The Brewery to be Demolished on Monday

history
07/29 07:39 AM

Get rid of character and replace it with corporate interests.  Not unexpected from our leaders but still sad to see.

We are obviously loosing the war on drugs stores.

hackles10
07/29 09:14 AM

These buildings are a blight on our city, and if you are against the teardown you clearly are against any change whatsoever.  I am glad that everyone has great memories from the brewery, I used to go there for shows too.  Finished up my Hillsborough hike @ comet lounge/katmandu, and seen Time Out change between 100 different restaurants over the last 10 years.  Even farmhouse/cantina, whatever you want to call it, has spent much of its history boarded up and falling apart.  If owners of buildings are unable/unwilling to at least keep them up to some basic standard of decency, this is the result. That area of Hillsborough St. needs major sweeping change and the result of this teardown will ultimately be positive.  Can you imagine the increased vibrancy of that area with 6 or 7 new businesses, 500-600 new residents, and a cleanup/repair of the street/sidewalk area.  It won’t just be 30 hipsters at Cup o’ Jo anymore.

Joe
07/29 09:53 AM

I remember hanging with D Boone in the Brewery shortly before he died. They’d come by after the REM show at the Civic Center. So now both of those places will be gone.

Still feel burned the night we didn’t get into Fishbone only to discover Susan Sarandon was inside.

and the night we opened for the Flaming Lips.

sitting on the parking bump with Suzanne Vega

sneaking inside for Black Flag and meeting Henry Rollins for the first time

losing part of my hearing to the Circle Jerks

The Dead Milkmen singing about Charles Nelson Reilly on a cross

and this horrible metal band that vanished when a few girls got too close to the stage - they were that short

And the night the Flat Duo Jets wore out the audience

or the look when a pal decided to stage dive and jumped where nobody was standing. He broke his collarbone.

sonic youth playing with the threat of skinhead violence

people sitting on the carpet for Hugo Largo (that was too strange)

the nasty mosh pit for suicidal tendencies

or the time the Brian Jonestown Massacre broke up on stage and reunited during a 30 minute song.

I’m not going to miss the joint cause I haven’t been there in a decade. But I doubt any incoming freshmen will have too many great memories about Kerr Drugs - maybe the time they had to go buy tampons for the girl they thought they were dating stories will spread.

WILLNCSU
07/29 11:05 AM

Tear it down.  Its been terrible as long as I have lived in Raleigh (13 yrs).  I am more sad to see Capitol Comics go.

Miller
07/29 12:24 PM

I’ll miss it because it was historical and while it was a fairly “ugly” building, it served a purpose only “ugly” buildings can serve.  You need older buildings like the Brewery because their low overhead allows younger, less profitable acts to get a start, and that’s how the creation of culture works. I didn’t really care for a lot of the acts they have had lately, but I appreciated them being there because with them came energy and nightlife to Hillsborough street, 2 things it’s extremely lacking. Think of the last time you saw a sidewalk full of kids at Kerr drugs. Go by CVS tonight downtown and see what an important part it’s playing in the downtown scene. The Brewery was historic, had character, and there are a lot of people who care deeply about it.  Good luck finding any of those qualities in the seasonal aisle of a corporate drug-mart.

hackles10
07/29 12:50 PM

Holy hell, its not like the only thing going in is A Kerr Drug…you people are so miopic.  From what I understand there should be 6 or 7 new storefronts in this new building.  Go up the street and build another venue in an old warehouse building.  There are plenty of run down buildings around.  This is going to add 200+ people to that corner, and 6-7 shops, restaurants, bookstores, etc. that will all be there to make precious memories at….not just a corporate “drug-mart”  (which serves a much needed service to the area by the way)

semiDave
07/29 01:06 PM

Get rid of it and all the crappy run down building around it.  the street has been redone looking all nice with shitty looking buildings all along it…time for newer better stuff.  Hell they could reopen the Brewery or something like it in a newer better building.

Same with the other end of the street around the old Jackpot as well.  Target, or some other Supermarket would be good for that end of the street.

ncmyk
07/29 01:49 PM

by the way, kerr drug’s first store was on hillsborough street in the 1950’s.

qwerty
07/29 01:53 PM

Clearly none of you leave in that neighborhood or have to deal with the traffic this will cause. We already deal with people ripping down side streets to avoid the back up on Hillsborough Street. Let’s add 200 more people into an already congested area. While we’re at it, let build another traffic circle so people can run into each other and we can sit and watch from the our front porches. All so we can waste money at a drug store, a book store, probably a Starbucks and rent overpriced, architecturally bland and soulless apartments. And by all means, please use more bricks.

2 months behind
07/29 01:53 PM

Have you asked the Brewery owner how many months he was behind on the rent to his landlord BEFORE the property was sold?

