Lake Norman nightlife venue to close and building razed for major new project
Old Town Public House, a popular nightlife venue in downtown Cornelius, will close in January before the building is demolished for a new development project, its owner said Thursday.
OTPH, as everyone calls it, opened in 2015 at 21314 Catawba Ave. The neighborhood coffeehouse and pub features craft beer, fine wines, espresso and live entertainment seven nights a week.
“It’s been the place you came to shake off a rough day, to make friends you didn’t know you needed, and to hear the kind of music that makes a Wednesday feel like a Saturday,” owner Case Warnemunde said on Facebook on Wednesday.
On Instagram, he described the venue as “a ‘home’ where we’ve shared countless toasts, stories, and songs, and every one of them has left its mark.”
On Thursday, Warnemunde told CharlotteFive: “We made the decision that we’re ready to ride off into the sunset.”
Still, he said, he hopes to find an even bigger spot in downtown Cornelius to expand his venue’s offerings.
He supports the new project that’s causing his business to close Jan. 11, he said.
“The development is going to be an amazing thing for the downtown,” Warnemunde said. “It’s bringing restaurants, nightlife and parking. ”
5-story building, 238 multi-family units
In 2023, the Cornelius Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning for Charlotte developer Highline Partners’ 2.33-acre Mill’s Market project at the southeast corner of Catawba Avenue and Meridian Street.
The project will include a five-story building with 12,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor and 238 multi-family units on the other stories.
Four of the stories will front Catawba. Parking will be provided, with access from Meridian Street and the neighboring Cain Center for the Arts driveway, according to the developer’s plans.
The building is owned by Cornelius-based Corner Oak LLC, founded by real estate investor Bob Stamey and Cashion’s Quik Mart owner Gordon Cashion.
“We still have not closed on the property with the developer,” Stamey told C5 on Thursday, declining further comment.
Cashion referred C5 to Highline Partners.
Mike Miller of Highline Partners wasn’t immediately reached Thursday regarding the project timetable.
Pub owner sees great future for downtown
Warnemunde said he’s excited about downtown’s future.
“We’ll be honest — saying goodbye to these old buildings stirs up real emotion,” Warnemunde said on social media. “We know many of you feel the same way.
“But ... we can honor what’s been, while also believing in what’s to come,” he said. “Because sometimes the very doors we’ve loved the most have to close to make room for new ones — and with them, new magic.”
“And while it’s hard to imagine these old walls coming down, we CHOOSE to see this as part of something bigger.”
Hinting at a new venture, he said: “And trust us … we’ve already got some things brewing.”
Old Town Public House
Location: 21314 Catawba Ave., Cornelius NC 28031.
Instagram: @oldtownpublichouse.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM.