CONSTRUCTION THREAD: Magnolia Park Town Center

[gman430]

Ugh... Magnolia Park is becoming less and less attractive in my mind. We've lost most, if not all, the residential and the suggestion of BPS removes any ideas of an upscale and walkable arrangement.

Yeah, i'm not too thrilled with it either. I would much rather see BPS at the Point or somewhere else in the region but that's just my opinion. I heard the news this morning from several different sources. Please be aware though that Menin and BPS have not come to terms yet so a store going on site is not a guarantee. At least Crescent Place still looks like a nice proposed development.

Edited February 23, 2010 by citylife

[gs3]

Yeah, i'm not too thrilled with it either. I would much rather see BPS at the Point or somewhere else in the region but that's just my opinion. I heard the news this morning from several different sources. Please be aware though that Menin and BPS have not come to terms yet so a store going on site is not a guarantee. At least Crescent Place still looks like a nice proposed development.

G-man, I respect your browsing of the internet and chit chat with people to find out info, but this is pure RUMOR. You've now posted two or three various spots that BPS may go....all are rumor and I can tell you for fact, this one, is a BIG rumor.

Edited February 23, 2010 by gsupstate

[gman430]

G-man, I respect your browsing of the internet and chit chat with people to find out info, but this is pure RUMOR. You've now posted two or three various spots that BPS may go....all are rumor and I can tell you for fact, this one, is a BIG rumor.

Not saying you're wrong or anything but are you sure because I had a commercial real estate agent AND a Greenville News business writer both email me this morning and say MPTC is the proposed site? The Point site was definitely a rumor from the beginning with not much backing but this seems to be a different case with separate reliable sources confirming it. Not sure if Menin and BPS will be able to come to terms though if this is true.

Edited February 23, 2010 by citylife

[Greenville]

Magnolia Park would be slightly better than The Point, but there are still far better sites in Greenville for Bass Pro Shops. Let's keep our fingers crossed BPS ultimately locates in an underdeveloped area where it can spur new development. Highway 14 at I-85 (the original site) is still my first choice. Even Pelham Road at I-85 (on the eastern side of the interstate, where the Super Target was rumored at one time) would be better than Woodruff Road. And although it isn't likely to happen, somewhere along the Southern Connector would be GREAT in terms of energizing an area for development. I don't see BPS taking that much of a risk, but if you think about what BPS can do for an area it would provide a nice shot in the arm there.

Edited February 25, 2010 by Greenville

[mallguy]

Magnolia Park would be slightly better than The Point, but there are still far better sites in Greenville for Bass Pro Shops. Let's keep our fingers crossed BPS ultimately locates in an underdeveloped area where it can spur new development. Highway 14 at I-85 (the original site) is still my first choice. Even Pelham Road at I-85 (on the eastern side of the interstate, where the Super Target was rumored at one time) would be better than Woodruff Road. And although it isn't likely to happen, somewhere along the Southern Connector would be GREAT in terms of energizing an area for development. I don't see BPS taking that much of a risk, but if you think about what BPS can do for an area it would provide a nice shot in the arm there.

We don't like infill developments?

I'd guess that Menin would be salivating at the prospect of a Bass Pro Shops store. Apart from Costco and the movie theater, nothing to me seems distinctive enough about Magnolia Park to help it avoid the fate of Greenville Mall.

[gs3]

I'd guess that Menin would be salivating at the prospect of a Bass Pro Shops store. Apart from Costco and the movie theater, nothing to me seems distinctive enough about Magnolia Park to help it avoid the fate of Greenville Mall.

Makes sense as nothing has been announced or built other than Costco and the movie theater, with exception of RTG and SuperPlay. So you are very right....nothing, ie: air and land, are not distinctive.

[Birdbrain]

We don't like infill developments?

I'd guess that Menin would be salivating at the prospect of a Bass Pro Shops store. Apart from Costco and the movie theater, nothing to me seems distinctive enough about Magnolia Park to help it avoid the fate of Greenville Mall.

Trader Joe's, rumored to be going in behind Rooms To Go, would be the only reason I'd go anywhere near that stretch of Woodruff. (Yes, Trader Joe's may even be worth the Woodruff Road traffic!)

[RiverWalker]

Trader Joe's, rumored to be going in behind Rooms To Go, would be the only reason I'd go anywhere near that stretch of Woodruff. (Yes, Trader Joe's may even be worth the Woodruff Road traffic!)

I long for a Trader Joe's in Greenville!

[GvilleSC]

Has there been any word on the plans to develop the town center portion of the Verdae development? That would be a much more preferred location for a Trader Joes. Not only would the demographics be highly favorable, but the walkability of a location is typically something that I associate with most Trader Joes... which is exactly what Verdae could offer that Magnolia Park cannot; especially without its original residential component...

[gman430]

Location is Greenville, SC and zip code is 29607: http://www.constructionjournal.com/project_view.aspx?tab=2&id=650660&t=Bass+Pro+Shops I'll give you one guess what the zip code of Magnolia Park is.

[Birdbrain]

Location is Greenville, SC and zip code is 29607: http://www.construct...=Bass+Pro+Shops I'll give you one guess what the zip code of Magnolia Park is.

Wow, good find, citiylife!

...And since when has the intersection of Highway 14 and I-85 had the zip code of 29607? (Yeah, there's always one in the bunch.)

[Sonrise]

Wow, good find, citiylife!

...And since when has the intersection of Highway 14 and I-85 had the zip code of 29607? (Yeah, there's always one in the bunch.)

Huh? BPS was originally going to go into a new "lifestyle center" on the south side of 14/85, but after the economic collapse, that whole project was shelved. BPS is now going to build at MPTC on Woodruff.

