I heard some rumblings from those in the restaurant indistry that the National Club was bought by the developer of the new hotel. When the Rt 18 project is finished they are planning on restoring the building and turning it into a steakhouse. Not sure how reliable this info is though.
I know that the property sold about 3 years ago to the owner of the Waterfront Grille (Standard Times
had an article about it). There were plans then for a steakhouse or upgrade restaurant and bar. I don't know if Lafrance Hospitality (the hotel developer) has since bought it or that they are waiting until the 18 upgrade. Either way, It needs to happen. The restaurant and bar scene has been upgraded in that area times a million. The Catwalk, Pier 37, Cork, Pizans, and Rose Alley are all nice places that weren't there 10 years ago. The National Club is really the only holdout. And it's not even a "cool" dive bar with character (like Billy's Cafe in Fall River which is one of my favorites). It's a pit.
On a related note, I hope that when the upgrade does happen (and it seems inevitable), they do work on that whole building. It needs help. On my list of the top places downtown that need a major improvement, the National Club and the wooden building next to it (facing Route 18) are near the top. They fall outside the Whaling District so they don't get the same help and notoriety; but they're worth saving as well (the wooden one is in real bad shape... I think it houses marine supplies or something).
Just for the hell of it, here is my list of top property improvements that need to be made downtown. While I feel 1 is more important than 10, they're not in any specific order.
1) Empty lot on Union between Purchase and Pleasant. It's a gaping hole in the street wall and a real eyesore. There are talks of developing the site as a graduate dorm for UMass Dartmouth. With ground floor retail, that would be an ideal solution.
Chances of something happening soon: very good.
2) St. Annes on Union. It's a suburban bank branch in downtown complete with surface parking, and one faux-colonial looking floor. It belongs on Route 6 in Dartmouth or Fairhaven. Not on one of the primary streets in downtown New Bedford. St. Anne's doesn't need to go, but it would be great if they redeveloped the whole site to be a little more urban. Still, I've heard of no plans for improvement and there's not exactly an outcry from the public.
Chances of something happening soon: slim.
3) Urbanize the YMCA.Great organization, and a nice facility, but it's REALLY not and appropriate structure for downtown. It completely turns its back on Union Street and has a sliver of surface parking lot facing Union. This could be fixed (at least on the Union Street side) with a renovation and addition to open up the facade to Union Street a little better. I know there have at least been rumblings about doing that. Even with the renovation, the School Street, S. Water and S. 2nd street sides need help. It wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the surface lot with a garage with ground level retail. Parking is definitely necessary here... it just needs to be done better.
Chances of something happening soon: not out of the question.
4) Urbanize the Elm Street Garage. The Elm St. Garage is an urban dead zone on the edge of downtown and the whaling district. Ground floor retail would be a good short terms solution. Since the garage is rarely full, replacing it with more emphasis on retail/office and fewer parking places (parking on the top levels or underground) would be more ideal. Elm Street has potential to be a secondary downtown retail/office street; but there are too many gaps right now. Unfortunately, I haven't heard any plans for modifications or demolition.
Chances of something happening soon: none
5) Standard Times Building. The current standard times building on the corner of Elm and 18 is about as dated and anti-urban a building as you'll find downtown. It needs to be replaced as there's no retrofit that could really fix it. Unfortunately, the standard times appears quite content in their home there and doesn't have the resources to build anew. I would say that the only hope for this site is that the Standard Times moves somewhere else downtown and a developer takes it over and fixes it. Perhaps in conjunction with the Elm St. Garage redevelopment.
Chances of something happening soon: slim/none
6) Small Surface Lot between Freestone's and Carter's on William. It's a bit of a blight on an otherwise excellent streetscape. It's only a small lot, but it has a lot of potential. I know it's been looked at recently, but I don't know of any solid plans.
Chances of something happening soon: moderate
7) Surface lots on Elm. Specifically the one at the corner of Elm/Purchase (across from the Bank of America building) and the one behind the Times building. The solution is simple... mixed-use, urban development. However, there are no plans for any of that to happen as of right now.
Chances of something happening soon: slim/none
8) New Bedford Bus Terminal. It's not as awful as people make it out to be, but it's still not great. It wouldn't take too much effort to improve the retail around the base of the building. It's far more urban than almost any bus terminal in any city in New England, but it needs work. Ideally, the entire terminal would be relocated to the site of the commuter rail station at Whale's Tooth. That way you'd have a fully intermodal transit facility with commuter bus, local bus, commuter rail and ferry connections. The city knows it needs work.
Chances of something happening soon:moderate
9) Surface Lot, Purchase at Middle. This is the huge lot at the foot of the Regency tower. It's a prime site for a garage with ground level retail (parking is important) as well as some other mixed-use development to reconnect the area to the rest of downtown. I still haven't heard of any plans.
Chances of something happening soon: slim
10) Route 6/Kempton/Pleasant intersection. This will NEVER be a truly urban intersection. However, there are improvements that can be made. Changing the surface of the actual intersection would be a major step forward. I'm thinking brick or cobblestone (at least the fake stuff) like Kenmore Square in Boston. That would be nice aesthetically, but the change in texture helps slow drivers making it more pedestrian friendly. Signal and aesthetic improvements could at least make it an attractive entrance for drivers entering downtown. Again, it will never be a great urban square, but it does need work. The city knows this and is planning improvements
Chances of something happening soon: very good.
11) N. 6th Street. This is an edge street downtown so it shouldn't expected to be as active as Union, William, Purchase or Pleasant. However, there is still great architecture on this street and a few too many surface lots and anti-urban structures (Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Union in particular). Improvements here will be slow and have to take place over a long period of time. Still I see that type of development happening with the progression of downtown.
Chances of something happening soon: good, albeit slow progress
Honorable Mentions:
-
Surface Lot at Custom House Square. Yes, it's a surface lot but it's about as unoffensive a surface lot as you'll ever find in an urban area. For starters, the small plaza and fountain along William behind the Custom House are actually quite nice. The lot itself is often used as a recreational site for events like AHA New Bedford, Summerfest, Octoberfest, Bioneers, and now, the NB Jazz Festival. While I detest surface lots, this one doesn't really ruin the urbanity of the neighborhood. Furthermore, there are plans to develop the lot. The debate is whether to use the whole lot for development or convert some into park space. Frankly, I suggest leaving some as open/park space. It's in the center of the Whaling District and already sees quite a bit of activity.
Chances of something happening soon: very good.
-
Dover Street. This is a small, aesthetically pleasing cobblestone alleyway in the Whaling District. Outdoor functions are already hosted here and it's very pretty when it's all lit up (it's strung with lights and has nice planters at either end to prevent car traffic). I would LOVE to see some restaurants open out onto the alleyway. Places like the Blackstone Block in Boston, and Belden Place in San Francisco should be inspiration for how to utilize the alleyway.
Chances of something happening soon: moderate 
