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Center Pointe Skyscraper / Wachovia Building

By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Fri Dec 30, 2005 10:54 am

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Coined Park Center Plaza by its creator Roy Carroll, due to the new city park to be located across the street; this website which is still in development gives us a look at the future of Greensboro's skyline.

Pictured on the left is what today is the Wachovia tower, that would be renovated and to the right is a new addition built in the adjacent Elm street lot.

Current View of the Wachovia Building:
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By Aster
Guest
Published: Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:26 pm

Old, old article....

Quote: By Nate DeGraff, Staff Writer
News & Record

"Y'all ever been to Disney World and ridden the Tower of Terror?" asks a grinning Roy Carroll as he waits for an elevator in a darkened hallway at 201 N. Elm St.

"This is sort of like that."

It's an idle threat because the finicky elevator doesn't even show up. Carroll waits some more, then descends a black stairwell to the underground parking garage, where he tries again.

This time, the elevator takes Carroll and two visitors to the upper floors of the old Wachovia building, which the developer wants to transform into upscale apartments for hundreds of people, including himself.

Carroll spoke for the first time Tuesday about his plans for the tower since getting the empty hulk under contract last year. Buying and renovating the building is considered a risky investment, but it would be a gigantic boost for downtown, if successful.

"He wants to do the project," said Ray Gibbs, president of Downtown Greensboro. "I think if he can find a way to do it, he will."

Carroll's initial plans call for a ground-floor restaurant, second-floor offices, and about 150 condominiums or apartments on floors 3 through 15. The kicker is the 16th floor, which he'd reserve as a penthouse for himself and his family.

Total cost: An estimated $21 million, which doesn't include buying the tower from its owner, Jefferson-Pilot Corp. Carroll says he'll decide whether to go forward with the project by late fall.

"I'm very optimistic about our chances of making this work out," he said.

So far, he hasn't run into any costly surprises. Sure, he says, the heating and cooling systems must be revamped, there's not enough parking, and that nasty pink film must be wiped off each of the tower's 1,680 windows.

But it's a 39-year-old building that's been empty for 15 years, and it was gutted during a lengthy asbestos removal project in the early 1990s. A complete overhaul is to be expected, he figures.

A glimpse at the interior of the building reveals reminders of its heyday as Wachovia's local headquarters. The vault on the first floor is open and empty, the last of its contents moved long ago. The offices on the upper floors feel like small warehouses; 15,000-square-foot expanses with colossal steel beams.

Carroll is envisioning an upscale restaurant for the ground floor, where diners can watch the goings-on in Center City Park at the other side of Elm Street.

He's also talking to coffee and ice cream shops about the remaining street-level space. He'd move his offices from North Eugene Street to the second floor.

The real challenge is the next 13 stories, where he's planning upscale living quarters. Many could rent for upward of $1,000 a month. Some could also be sold.

Among the planned amenities: hardwood floors, ceramic tile and stone countertops. A downstairs doorman and valet service could be in the works.

He's hoping to attract a mix of young professionals, empty-nesters and students at Elon University's new law school down the block.

The project faces many obstacles.

Parking is a huge issue; residents would require 200 to 220 spaces. Now, the tower's underground garage can hold about 60 vehicles, and a next-door lot could hold several dozen more. Carroll's looking for more spaces.

The developer also must revamp the entire heating and cooling systems, which stem from giant, twisting machinery on the 16th floor. Carroll wants to tear out the old pipes and install individual units for each apartment.

Carroll likes the building's glass-and-steel look, and he wants to restore the beige exterior to its original dark gray. That could help battle the perception that the tower is plain ugly -- a notion that some say is unfair.

"I think that building would be a nice-looking building if it was occupied," said Fred Preyer, a broker with The Bissell Companies and a downtown real-estate expert. "It's ugly because it's empty."

The tower has been vacant since 1990; tenants got scared off by asbestos problems and left for newer buildings. Then, a legal battle over mortgage payments engulfed the building, and a Pittsburgh bank eventually wound up with the title.

JP bought the building in 1997 for about $2 million. Many developers have made overtures on the tower, but none were willing to buy it.

