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Future Retail in Charlotte


monsoon

Future Retail in Charlotte  

105 members have voted

  1. 1. Which kind of Retail do you Prefer?

    • Malls like NorthLake/SouthPark
      8
    • Urban Villages like Phillips Place, Birkdale Village, Baxter Village
      40
    • Unplanned Street Level Retail
      55
    • Other - please explain
      2
  2. 2. What will be the dominate type of retail in Charlotte for the next 20 years?

    • Big Box Retail, Neo-Strip Mall Development (see Promenade at Harris & Tryon)
      27
    • New Urbanist Planned Development
      47
    • Move back into the city via redevelopment and downtown retail
      31
  3. 3. Will another Regional Mall be built in Charlotte in the next 20 years?

    • No- Hopefully NorthLake is the last
      60
    • Yes - They are great economic generators and people places
      45


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That last question is worded a little tricky... It asks if we think there will be another regional mall, but the little blurb after each is an endorsement one way or the other. If I think there will be another mall built, that doesn't necessarily equate to me thinking they're all that and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.

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I'd like to see more unplanned "independent" retail. I think the Charlotte area (and a lot of other metros in the country) are too dominated by big-box or chain retail. I think it's good to have a little bit, b/c of familarity, but having independent stores, would make the Charlotte retail market somewhat unique. The problem is can they co-exist. Usually big-box retailers kill independent stores due to prices or what not.

Speaking of retail, I know there isn't much retail in Uptown now, but with the EpiCentre coming, it should help out some. Are there any other mix-use developments coming to Uptown that will include retail?

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I'd like to see more unplanned "independent" retail. I think the Charlotte area (and a lot of other metros in the country) are too dominated by big-box or chain retail. I think it's good to have a little bit, b/c of familarity, but having independent stores, would make the Charlotte retail market somewhat unique. The problem is can they co-exist. Usually big-box retailers kill independent stores due to prices or what not.

Speaking of retail, I know there isn't much retail in Uptown now, but with the EpiCentre coming, it should help out some. Are there any other mix-use developments coming to Uptown that will include retail?

Quarterside is suppose to have a good amount of retail. Most of the condo towers include restaurant or retail space on street level too.

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This is one of the most biased polls I've ever seen :).

I don't see anything that would suggest change in how things currently run, it looks like the next 20 years will be like the years before them. It will be interesting to watch how uptown unfolds but I doubt that we will see any destination retail there.

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I think things will change a lot in 20 years, as more Westcoast, Northerners, and Foriegn people move to Charlotte the retail will change with it. Of coarse planned development will likely still rule the majority, but more unplanned retail will spur with the changing faces that will choose Charlotte as a dwelling place. I feel that New Urbanist Planned Developments will strive because of their populatity. It seems to be a trend that will last at least 10 years. Malls I think will develop more into a mixed use Mall/New Urbanist type projects I would say in 5-10 years. I personally just see the trend going that way.

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Not sure why I'm choosing this for my first post to this site, but here goes:

Has anyone seen the new IKEA at Atlantic Station in Atlanta? That place is packed. I'd love to see one of those be built in downtown, maybe in the new First Ward Development that Levine has been promising for what, a decade now?

I'd have to believe that an IKEA would get some serious attention from other retailers who have no real reason to be downtown yet.

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Welcome to UP, Jednc. There has been a lot of discussion about IKEA, and it does make a lot of sense for them to come to Charlotte. It is a bit controversial because of the strong local furniture industry, but many want it to come here just the same.

Here is a thread dedicated to the topic:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11233

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Not sure why I'm choosing this for my first post to this site, but here goes:

Has anyone seen the new IKEA at Atlantic Station in Atlanta? That place is packed. I'd love to see one of those be built in downtown, maybe in the new First Ward Development that Levine has been promising for what, a decade now?

I'd have to believe that an IKEA would get some serious attention from other retailers who have no real reason to be downtown yet.

