White Rabbit Finally Moving Into The Hue

RaleighRob
01/06 10:31 AM

While this is good in that it puts them closer to other “Gayborhood” businesses like Legends & CC and so forth, the downside is that some idiot at the city decided that the right lane in front of the Hue should be “No Parking”.  Not exactly helpful for a new building trying to get retail established.  Hopefully minds will be changed on that end in order to help this business thrive.

Lab1
01/06 11:10 AM

It seems that when folks take photos of the skyline from the Boylan Bridge nowadays, they avoid getting this building in the picture.  I wonder why that is.

CF
01/06 11:32 AM

Does anyone know why the residential portion of the Hue is still completely empty?  I know the market is bad, but at least a few of these have sold.

Champ77
01/06 12:01 PM

With regards to the residential component, from the experiences I’ve had showing clients the Hue, is that the financing is almost impossible. FHA wants at least 60-70% of the units sold or under contract and that ain’t happening. So unless you come to the table with a big chunk to put down(not a bad idea by the way), you won’t be able to get a loan. Last I heard is that they were looking to turn part of the units into rentals for the Cambell kids. I guess it might slow the bleeding for the developer but not something that will likely encourage 30-40 somethings to buy there in the future. It changes everyday though so I may be way off.

RaleighRob
01/06 05:00 PM

Yeah, if they had made the whole thing apartments (like 712 Tucker) instead of for-sale condo, it’d probably be about full by now.  Oy.

Tony Woodard
01/06 05:05 PM

Someone in the Dawson building next door told me that they didn’t pass code. I found it hard to believe, but it would explain why they are all still empty.

JRD
01/06 06:24 PM

My guess is that all the condos will stay empty even longer with the new tenant.  I know that area is associated with the LGBT community, but I wouldnt want that in my building.  Now the developer will have to appeal to a larger gay base.  Thats just my opinion, I apologize if that was offensive for some.
There is no parking there because it is on the main south bound artery that goes through downtown.  Not exactly a nice tranquil retail street.

CF
01/06 07:01 PM

You gon’ catch the gay.

Tony Woodard
01/06 07:21 PM

With a dirty bookstore across the street at which you can get a $10 blowjob in anytime of day or night, I would think that an actual bookstore - gay or straight - would be a major improvement.

Micah
01/06 09:00 PM

Way to be a retard, JRD.  If a store that sells rainbow stickers and dance music CD’s keeps you away from the condos, well, the other tenants in the building will probably appreciate your absence from their daily lives.  On a mostly unrelated note, I know nothing of White Rabbit’s circumstances for this move, but their old building was certainly a lot more charming than this ugly place.

Ashe
01/06 10:08 PM

I’ve thought for a while now that it might have been good marketing to try and court more of the gay community to buy condos in The Hue. It would be cool for Raleigh to start creating its own version of the Castro District.

JRD
01/06 10:08 PM

Retard, Micah?  Really?  I just expressed my opinion.  The new digs though, I must agree are pretty ugly.  I wish the old building and more buildings on that street could be filled with “straight friendly” businesses.  Hah! (Dont take it personally)

Micah
01/06 10:57 PM

CC’s has been there for like 25 years (or more?), Legends for 16 or 17, Our Place for nearly the same…All operating years before nearly anything else.  All of these businesses, while catering mainly to LGBT crowds, are “straight friendly.”  If you want to count up the other businesses in that four-ish block area that don’t cater mainly to the LGBT crowd, then you will find that the “straight” places FAR outnumber the “gay” places.

JRD
01/07 09:53 AM

It was a joke.

CF
01/07 09:57 AM

I did see an ad in yesterday’s Independent that said something about a “February move in” for the Hue condos.  So, maybe we’ll start to see a little life there next month.

RaleighRob
01/07 10:23 AM

These comments are sometimes hilarious.
C’mon…99% of Wake County is a “Straight Person’s Paradise”.  The LGBT community concentrates some businesses in one little area of downtown, and somebody just has to get all drama queen in here.  Good lord. 

Micah makes a terrific point…many of these LGBT-based businesses have been supporting downtown LONG before it became a trendy thing to do.  Years before Flying Saucer or Buckhead Saloon…years before “Glenwood South” was even a word…these businesses were there.  Kudos to them for keeping on.

gd
01/07 10:25 AM

A friend of mine who is a realtor who focuses on the downtown area told me that the hue situation was messy.  I wanted to look at them since I was considering buying one, but he told me to rethink that.

Arthur!
01/07 10:31 AM

Ditto, gd.  Plus they look like dorms! Small.

Rtown Chuck
01/07 11:29 AM

The Hue situation is VERY messy. We’ve attempted to get some solid information from them numerous times and instead get a very transparent run-around each time. It could be a great starter condo product for downtown and first time buyers but they’ve dropped the ball so far. I hope it gets worked out.

mashy
01/07 01:22 PM

We toured the Hue before buying our downtown home and I felt like I was touring college housing. This was emphasized by a mascot character in their lobby handing out info to young people. The units were terrible as well. They had the same kitchens, baths, and unit sizes as a college apartment like university house off Tryon road. We came downtown to find beautiful places with character and this place is just an eye sore.

Betsy
01/07 02:58 PM

Oh, my god, the gays, nobody wants to be around ‘em, and wherever they go in a city, that whole district ends up being really uncool and not marketable at all. (paraphrasing JRD)

Miss K.C.
01/07 04:43 PM

Champ77 is about right, based on my experience, except even WITH a large downpayment (I put something like 35 percent down) and an excellent credit score, you can not necessarily get financed for a government-backed condo loan if the complex is not more than half sold, and there was talk of raising that to 70 percent. If a condo developer has not pre-arranged a financing deal with a lender, it’s pretty much not going to happen (unless things have changed since the summer).

JRD
01/07 06:09 PM

Hey Betsy, sorry if I gave that impression.  I can see how what Ive written did that.  I think it could work both ways.  Maybe people wont move in there b/c it has a gay store and is in the gay district.  Maybe people will b/c it has a gay store and is in the gay district.  Who knows?  But from what everyne else is saying, they wont b/c they are small and dorm like and too expensive.

arthurb3
01/11 01:01 PM

giggle.

No HUE for YUE
01/17 04:58 PM

This place is never going to open.  It’s been vacant since last summer and has FORECLOSURE written all over it, just like with bloomsbury up the street. 

It’s a hip cool building and it looks NOTHING like college dorms, but with the recent price increase (WHAT?) and lack of information noones ever going to move into it.

Daniel
02/22 04:59 PM

Did you notice that White Rabbit closed and has pulled out of Raleigh.

Beavis
02/22 06:20 PM

^Heh Heh, “pulled out.”