More buildings in Elizabeth torn down as plans for hotel rezoning are withdrawn
The Elizabeth neighborhood won’t be getting a hotel — at least not for now.
Meanwhile, two buildings that were on the site for the planned hotel are slated for demolition. Crews were in the process of tearing one down last week. Another building badly damaged in a November fire is also slated for demolition, according to county property records.
The demolitions come months after Durham-based developer Lucrum Seven withdrew its plans to rezone a corner lot in the Charlotte neighborhood for a a six-story hotel and retail. The property sits at the corner of Lamar Avenue and East 7th Street.
Lucrum Seven did not comment beyond saying it’s no longer involved in the hotel and retail project.
It withdrew the petition in November, a spokeswoman told The Charlotte Observer this week. Lucrum does not own the property; the owner filed for demolition permits in April, property records show. Attempts to reach the owner were not successful.
Other development around Elizabeth
There has been other recent development activity along this stretch of Elizabeth.
The site is not far from Independence Park, a 117-year-old park that just reopened after a $6 million upgrade.
Elizabeth’s East 7th Street has seen a number of changes, including the recently-completed Elizabeth on Seventh project, a mixed-use building with office and retail.
Crescent Communities is the developer behind the three-story project. Rosemont Market and Wine Bar is now open there, serving breakfast, lunch, coffee, wine and beer, plus full-service dinner.
And just up the block from the old Lucrum site, at least three vacant buildings were torn down this year. A Chicago developer who purchased five parcels has plans to rezone the site for a mixed-use project.
Elizabeth site was home to garden shop
Evan Kettler believes the former Lucrum development site will be sold and eventually developed. As vice president of the Elizabeth Community Association, he’s not aware of any other plans in the works to build something there.
The buildings on the corner lot faced demolition mainly due to safety and security reasons, Kettler believes. He points to how a fire broke out at the vacant building in November. Abandoned properties like these can become hazards, he said.
Kettler said the buildings were on the market for a long time.
“No one was willing to buy those properties and renovate them,” he said.
The building at 1733 E. 7th St. used to be home to Royal Gardens, a garden retail shop that operated for 25 years, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. The store closed in late 2019.
Kettler said he would like to see more amenities like restaurants and shops come to 7th Street.
This story was originally published July 6, 2023 at 6:10 AM.
