Struggling Charlotte Entertainment Complex To Be Sold Again
Queen City Quarter, a food and entertainment complex at 201 E. Trade St. in uptown Charlotte, is going up for sale, with three of its tenants currently facing eviction, The Charlotte Observer reported.
It is a long fall for what once was a storied spot in uptown Charlotte. In its former life as the Epicentre, the complex was a popular nightlife destination that hosted events including NBA All-Star Weekend festivities.
Now, a few years after its rebrand into a family-friendly entertainment center, only about 12 of its 50 retail spaces are occupied, and the center has experienced a net loss of eight businesses in just the last half year.
Most recently, the planned Philadelphia-based Taste Cheesesteak Bar, which was slated to open in October 2024 but never did, is facing eviction. A complaint was filed this month stating that the restaurant owed $25,608 after not paying its monthly rent of $4,823 and other charges since January.
An eviction order was also placed on the Sea Grill Restaurant & Bar, which opened in the complex less than two years ago. That restaurant reportedly owes nearly $96K in back rent, having missed payments since last October. A complaint filed on Jan. 28 claimed that rent owed reached more than $144K after factoring in various fees.
Privee Clothing Rhema’s Boutique, a designer brand retailer that opened in the Quarter in 2023, is also under threat. A complaint for eviction was filed last September for $3,082 past due in rent. This case is currently pending an appeal, the Observer reported.
Separately, two other units, a CVS store and the Tailored Smoke Cigar Lounge, have been reported as closed in the one-block complex.
Property management firm CBRE said on March 11 the complex will go up for sale “in a few weeks.” An exact date was not provided.
Some Queen City Quarter tenants were surprised by the news of its pending sale and hope the next owner will work to drive more foot traffic to the complex.
The Epicentre originally opened in 2008. In 2014, California real estate firm CIM Group purchased it for $130.5M, when it was almost fully leased and boasted 16 restaurants.
The Charlotte Observer reported that the complex first began to falter due to an increase in crime and the effects of the pandemic on retail and restaurant spaces. In 2021, when the center was 70% vacant, it was forced into receivership after it defaulted on an $85M loan.
In 2022, lender Deutsche Bank took control of the complex for $95M at a foreclosure auction, before renovating and rebranding it as the Quarter.
This string of Charlotte retail closures comes despite the city being named one of the top retail markets in the country in a recent report by Marcus & Millichap. Metro Charlotte saw slowed construction and increased net absorption in 2025, making for a 3.5% vacancy rate — one of the 10 lowest among major markets. Much of the city’s retail success was driven by big-box, single-tenant move-ins.