From the latest rumblings I have heard Charlotte is getting an IKEA before 2010. However, the location of that store is in question. I would love for something like IKEA to be in the Southend area right off 277 visiable from the loop. I could see it going West of the around the Uptown Cab for unltimate visabilty, but again that is just a WISH, and nothing more.

A2

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I really wouldn't mind where they put it (IKEA) to be honest. I think downtown would be a good place simply because Charlotte has been looking for "destination" retail for a while to stimulate other retail projects. After visiting IKEA in Atlanta, I immediately thought that might be the solution for Charlotte. BTW, thanks Dubone for the link to the IKEA thread. WOW...lots of heated opinions on IKEA as an entity. Honestly, it wouldn't matter if it was a Toys R Us as long as it draws people from miles and miles to downtown Charlotte. The end result of tons of new, indy retail with hundreds of shoppers on the streets is really all I'm after in the long run.

All this time I thought I was Charlotte's biggest advocate...and then I find UP and all you guys!

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I really wouldn't mind where they put it (IKEA) to be honest. I think downtown would be a good place simply because Charlotte has been looking for "destination" retail for a while to stimulate other retail projects. After visiting IKEA in Atlanta, I immediately thought that might be the solution for Charlotte. BTW, thanks Dubone for the link to the IKEA thread. WOW...lots of heated opinions on IKEA as an entity. Honestly, it wouldn't matter if it was a Toys R Us as long as it draws people from miles and miles to downtown Charlotte. The end result of tons of new, indy retail with hundreds of shoppers on the streets is really all I'm after in the long run.

All this time I thought I was Charlotte's biggest advocate...and then I find UP and all you guys!

Well you certainly share the same opinions as most here. Glad to have you on board the UP train jednc! Buckle up because it is surely going to be an exciting ride as CLT will continue its ascent from being a mid size city to full fledged metropolis promising to bring forth all that we desire in the years to come.

Exciting stuff to be a part of for sure!

A2

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I am with jednc on the pedestrian aspect of Downtown...i.e. More!

I have noticed many more people in Downtown just wandering around on weekends, but nowhere near as many as I would like to see. Street level reatail MUST BE STEPPED UP!!!! This is the only way Charlotte will ever look like a 'real' downtown.

I am currently in Kansas, and this city has SO MUCH potential, but downtown is really really bad...and only has an OSCO drug store. It is really depressing.

I can only hope that in 5 years (or less) we look back and wonder what Charlotte was like before all the people in Downtown.

-ka

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Somehow I imagine people parking in the IKEA lot, going inside and buying whatever, stuffing it in their car and then locking things up and walking to other nearby stores. That's what I did at Atlantic Station anyway. At any rate...I'm just looking for more destination retail downtown.

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  • 11 months later...
I'd like to see more unplanned "independent" retail. I think the Charlotte area (and a lot of other metros in the country) are too dominated by big-box or chain retail. I think it's good to have a little bit, b/c of familarity, but having independent stores, would make the Charlotte retail market somewhat unique. The problem is can they co-exist. Usually big-box retailers kill independent stores due to prices or what not.

Speaking of retail, I know there isn't much retail in Uptown now, but with the EpiCentre coming, it should help out some. Are there any other mix-use developments coming to Uptown that will include retail?

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^ You stole the words right out of my mouth. I think we'll see independent-retail growth in areas like Thomas St. where there's an abundance of older buildings that can be leased cheaply to upstart businesses, but that's not going to happen Uptown. I can think of maybe a handful of retail-friendly, unoccupied, older buildings that could be converted into botiques. Otherwise it's all going to be based on new building, which is price-prohibitive and most likely just going to continue to add to our stock of restaurants. It would be really nice if someone could come up with a genius plan to break that cycle, because the demand for retail is obviously going to be there (it is already, to some extent).

Also, I don't see IKEA breaking their business model and investing in an American downtown area. Remember, these are the same people that were trying to push through a 75-foot sign to sit in a sea of parking.

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Speaking of Atlantic Station...H&M has confirmed that they are opening their first southern US store there...Charlotte can't be more than a couple of years away, and I had heard that they have been eyeing the market waiting for the right project to enter the market with.

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