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Concord Mills


Temeteron

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I see that they are extending Concord Mills Blvd past Derita Rd. So I'm guessing the area will be getting more commercial retail along that portion as well. Talk about great planning. :rolleyes:

It is unfortunate as Speedway Blvd. is already a nightmare at lunchtime. I work close enough where I used to take my lunch at one of the many choices along that strip (usually landed at Panera Bread) but I've basically stopped and now carry my lunch from home. The traffic is terrible through there, most notably around lunchtime (12PM-1:30PM) and after work (5:00PM-7:30PM). Derita Rd. is a good one to take instead of Speedway Blvd. and I usually enter the mall by turning beside the apartments over there. A Wal-Mart across from the mall would grid-lock the area IMO and kill off any potential the area has (if it has any left at all).

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I'm surprised though that they are putting one so close to another one that just opened, since they could probably cover a whole other market in South Charlotte but TGI Friday's and Red Robin did the same thing too. Can't wait for the Cookout though, I just can't get enough of that place.

Well, even though University and Concord Mills are within four miles of each other, they are two seperate markets. University is a city in itself (191,000 people,) so that location will prey on the lunch hour of IBM, Wachovia, and the like on top of the area's general population. The Concord Mills location will prey on the "tourists." I understand putting locations there. Same as many other chains having duel locations: TGIF, Chili's, Circuit City, Panera, etc.

I see that they are extending Concord Mills Blvd past Derita Rd. So I'm guessing the area will be getting more commercial retail along that portion as well. Talk about great planning. :rolleyes:

When are they going to be done with the project and where is CMBlvd going to deadend at? I had heard rumors of the extension, but never an announcement. As much as extra development can only hurt the area, if brought out to Christenbury Road it will at least ease some congestion along Derita as well as the widening of Derita will ease Speedway Blvd's congestion.

Another way to ease congestion would be for them to extend the Weddington Road extension to either Mallard Creek or one of the roads that lead to 29. They have several disconnected roads that could easily form a grid in that area, I'm not really sure what's holding them back.

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When are they going to be done with the project and where is CMBlvd going to deadend at? I had heard rumors of the extension, but never an announcement. As much as extra development can only hurt the area, if brought out to Christenbury Road it will at least ease some congestion along Derita as well as the widening of Derita will ease Speedway Blvd's congestion.
I'm not entirely sure when it's supposed to be finished, but I think in the not-too-distant future. I was over there the other day, and they had striped the new part of the road, as well as made a cut in the median to allow for a lane for people going straight from existing Concord Mills Boulevard. As for where the road ends, it will go to Christenbury Road. I know that one of the main reasons that extension was being built was to allow traffic from Highland Creek to get to Concord Mills and 85 without having to turn onto Derita Road, particularly because the intersection of Christenbury and Derita is kind of at a bad spot, with it being just past the crest of a hill.

From what I understand, the portion of Christenbury Road coming out of Highland Creek will actually be realigned to line up with the Concord Mills Boulevard extension, giving people from Highland Creek a completely straight shot to the mall area. It looks like there will then be an intersection for people wanting to go the other part of Christenbury Road (the part closest to Derita Road), particularly people going to Cox Mill Road. The intersection of Christenbury and Cox Mill also appears as if it's being realigned, since it too is a pretty bad intersection (it's right at a sharp curve). All of these realigned roads are also designed to help the traffic going into the new Christenbury development back there. Beard Road, which currently runs from Ridge Road to Christenbury Road, is also being extended into the Christenbury development.

Another way to ease congestion would be for them to extend the Weddington Road extension to either Mallard Creek or one of the roads that lead to 29. They have several disconnected roads that could easily form a grid in that area, I'm not really sure what's holding them back.

I know Concord eventually wants to build a bridge over 85 connecting Quay Road, which runs behind Concord Mills, and Old Holland Road, which runs behind the development around Weddington Road (Garden Ridge, etc.). They also want to connect Weddington, as well as Gateway Lane, to Old Holland (and possibly to Mallard Creek), allowing people from the Harrisburg and University area a way to get to the mall area without having to actually get on Speedway/Concord Mills Boulevard or 85. They eventually want to connect Caldwell Road, which ends at 49 right near the Harrisburg city limit, up across 29 and Mallard Creek to connect to Old Holland, providing a straight shot from 49 to the mall. Whether or not any of this happens remains to be seen. The main issue, I'm sure, is funding. There's also the fact that Old Holland is currently a narrow, dead-end road with a few small homes. I'm sure those people would be willing to move for the right price, but I'm not sure anyone's prepared to offer them that price just yet.

As far as Lowe's and Wal-Mart go, I'm actually somewhat torn. Yes, there's a Wal-Mart in the University area, and one off of 29 in Concord, but I've always been surprised that people staying in hotels over there don't have a closer option. Neither do people in Highland Creek, Skybrook, or any of the other developments back there, including Christenbury. There's a Home Depot and Lowe's in the University area, but I'm sure there are enough people living around the Highland Creek area to warrant a closer home improvement store, and they're starting to run out of room on the Charlotte side. That whole area is close to Huntersville and Davidson, but neither of those towns would allow a Wal-Mart or Lowe's in that area. I hope that they don't build either, but I understand the appeal of the area for those stores, as well as Target and any grocery store, which the area is also lacking.

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Lowes and Home Depot actually already have locations in Huntersville not that far from the Concord Mills area.

