going in and Secret Sandwich Society.
Nice! Beautiful country up there- well I've only been to Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls / Lake George which I think are on the far far southern end (I think) but great places. Charleston is the same for me which is why I still check-in after living away for over 15 years.
Lenoir , in the Renaissance Historic District, 68 Wentworth Street, Vivian Howard opened.
She, her husband Ben Knight, chefs, restaurant owners who live in Deep Run, N.C. She was featured on a cooking show, PBS.
Charleston, I toured with Road Scholar, 2014. Ready to move to your historic town ! Enjoyed grits ever morning from the morning buffet at the Mill House, where the Road Scholar had us stay while on tour.
Wednesday, we toured on our own. Shopped at the Historic book store on the street behind the Mill House. Most delightful conversation with a lovely woman who grew up in Charleston. Funny story she shared about her brother. When he began school, he spoke Gullah, the language his nanny spoke. He returned home with a note, "Teach you son to speak English."
Passed by an old theatre on a corner, a soiree was being held there, can you tell me the significance of the theatre? Two sisters, from Boston, asked me for directions, having just passed by it. Knew it must be significant to locate said location.
Bye the bye, so captivated , by all the sights, didn't realize it was 8 o'clock when I returned to the Mill House. Felt Very safe. God's protection on this Yankee lady or is downtown Charleston safe?
So I was back in town for Christmas, but honestly it was very brief. I was able to spend a short while in downtown, and I drove through South Charleston and Dunbar. Had Pie's and Pints with a friend, and that was a great shot in the arm of home sweet home.
For starters, I am going to go ahead and say that the old Sears will never become a hotel. There is no excuse to why it hasn't been demolished yet if in fact the owners of it truly intend to build a hotel there. Has there actually been an exchange of ownership from Sears to the supposed hotel developer yet? I really don't expect anything to happen with it. Honestly, if the new owners of the mall have no ambitions of doing any major renovations (which would appear to be the case) then it would be pointless to build a hotel there. There needs to be some coordination between the CTC and the hotel for it to be anything more than a Microtel adjacent to a dead mall. Besides, I would much rather see a hotel where the Beni Kedem Temple/Fifth Quarter site is anyways, but we all know that's not going to happen.
I did not go in the mall, but one thing that I thought about that might at least make difference in perception is some kind of signage on the outside of the old Macy's (where Macy's sign was). I know that the mall doesn't own that spot, but it would go along ways to put Charleston Town Center or advertise some of the remaining tenants on the corner where the Macy's sign used to be. It looks so depressing driving on Lee street and coming up to that intersection and seeing a blank façade in need of some pressure washing. I known that there is a sign above the street on the parking garage/overpass, but honestly do visitors to town even realize there is a mall there? Again, given the apathy and history of the current owners I do not expect much change.
Next thing is kind of an odd topic, but it something that I have noticed. For years I have always said to myself that the Charleston area has lacked in quality car washes. I would drive down south or thru Ohio and there would be these boojee car washes with carpet shampoo stations and dozens of powerful vacuums. Charleston always had these self serve hole in the walls, or gas station automatic washes that barley got your car wet, let alone clean. Now I have noticed that there's new car washes popping up everywhere in town. A big one beside Lowe's in KC, one in Dunbar beside the bridge, and another in Cross Lanes. It's like someone turned on a switch and said its time for the Kanawha Valley to enter the 21st century.
Last thing I noticed that was kind of exciting was progress on the new shopping center in South Charleston. They truly have done a lot of work there, and I believe that they might have a potential gold mine in that spot. I don't want to get my hopes too high, but the site is in a perfect location! That might be a huge shot in the arm for the area (at least South Charleston). I honestly feel like we will see a more diverse selection of shops and dining then we've had recently.
Re: the Sears/hotel -- the hotel developer contracted Loftis to demolish the Sears last summer. The City still hasn't given Loftis a demolition permit because of an *unwritten* rule that property owners which share a common wall must both agree to a demolition. The new mall owners (who are awful, but that's for another time) are objecting, saying that demolition of Sears could damage the mall building.
The hotel developer and Loftis say that there is no actual "common wall" under any standard, understood engineering-related definition (i.e., load-bearing) at all and that there is almost 10 feet between the outer structural walls of each building.
So the project is actually trying move forward, but stuck in political red tape hell.
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