Original Char-Grill location could become a 20-story tower

The original location of the burger-and-fries institution Char-Grill could make way for a tower up to 20 stories high, as developers zero in on downtown's Hillsborough Street corridor.

Driving the news: Raleigh developer Wilson | Blount said in a press release Wednesday it is acquiring several parcels around the Char-Grill at 618 Hillsborough St. for a new mixed-use development project.

• Plans for the property are still being evaluated, the firm said, but it intends to apply for a rezoning of the properties.
• A neighborhood meeting is set for July 12, a standard practice in rezoning cases.

Yes, but: Wilson | Blount said it will incorporate Char-Grill, which has served burgers in Raleigh since 1959, into whatever the future development becomes.

• Char-Grill will remain open until construction starts, the restaurant said in the news release. It has eight other locations throughout the Triangle.

What they're saying: "This project gives us the opportunity to upgrade our facility to better serve our customers in the future," Char-Grill owners Ryon Wilder and Mahlon Aycock said in a statement.

• "This isn't 'goodbye' at all. It's 'see-you-soon.'"

Of note: The assemblage of properties also includes the historic Elmwood house.