They are located at Exit 25 on I-77. It's easily a 20-30 minute drive from there to Concord Mills depending upon the traffic. Northcross was approved when Mecklenburg county had zoning control over the area and has caused a lot of congestion in the area. It's extremely unlikely that Huntersville would approve any further Lowes in its territory and certainly it won't approve a Walmart.

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Lowes and Home Depot actually already have locations in Huntersville not that far from the Concord Mills area.

I agree with Met, those aren't really the closest locations to Cmills, but I see your point. There is a Lowes up 29 about six miles north in concord and a home depot another three miles later. The closest to CMills are definately in the neighboring university city area. Home Depot and Lowes are basically right across UCBlvd from each other a mile off of exit 45 which is also about four miles from CMills. In other words, Concord Mills is surrounded by home improvement stores in all directions except east, where there isn't a huge population anyway. I doubt there is a need for a HD or Lowes near CMills. They don't really serve the needs of the 'tourists' going to the CM area for retail and dining and would not make sense anywhere along Speedway Blvd.

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  • 2 months later...

I agree Metro. Also, with the way the malls are set up, I don't feel Oakley will be a huge "destination" store. It will just be another feeder store like Nike and Sun Glasses Hut. I don't feel that SouthPark serves as any type of competition to Concord Mills and vice versa.

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StevenRocks...in regards to CMill outlet vs. SouthPark store

I haven't been to CMills in a LONG time...but the same thing would hold true then for Anne Taylor and Banana Republic...but it doesn't, at least I don't think it does...because (at least for BR) they sell entirely different merchandise in the outlet store than they do in the full-retail stores. I mean, I'm assuming everyone knows this...but high end retailers don't just send their "over stock" to outlet stores, most have an entire (completely different) line of clothes, etc. specifially produced for the outlet store.

Or am I incredibly misled? Please straighten me out if I am.

Thanks!

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.....

Or am I incredibly misled? Please straighten me out if I am.

Thanks!

You are right on the mark kozamel. Most people these days don't realize the outlets are that in name only now. They are nothing like it was in the days when people could go to the factories where the clothes were manufactued and get good deals on high quality clothes in the outlets attached to the buildings. Most of the time these clothes would have some defect that kept them out of stores like that in SouthPark, but were for the most part unnoticable. There used to be an outlet near clover where you could get polo shirts for a fraction of the cost of the real thing in the stores.

Most of this died off when clothes manufacturing shifted overseas, but the manufacturers realized this was a market and started to produce clothes made specifically for outlets. Many times, but not all the time, the clotes are not as good as those found in the mainstream stores and I guess it is up to the buyer to decide if the cost difference is worth it.

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StevenRocks...in regards to CMill outlet vs. SouthPark store

I haven't been to CMills in a LONG time...but the same thing would hold true then for Anne Taylor and Banana Republic...but it doesn't, at least I don't think it does...because (at least for BR) they sell entirely different merchandise in the outlet store than they do in the full-retail stores. I mean, I'm assuming everyone knows this...but high end retailers don't just send their "over stock" to outlet stores, most have an entire (completely different) line of clothes, etc. specifially produced for the outlet store.

Or am I incredibly misled? Please straighten me out if I am.

Thanks!

Most of the stores marked Outlet or Factory Store at Concord Mills sell a different line of merchandise than their full-priced counterparts. Many of them use specially sourced merchandise, like you said. The fabric and other materials tend to be a one-off of the full-priced merchandise, and many times the styling is a season behind. Long story short, it's the same company, but not the same store.

If the store does not have the aforementioned distinctions in its name, it's more than likely a full-priced store (like Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker or Circuit City) or a chain discounter (Burlington Coat Factory, Group USA)

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Indeed. The only time I have seen any action there was when they were trying to get the thing to work. We noticed a playstation mixed up in all the equipment. :lol:

In an unrelated note, I was over there yesterday and noticed that one of the kiosks was selling a BrokeBack Mountain calendar. Maybe the place is more liberal than I thought.

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Indeed. The only time I have seen any action there was when they were trying to get the thing to work. We noticed a playstation mixed up in all the equipment. :lol:

In an unrelated note, I was over there yesterday and noticed that one of the kiosks was selling a BrokeBack Mountain calendar. Maybe the place is more liberal than I thought.

Yea, I have noticed that the operators there just twiddle their thumbs on some days. But, I also have seen some times when they have a pretty long line.

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Yea, I have noticed that the operators there just twiddle their thumbs on some days. But, I also have seen some times when they have a pretty long line.

I guess it all depends on when the tour buses come in and when school gets out. I've never seen it in action as I normally am at the mall in the middle of the day on weekdays when the mall is much easier to deal with.

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  • 1 month later...

While going to work today, I noticed that the Chicago Uno grill by the mall has closed down. I guess they weren't getting enough business.

Yeah, we went to lunch at McAlister's Sunday and noticed it was closed. I believe the sign was there on Saturday when we passed. They took the road sign, building sign, etc. all down, like it has been deserted for some time. As far as not getting enough business, I'm not sure if that is the case. Everytime I have been or passed the parking lot is full and the inside is packed. Just as much as any other restaurant around there, like TGI Friday's next door (which just renovated BTW).

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I second what Neo said, there is probably another reason for their closing, it's no doubt they had enough traffic to stay in business otherwise. I'm sure that location will be turned into another restaurant within a month or two.

Well, it didn't take long. I check the permits for Cabarrus County almost daily but I apparently missed this one. There is a permit awaiting resubmittal for a Sticky Fingers to go in the old Uno's building. Apparently it has been around for a few months. Not sure how this one slipped through my hands.

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