CHARLOTTE — The Excelsior Club in Charlotte’s historic Washington Heights welcomed Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, and James Brown.
But now the club is in disrepair and plans to save it are back at square one.
Channel 9′s government reporter Joe Bruno has been covering the attempts to save the Excelsior Club for years.
Kenwood Investments of California bought the club in 2019 and planned to redevelop it which never happened.
Former Charlotte Assistant City Manager Tracy Dodson led negotiations with the developer and says the developer changed course and wants to take the property to market.
“He’s relieved of his obligations,” Dodson said.
Charlotte and Mecklenburg County provided $50,000 each, and the Foundation for the Carolinas handed over $150,000 to the project.
The contract mandated the preservation, restoration, or replication of the club’s facade by the end of 2024.
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That didn’t happen and now the money has been returned.
“My hope is any prospective buyer is going to want to fulfill the community’s vision and will come back to the public sector to talk about what a partnership would look like,” Dodson said.
Councilman Malcolm Graham said it is a step back and he isn’t giving up hope that a new buyer can be found that recognizes the club’s importance even if the property must look different.
“It’s up to the owner to decide what he wants to do with his property,” Graham said.
Councilwoman LaWana Slack-Mayfield believes that can happen again in the future.
“If you know anything about politics, especially as an African American or person of color in the city of Charlotte, you know you went to the Excelsior Club,” Slack-Mayfield said.
The revitalization would need the right partner.
“Someone that recognizes the importance of our history and has a vision of the future,” she said.
There must also be clarity about the need for cash.
Bruno reached out to the developer to ask what happened, but a spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Sources told Bruno last year that there were several issues with the project including an undefined scope, a lack of parking, and more extensive repairs needed than originally anticipated.
VIDEO: Revitalization of Excelsior Club, once a premier Black social club, at a standstill
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