It’s not in these nice articles, but people are talking off the record…

Miller
07/29 02:32 PM

You’ve changed my mind hackles.

Here I was thinking this was just going to be a bunch of bland corporate blah, adding no new experiences or interesting features to the area, but then you go and mention the fact that this grand promenade might include the 7th bookstore in a 1 mile radius.  Well now, sign me up! I can’t wait!

hackles10
07/29 02:42 PM

Hey Qwerty, move to oxford…nothing ever changes there.

and Miller, I will meet you out there this weekend for a candlelight vigil with the other 12 people that care about these buildings being torn down.  oh, and also, name all 7 bookstores in a 1 mile radius of that location, and after your done take a moment to reflect on the fact that when you have to exaggerate to prove a point, your point usually isn’t very good.

Miller
07/29 03:11 PM

1. Packbackers Student Bookstore, 2109 Avent Ferry Road
2. NC State Bookstores, 2610 Stinson Dr., Harrelson Hall
3. Hillsborough Street Textbooks, 2420 Hillsborough Street
4. Packbackers Student Bookstore, 2900 Hillsborough Street
5. NICE PRICE BOOKS, 3106 Hillsborough Street
6. Reader’s Corner Inc, 3201 Hillsborough Street
&
7. Hackles House of Books, which would be the 7th, as I said.

And I didn’t even include Foundation’s Edge, as I wasn’t sure if comics were allowed (or if it was still open).

Google maps is your friend.

hackles10
07/29 03:34 PM

hahahahahahaha…you named 4 student/text book stores and 2 used bookstores.  Hardly what anyone would be discussing in this thread.  I will spot you the 2 used bookstores, but the others hardly count.  And comics, while enjoyable, are not anywhere near what we are discussing. 

Can’t you just drop the bulls**t and admit taht a small barnes and noble, etc. would be a great addition to an area with 1000+ students that could walk to it. If only google maps could correct your stupidity!

sunshine
07/29 03:52 PM

Hackles, if all you want is to sip your Starbucks at some clean, polished national/corporate chain, head to Crabtree and leave Hillsborough St. alone. Thanks.

hackles10
07/29 05:09 PM

you people are so damn predictable.  I don’t even like starbucks.  I hope that all 6 or 7 retail/restaurant/drug stores are as local and unique as possible.  I too love hole in the wall places, dive bars, farmers markets, and live music venues.  You don’t have to blindly support dilapidated buildings because you fear what will take its place.  If the businesses that come are bad, they will fail and over time the market will sort out what is financially sustainable and I think we can all be happy.  I don’t know why hipsters, coffee shop wannabees, and beatnicks are so against affordable housing, and sound urban planning.  Hopefully they can add enough density that one day nobody needs cars in this area of raleigh, and a local community of residents and store owners can truly grow together.

author_unknown
07/30 12:13 AM

Hey Hackles, I had some great memories at the Brewery. I had some bad ones there, but I had some great ones. There are some places on Hillsborough St. that I don’t particularly care for and that are, in my opinion, much worse for the wear aesthetically than the Brewery was but if I don’t like them I simply don’t frequent them—- it’s that simple. As for hipsters and coffee shop wannabees (are these mutually exclusive populations? I can only tell that however you define these segments the one thing that they share is that you dislike them) I don’t think that it is a fair assessment to say that they are against affordable housing or sound urban planning. I see tons of hipsters on Schwinns daily, so I would think that last argument is out - they don’t want to mess up their hair by breaking a sweat, ergo a desire for sound urban planning. All of those shows and all of that coffee you clearly despise really adds up, believe you me, so affordable housing truly is a concern even for hipster trash like myself.
And whether or not you can name six bookstores or seven, or even if you can sort them categorically, clearly we can never have enough. It isn’t enough to through out a word like myopic if one cannot spell it correctly.

mark
07/30 06:50 AM

I love how people like to heap the blame on the city. This is privately owned land, not city property. The city has no control what is done to this propery beyond basic zoning controls. It is a commercially zoned property and as such the owner can do just about anything allowed under that zoning. Under what authority do you all think the city should be able to swoop in and take away the owners property rights and tell him what to do with the building? I don’t think this building can be added to the historical landmark register.

frank
07/30 03:40 PM

it’s more of a historic landmark than half these places that get a sign slapped outside cause Josephus Daniels puked on the doorstep or some racist used it as a love nest for banging his slaves.

Ryan Adams got his start in that building.

chuckn
07/30 04:36 PM

Brewery, RIP.

jsmsp03
07/31 11:35 AM

Anyone even thought about imminent domain?

