About once or twice a year since 2010 my brother and me have made a point of visiting the site of the old Hive for a mixed purpose of reminiscing and seeing how the “regeneration”, as it was called, process is going.

As I sat at work having recently posted a picture of the parking lot at the Coliseum and our timeline was beginning to flood with questions about the current status of the site I looked outside the window and saw a beautiful day and decided to give the old friend a visit. Curiously I typed in my iPhone GPS “Hive Drive” and to my amusement the pin dropped on the right spot.

Upon my arrival at the back entrance off of Yorkmont Rd. I was greeted by the now familiar signs that read “NO TRESPASSING: Those Trespassing Will Bee Prosecuted To The Full Extent of The Law”. As any good Charlottean would do I followed the law but somewhere on the walk back to my car I lost my phone for about 45 minutes and miraculously found it with these pictures inside. 

From my interpretation of the pictures the only real lasting remnants are the steps and vast far left parking lot. Where the Hive stood is a field of tall grass ironically filled with snakes. A giant pile of concrete rubble lies in the middle of the parking lot which is now used for foundation on the construction of the City Park View Apartments that have methodically chipped away at the land over the past few years.

The once umbilical cord of Hive Dr. that brought life from Tyvola to the Coliseum is now severed in half. The road has been renamed to City Park Dr.

Now stand apartments starting at $988 a month. I walk in and chat with the receptionist to find out what little she knows and she tells me that several people come every month to ask her about and visit the site. An almost Hornets fan pilgrimage.

Having realized this would be the case the Atlanta based company that bought the land has made a skeleton of a memorial that is self aware of its inability to console those who visit.

4 steal pillars from the Coliseum and a plaque.

 

Phase 2 of construction has begun and what is left of the original road leading to the Coliseum will undoubtedly depart with the apartment’s arrival.