"A crowd draws a crowd:" How the old EpiCentre is hanging on after Queen City Quarter rebranding

Queen City Quarter in Uptown, formerly known as the EpiCentre , has a swing of new leasing momentum as Uptown continues to rebound from pandemic ghostland. But it's still nowhere near its party heyday .

Why it matters: Stroll around the center today, you'll notice many street-facing doors are donning names of new businesses: Kitchen + Kocktails, Lottie's and Sea Grill.

• But walk past the faded EpiCentre sign into the building's core, there's still a dreary vibe, abandoned storefronts and more security guards than customers.

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Some old EpiCentre branding remains. Photo: Alexandria Sands/AXios

Flashback: It's been nearly two years since commercial real estate firm CBRE rebranded the EpiCentre as Queen City Quarter, intending to turn it into a family-friendly destination.

• The two years before that, many businesses struggled, and most failed, to hang on. Simultaneously, the owner defaulted on a loan and the building traded hands.

What they're saying: Mortimer's Cafè & Pub has outlasted the change. Manager Sammi Francis, who has bartended there since before COVID, has seen the ups and downs. She says foot traffic picked back up when concerts and events returned to Uptown, but it's slowed this summer, especially since Spectrum Center is closed for renovations.

• "I don't think the rebranding was necessary. I think that they just needed to build on the EpiCentre," Francis says, adding, "It needs to be an adult playground."

The big picture: Queen City Quarter is an opportunity to bring people back to Uptown, but its reemergence also depends on Uptown's success. Some of the new leasing momentum is thanks to companies bringing workers back to the office and the masses stepping off the light rail onto the property's front door.

• Francis says she'd like to see more bars open. Mortimer's customers are coming over from Kitchen + Kocktails. The new restaurant's owner, Kevin Kelley, tells Axios they've had several sold-out days since opening in June.
• "A crowd draws a crowd," Francis says.

Flashback: First opened in 2008, the EpiCentre once was the nighttime place to be before South End claimed the title. The Uptown hotspot was home to clubs like Howl at the Moon and Suite, and hosted events for the 2012 Democratic National Convention and the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.

Zoom in: Kaitlyn Fitch, senior associate with CBRE, says they're getting daily inquiries for leasing. In the meantime, pop-up tenants are signing short-team leases to keep the building activated.

• CBRE is targeting another restaurant (possibly Mexican or sushi) for the former first-floor Enso space. It also aims to land a sports bar to bounce off the energy of the nearby Hornets.

Context: CBRE completed a " facelift " of the building in the fall, which included fresh paint, new pavers and seating in the courtyard, and planters to "create a welcoming space."

• The new ownership implemented around-the-clock security.
• "It's made a significant difference for, I think, Uptown in general, just having people on site," Fitch says.
• In the spring it hosted weekly happy hours called "QCQ After 5," which were nostalgic for millennials who frequented "Alive After 5" when the EpiCentre was a bumping entertainment destination. It's planning more events for the fall and holiday season.

The bottom line: "Things are going really well considering where we started and everything that happened through COVID," Fitch says. "It's been great to get a fresh start."

Kitchen + Kocktails opened in June. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios A Queen City Quarter sign. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios An available retail space. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios World of Beer closed. The chain filed for bankruptcy, according to multiple media outlets. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios An empty restaurant space. Photo: Alexandria Sands/Axios