‘Never told anything.’ Uptown tenants surprised by pending Queen City Quarter sale
Businesses at the struggling uptown Queen City Quarter have mixed feelings over the pending sale of the complex, again, but say something must be done.
Property management group CBRE plans to list the uptown entertainment complex at 201 E. Trade St., formerly known as the Epicentre, officials confirmed to The Charlotte Observer Wednesday.
News of the Quarter’s pending sale surprised tenants the Observer spoke with. And there are not that many tenants left — With 12 of 50 tenant spaces occupied, it has a vacancy rate of 76%.
“We were never told anything,” said Samantha Francis, general manager at Mortimer’s Cafe & Pub. “A new owner, if anything, would bring a source of hope.”
Francis said she only learned of the pending sale on Wednesday after another tenant, contacted by the Observer, told her about it.
Less than four years ago, lender Deutsche Bank was the lone and winning auction bidder, purchasing the former Epicentre complex for $95 million. The three-story, 302,324-square-foot mixed-use center had fallen into receivership in 2021 for defaulting on an $85 million loan.
Epicentre was the hotspot for nightlife when it opened in 2008. Since the sale, property manager CBRE has renovated and rebranded the complex to Queen City Quarter, with a vision to turn it into a family-friendly destination instead of a nightclub venue.
While some businesses have opened, such as Lottie’s Cafe, Kitchen + Kocktails and Sea Grill Restaurant & Bar, more have closed, including World of Beer, Tailored Smoke Cigar Bar & Lounge and CVS.
Business owners say it’s still a struggle without more foot traffic. Some said they need more events just to let the community know Queen City Quarter is open.
All tenants agree more needs to be done for their businesses to thrive.
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Epicentre needed reinvention not rebrand, tenant says
Mortimer’s, which will celebrate its 16th anniversary at the complex on March 17, is the last remaining sports bar from the complex’s former life as the Epicentre nightlife hub.
However, its business hours have been significantly cut back, dropping lunch service and opening only three days a week, Thursday through Saturday. The business is open Wednesday because of the ACC Tournament in town.
The bar remains heavily “event based,” Francis said, relying on occasional boosts from Hornets games or large tournaments like the ACC.
She believes the Quarter needs more events and casual dining options, noting the power of a lively atmosphere: “A crowd draws a crowd.”
Francis also shared her view on the complex’s recent rebrand from Epicentre to Queen City Quarter: “Instead of a rebrand we needed a reinvention.”
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Problems are beyond the Quarter, tenant says
Another staple at the Quarter is RedEye Diner, a retro diner that opened in 2016 and has about 70 full- and part-time employees.
“RedEye Diner is not going to close, but sales have not gotten any better,” owner Brian Dominick told the Observer. “The effort that the new owners put into it hasn’t done anything.”
Dominick believes the Quarter may need something more drastic, like a complete teardown and rebuild with what’s relevant today. There are other issues, too, including crime and homelessness in uptown.
“It’s a bigger problem than the Quarter,” Dominick said. “The people didn’t come back to uptown.”
