CHARLOTTE — A Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge signed off on the foreclosure of a once bustling entertainment hub in uptown Charlotte on Monday.
The EpiCentre Complex, home of restaurants, bars and movies, opened 14 years ago. Today, a judge approved it for sale.
A timeline for the transaction was not immediately determined and plans for the sites future have not been released.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Bank to foreclose on uptown’s EpiCentre complex by spring ]
Currently, only 30% of the Epicentre is occupied with signage removed from once popular destinations like Howl at the Moon and Whiskey River.
In December 2021, Deutsche Bank Trust Co. announced that it was foreclosing on Charlotte’s EpiCentre by spring. The announcement brought an end to a court-ordered receivership imposed in August as the uptown property’s owner worked to resolve a default on an $85 million loan.
Those efforts were unsuccessful, despite cooperation between the bank and the center’s owner, EpiCentre SPE LLC, -- a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based CIM Group.
No one, including EpiCentre owners, objected to the foreclosure.
With its desirable location in the heart of uptown, within feet of the arena, residents hope life can be restored to the struggling venue.
“It make me feel a little sad. You know that’s our turnup spot down here in Charlotte for a long time. When CIAA was coming through, Charlotte they have a lot of Hornets games, the EpiCentre that’s across the street. And I think it is a good place to party, you heard me?” singer Frederick Adams told Channel 9.
There aren’t many bars left in the EpiCentre to party in anymore.
While COVID-19 didn’t help, the decline can’t entirely be blamed on the pandemic.
[ ALSO READ: Bank to foreclose on uptown’s EpiCentre complex by spring ]
Before the foreclosure, several businesses were evicted from the EpiCentre starting in January 2020.
There was a high profile murder outside the building. A woman was roofied at a nightclub, prompting state law changes.
At one point CMPD responded to more violent crime at the EpiCentre than any other place in CLT, according to the Charlotte Observer.
“It’s been a slow-moving train wreck over years and years,” Charlotte Councilman Tariq Bokhari said.
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