CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The owner of a business in Charlotte's almost-deserted Epicentre said he's optimistic the property's new owners will work with existing businesses to help them thrive in Uptown.
The Epicentre will head to auction in a little over a week on July 26, more than two months after the sale was delayed.
Preston Gray, the owner of the Tailored Smoke cigar lounge, said people forget there are still businesses operating in the once-popular entertainment complex.
“When I first arrived in 2016, the Epicentre was absolutely the place to be in Charlotte,” Gray said.
The business has survived the negative impacts of COVID-19, but are no longer thriving. Gray says they are down business around 35% pre-pandemic.
The Epicentre's future was up in the air for months before the auction was announced. WCNC Charlotte learned the venue was in receivership after the owner defaulted on an $85 million loan. The new owner will be taking the property as-is, with a handful of repairs being necessary.
But businesses like Gray's, have hope that the sale of the Epicentre will be an opportunity to be part of something new.
"I'm confident that the traffic will pick up again. There will be new businesses in here again, and I want to be a part of that," Gray said. "I worked really hard to get here and I don't want to just give it up."
He says he's hopeful and confident they will remain partners with the Epicentre, even when they're under new management.
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.
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It was once the backbone of Uptown's social scene. Some Charlotte residents will tell you back in the day, it was different. Now, it's as faded as the color coated along the sides of the building.
By 2019, changes were proposed, including converting some parts of the property that were once bars and restaurants into office and retail space. The changes were pitched after several violent incidents in Uptown.
“It’s really sad, walking around here at night, it’s kind of a ghost town," Matt Slezak said.