99 replies to this topic

[melk]

Really? No pictures yet of Amity Gardens? I'll post some soon...

Well I drive this every day and they've finally demo'd the giant warehouse which used to do blacklight mini-golf and a haunted house type thing at Halloween. Harbor Freight has moved down the road to the Margaret Wallace shopping center where Bi-Lo used to be.

I'm glad to see progress here...

[DigitalSky]

http://www.bizjourna...-charlotte.html

BJ's Warehouse Club (Formerly a Target/Gold Circle/Richway) on E. Independence will close soon.. I can't imagine anything filling this location now.

[DigitalSky]

Looks like the Walmart project at Amity Gardens is rolling along, however it is spiking some concerns in neighbors about traffic and the accessibility (or lack thereof) to the store. http://www.charlotte...-neighbors.html

[Shawn&Zae]

I will gladly avoid Walmart, but the city should have never approve that location and for Walmart engineers to say that traffic will not be affect is insane. I can imagine drivers leaving Walmart dotting across all four lanes of traffic just to get on Albemarle and rear end crashes in Independence right lane for people trying to get into the Walmart parking lot.  Nancy Carter got what she wanted, now the city has to deal with it!

Edited by Shawn&Zae, 13 June 2011 - 11:27 PM.

[tozmervo]

^ There is no access from Independence to the Walmart, which is what has the neighborhoods concerned. The only access will be through those neighborhoods.

[Shawn&Zae]

Unless the city changed the Walmart Site Plan, I still see a right-in-right-out entrance into Walmart off Independence along with the Pierson Drive entrance. Regardless of the entrances, this Walmart is in a bad location for accessibility and traffic.

Edited by Shawn&Zae, 14 June 2011 - 07:51 AM.

[southslider]

The Walmart site is the former Amity Gardens Shopping Center, which immediately abuts the Coliseum Shopping Center.  I can only imagine that these two large shopping centers at their peak occupancy generated significant traffic.

I'm thankful this is a redevelopment of an existing commercial property.  I would have much preferred Walmart redeveloping their Eastway location, but if they had to move elsewhere, I'm glad it was to a non-residential, brownfield/grayfield property within East Charlotte, instead of a residential or greenfield property.

I also believe the redevelopment of Coliseum Shopping Center is now more likely.  And according to the Observer article, adjacent redevelopment will offer an opportunity to extend Walmart's new service/frontage road from Pierson Drive to Eastway/Wendover, providing even more access.

[Third Strike]

So, it appears like the TJ Maxx, Compare Foods, and McDonalds at the Idlewild intersection are leaving soon (if they're not already gone). Looks like that leaves that Bojangles and the bank next to it as the last stores at this intersection. In other news, looks like the Walmart at Amity Gardens is close to being done, but there's still no ETA on its grand opening.

[DigitalSky]

Supposedly by the end of the month it should be open.  Sucks for all the people who lived near to that Compare Foods and were able to walk to a grocery store though

[southslider]

^Residents may walk to that Compare Foods today, but an approved rezoning (2011-017) on the City's website shows all of the adjacent apartments (Castlewood/Silver Oak?) behind Compare Foods today, as being redeveloped into drive-thru commercial (relocated businesses from Independence?) and new apartments.

http://ww.charmeck.o...Site%20Plan.PDF

Edited by southslider, 06 January 2012 - 12:02 PM.

[dubone]

Compare moved to a bigger store already not that far away.

[southslider]

^Plus, Best Buy closed at Village Lake, and the strip commercial around Sardis Road North has major vacancies.  Yet neither of these properties are even within the State's pending project zone.  Perhaps, the bigger challenges facing this corridor are how people now shop and/or the health of the surrounding market.

[dubone]

I think in the long run, the city will be better if this corridor transitioned away from a dated commercial strip mall hell and have the retail that the neighborhood can actually support be more in the neighborhoods.

[norm21499]

You know Dubone.....Just when I was wishing that this website had a "like" button.....I found it and "liked" your post LOL!  I dont want to stray off topic but, when was this added in? I just noticed it!

I do agree though, retail needs to be removed off of independence and integrated with the neighborhoods on central or on monroe, or other roads. Independence should not have retail on it from uptown to 485 so that it can be a true expressway.

[Third Strike]

I think a lot of the shopping centers, starting with shopping centers south of Village Lake, won't have too much of a hard time adjusting when it comes time to convert Independence to an expressway. If I'm remembering correctly, about half of the Village Lake shopping center will be demolished to make way for an extension for East W.T. Harris to connect with Village Lake Dr., and a CATS Park and Ride Station. The other half will still have access from the new W.T. Harris, and pedestrians can still cross from the other side of Independence through the new underpass. Likewise, The Sardis shopping center will still have access from Sardis road, and the shopping centers in Matthews will have access from the various back and main roads, like Sam Newell, Windsor Square Drive, and the newly created Independence Pointe Parkway.

And on the topic of shopping centers in Matthews, Windsor Square seems to be about ready for the new J.C. Penney that's suppose to open sometime this year. Overall, retail along Independence in Matthews seems to be strong at the momemt. Let's just hope it maintains that momentum even after the convergence (which likely won't happen for another ten years).

[DigitalSky]

Regarding the JC Penney... any signages up or "coming soon" signs?

[Third Strike]

I believe it's still officially underwraps, but I did find this:

http://www.ldiline.c...me.cfm?id=23914

[DigitalSky]

oh thanks!!!

[rworkman09]

Walmart is opening at the end of the month.

[Third Strike]

Yup, looks like the new Walmart will open on the 25th, next week, according to http://obswhatsinsto...ing-end-of.html. Also, if you look at the Eastway store's page on Walmart's store locator, site to store isn't available until the 25th. I do wonder if they will be giving away free gift cards on grand opening day.