Peabody Place

[northernbizzkit1]

The MBJ this week is citing that Belz is trying to make Peabody Place attractive to factory outlet stores...this is a pretty interesting thing. See, I sort of wondered if Peabody Place was viewed as a failure due to the fact that the retail never seemed to take off, but I can't exactly be sure of that. I know the movie theater has apparently "darkened" 6 or 8 of the theaters. It'd be kinda nice to have a decent outlet mall here, tho. Plus, it would be in a location that would attract a ton of tourists. I'd like to see an Off 5th of a Neimans Off the Rack

[Rardy]

The MBJ this week is citing that Belz is trying to make Peabody Place attractive to factory outlet stores...this is a pretty interesting thing. See, I sort of wondered if Peabody Place was viewed as a failure due to the fact that the retail never seemed to take off, but I can't exactly be sure of that. I know the movie theater has apparently "darkened" 6 or 8 of the theaters. It'd be kinda nice to have a decent outlet mall here, tho. Plus, it would be in a location that would attract a ton of tourists. I'd like to see an Off 5th of a Neimans Off the Rack

[northernbizzkit1]

i read the article in its full when I was at Borders today (the one i read before was the free blurb online), and it claims that the Peabody Place mall is 90% occupied...does this seem right to any of you? It just seems kinda barren in certain parts. Granted, I haven't been there in quite some time.

[DoctorGonzo]

This seems like an excellent move.

Peabody Place had a good start, but it never seemed quite big enough or had enough interesting stores to be a huge draw. Dan McGuiness, Issac Haye's place, Tower Records and the Muvico were my frequent haunts, but a trip to PP usually ended just as it was getting fun. The indoor golf place didn't interest me too much and the Sunglass Hut was a big "meh". Ideally it would have been about 40% larger with a better mix of places to shop. Since the development plans of lots nearby seem to prevent any expansion, the only solution is to address the latter problem.

I still miss the custom-scented soap place, I used to have a killer recipe of scents that made the most impressive bodywash/shampoo combo you've ever encountered. Alas, I've heard that it has long since closed.

The Tower site needs something that can attract non-Downtown residents, so as much as I'd like to see a grocery store, a retailer with a broader appeal is a better fit.

One quick question...did anything ever go into the old Fat Tuesday's spot or that huge storefront that sat diagonally across from it next to the escalator coming up from the ice cream store on the first level?

[jmduke]

Isaac Hayes Restaurant and Nightclub has closed: http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/...5499408,00.html

This was another concept by Lifestyle Ventures which does not have a good track record in running restaurants (remember Prime Minister's and Saddles?). Food-mediocre, service-worse, but I probably wasn't hip enough to appreciate it.

It would make better sense for a Peabody Place restaurant to have access from both the inside and outside (perhaps reconfiguring the old Tower Records space). I hope Belz can find a decent tenant soon because the empty space is piling up.

[tennreb]

Isaac Hayes Restaurant and Nightclub has closed: http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/...5499408,00.html

This was another concept by Lifestyle Ventures which does not have a good track record in running restaurants (remember Prime Minister's and Saddles?). Food-mediocre, service-worse, but I probably wasn't hip enough to appreciate it.

It would make better sense for a Peabody Place restaurant to have access from both the inside and outside (perhaps reconfiguring the old Tower Records space). I hope Belz can find a decent tenant soon because the empty space is piling up.

[Fellowmann20]

I ate there once.......... I just remember there was a lot of food.

[memphian]

The Tower Records space would be a killer downtown grocery store (are any chains listening??) Maybe a cool place to build a pimp-daddy piggly wiggly since the store actually started in downtown. There's lots of living downtown so any retail you have needs to focus on your residents first and then try to accomodate the transients.

[DoctorGonzo]

Isaac Hayes Restaurant and Nightclub has closed: http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/...5499408,00.html

This was another concept by Lifestyle Ventures which does not have a good track record in running restaurants (remember Prime Minister's and Saddles?). Food-mediocre, service-worse, but I probably wasn't hip enough to appreciate it.

[tennreb]

The Tower Records space would be a killer downtown grocery store (are any chains listening??) Maybe a cool place to build a pimp-daddy piggly wiggly since the store actually started in downtown. There's lots of living downtown so any retail you have needs to focus on your residents first and then try to accomodate the transients.

