Vacant 80-Year-Old Warehouse Getting $3 Mil. Facelift and a New Name

Owners of a former A&P warehouse in Charlotte’s West Morehead section have decided to renovate the property for office space. The 62,900-sf, four-storyindustrial building dates to 1920.

The asset has been owned since 1981 by brothers Brent and Alan White of Carolinas Auto Supply, a mail order business. The building at Cedar and Hill Streets was used for storage until 1991, but has been vacant since.

The Whites are applying for historic designation, hoping to make theproject eligible for state and federal tax credits which can be used tooffset the renovation costs.

Brent White says the building will get a complete makeover and will lease for $17 psf to $22 psf. The Whites are also hoping to adda 7,000-sf restaurant on the roof surrounded by an 8,000-sf patio. The view from the roof would offer views of Ericsson Stadium and uptown Charlotte.

Interior demolition is under way and renovation could start by the fall. The project is expected to be completed in first quarter 2001. The Whites are calling the project Cedar Hill and seek to rezone the property from industrial to mixed-use, which is in keeping with thecity’s plans for the area.The building was one of three buildings A&P used for a distribution complex.Another of the A&P buildings still remains at 809 W. Hill St., but the thirdwas demolished years ago, White said.

Cedar Hill is just one of many rehab developments springing up throughoutthe West Morehead area. Local investor Nolan Elenz has called upon Transwestern-Percival to oversee renovation of buildings at 1430 S. MintSt., 308 W. Palmer St., 1415 S. Church St. and 1307 W. Morehead St.