It was only a matter of a time: Goodnights Comedy Club on West Morgan Street in Raleigh could make way for a large, mixed-use apartment project up to seven stories tall, the Triangle Business Journal reports.

Raleigh developer HM Partners plans to redevelop the three-acre site at 865 W. Morgan Street, located between Glenwood South and N.C. State, into a 400-unit apartment building with 9,000 square feet of retail space that will be between four and seven stories tall. And, of course, no Raleigh project would be complete without the prerequisite vertical parking deck: this one will offer 513 parking spaces.

The total square footage will jump from Goodnights’ 24,860 to 438,856 square feet of space, with two courtyards included, and work could begin on the site this quarter, the TBJ reports. The red brick building that houses the comedy club, which dates back to 1928 and was home to White’s Ice Cream in the 1970s, will be torn down. 

Located across from Irregardless Cafe, Goodnight’s Comedy Club is a Raleigh institution. Originally known as Charlie Goodnights, the venue hosts touring stand-up comedy acts and classes and has a bar and restaurant onsite. Goodnights opened in 1983 and made a reputation as being one of the best comedy clubs in the country. Comedians Jerry Seinfeld to Ellen DeGeneres to Chris Rock have headlined there and before the pandemic, Goodnights hosted stand-up shows every week and Open Mic nights every Wednesday.

It’s not all bad news for Goodnights fans, though: a spokesperson for the club’s parent company, Helium Comedy Club, told WRAL that moving to a new location is a possibility.

The newest project from developer Gregg Sandreuter–who also built the Dawson, The Depot, Powerhouse Square, Sky House and Edison Lofts–and JDavis architects joins a number of other developments proposed or under construction in the area, including

  • Raleigh Crossing at 301 Hillsborough Street, a mixed-use office tower with retail space that will be home to Pendo
  • The Willard, a seven-story hotel at 21 Glenwood Avenue
  • 400 H at 400 Hillsborough Street, a 216-unit apartment building also from HM Partners
  • The Creamery building at 410 Glenwood Avenue, which could be rezoned up to 40 stories
  • A 40-story tower at 330 W. Hargett and 119 S. Harrington streets, the site of Legends nightclub

Follow Editor-in-Chief Jane Porter on Twitter or send an email to jporter@indyweek.com. 

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