[James Owen]

There is going to have to be a grocery store that has parking. Most people aren't going to walk to the store. No one wants to carry a load of groceries for several blocks, especially not in July. The only walkers you are going to get are people that just need one or two things. For a grocery store to be successful, it is going to have to appeal to both Midtown and Downtown. I think somewhere on the Madison Ave trolley line would be appropriate. I think the large parking lot across from the old Baptist Hospital would be a good choice. It is next to a large medical center where thousands of people work and a community college, it is a block from the interstate, and it is on one of the busiest streets in town. It is easy for both midtowners and downtowners to get to. That area could definitely use some sprucing up, too. And it already has a double decker garage that could accommodate all the vehicles for the store and an attached shopping center.

[DoctorGonzo]

Agreed, and yet the closest thing to there being a grocery store downtown may be the one being planned for the Uptown neighborhood if that ever happens.

[tnse]

I vote Fresh Market.

The Tower Records space would be a killer downtown grocery store (are any chains listening??) Maybe a cool place to build a pimp-daddy piggly wiggly since the store actually started in downtown. There's lots of living downtown so any retail you have needs to focus on your residents first and then try to accomodate the transients.

[memphian]

I can't believe you're making the suggestion that a suburban type store be built for downtown. That kind of defeats the purpose of living downtown - where things are supposed to be convenient. If you can't walk to it what good is having a store downtown?

Atlanta's kroger and Publix (the ones in Buckhead) aren't really in a downtown setting. Go to Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston, heck - even Nashville. All these cities have real grocery stores in downtown. Some are big (Boston has an awesome Whole Foods and Shaw's downtown) while some are small like the one in Nashville. The ones I visited in Toronto were both gourmet and basic in nature. It's a nice amenity that people would walk to.

Buildiong something outside of the core would be more like building one in Germantown or Collierville.

[Clobber]

I can't believe you're making the suggestion that a suburban type store be built for downtown. That kind of defeats the purpose of living downtown - where things are supposed to be convenient. If you can't walk to it what good is having a store downtown?

Atlanta's kroger and Publix (the ones in Buckhead) aren't really in a downtown setting. Go to Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston, heck - even Nashville. All these cities have real grocery stores in downtown. Some are big (Boston has an awesome Whole Foods and Shaw's downtown) while some are small like the one in Nashville. The ones I visited in Toronto were both gourmet and basic in nature. It's a nice amenity that people would walk to.

Buildiong something outside of the core would be more like building one in Germantown or Collierville.

[TennBear]

Philadelphia's Whole Foods has its parking in a garage. None of that bs asphalt parking lot. Looks very urban.

[tennreb]

Philadelphia's Whole Foods has its parking in a garage. None of that bs asphalt parking lot. Looks very urban.

[Clobber]

They can do that on the site that I mentioned. It already has a parking garage. It can be built in an urban style with accompanying retail. It is across the street from the very urban UT campus and very close to the urban Southwestern CC campus. It doesn't have to look like that god-awful Office Depot on Forrest Park.

[James Owen]

They can do that on the site that I mentioned. It already has a parking garage. It can be built in an urban style with accompanying retail. It is across the street from the very urban UT campus and very close to the urban Southwestern CC campus. It doesn't have to look like that god-awful Office Depot on Forrest Park.

[tnse]

Any thoughts on the editorial?

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/editor...5504678,00.html

Agree? Disagree? What direction should Peabody Place go? Retail? What would retail stores would work? Would anoter restaurant work?

[Bears]

There is going to have to be a grocery store that has parking. Most people aren't going to walk to the store. No one wants to carry a load of groceries for several blocks, especially not in July. The only walkers you are going to get are people that just need one or two things.

[G-townTN]

What is going to replace tower records? From what I understood they had interest from different companies to fill in the space, but I have not heard what happened. Is there somethintg there or is it still empty?

[northernbizzkit1]

All i've noticed is that there seems to be a pumped up marketing campaign going on for Peabody Place. I've noticed several new billboards and ads on the sides of MATA buses for the mall as well as a new "sticky ad" on all of the copies of the Memphis Biz Journal this week for Peabody Place. I think it'd be really cool if they put in an Urban Outfitters into the Tower Records spot if they couldn't land something like a Borders, Barnes and Noble, or grocery store. Most Urban Outfitters are multiple stories, so the pretty large expanse of space on the single story Tower space should be ideal for something like that. Plus, it would kinda click with how downtown retail is going with American Apparel and stuff like that.

[Memphis Love]

I completely agree Urban Outfitters would be great, it's amazing that a space like that has been empty all this time!

[ricky_the_great]

why is everyone rooting for a grocery store there. That would be a disgusting use of space. the prime spot in a mall is filled with-- a kroger!? sorry I do a veto on any grocery store in the mall. put it somewhere else downtown, but not in peabody place.