Drive for 'Center City' retail

[ScottCLT]

I don't necessarily like the actual development (it feels too mall-ish to me) I do think it's noteworthy of their ability to attract retailers to their downtown which is smaller than Charlotte's.

Yeah, it kind of makes me sick to see this pulled off in other cities. For SLC, though, they already had a Nordstrom downtown (and I think a Macy's also). They are just moving to a new location. I remember seeing the demolition to make way for this a few years ago in SLC.

One other surprise for me was seeing a Nordstrom in downtown Anchorage, which is obviously much smaller than Charlotte.

[Euphorius]

I looked at the construction site of this development in SLC back in 2008 when I was there. Honestly, I don't like the plans at all. While it is a good idea bringing additional retail to their downtown, did they have to make it a pedestrian mall? That seems so 1970's to me. Charlotte could do way better than that! I think the main thing keeping major retail from locating in urban locations is the fact that there are plenty of air conditioned/heated indoor malls with an established client base that desire to keep the retail right where it is ....inside the malls.

[Spartan]

Apple would have really fit into the bottom floor of the Founders Hall. Or if they were to blow out the ground level College St side of Omni.

Apple could easily slide into a space at 1BAC/The Ritz. They already have the bleak modern glass thing going on there. Just throw up an Apple logo and you're good to go.

[Temeteron]

Whatever happened to Bang & Olufsen that was announced for Founders Hall??

[DigitalSky]

Well, a lot of people seem to be upset that a big name retailer like Nordstrom Rack chose to locate outside of Pineville instead of in or around uptown Charlotte.

[Urbanity]

Well, a lot of people seem to be upset that a big name retailer like Nordstrom Rack chose to locate outside of Pineville instead of in or around uptown Charlotte.

I personally haven't seen anything about people being upset though I do think it would have been great for Uptown to have landed them.

[DigitalSky]

This was judging by many of the comments on the Observer's website

[SmellyCat]

This was judging by many of the comments on the Observer's website

That's pretty rare to get comments that are pro-uptown. Most of the people who seem to troll on there are right wing, anti-transit, anti-government, anti-arts, anti-everything haters. As someone on this board once said, the best thing about the Observer website is the "disable comments" feature.

[Guest]

Was feeling very jealous of Raleigh's H&M opening at Crabtree on March 18th, so I turned this...

into

[DigitalSky]

I love it. Now let's see it become reality!

[Urbanity]

I love that as well.

[Urbanity]

I've been reading about the county and city budget crunch and a lot of siting of drop in retail tax receipts and have been wondering if it's good or bad that we were missing center city retail till now.

On the good side, I wonder if we would have seen some retail businesses close, and therefore we avoided that. On the flipside, I almost wonder if we had secured something like an H&M or a few other desperately wanted merchandisers in center city (e.g. Apple, Brooks Brothers) would that have actually generated some sales buzz that would have benefited the area.

My guess is the former but it's hard to say without anything of merit in Uptown to gauge it by.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Urbanity

[atlrvr]

Just more restaurants, but I believe an Indian place is supposed to go in the former Harry & Jeans spot....I forget the name, but I think they currently have a few locations in the Raleigh area.

Also, a pizza place is going in the new courthouse garage at 4th and McDowell.

[Urbanity]

The recent pics I took of the alleyway btwn Duke and Mint brings hope that this will be filled with merchandise retail and not just restaurants and bars! Any word form those in the know?

[DigitalSky]

Looks like the Triangle has beat Charlotte to getting a Container Store.

[Urbanity]

^^^

With the Triangle landing H&M, Container store, and something else recently it makes me wonder if whoever is in charge of retail recruitment at Charlotte (City Partners? ) needs to hire someone from the Triangle.

When is there going to be any announcement of a major retailer in Uptown? It's one of the most talked about needed items whether in this forum, the 2020 studies (heck I think I read it was a key focus in the 2010 studies) as well as in the observer stories about needs for Uptown.

Who is in charge of retail strategy in Charlotte? I want a public effigy of their charge cards guillotined! Just a vent...

[Forrest]

I certainly have no insider info but it does not surprise me that many brand name retailers go with the Triangle over us. Their main calling cards are Duke/UNC and the RTP. Ours are Banking and Nascar. Our main components are not as durable. Just this week an article in the O had Meck unemployment still high and not improving. Orange County had one the highest employment rates in the state because of UNC.

[jednc]

Looks like the Triangle has beat Charlotte to getting a Container Store.

There was a store very similar to this at the Streets at Southpoint Mall when it first opened. It was a stand alone store down near the theaters. I can't remember the name, but when I see a Container Store, I always just assume that's what it was. Anyway, it was a big box and it sold organizational items. It didn't make it, but I don't know if it was just that location of if the entire chain went under.

[DigitalSky]

Yeah I remember what you're talking about but for the life of me I Can't remember the name either.

Edit: found it, Organized Living was the store.

http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/dukemag/issues/091002/mall1.html

Edited April 13, 2010 by DigitalSky

[jednc]

Yeah I remember what you're talking about but for the life of me I Can't remember the name either.

Edit: found it, Organized Living was the store.

http://www.dukemagaz...1002/mall1.html

Good Find! I hope the Container Store does better and I hope they build one here soon. Even if I'm not buying anything, I just like to wonder in that kind of store.

[SmellyCat]

Orange County had one the highest employment rates in the state because of UNC.

And having the state government as a major employer does not hurt either. Public sector jobs are expanding much more than private sector jobs these days.

[Urbanity]

Not the full bookstore that many of us wanted though I think it is a step in the right direction. Let's just hope the plans include weekend hours! No more m-f 9-5!

It hasn’t been closed a week, but plans are already in the works to put one of the county’s recently shuttered library branches to a new, less expensive use.

The Checkit Outlet on South Tryon, which largely served the city’s uptown workers, could reopen this summer as an all volunteer sales outlet for the library system’s used books.

Details are still being worked out. But Wells Fargo reportedly has offered to forgo a year’s rent – $36,000 – for the Checkit space. The Friends of the Library, which would run the used-book outlets, estimate it could raise as much $200,000 over its first two years.

Read more: http://www.charlotte...l#ixzz0roxJcAPL

Edited June 25, 2010 by Urbanity

[Urbanity]

The announcement of the Container Store opening in SouthPark seems like a real bittersweet loss to me for Center City retail possibilities. The store and it's offerings are focused primarily on the needs of apartment dwellers and would have been a perfect fit in the CCCP retail assessment strategy of going after stores that specialize in "shoppers goods."

[Urbanity]

Out of curiosity - does anyone know whatever happened to the Meck ABC Board plan to place a store within the 277 loop?

I know the proposed location across from Trademark on Trade was ditched due to community opposition, but that was about three years ago now and I thought there were plans for another location?

[New Name]

Here's an interesting story about "big-box-retailers" trying to get a toe-hold in urban landscapes [considered the last underserved market in the country]. It seems, of course, that established urban areas with stable neighborhoods are the first to get served (such as DC, Seattle, Chicago). So I wonder what the tipping poing for Charlotte would be. Midtown Target is a good example, but still is not center city. Does anyone think we'll actually get a major retailer in Center City?

If Belk were to follow Target and Walmart in this urban expansion model, Charlotte Center City would be a great place to start. God knows we have an abundance of oversized lots right in the middle of the city.