Park Road / Woodlawn / Montford Area Retail

[Urbanity]

^ I like the wooden panels! 

[mad_park]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/09/20/4328960/small-merchants-lament-rising.html#.Ujz5g2TXhXc

 

Sounds like the new owners are raising the rents (to market levels) - should see lots of turnover within the shopping center.

[southslider]

I wish the new owners would improve the "out lots" and edges of the shopping center along Park and Woodlawn Roads.  Thus far, only the parking lot and arcade have seen changes, and not really all that dramatic.

[swampfox43]

I, for one, dislike the changes Edens & Avant have done to PRSS. I've worked there for over 13 years and it gets quite depressing to see the train-wreck they have created with the parking lot. They have ripped most of the concrete walkways out that were between the parking spaces forcing customers, women with strollers, children, etc to walk in the roadway of the parking lot. Not very bright. I'm all for more trees and landscaping but this was not well thought out. 

 

Also, that stretch of newly configured roadway in front of Fuel Pizza was poor planning all around, especially the stretch going north. It is very narrow and most delivery type trucks can't make the turns from any direction. It's evident in all the tread marks you see in the new planter medians on the right. If they hadn't built those little planter medians, it would be a little better. Not to mention that when exiting the parking lot from the center, say from Blackhawk Hardware towards Fuel, you can only make a right turn. So, people go right and make a U-turn, holding up traffic behind them as they wait. It's a crazy mess. I see it every day.

 

Don't even get me started on this ugly whitewash they painted over the bricks. Some may like it, but I haven't met anyone yet that does. And believe me, I've talked to many, many people. 

 

I said early in the process, I won't judge this until I see the finished product. But so far, I ain't likin' what I'm seein'.

[southslider]

^Agree that it was foolish to paint brick.  The wood panels were a nice addition, and would have gone well with the brick, just as it shows in Mobuchu's picture.

[Miesian Corners]

I liked what I saw on the story boards, but the finished product doesn't look like them.  They've created a public relations disaster.  

[tozmervo]

Was the brick painted in the renderings? I agree, I was past there a few days ago and was shocked at how bad it looked.

[Miesian Corners]

The brick was painted in the renderings, but it looks nothing like the end result.  

[mad_park]

It looks like more of a whitewashing than painting....maybe it will mellow out after a few months of weathering.

[swampfox43]

Update on the ugly whitewash paint at PRSS. Today, the owners have decided they do not like the whitewash paint. So, what are they going to do? They are going to paint the bricks a "solid" white. I'll upload some pics as they progress. 

 

Another boondoggle idea were the triangular planters along the curb in front of the shopping center. Well, many of them are level with the roadway and people parking along the curb are driving right over them. They just planted all these nice plants in them, only to have cars drive, and in some cases "park" on top of them. Crazy mess!

Edited October 16, 2013 by swampfox43

[Matthew.Brendan]

It's like they can't see the basic underlying problem and instead keep digging the hole deeper.

[Guest]

It's like they can't see the basic underlying problem and instead keep digging the hole deeper.

Can't wait to check this out... in November.

[tozmervo]

I really can't believe they didn't test a hidden wall first. Maybe they did and the new owner liked it at the time. 

[swampfox43]

Here is a sample of the new solid white paint beside the whitewash painted bricks I took today. Also note the orange traffic cones to keep drivers from running into the flower beds. What a train wreck!

Edited October 17, 2013 by swampfox43

[Niner National]

Still looks terrible, but much better than what they were going for previously. I really hate painted brick.

[mad_park]

Really wish they had done away with (or seriously reduced) the curbside parking. It would make it much easier to see pedestrians that are crossing over from the shops to the parking lot.

[Matthew.Brendan]

So bizarre.... yeah that curb side parking is just terrible

[CarolinaCrown]

The whitewash/base coat has now been painted over, and it looks much better. I'll get a pic tommorrow.

[mad_park]

The Dry Cleaners behind Park Rd Shopping Center has been asked to vacate after 29 years at the current location. Sounds like we will see some tenant changes in 2014.  Not sure why you wouldn't want a dry cleaner in a center like this? Maybe they want something newer and more corporate????

 

http://charlotterestauranttraffic.com/news/grinch-shows-park-road-shopping-center/

[Temeteron]

The Dry Cleaners behind Park Rd Shopping Center has been asked to vacate after 29 years at the current location. Sounds like we will see some tenant changes in 2014. Not sure why you wouldn't want a dry cleaner in a center like this? Maybe they want something newer and more corporate????

There is another dry cleaners behind the Harris teeter side of the shopping center. That building is so old that is being asked to leave, I don't see another tenant wanting to take it, unless they knock it down..

http://charlotterestauranttraffic.com/news/grinch-shows-park-road-shopping-center/

[Bikeguy]

I believe that this is the start of the transformation of the backside area of the shopping center into a collection of restaurants & bistros with a bike ped bridge that will connect it to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.  

[swampfox43]

Also, Rack Room Shoes at PRSC is closing. The signs were posted Dec 23. Lot's of stores are moving out. I am sure in part because of the astronomical rate increase. Blackhawk signed a 10 year lease 2 years ago but I doubt they will be moving even with the lease rate increase Edens & Avant has swept across the shopping center. Kinda sad to see some of the other little, independent stores leaving though. When Porter Byron opened PRSC, he wanted it to be a place for the little, independent guy to succeed. Yes, times have changed but it's still sad to see so many of them leaving.

[rjp212]

The CBJ has an article mentioning some of the new stores coming to Park Road Shopping Center.   Cantina 1511 will be relocating from Dilworth to the center sometime in June.  Other new restaurants (including renderings) will be Va da Vie Gelato and Rock Salt.  

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2014/01/21/park-road-shopping-center-to-add-four-tenants.html

[southslider]

So CMC takes over another block of East Blvd?

[HopHead]

According to this CBJ article: http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2014/01/21/cantina-1511-to-leave-dilworth-for-park-road.html the old Cantina will be rebranded as something else on East Blvd (no real concrete details yet). So perhaps the CMC monster isn't taking that area over just yet. Sad to see Cantina leave though. Loved going there back when I lived in Dilworth.