Don't Back Down

Update August 25, 2006: The Historic Landmarks Comission has agreed to hear the case that ay decide the fate of The Coffee Cup. If they decide to proceed, then it will ultimately be up to the City Council on whether or not to save The Coffee Cup. So if you haven't called anyone yet, go for it! See the details for who to call if you're not sure how to let your voice be heard.

Charlotte has made its fair share of mistakes. Heck, Charlotte has made enough mistakes to account for the fair share of much more than just itself. So it's time to stop one more from being made. Beazer Homes, in their infinite wisdom (and in the name of progress) has decided to develop a portion of Charlotte that has sat mostly unused for a while. I find two things interesting about this.

First, and most importantly, this development will wipe out one of Charlotte's most storied institutions, The Coffee Cup. That's right. They want to "raze the restaurant building to make way for a mix of townhomes, low-rise condominiums and a small office and retail component". We're not talking a stadium (though the long-rumored uptown baseball stadium may come, that's not a part of this announcement), we're not talking a high-rise. We're talking about low-rise office, residential and retail buildings, folks. That is the perfect environment for the continued existence of The Coffee Cup!

Which leads me to my second, and more pressing, point. Beazer Homes wants to demolish the building to make way for this development. Tell me, please, in this wasteland, where will these people get a good meal? Instead of demolishing the building (and one more piece of Charlotte history), why not make the building the centerpiece of the development and provide something interesting, instead of more chains?

Instead of asking the operators to run one of these new restaurants that will surely have zero of the attraction of the existing location, why not shutter the place for a short while, polish it up just a bit to fit the look, build the precious development around it and end up with a shining jewel for everyone to enjoy? Because this is Charlotte, that's why, and we just don't do things that way.

Maybe it's time we did.

If you think we can change the world, start with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Comission, who are reviewing the application to designate the restaurant a historic site. If the Commission determines that The Coffee Cup is a historic site, it means that Beazer can't tear it down. There are a number of people on the commission, and I have to say I don't know who to talk to, but there is a current roster available on the site. Try everyone. I'm sure they'll appreciate the show of support.

It never hurts to contact your elected representatives and have them put the heat on for you. Don't forget that you have representatives on the Charlotte City Council and on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, so contact them both and let them do some of the work.

Though it is designed more for home inquiries than complaining about their development practices, Beazer Homes has a Contact Us page on their site. It never hurts to use it.

Finally, if you'd like to support The Coffee Cup, pay them a visit. I'm sure they'd love to have you, and you may not be able to do it for long. Try the chicken and waffles. You won't regret it. Really.