Ahem.

Sales slow, but Encore is still a go
Developer says construction won’t start before end of year because of uncertain economy

I’ll bet Doug Smith or anyone else $100 that the $65m. Encore does not break ground during the first six months of 2009, either.

This will mean that the city of Charlotte’s grand plan to finally get out from under the Carolina Theater debacle has been treading water for four years. Not even over $7m. in taxpayer subsidy to the project has been able to get it off the ground.

But no matter, everything will work out. For the developers and city staff. The rest of us? We never mattered to begin with.

Bonus Observation: Now that the Lazes and the Music Factory have caught and lapped the Carolina Theater retro-fit with plans for their 2000-seat Charlotte Fillmore space, how much demand could there possibly be for the Encore’s 1400-seat space all of six blocks away?