Tuesday's trip through the building ended on the roof, where Carroll wants to build a private garden for his family. His three children pester him: When are we going to move to the tower, dad? Carroll, 42, tells them to wait.

He says he's been conservative during his two-decade development career; first building custom homes with his father and then heading Old South Home Co. and its sister company, the apartment builder Carroll Investment Properties. The latter company has the contract on the Wachovia building.

By the end of the summer, he'll have spent $200,000 studying the building. He says that's a good indicator of his commitment to the project.

"As long as we're spending money, we're headed in the right direction," he said.

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By Roch101
Guest
Published: Fri Dec 30, 2005 9:10 pm

Did that "old" article include the artist's conception of the building? Beth's post is the first I've seen of it.
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By Aster
Guest
Published: Fri Dec 30, 2005 10:30 pm

No, Beth's post is the first time I've ever seen it either. The guys has been talking about it for years now. Looks like its finally going to happen.
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 8:53 am

Ed Cone has posted an update from Carroll himself on his weblog as to the truth behind this website

Quote: Roy Carroll emails to say that the image is not his company's plan, but a proposal from a website designer pitching his site. Neither the name of the project nor the design of the building is an accurate depiction of Carroll's current plans. "We hope to have a design by spring," he writes. Thanks for clearing this up, Roy -- and thanks for undertaking a project that could push downtown GSO over the top.

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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:14 am

I'm wondering if Carroll is bluffing. It certainly matches the exact number of floors for the Wachovia building. If its not the current plan its an early rendition, but I think Carroll is playing catch up now that the cat is out of the bag.
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By Roch101
Guest
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:42 am

I think you may be right, Beth. Anonymous sources are confirming that Carroll's company has distributed illustrations described as similar to what you posted. Whether or not it truley reflects the curren design remains to be seen, I suppose. It could be a rendition of a concept not chosen. But it was not a creation of the web desginer.
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:15 pm

Click for Full Size


The website seems to have been taken down this morning. You can of course still view it with Google's cache. Is it really the design of the new Wachovia building? Is Carroll playing the PR machine telling Ed it isn't the actual design? Or is Ed just playing along? I say this to Carroll... build it, we like it, don't change a thing. Well except for the addition of the space needle, he failed to include.

One final question. If this isn't the design, why take it down? (the website) Why respond at all to this. Unless your trying to hide something?

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By Ed Cone
Guest
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:26 pm

Not sure what you mean by "playing along." Carroll (whom I've never met or spoken to) sent me an email in response to my link to your post saying the drawing does not reflect his current plans. I published that information.
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:39 pm

I love the design. Actually the site is still up. I just clicked to it. But this is all over the internet and I dont think Carroll can shut this up. its on a number of skyscraper forums. I agree that if it is the current design, it should not have been posted on the internet yet. Once you do that its gone and people will see it. But if there is a newer plan, I sure hope he keeps the 30-story tower in the plan. I've been waiting for a long time to see Greensboro's skyline change. We havnt had a new downtown skyscraper since 1989.
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By Sue
Guest
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 10:02 pm

Let's remember that Mr. Carroll did not put this rendering online. Let's also presume that he didn't authorize it to be put online. This is merely a picture and there are probably more, all of which are different. I wonder if the "mediasavvy" group really is media savvy (this is great PR for them or it's very bad PR for them). But in all of this, I can't find anything that Mr. Carroll has done wrong.

Let's remember that developing this building is good for Greensboro and let's not screw this up with speculation. Other than to say there is a mockup of a potential web site online, we can't know Mr. Carroll's plans from this rendering.

I still think the "mediasavvy" bunch needs some ethical education. That was the point of my original comment here and post on my blog.
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:12 pm

Quote: Not sure what you mean by "playing along." Carroll (whom I've never met or spoken to) sent me an email in response to my link to your post saying the drawing does not reflect his current plans. I published that information



Lets just say your definitely the poster child for blogging in Greensboro. If I was a tycoon like Carroll and trying to hush, hush something, I'd email you first. No offense meant, just an observation.

