The Thrill renovates after being condemned

Rosemary Street bar The Thrill is undergoing renovations after Chapel Hill officials condemned the property earlier this month for violating building codes.

Officials delivered the notice of condemnation to owner Scott Campbell on Nov. 13, and the bar — located at 157 E. Rosemary St. — was forced to close temporarily.

Campbell said the bar has begun making the changes recommended by the town, and he expects it to reopen on Thursday.

The letter from Chief Building Inspector Joseph Ayscue and Deputy Fire Chief Matt Lawrence details various problems with the bar, including defective and unpermitted construction, unsafe wiring, and renovations made without proper permits.

But manager Glen Turner insists the bar was closed to allow the town to check recent renovations, rather than to correct ongoing problems.

“There were some electrical and plumbing changes that we did correctly, but they just had to review them,” Turner said.

Campbell said mistakes made during the permitting process contributed to the current situation.

“The entire process was brought about because I never did get proper permits,” Campbell said. “When we were pulling permits for the renovations, we did it wrong.

“Now we’re dealing with a lot of stuff like having to pay double permit fees to the town.”

But the letter also questioned exposed plywood used as wall finish that was discovered during an Oct. 31 bar check, along with other unpermitted changes to the property.

Campbell said the Rosemary Street site is approved for an occupancy of 200 people.

But due to significant changes to the interior — including putting in new bars and an additional men’s bathroom — the occupancy load might have changed, the letter states.

The town had issued a stop work order in April for the site after construction began on an outside addition.

Though The Thrill later applied for permits on Aug. 29, which were approved on Oct. 5, the letter says they were never paid for or picked up.

“The town has great concern about the safety of your building because this work has not been coordinated or inspected … You should also be advised that we believe there may be other safety-related violations that have yet to be discovered and therefore are not included in this letter,” the letter states.

Campbell said since closing, the bar has been working closely with the town to ensure all necessary renovations are made.

He said he hopes the next inspection goes smoothly.

“Our number one goal is to make sure that people have a good time in a safe place,” he said.

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.