Ballantyne Village

[atlrvr]

Orvis is out.....Jesse Brown's Outdoors is likely an "in" though I don't believe it has been inked.

There will be an Express YMCA for 18 and ups, a Panera Bread, a Moe's (I think), and a few more have signed......I saw the developers list a couple months ago, though I don't remember exactly.....also, CBJ ran a story a couple months ago that had some updates.

[nyxmike]

I found a list of tenants on a website for a new Crescent Resources Community called Highgrove...

http://www.crescent-resources.com/communit.../latestnews.asp

Modern Salon, Villa Antonio, Panera Bread, Ballantyne Boutique, ABC, Under the Grape wine shop, I.C. London (lingerie and loungewear), Lion's Ltd. Fine Jewelry, Jesse Brown's Outdoors, Vera's Jewelry. There are also some new, locally owned restaurants such as Table and Vesuvio. An finally, as we all know, Consolidated Theaters is opening a five-screen, 990-seat art and independent movie theater

[DigitalSky]

are they still trying to woo P.F. Changs?

[Version70-8]

Wow. I guess the developers were not lucky in getting the bigger names to sign there, possibly since Northlake signed them as well? I always thought Orvis would be great but in a more visible spot around town.

[nyxmike]

are they still trying to woo P.F. Changs?

It's a restaurant created by P.F. Chang's called Pei Wei Asian Diner and it opened on the Ballantyne Corporate Park side.

Regarding the types of retailers, it seems like they went from trying to lure chain stores to luring locally owned (upscale) stores (for the most part). I think thats a nice change... There is still the Streets of Toringdon thats going to go up on Johnston Road (it's less than a mile away). That project seems like it will end up having more chain stores.

I'd like to see stores that we don't currently have go downtown (like Orvis) - one way to get people downtown is to have stuff people can't get anywhere else.

[DigitalSky]

It's a restaurant created by P.F. Chang's called Pei Wei Asian Diner and it opened on the Ballantyne Corporate Park side.

Ok thanks i'll have to check that place out.

edit: so i talked to a friend and they said it's like Mama Fu's meets PF Changs. Has anyone been here yet?

[Version70-8]

There is still the Streets of Toringdon thats going to go up on Johnston Road (it's less than a mile away). That project seems like it will end up having more chain stores.

I used to live at Atkins Circle so can I say how disappointing the slow action on Streets was for us. The entire center was to be completed by this summer. No stores have been leased at all and the size of the center has been repeatedly cut smaller. Residents can no longer use the entrance at the light (Johnston Rd.) and must turn right out of the community and do a u-turn at the Resort in order to head toward Hwy. 51! (Some of you will notice that this rule started before Christmas and you see how little has been built.) With the delays in construction, the medical plazas were bumped up in priority.

I wouldn't expect much out of this development, especially when some homes in the back of the community like mine are located in a flood zone, as is the retail area up front. No, we never were told this about the property, but fortunately I went to the city website to check myself...nor did they ever tell us that the property was sold to new owners. Found that myself as well. The flood plain issue could be hurting the leasing but who knows?

[DigitalSky]

^I'm sorry, but i think Atkins Circle is an eyesore

[nyxmike]

I used to live at Atkins Circle so can I say how disappointing the slow action on Streets was for us. The entire center was to be completed by this summer. No stores have been leased at all and the size of the center has been repeatedly cut smaller. Residents can no longer use the entrance at the light (Johnston Rd.) and must turn right out of the community and do a u-turn at the Resort in order to head toward Hwy. 51! (Some of you will notice that this rule started before Christmas and you see how little has been built.) With the delays in construction, the medical plazas were bumped up in priority.

I wouldn't expect much out of this development, especially when some homes in the back of the community like mine are located in a flood zone, as is the retail area up front. No, we never were told this about the property, but fortunately I went to the city website to check myself...nor did they ever tell us that the property was sold to new owners. Found that myself as well. The flood plain issue could be hurting the leasing but who knows?

I was wondering why nothing was going on. It's such an eyesore - I hope everything works out and they eventually build it (the renderings are really nice), or else we will have "Dee Dee's Hole #2"

[Dylan]

They are building a cheese and wine theatre down there. No joke.

So freaking cool.

[DigitalSky]

Yeah the independent movie theater will be nice

http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte.../23/story1.html

Charlotte-based Consolidated Theaters is placing a five-screen, 990-seat art and independent film theater on the site.

"We feel quite frankly that sophisticated, educated folks go in for the independent-type product," says Herman Stone, Consolidated chief executive. "This has been successful in other parts of the country in these types of economic income areas. I look for it to be successful here."

[DigitalSky]

The construction is looking nice, I was out there last week

[kickazzz2000]

Perhaps they should build a development such as this in Huntersville, as well. Great views from up there....

[Seabreeze]

I was reading the article about the new theatre in Ballantyne, and at the bottom there was this blurb:

"Its next phase, which Sheild said he hopes to build in the next three to five years, is a pair of condo towers of up to 22 stories each, which would also be wired into the fiber-optic network"

Is there any more info on this already avail. or is this a first mention?

[dubone]

Well, the news on those towers has been out for a long time, but after searching UP, it is hard to find anything much about it (I guess the announcements were early in UP's lifespan).