I didn't know if he contacted you or you asked him... yada, yada, yada. But if he emailed you so quick, then took down the website which is NOT the design, it makes you wonder what for? Why put that kind of effort into removing something that we've already seen and will never be used? What makes it even more odd, is not one person has come forward to confirm Roy's statement, however several people have come forward to confirm the design as official. Sure they all might be full of shit, but it makes you wonder. Or at least it does me. Just some thoughts.
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:28 pm

I personally think its a leak and it wasnt meant to be seen. I think the idea for the final plan may be the same which is a radical renovation of the facade with an additional tower for expansion. Preliminary designs tend to change. Remember the Koury Convention Center Tower. The origional plans called for a triangular shaped building gladded alomst entirely with reflective glass. I remember seeing a picture of the model back in 1989. The Koury Center was still built in a triangular shape but the outer material changed dramaticall in the final design. Instead of reflective glass it was white precast conrete.
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:34 pm

I guess this is like the Roswell coverup LOL Laughing
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:26 am

Another thought I just had is this... This has been Carroll's dream for a long, long time... He's spent a bunch of mula on this project, and your telling me, its still going to be spring before he has a finalized design??? Mock drawings? Me I'd know exactly what its going to look like, there would only be one design. But then again I'm not planning on building a skyscraper anytime soon.

Carroll also stated in the letter to Ed that this is not the current design. The copyright on the site however is 2006, pointed out by someone else. He must change his mind pretty quick then.
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:52 am

Hey Beth click on this link.

"Position for Real Estate Sales and Marketing Manger for Greensboro Highrise Condos"
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 1:07 pm

http://www.mediasavvyinc.com

has created websites for other residential projects in NC including for Winston-Salem's West End Village and Charlotte residential projects the same way they have for Greensboro's Wachovia Building Renovation project. The renderings on those websites are accurate depictions of whats going to happen so there may be a big chance that the rendering of Park Center Plaza in Greensboro is accurate as well. Check out the link
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 6:00 pm

I saw those links... I don't think the Job classified though is related, it would take a long time before construction progressed enough to rent the space out I have a feeling.
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 7:06 pm

So what would those links be refering to. It mentions a luxury highrise condo project in downtown Greensboro.
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By Roch101
Guest
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:35 pm

The designer of the website responded to my email inquiry with the following (posted with his permission):
Dear Roch,

I have prepared a quote for The Carroll Companies for the consideration of
using my company, Media Savvy for the web site design on the Old Wachovia
building in Greensboro. I wanted to show the Carroll staff my work and took
liberties with the name and design. It is my understanding that Carroll has
not finalized a design that will be a single tower design and is still being
developed by the architectural team that I'm not involved.

Sincerely,

Bill Teppig

MEDIASAVVY
Dynamic Marketing Solutions
500 East Boulevard
Charlotte, North Carolina 28203

704-348-8972
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:13 pm

Well I guess there will be no 30-story tower Crying or Very sad
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:15 pm

Awesome work Roch, but my feeling is that its still the design. He doesn't state if the liberty he took was in the "website" or the "design of the building" Secondly if Carroll wants us to believe the web designer created this rendition, why are other people such as Sue saying they saw this design? They're not an architectural group they are a web design company.

My thoughts on the conspiracy?

This is at least, a current, or was a working design or one of many designs.

Until Carroll comes out and tells us his current intentions resemble nothing of this design, I will assume this will resemble, if not exactly; then certainly a familiarity with this design.
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:19 pm

knightrider wrote: So what would those links be referring to. It mentions a luxury high rise condo project in downtown Greensboro.



Maybe it is, but if that's this case, this project will be moving forward very very quickly. Maybe that's the answer, maybe we spoiled a surprise he had slated in the next few weeks?
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By beth
Executive Editor
Published: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:44 pm

From WFMY

Quote: plans to start construction work by next January (2005).



Well that's a coincidence isn't it?
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By knightrider
Guest
Published: Mon Jan 02, 2006 7:22 am

well doesnt that now mean he wil restore the building to the dark gray from 1967 instead of new design? In order to get the historical tax credits, he would have to do that. But then why would he say to Ed Cone the other day a design mat be ready by spring? That says to me he's working on a new design. This is confusing to me and it probabally how Roy wants it.
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