WSTB

Today at lunch I saw Louie Tran of WXII and a couple other people set up in front of BB&T. That's all I got

I looked for a news story, but didn't find any. The building has been listed off-market since First Quarter 2022 and the photographs at DWSP are from January. I don't know how many developers are interested or what all of their plans are. I do know one of the interested developers can fit 200-220 apartments in this building. I heard something about 11-12 luxury units per floor, which sounds impressive for such small floor plates with angled corners. It has to move further into the process to know exactly how many. Remember, that is just one rough idea of what can be done. I'm sure there will be others interested in doing something with this building.

I think the BB&T lease expires next month? There was talk of someone who wanted to keep it as office space. I expect the buyer to convert it. Unless it's a buyer looking to fill the space with their own office workers, I don't think there is big demand for 1980s office space with low ceilings. However, there is demand for apartments. Has anyone else heard anything? There isn't a lot of information out there and I know it's a bad time to make a large purchase like this, unless it's unusually cheap. I think it only has ground floor tenants and if that is so, then there is very little income generation after that lease expires next month. If there is no buyer, it wouldn't surprise me if the other owner returned his keys to the building back to the bank. Not sure how this will work, if the courts are involved?

Now they can remove the roof and not disturb any tenants....


It's interesting to learn about the work they did on the roof. I can remember seeing photographs of them applying this material to the roof. It should help make it more attractive to a potential buyer. If it's an adaptive-reuse to apartments, the interior being dated isn't a big deal, since it will be gutted. The exterior being in good shape is most important.

Thanks. I hate it.
Looked better green.

I have periodically tried to find any information and not had much luck. According to the tax records, the owner is still listed as:
200 West Land Dst
136 Main ST
PINEVILLE NC 28134

This is from the website for the Northern District of Georgia website: "The two civil forfeiture actions are pending, and a trial date is not scheduled for these actions. The process of reviewing and evaluating petitions for remission cannot begin until an order of forfeiture is entered against assets identified in the civil forfeiture actions." https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/sterl ... ncy-action I'm not an attorney, but it seems like the building disposition is still tied up in court via the forfeiture actions. If we have any attorneys, any assistance related to the legal status would be appreciated.

The new paint would make it easier to light the roof, if a new owner wanted to install lights up there and make the building stand-out on the night skyline.

I was thinking, if I was the developer, I would save money by keeping the exterior as-is and keep as much of the 80s look on the ground floor as possible. Convert said ground floor into a restaurant with indoor seating and outdoor seating around the reflecting pool. I have the original construction documents and I think they had a room on each side of the main entrance? Perfect for bicycle storage and repair and maybe an exercise room? Keep the 80s glass elevators and convert floors 2-19 into residential. Convert the 20th floor into an amenities floor. I would do an 80s neon-style outline (maybe using a newer lighting technology) of the roof in green lighting (see example in link: https://media.bizj.us/view/img/11534093 ... 1-0-47.jpg) or a more traditional white or warm light-yellow LED lighting of the roof (to possibly save money). It would likely be best to hire Walter Robbs Michael Graves Architecture's Winston-Salem Office, since they worked with Sherman Carter Barnhart on the original design and would know the building well. It almost looks like something Michael Graves' firm would've designed, too. Interestingly, Sherman Carter Barnhart is still around. Many in Winston-Salem may not be aware that Lexington developer Webb Companies and Lexington architect Sherman Carter Barnhart designed a very similar tall building in their home town of Lexington, KY., at the same time they worked on this building in Winston-Salem. I think that building is still Lexington's tallest? These two buildings are often called "twins," but I'll let you decide. There are differences, such as square vs. rectangle floor plates, glass color, and the arched glass elevator on Winston-Salem's building, which Lexington's doesn't have. They do have very similar glazing, the open mechanical area at the top, the marble name backing above the entrance, 80s retro gold metalwork, and the angled sides of the roof: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington ... ial_Center

The building in Lexington has windows cut into the angled roof, which could be an interesting (if the budget allows) way to add more windows on the 20th floor? Other ideas from that building could include using gold lettering above the entrance. I think someone painted the marble on Winston-Salem's building? It may have holes from name changes, but the marble should be restored. In my construction set, you can see where it was originally planned to have marble on the lower half of the first floor on all sides, but was value-engineered to glass/glazing. The former BB&T Financial Center was also to have a similar 24-storey green glass neighbor, by the same developer (Webb Companies) and architects (Sherman Carter Barnhart / WRCP), that was never built.

Yes, I would renovate it as an 80s themed apartment building, which I know the architects would have fun with. Of course the apartment units and 20th floor amenity area would be modern. Only the exterior and first floor would have the 80s theme. I think that would be popular and help it stand-out. My wife loves all things 1980s. It also saves a piece of PoMo history future generations will be thankful is still very intact. I've heard from many, over the years, who have said that is one of their favorite buildings in downtown Winston-Salem. I've also heard from many that want the roof lit-up at night. I think they would prefer the traditional spotlights up-lighting it? This building, with its glass facade, does disappear at night on the skyline.

Thank you for looking into it. I look at this and think: What happens if a developer buys it? What happens if the other owner can't find a buyer and returns the keys to the bank instead of paying the taxes on it? If it's a large bank, I'm guessing that bank can accelerate things. Can it be sold? I guess it can, since it's listed off-market for sale? Is the money divided in half between the other owner and an account set-up by the courts (held until the courts decide what to do)? As we would say in Asheville, this just seems like "a big mess." It needs to be resolved for the good of downtown, the City of Winston-Salem, and maybe the State (from an economic perspective for the State?). I do think we will see pressure to unload this building when the BB&T lease payments stop.

I really hope someone does something exciting with this building - I really like it and think it’s attractive.

The sister in Lexington is 30 (maybe 31) stories.

I delivered blue prints to the site when this building was being constructed. Such a "fantastic" smell of ammonia when producing them and then driving them to the site. Thankfully it was only a five minute drive. It was really neat being sixteen (eighteen maybe) and taking the elevator up to an incomplete floor and looking around.

That would be awesome! I've been inside an adaptive-reuse project while it was still under construction with a friend from CJMW. The workers had already gone home for the night. I remember it was cold, but it was interesting to see. I was a young kid who lived around 140 miles (as the bird flies) from Winston-Salem and he was kind enough to show me a construction site, tour their office at One Salem Tower, and even see (not meet, he didn't look at us) one of the partners. I remember he said I couldn't talk about or photograph any projects they were bidding on. He was very clear about that. They did have a plotter going, printing architectural documents, while we talked.