
Most of the buildings that sit along West Morehead Street by Bank of America Stadium are empty and just waiting for revitalization. They are mostly run down and ugly — but potential is there.
A group from Toronto is set to transform this area from Mint to Church streets and breathe life into what is now essentially a dead zone.
David Laren of the Larendale Group is the brains behind the operation and has stated that he hopes to turn the corner into a potentially bustling restaurant hub. The possibilities here are virtually endless and Laren could go all restaurants, all soft good retail, all bars, all office or a giant mix of all of them (most likely).

Photo via LinkedIn
Here is a breakdown of the plans being marketed to potential tenants:
- 20,000 total square feet of retail.
- The site could be divided into five different tenants with space ranging from (approximately) 2,200 square feet to 6,500 square feet.
- Potential for rooftop bars with city views.
- Potential for a mix of tenants from restaurants to soft goods to office.

Image credit: ai Design Group (c) 2016

Image credit: ai Design Group (c) 2016
The design seen here in these images is not final and only represents a vision of what could become of this corner.
Adam Williams is handling the retail leasing and he’s the go-to name around town and will likely bring in some quality tenants. With a great mix of tenants, this could become its own little hub for a night out.

Photo via LinkedIn
Overall, the potential here is massive and while I-277 acts as a barrier, this site will appeal to the growth of the Gold District and South End. Plus it’s really not much of a walk from Third Ward.
I think we are looking at a similar situation here as we are seeing at Northside Station: fix up the buildings for a short to medium timeframe with a long term goal of going “up” (building a high rise) on the site for a variety of uses.
More on this project as it kicks into high gear once tenants are signed. Bring on the rooftop bars.
Note: Whiteside Industrial brokered the sale of the land.
Cover image courtesy of Adam Williams.