50 replies to this topic

[NCMike1981]

Weaver Street Market Keeps Hope

Weaver Street Market, a Carrboro Based grocery co-op wants to build a store in downtown Hillsborough in a 3 story building called the Gateway Center that has been proposed. Interestingly enough the Board of Adjustment has rejected the proposal that would usher in the grocer onto the town's main street in downtown citing concerns over traffic and safety. Apparantely many people are dissapointed with the decision, thinking that a grocer in downtown Hillsborough would do great things for the small town.

I personally think it's funny that many larger towns and cities would love to have a store like Weaver Street Market, which I've heard is along the lines of a Whole Foods Market, in their downtown, yet Hillsborough's Board of Adjustment  has rejected their proposal. I believe that even the mayor and chamber of commerce, as well as other downtown businesses want the grocer in downtown, so we'll see what happens....

Weaver Street Market Homepage

Edited by orulz, 31 October 2006 - 08:05 AM.

[pack-man]

After reading the article I'm confident this will go back to vote and will pass.  Hillsborough has a lot of potential and if they set a trend of keeping things from developing they will be hurting only themselves.  Towns like Efland and Mebane will benefit from those decisions if they continue to make it difficult to develop in their downtown.  Hillsborough will see the next big boom in the triangle I think.

[orulz]

I have confidence that somehow, someone will make this project happen. Usually "traffic concerns" are a substitute for nimbyism. But in this case, nobody is complaining about the project being too large, out of character, too noisy, too bright, too ugly, to pretty, etc. The sticking point really is traffic. I understand that there's quite a lot of it on NC86 (Churton Street) through downtown, particularly at rush hour. The developer is already paying for a turn lane extension. Perhaps it's time for the town to invest in a closed-loop traffic signal system.

I wonder why it's called Weaver Street Market instead of Churton Street Market, though. Maybe this is like 42nd Street Oyster Bar, even though there is no 42nd street in Raleigh.

I wonder if WSM has any further plans for expansions elsewhere in the region. For some reason, I think Stanhope Village along Hillsborough Street in Raleigh might be a good place. Or, lord forbid, City Market downtown! Although, all their stores so far are located in Orange County.

[dmccall]

Wow. That's surprising news. They really would be a good addition to H-boro.

[DigitalSky]

Will this do well in Hillsborough?!

[NCMike1981]

I think it would do well in Hillsborough. The town has alot of influence from the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, where Weaver St is very popular. Hillsborough is sort of a town in transition. It's trying to manage growth while keeping in mind it's very limited water supply. Really water is one of the few things holding Hillsborough back, aside from a ton of small town thinkers who think of Cary as the anti-christ, which in some ways is a good thing

[DanRNC]

Weaver Street is a co-op so I don't know how much they would plan to expand (ie to Raleigh). They also have an Italian restaurant called Panzanella in Carr Mill you should check out. The Hillsborough deal should be worked out sooner than later.

[pack-man]

I thought this was the grocer coming to the Seaboard Station downtown Raleigh?

[NCMike1981]

A Story from the Hillsborough paper about Weaver St Market....

http://www.aconews.c...news/news01.txt

[urbanesq]

In answer to questions above, YES!!! This will do GREAT in Hillsborough.  We live in H'boro, and I know that my wife and I alone will account for at least 50% of their annual sales, I'm sure.  It will be so great in that it will keep us from having to drive 20 minutes to Whole Foods in Durham or Chapel Hill, which we do on a weekly basis, at minimum.

While there are plenty of country folks and out and out rednecks in and around town, Hillsborough also has a high percentage of literatzi and bohemian groovy people who like organic food and would probably shop at a Weaver St. or Wellspring exclusively.

As to the Board of Adjustment's decision, it is, without a doubt, the absolute stupidest thing I've ever heard (ok, so maybe the 2000 election was stupider, but I digress....).  The alternate location (the old Southern States warehouse) is not even a block off of S. Churton St., within spitting distance (almost literally) from the proposed new building-- I mean you can see it from there, and can walk from one site to the other in probably a dozen steps.  Since car access would be virtually the same, I just can't see that traffic is a big concern.  Sure, the volume on S. Churton St. is alarmingly high for a town this size, but this store isn't going to make it any worse.  

This is a prime example of insane results from a lack of vision and just piss-poor governance.  The site had been approved for retail already.  Why make the building go through a board of adjustment hearing just to alter the footprint a little.  It's just idiotic-- it's exactly the type of thing that makes the John Locke Foundation go nuts.  The vast majority of people in this town want this store to happen.  The co-op was supposed to open up in downtown over 2 years ago, and the population has grown steadily since then.

I share the optimism of other posters-- this thing has just got to happen.

Edited by urbanesq, 21 January 2006 - 07:13 AM.

[raleightransplant]

Does anyone know if something similar to Weaver Street is going in to DT Raleigh?  I know I heard something about this a year ago or so.  I believe Meeker was really pushing for this.

[dmccall]

A CoOp grocery store would do really well in downtown. How 'bout...say on West and North??? Or in an old warehouse??

I think it is funny/sad that Whole Foods, a great store and the mecca for the earthy crowd exists in a strip shopping center with a sea of parking on the edge of town. Really doesn't fit, but MAN do they do a great business. Their expansion only showed the need for more expansion. How big could that store get, seriously, before they reach the true demand level. It's impressive.

