2748 replies to this topic

[49er]

yeah there's a brooks brothers in Southpark. An Oakley store just opened too. Call me redneck, but I'd never seen one of those before.


Know what sucks though? The stronger Southpark gets, the more difficult it is for retail to take hold in downtown. Dept stores in downtown? Not a chance for a decade or two in my opinion. Southpark is just too freakin close. Plus the new mall north of downtown makes it even worse.

[Raleigh-NC]

I have to agree with 49er... the more upscale shopping they put outside downtown the harder it gets for Uptown Charlotte to complete its image and speed up the momentum. Of course, South Park's proximity to Uptown may also work for the latter's growth, too. As people get closer to the core, they will eventually embrace Uptown even more. While I would prefer those stores to have a more central address, it is still great news for Charlotte's shopping scene.

[cityboi]

I guess I would liken Charlotte's South Park to Atlanta's Buckhead.

It would be great to see stores like Lovi Vitton, Channel, Armani, Gucci come to uptown like in cities such as Minneapolis or Atlanta. Charlotte's center-city can support them and they would improve the image of uptown Charlotte as a cosmopolitian, urban core. But like others said before, there is just too much competition in areas like South Park and other areas thats opening up new shopping centers and malls.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Great for rich suburbanites, bad for urbanists....  

[49er]

Id have to disagree a little on it being a suburban wasteland. Southpark is an urban paradise compared to the likes of Carolina Place/Pineville, University City, Matthews. etc. Density is arriving there although youre right about the people, many are anti urban to the core.

[tocoto]

While these upscale stores give a city a certan panache, they are too expensive for almost everyone.  How many of us drop $1000 or more on a suit jacket or $1500 on a handbag.  Boston has all of these stores and more.  Many are downtown and make for great window shopping.  The truth for me is I buy almost all my clothes at Filenes Basement at 30 to 70% off the already close-out price.

[JunktionFET]

Yeah, the South Park district has been around for long enough now (~40 years since the first houses were built there), it is about time for some neo-urban things to appear and fill in the gaps... which is actually happening now, and will likely accelerate in the near future.

I think that as the population demographic begins to shift, you will see a less suburban mindset from that area. Remember the lovely mini-bus system that South Park acquired (in addition to the main CATS buses)--the one that only two people rode for that entire week?    I think that in a few years, that idea might be a lot more successful.

[hauntedheadnc]

Hey, now... there's something to be said for outrageously expensive, trendy stores.  I'm hooked on the Godiva store in the Asheville Mall; they're right: once you try Godiva, you can't go back.

[Pandora]

Very impressive.  I must go to the Galyan's in the Birmingham area.  This place looks like it rivals Bass Pro Shops easily.

[uptownliving]

The construction continues at SouthPark Mall. I went out there last week and took a couple photos...they are not very good...but they will give you an idea of what is going on there.

Main Entrance::





Dillard's...this is the only part of the mall that has not been renovated yet. This gives you an idea of what the entire mall used to look like on the outside...white brick. This is the original exterior. Dillard's is working on renovation plans right now...expect to see construciton begin soon.



Belk...this is their flagship store. I tired to get a better pic of the entrance, which is actually kinda neat...but it didn't turn out well. This pic is taken from the top of the parking deck...so you only see the top of a 4 level store.



Nordstrom.,...the newest anchor addition to SouthPark.



Galyn's...this is still under construction. This is where the Sear's used to be. Notice the skyline in the background. In the foreground is where Neiman Marcus will go.



Hect's also just completed their store renovation and expansion.


Here are some bonus shots of some of the buildings that surround the mall:::

Wachovia Branch:


The 2 story  McD's::


Here is the Rotunda building with the Symphany Park in the foreground.


And here is a pic of the nice treelined sidewalk that surrounds the mall property.

[Nostyle]

I didn't realize how detached Galyans would be!  What is the plan for that wing?  Will it eventually connect, or will that remain detached like that?

[monsoon]

[archiham04]

I don't think that they are planning on attaching Galyans.  Last I heard they were going create a plaza with exterior facing restaurants and retail .... similar to streets at southpoint...

[Neo]

Great pictures Uptownliving!  I was just at SouthPark on Saturday...my Bath & Body Works supply had dwindled down.  

[uptownliving]

Nostyle, on Jun 6 2004, 11:17 PM, said:

I didn't realize how detached Galyans would be!  What is the plan for that wing?  Will it eventually connect, or will that remain detached like that?

Yeah...it will be detached...they are building the new food court at that end of the building...and there will be an outdoor plaza that connects Galyan's with the interior mall.

Edited by uptownliving, 07 June 2004 - 05:52 AM.

[samsonyuen]

Did the Sears store that Galyan's is going into not attach to the mall before?

[uptownliving]

The Sears was attached.

[Phillydog]

uptownliving, on Jun 7 2004, 06:59 AM, said:

The Sears was attached.

Any more word on Neiman-Marcus?

[49er]

So Neimans is pretty close to being confirmed?

Southpark is definitely a unique suburban district. The mature trees take the edge off of what could be a sterile setting. Southpark could have a buckhead style future ahead of it.

The Galyans and plaza area are an attempt to compete with newer malls that have the fake mainstreet outdoor areas...ala Southpoint

[uptownliving]

no official word on Neiman's yet....it could get interesting as I'm sure that Saks would love to jump ship on Dee Dee Harris and go to SouthPark mall now....stay tuned...supposedly we could hear something later this month.