Here is an old thread, though, in The South forum on the subject.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1028

Here's the latest from the Observer on the movie theatre, and tenants at Ballantyne Village.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/14079530.htm

It will open in two weeks. Hopefully this will help bring more independent movies to Charlotte, but I hope it won't hurt Manor's business in any way. Somehow that seems unlikely since they are so far apart, but maybe if people in the suburbs used to come to Eastover/Myer's Park for independent movies, that will probably stop now.

Also, since the threads on Ballantyne Village were spread all around, I consolidated them and put them in the Projects subforum, with a link in the Retail subforum.

[DigitalSky]

Moe's Southwest Grill and Smoothie King are open now at Ballantyne Village. The spiral thing at the top of the village changes colors too, which looks really cool.

[A2]

I was reading the article about the new theatre in Ballantyne, and at the bottom there was this blurb:

"Its next phase, which Sheild said he hopes to build in the next three to five years, is a pair of condo towers of up to 22 stories each, which would also be wired into the fiber-optic network"

Is there any more info on this already avail. or is this a first mention?

Does this mean that the original two 15 story condo towers are NOT being built on either end of the complex as the web site would lead one to believe???

Or are these additional towers on the back of the complex being added even after the the two fifteen story condos are complete???

Just curious?

A2

[atlrvr]

I think it means the 15 story towers could now be 22 stories....they were always planned as a third phase.

[A2]

I think it means the 15 story towers could now be 22 stories....they were always planned as a third phase.

I think that SUCKS !!!

It always seems to me that the tower portion of any development is the last to be built. Speaking of which, do you know when the tower portion will be built on the Morrison project going on at Colony and Sharon (or is that a Phase three deal as well)???

A2

[atlrvr]

Oh yeah....Phase III there too

That will probably break ground mid-late 2007.

[A2]

Oh yeah....Phase III there too

That will probably break ground mid-late 2007.

Thanks atlrvr. I am still assuming it will be 12-14 stories in height ??? Boy that is really going to piss off the residents in the tower behind the Morrison tower.

From what MC states that is suppose to be a tower for the ultra rich that wants nobody or nothing around them. I originally thought it was a Nursing home, but later found out that was not the case.

A2

[appatone]

I'm going to wait and reserve judgment on this new theatre until I actually go to it but I will say that Ballantyne is not the environment I would generally want to take in an indie flick at. One thing that's odd though is that this theatre is supposed to open March 24 yet there is still no website for it. I checked Consolidated's website and there is no mention of the new theatre. I know Consolidated doesn't own it but it is operating it. There isn't even a sign up for the new theatre in the shopping center. You have to go to Ballantyne Village, know it's there, and bravely wonder the property to even find a clue that a theatre is located on the premise. The clue is a box office with one window. It's just kind of weird.

On a side note, after visiting this place I have to say that all of the hype about this place being unique is just that, hype. This is just another strip mall. Perhaps it will be a multi-story strip mall with 22-floor condo towers attached but, it's still a bland strip mall. All of the junk about it having an urban feel are over blown and the bits about it having

[ncwebguy]

My dad is a member of the Ballentine Breakfast club and went to the walkthrough mentioned in one of the Observer's articles linked to earlier. He said the theaters have two "classes" of seating -- the high backed, swivel leather chairs like a skybox, and then other, "coach" seating. The movie theaters can double as meeting facilities during business days when traditional theaters sit idle.

The last thing they want is yappy teenagers who ruin the movie going experience. They are trying to serve the market that wants to name drop obscure, exclusive movies they saw while scarfing a california roll and some booze while talking at the water cooler monday morning. It is not aimed at hip indy film fans either, but wouldn't mind taking their cash.

The "we don't want chains" stance was somewhat abandoned when Panera, Moes, Doc Green's (same franchiser as Moes, Momma Fu) ABC, etc. came knocking. But it's not my money.

[DigitalSky]

Yeah I noticed the chain theme starting with Raving Brands and Panera and ABC

[appatone]

It's just an odd business plan in a way. They want to build an art house theatre in a suburban strip mall in a conservative area and attract wealthy, conservative baby boomers. I can understand not wanting teenagers, lets face it, few of them would watch an indie/ art house film anyway. However, by eliminating the teenager market from your theatre you are also eliminating the #1 film viewing demographic which means you're going to have a much harder time making a profit (even though it is still possible). So I would think they would want to attract the indie/ art house film crowd as it seems they would want and possibly even need that profit. I assume they plan on making a good chunk of their money from exorbitant prices at the concession stand and through high theatre rental rates when the businesses in the area want to hold a sales meeting in there on a big screen.

The movies will probably be tame and lame and I doubt this theatre will hurt The Manor at all. The Manor isn't the only theatre to show indie flicks, just the only theatre to exclusively show them. Park Terrace and Stonecrest show inide films and it hasn't hurt The Manor. Speaking of hurting The Manor, there is so much that theatre could be used for if Regal gave it up. So even if Regal decided to let go of The Manor it wouldn't be the end of the road for that venerable establishment IMO. Also IMO, Charlotte is currently hugely underserved when it comes to film and this theatre won't do much to remedy the situation. We really do need someone like Landmark Cinemas to set up shop here. I would love to see them in Elizabeth.