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Developers propose to restore Excelsior Club as museum, restaurant and cultural hub; seek $1.5M from city
Summary
A development team seeking to revive the historic Excelsior Club on Beatties Ford Road asked the Jobs & Economic Development Committee on Sept. 2 for $1.5 million in ARPA funds to help fill a roughly $7.8 million project budget gap to rebuild the site as a living museum, performance venue, community kitchen and restaurant.
A private development team presented a proposal Sept. 2 to “rebirth” the Excelsior Club — a historically important social club on Beatties Ford Road — as a replicated historic building housing a living museum, performance space, community cooking and culinary training facilities, and a restaurant that the team said will prioritize second‑chance hiring and local artists.
Lead developer Sean Kennedy, joined by partner Tim Sinema, told the Jobs & Economic Development Committee the existing building is structurally unsound and their plan would demolish and replicate the historic Art Deco facade while creating new indoor and rooftop performance and community spaces. “We are reimagining the Excelsior, the rebirth of the Excelsior,” Kennedy said, citing the building’s history as a Black cultural hub and nightclub where nationally known performers once appeared.
Costs, funding request and business case
The team estimated total development costs at about $7.8 million and identified a funding gap that they asked the city to help close. The developers requested $1.5 million from city ARPA funds, and said they are seeking a parallel $1.5 million request from Mecklenburg County. The team said the landowner had set a purchase price of about $1.7 million for the site.
Staff and team provided the committee a conservative timetable: design and permitting through 2026, site acquisition and vertical construction in 2027, with an optimistic operational target in 2028. Developers emphasized a high MWSBE participation goal (40% or greater) and said they plan to hold the property as a long‑term, city‑oriented cultural asset.
Committee reaction and next steps
Committee members praised the proposal’s cultural and economic aims and asked for more detail on operating sustainability, parking, funding sources beyond ARPA and timeline acceleration. Committee chair Councilmember Malcolm Graham and District 2 representative said they supported moving the project forward and asked that the team return with more detailed financials and a request package for council consideration; the chair said he would ask for a formal council vote in October if staff and the developers can produce the requested follow‑up details.
Clarifying details from the presentation
- Estimated total development cost: ~$7.8 million. - City funding request (ARPA): $1.5 million; county parallel request: $1.5 million. - Site asking price: $1.7 million (developer said owner may not accept lower offers). - Project program: two‑story building replicating the historic facade, 2,500 sq. ft. ground floor program, performance space, community kitchen connections (training and second‑chance hiring), rooftop amenity and outdoor festival space.
Ending
Developers and staff will pursue more detailed financial due diligence and return to the committee and full council with an ARPA funding request package; committee leadership expressed general support for the concept and stressed rapid follow up if the council is to weigh ARPA allocations before year end.