“by the way, kerr drug’s first store was on hillsborough street in the 1950’s.” -ncmyk 07/29 12:49 PM

I’ve heard rumors about the being behind on rent, the venue falling apart and barely meeting fire code. However, this place has held an ocean of love and sweat from all of the most talented underground bands/artists you’ll ever see. I’m going to miss and not miss it. I hope Tom considers taking up shop in another building(maybe even closer to downtown).

He had his reasons for selling. Maybe it was a good chunk of money not to pass up from being in a bind. But I’m wondering if The Brewery will be reborn again by 2012?

jake
07/31 01:35 PM

What the heck does imminent domain have to do with anything?  There is no government force behind this - it’s fairly simple.  The guy that owned the property had a tenant behind on their lease and an offer from someone else to buy it.

And I seriously doubt that the new property owner will have to worry about Kerr Drug being behind on their rent.

Synaesthete
07/31 03:52 PM

If the people who care for places like the Brewery had the funds; if they were the land owners and business owners, this wouldn’t happen.  I’m not sure why there’s a disconnect.  Why don’t we live in a society where the people who compose a culture and community are the ones building it?  It’s strange that so much of what happens seems to be handed down from some nebulous corporate or government entity.  If our community had been aware that the property was at risk of demolition a year or more ago, maybe someone would have been able to step in and prevent it.  The trouble is that these large corporate entities are able to move so rapidly, there’s no time.  With everything happening in our society, I hope that we first lose faith in federal governments and large corporations.  Then, maybe we’ll all be motivated to start companies, become members of our government, and spend less time on blogs and more time in community halls.

peep
07/31 04:28 PM

they should build a target with a starbucks inside it right next to the kerr drug.

jake
07/31 04:29 PM

Oh holy crap, Val Valentine is not some nebulous corporate entity.  He is ONE guy.  He grew up a block away from the precious Brewery and spent the last 45 years buying up the property.  Half of you have probably forked over money to him to park in the hell hole behind the Brewery.

2monthsbehind
07/31 04:34 PM

The new owner of the property offered the Brewery the chance to keep renting until construction started.  The Brewery chose to close early and cry in the media.

Synaesthete
07/31 05:00 PM

We just as well consider most landowners in Raleigh to be agents of the invisible hand.  The image I have in mind is of an insular King Lear, with that slow, southern, Raleigh drawl.  They’re completely naive of the genius loci that surrounds a property on their land.  These guys are most interested in cashing out while they’re still alive, and ensure another generation of prosperity for their families (who love them most).  Furthermore, they’re so old that the 20-year history of a place like the Brewery is short and meaningless.  They probably destroyed the house they were born in to build something larger and more suitable for their own families.  They aren’t really to be blamed.  These properties and these buildings are significant opportunities in business and culture and fall to the law of economics and capitalism.  There’s nothing stopping an entrepreneur with good taste and sentimentality from saving these places.  It’s just that at this point in time, none exist.  Most of these tasteful entrepreneurs of tomorrow are spending their time forming rock bands and busing tables.  They are in no position to launch a substantial economic rebuttal and mold the city to their liking.

Robert Teasdale
07/31 10:54 PM

My solitary good memory was The Ramones.
Otherwise, good riddance to mediocre music & beer soaked floors.
Welcome Kerr Drugs.
The Farmhouse - your next!

frank
08/01 09:23 AM

When did the Ramones play the Brewery?

Only club show I caught them at in Raleigh was the Switch in the late ‘80s. They played NC State pre ‘84

And why do people keep insisting REM played their first non-Georgia gig at the Brewery? It was at that other legendary underground club The Pier.

Here’s REM at the Pier in ‘82.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPE-l-tfN0I

Dr Jones
08/01 12:49 PM

I’ve seen a lot of good shows there over the years, but The Brewery has sucked, and sucked HARD since the last time it was shut down and re-opened.

Yeah, it’s sad we’re losing a landmark music venue, but that venue was falling apart, had awful sound, and whoever was in charge of their utter shit for booking shows over the last 6 or 7 years should be punched in the throat.

At this point, good riddance. Shame they’re going to put another corporate crap store there though.

REL
08/01 12:55 PM

I’ll hold on to the good memories from 15-25 years ago and I’ll go see good music at King’s.  The Brewery has been dead since the late nineties.

Van Alston
08/02 11:38 PM

Adios.  The Brewery closed around the turn of the century and whatever was there recently should be ashamed for using the name.  As a former owner of both the Brewery and Comet Lounge, I can assure you that I’m not shedding any tears over this.  King’s does a fine job of doing what the Brewery used to do.

Locomotive Breath
08/03 02:29 PM

There was formerly a Starbucks in the little building with the cupola on the corner of Horne and Hillsborough. It failed.

sally
08/04 01:23 PM

I agree with the more recent posters. I shed a tear for the Brewery - when it died ages ago.