CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The sale of Uptown Charlotte's once-buzzing Epicentre has been postponed, the substitute trustee said Thursday.
The sale of Epicentre, which once hosted many entertainment venues and restaurants, was pushed back to July 26 at 10 a.m. The substitute trustee did not give a reason for the postponement, which was announced just before the auction was set for Thursday.
For months, Epicentre's future was up in the air. WCNC Charlotte learned the road to building the hub on the site of the old Charlotte Convention Center wasn't exactly a smooth process.
The bidding was set to start less than a year after WCNC Charlotte learned the venue was in receivership after the owner defaulted on an $85 million loan. The potential future owner will be taking the property as-is; a handful of repairs are needed.
The Epicentre was opened in 2008, conveniently positioned near the Spectrum Center and public transit with the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). While it became a popular nightlife spot, the hub was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a scaled-back Republican National Convention in 2020 and businesses struggling.
It was once the backbone of Uptown's social scene. Some Charlotte residents will tell you back in the day, it was different.
“Pretty hopping place on the weekends and in the evenings and even during the day you could go get lunch," Antoinette Granados said.
Now, it's as faded as the color coated along the sides of the building.
“It’s really sad, laughs, walking around here at night, it’s kind of a ghost town," Matt Slezak said.
In 2019, changes started being proposed for the Epicentre, including converting some parts of it into office and retail space that once held bars. Some ideas Charlotte residents pitched to WCNC Charlotte in April 2022 included a book store, clothing store, and even a café.
Since the gavel won't fall until the end of July, it's a setback for Duncan Anderson and his group of investors, who had hoped to put in a bid Thursday morning.
“Every time my friends and family came in town the first place we were bringing them to was the Epicentre, so our whole theme is now is, ‘This is epic’ and to create this into another epic experience," Anderson said.
He said the main goal is to create a family atmosphere and bring people back out after the pandemic. Concrete details are still limited, but he said they hope to refurbish, seek new tenants and relaunch.
“Bring the bowling alley back, make it fun, a family atmosphere, take Howl at the Moon -- turn that into something great," Anderson said. “And then have it as a place where people would want to stay when they come to Charlotte."