We could also use a great butcher. Ben Barker (Magnolia Grill) said that one of the keys to the Durham and Chapel Hill restaurants being disproportionately good was the presence of Wellspring in the early days. The last I heard, though, he was getting his meat at Cliff's in Carrboro. One of my biggest regrets about my 9 years in Chapel Hill was not taking advantage of Cliff's until the very end of my stay. The place just LOOKS so bad. Very knowledgable guy inside, though. He didn't make you feel dumb for not knowing every cut of meat. I like Whole Foods and the Fresh Market, but they just aren't quite Cliff's. I'd just like something that is so good the local restaurant owners are in there, too.

Edited by dmccall, 30 January 2006 - 11:06 PM.

[Jones133]

dmccall, on Jan 31 2006, 12:02 AM, said:

A CoOp grocery store would do really well in downtown. How 'bout...say on West and North??? Or in an old warehouse??

I think it is funny/sad that Whole Foods, a great store and the mecca for the earthy crowd exists in a strip shopping center with a sea of parking on the edge of town. Really doesn't fit, but MAN do they do a great business. Their expansion only showed the need for more expansion. How big could that store get, seriously, before they reach the true demand level. It's impressive.

We could also use a great butcher. Ben Barker (Magnolia Grill) said that one of the keys to the Durham and Chapel Hill restaurants being disproportionately good was the presence of Wellspring in the early days. The last I heard, though, he was getting his meat at Cliff's in Carrboro. One of my biggest regrets about my 9 years in Chapel Hill was not taking advantage of Cliff's until the very end of my stay. The place just LOOKS so bad. Very knowledgable guy inside, though. He didn't make you feel dumb for not knowing every cut of meat. I like Whole Foods and the Fresh Market, but they just aren't quite Cliff's. I'd just like something that is so good the local restaurant owners are in there, too.

Dana,
I happen to have suggested the intersection of North and West as a grocery store site at a downtown forum a couple of years ago. Specificaly the NE corner of the intersection because it is clear and easily seen from Captial Blvd.

[Oakdale]

dmccall, on Jan 31 2006, 12:02 AM, said:

A CoOp grocery store would do really well in downtown. How 'bout...say on West and North??? Or in an old warehouse??

There was some momentum building for a downtown Co-op and I actually bought a membership in it a couple of years ago.  Momentum has slowed, though, and the last meeting I went to was about 13 people.  The website for the co-op is down and I'm now not sure of it's future.  Too bad, because I think Raleigh could support one.

[Justin6882]

I can only HOPE that whatever goes in Seaboard Station will be half as awesome as Weaver Street.  I wish they would put one in the old Greenshields space in City Market.

[ncwebguy]

There was talk of putting a co-op in east of downtown raleigh, near where designbox just behind the Magnet Middle School.  Empire properties won the building in an auction, but is rennovating that space for offices.  There is going to be a few thousand square feet of retail available in Carlton Place, which is now under construction southeast of the middle school.  The old Greenshileds space would be ideal, and not far from a lot of deck parking, but the alternatives are only a block or so away and can soften the east edge.

At the North/West intersection, Empire owns the two southern corners.  This area would be part of the State Government train stop, so if the train was a reality, people could shop there and take the train home, dramatically reducing the need for parking!  Seaboard station is getting some newish grocer, not affiliate with any existing triangle entities.  According to last saturday's N&O retailing column, a restaurant/grill has
signed on to open up behind sunflowers.  I don't know what the parking situation is going to be there, but it will be at least as bad as Whole Foods on wade ave.

On the subject of parking at Whole Foods...  parking during the after work rush is an exercise in diplomacy to say the least.  It is funny that a environmently concious store does so well due to its close proximity to the 440 beltline.  Fresh market in Cameron Village is never as busy, but it always seems like someone needs to turn the lights on there.  Earth Fare in Brier Creek seems out of place... nothing else in Brierdale had opened yet, so maybe it will do better as more traffic (little to no foot traffic) goes in there.

Weaver Street might come as far east as Durham, but would sadly probably never cross the Wake county line.  They aren't out to make money, and underestimate the desire for organic foods in the capitol city.

[Subway Scoundrel]

dmccall, on Jan 31 2006, 12:02 AM, said:

A CoOp grocery store would do really well in downtown. How 'bout...say on West and North??? Or in an old warehouse??

There use to be Noah's in the early 1990's which was just a couple of blocks from Glenwood South on Tucker Street on the backside of those buildings between the new Eastern BBQ place and The Paramount.   There was another one near by but can not remember where.  

When I lived in 5-points in the 1990s, some of my neighbors belonged to Noahs.    As the HT in Cameron Village opened up and others, it did not have the support but I think something like Weaver Street Market would do well as long as it does not get too much competition from the place going in Seaboard, which I think will be like a smaller Fresh Market.

[NCMike1981]

Apparantely the developer of the proposed site of Weaver Street Market is taking the town to court...

http://www.aconews.c...news/news04.txt

Hopefully they'll win and the project will be allowed to build. The town has been sued numerous times over the past several years, in some cases developers winning. It seems as if the Board of Adjustment has been very reluctant to approve alot of projects....

[DanRNC]

Another article on Weaver St. Market. Looks like it will be built somewhere in Hillsborough.

Story

[pack-man]

Sounds like Weaver Street Market doesn't play games.