[gman430]

The fencing around the old Montgomery Ward building was being removed earlier today. Looks like the reject Dave and Busters...errr...Superplay USA is a go.

Edited March 4, 2010 by citylife

[gman430]

Rooms To Go:

Superplay USA:

[RiverWalker]

In case anyone missed it, according to the The State, "Changes to tax incentives designed to bring Bass Pro Shops to Greenville County were rejected in a roll call vote Thursday in the South Carolina House of Representatives."

http://www.thestate.com/2010/03/05/1186850/house-votes-down-tax-incentives.html

[mallguy]

In case anyone missed it, according to the The State, "Changes to tax incentives designed to bring Bass Pro Shops to Greenville County were rejected in a roll call vote Thursday in the South Carolina House of Representatives."

http://www.thestate.com/2010/03/05/1186850/house-votes-down-tax-incentives.html

Thank goodness. I'm all in favor of the store coming, but don't use my and my family's money to attract a suburban big-box store (or any retailer)...plenty have already come on their own, without help.

[perrykat]

That Sports Authority needs to go or they need to re-build. It is pretty crummy and was empty. Laurens Rd. store is a lot better. Went there this weekend and entered through the mall. About 10 Greenville Mall floormats cover the floor at the doors. You still see a good bit of the mall through the glass beside the plywood covered wall. You can look through the SA, a lot of the remaining mall is clearly visible, looking directly at that old mural.

Did the mall take over part of the old Wards in '95? That SA is a very strange shape for a Montgomery Ward. I'm guessing the mall took over part of it then to add an exterior entrance and the Montgomery Ward wing to get to that new store.

Edited March 9, 2010 by perrykat

[mallguy]

Yes, in '95 the old Montgomery Ward was converted into the Sports Authority and other mall space.

Edited March 9, 2010 by mallguy

[perrykat]

Yes, in '95 the old Montgomery Ward was converted into the Sports Authority and other mall space.

Thanks. I figured so. Oshman's used to be great - they had the various rooms you could go in to play different sports (I think I remember baseball as one). Those are long gone now. This whole store is so sad looking now, and looking out in to that deserted mall corridor doesn't help. If they don't build a new store at MP, they just need to close this one. I don't see it does enough business to justify remodeling and it really needs it.

I've never said this before, I don't believe, but the old Greenville Mall reminds me of the (still operating) Richland Mall in Columbia, in a sort. That mall had a better choice of anchors, but Greenville was much more elegant and attractive outside and inside.

[mallguy]

I've never said this before, I don't believe, but the old Greenville Mall reminds me of the (still operating) Richland Mall in Columbia, in a sort. That mall had a better choice of anchors, but Greenville was much more elegant and attractive outside and inside.

I agree. I liked both malls- Richland is too dead to be a legitimate mall. I thought that Greenville Mall had more upscale in-line tenants, but I liked the anchors- both with JB White and Parisian and I liked it that Richland had a Dillard's. I agree that both malls were very similar.

[Greenville]

I agree. I liked both malls- Richland is too dead to be a legitimate mall. I thought that Greenville Mall had more upscale in-line tenants, but I liked the anchors- both with JB White and Parisian and I liked it that Richland had a Dillard's. I agree that both malls were very similar.

Didn't Greenville Mall have a Dillard's for a while too, followed by a Dillard's "outlet" store toward the end of the mall's run?

[gman430]

Didn't Greenville Mall have a Dillard's for a while too, followed by a Dillard's "outlet" store toward the end of the mall's run?

Yeah, there used to be a Dillards where Costco is now. I went to Sports Authority yesterday and Perrykat is right. A good portion of the old mall still remains. In fact, the old candy store next to the old Oshman's entrance inside the mall still has its shell. It almost looks like they could re-open that portion of the mall if they wanted to. The power was on inside this blocked off portion even.

[perrykat]

Yeah, there used to be a Dillards where Costco is now. I went to Sports Authority yesterday and Perrykat is right. A good portion of the old mall still remains. In fact, the old candy store next to the old Oshman's entrance inside the mall still has its shell. It almost looks like they could re-open that portion of the mall if they wanted to. The power was on inside this blocked off portion even.

The mall almost looks like it just closed yesterday in that part, nothing has changed (it stretches to the wall where At Your Table and the entrance between Wards/Parisian was). Is Sports Authority planning on sticking with Magnolia Park, or what? I keep thinking the initial plan years ago was for them to build a new store and demolish the old one, but that was before things changed. Seeing that the Wards building is being re-used, I wonder if they'll demolish that now or not.

Yes, Dillard's....they were JB White until 1998, one of the mall's original anchors. I'm guessing it was always an also-ran, even before the clearance center concept, because when it was converted that huge Haywood store was only 3 years old. It closed in 2003.

It's a shame the Parisian building was destroyed, given the plans for the place now. That was by far the most elegant department store building in the area and was really a beautiful structure. They demolished it right off the bat. However, the plans were totally different back then, so it made sense to do so. I figure the only reason they didn't tear Wards down then was to protect the building SA is in.

Edited March 10, 2010 by perrykat

[Galley]

I don't know why they didn't keep all three of the anchor stores and create a "town center environment" around those.

[mallguy]

I don't know why they didn't keep all three of the anchor stores and create a "town center environment" around those.

There were plans for that (online at dmra.biz), but not sure what happened with that; the Parisian didn't do well, and once JB White became a Dillard's, that store had no future, and Montgomery Ward clearly was doomed with the problems with the chain, so perhaps investment funds to re-do the mall yet again after tons of money were invested in '95 just wouldn't flow. Too bad, as I liked those anchors, especially Parisian- a great store.