Elizabeth Projects (7th St, Elizabeth Ave, etc)

[fulcrumsf]

Anyone know a timeline on the Jack's move? I seem to remember an article that mentions adding 3,000 sq ft to the existing building. I am not sure I believe all that unless Camera World is taken out.

I was told from a friend that works there that it is not planed to open in the Old Steeple building for another year and a half. From what I was told the structure will be 3 stories and have some sort of outdoor seating possibly in the form of a raised rooftop. But your right it is hard to visualize how that would work looking at the current structure.

[Justadude]

Speaking of Starbucks ... and Crisp, I guess; is there some restriction on their using the "parking" area out front as outdoor seating? It stinks as a parking spot - and can be dangerous when Suburbans try to back out onto 7th. Seems like it would be a great spot for chilling outside, but surely they would have already if they could. ??

Seems to me they could work a deal with the shopping center next door. That lot reminds me of the Dilworth Picasso's, where you have a nice little storefront but no parking on site. Since the Dollar General lot is surely not full THAT often, maybe they could rent a strip of spaces in that lot.

[dubone]

http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/153277.html

It seems that there is a larger email effort underway. I hope it works. It isn't that Whole Foods is the best thing in the world, but it is frustrating to watch SouthPark win the demographics game every single time. It is monopolizing so much retail.

[DigitalSky]

http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/153277.html

It seems that there is a larger email effort underway. I hope it works. It isn't that Whole Foods is the best thing in the world, but it is frustrating to watch SouthPark win the demographics game every single time. It is monopolizing so much retail.

I really hope this effort pays off. As I've said, the SouthPark area is already becoming oversaturated with grocers... whereas areas around uptown really could benefit from stores like Whole Foods. Additionally, I think having a central-Charlotte location first would be better for the store than putting a store next to Harris Teeter and Earth Fare in SP.

[f0xym0p]

Seems to me they could work a deal with the shopping center next door. That lot reminds me of the Dilworth Picasso's, where you have a nice little storefront but no parking on site. Since the Dollar General lot is surely not full THAT often, maybe they could rent a strip of spaces in that lot.

There is parking behind the building and you can enter Starbucks from the back.

Heroes blocks off that area in front from time to time for events and I think Corner Place had a couple tables out there so I don't see why they can't get rid of that front parking all together. There is plenty of parking in the back and side lots.

[Justadude]

There is parking behind the building and you can enter Starbucks from the back.

Heroes blocks off that area in front from time to time for events and I think Corner Place had a couple tables out there so I don't see why they can't get rid of that front parking all together. There is plenty of parking in the back and side lots.

I've gone to that shopping center a million times and never even noticed there was parking in the back. I use the side lot if the front is full. Maybe they could advertise the back lot a bit more, and make the front side a patio or something.

[fz dogmother]

The Whole Foods thing really sucks big time. The promise of Whole Foods being so close was actually one reason I relocated to Elizabeth from upstate. The demographics argument seems to me flimsy, at best, particularly with so much infill development happening all around Liz, Plaza-Midwood, and Queens Road. Not to mention the proximity to the hospitals AND uptown. Whether the bean-counters factor non-resident workers into the equation, I believe there are lots of folks who would avail themselves of the convenience of lunch or dinner takeout from Whole Foods. Has anyone studied that, I wonder?

Strange thing, I lived in a residential area of Winston-Salem from 2000-2004, much like Elizabeth, but much less populated, within one mile of 2 HTs, a Fresh Market AND a Whole Foods. Believe me, Winston is a smaller market, so it really makes me question the machinations on the part of the WF company and the developers. Was WF playing some sort of incentives match with South Park and Liz on opposite sides?

Has anyone actually received a reply from WF? If so, what do they say?

[Miesian Corners]

I reminded Mr Mackey that SP would not have been accepting of him or his store in 1978, but that Elizabeth would have. Too bad people forget where they come from. It seems that the WFM CEO has (as my mother says) "gotten above his raising".

[Justadude]

I'm not sure if this technically applies to the Elizabeth neighborhood, but I noticed the old Country Club cottage on Monroe Rd. was torn down this week. It was next door to the old Hudson Mill building, which came down not so long ago.

Anyone know what's happening on that site? Aside from my personal sentimental attachments (my great-grandparents worked together at Hudson during the 1940s), it seems a real waste of good old building stock just to create a grassy field -- which is what has replaced Hudson so far. Is a developer putting together parcels?

[hinsp0]

The Whole Foods thing really sucks big time. The promise of Whole Foods being so close was actually one reason I relocated to Elizabeth from upstate. The demographics argument seems to me flimsy, at best, particularly with so much infill development happening all around Liz, Plaza-Midwood, and Queens Road. Not to mention the proximity to the hospitals AND uptown. Whether the bean-counters factor non-resident workers into the equation, I believe there are lots of folks who would avail themselves of the convenience of lunch or dinner takeout from Whole Foods. Has anyone studied that, I wonder?

Strange thing, I lived in a residential area of Winston-Salem from 2000-2004, much like Elizabeth, but much less populated, within one mile of 2 HTs, a Fresh Market AND a Whole Foods. Believe me, Winston is a smaller market, so it really makes me question the machinations on the part of the WF company and the developers. Was WF playing some sort of incentives match with South Park and Liz on opposite sides?

Has anyone actually received a reply from WF? If so, what do they say?

I didn't receive a reply. I used to shop at that same Wholefood in Winston.... from 2000 to 2004. It's hard to believe that Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and HT all thrived so close to one another in Winston-Salem.

[49er]

I'm not sure if this technically applies to the Elizabeth neighborhood, but I noticed the old Country Club cottage on Monroe Rd. was torn down this week. It was next door to the old Hudson Mill building, which came down not so long ago.

Anyone know what's happening on that site? Aside from my personal sentimental attachments (my great-grandparents worked together at Hudson during the 1940s), it seems a real waste of good old building stock just to create a grassy field -- which is what has replaced Hudson so far. Is a developer putting together parcels?

yeah that was an old pure oil station I believe...same as the one fuel pizza uses on central. a developer is working on a mixed use rezoning and plans to realign chippendale to meet the traffic light a few feet up at the school. anyway, sorry to hijack the thread.

[fulcrumsf]

Has anyone actually received a reply from WF? If so, what do they say?

I just got an email response today. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I am assuming there may have been a snag in the deal that caused them to possibly focus on maybe seeking another development. Theres tons of room for speculation.

********************************************************************************

*************************************************

"Hi Tony,

Thanks for your email regarding the Elizabeth Avenue project in Charlotte. As you might imagine, construction and development takes time and there are many, many places for construction, permits and real estate to get hung up.

Edited June 14, 2007 by fulcrumsf

[voyager12]

It's classic PR from PR. Translated: Be happy that you have Whole Foods anywhere in Charlotte and leave us alone.

[Charlotte_native]

It's classic PR from PR. Translated: Be happy that you have Whole Foods anywhere in Charlotte and leave us alone.

I received the same email, but don't interpret it this way. It seemed to me that they left the possibility of locating in Elizabeth open, or even somewhere else in town, but alluded to "something" that has caused this location to either be stalled, or somehow not moving along. They definitely didn't say they WERE NOT coming. I wonder if they ran into issues with Grubb. In the least I think we can all see that the Grubb project overall has not moved forward as originally planned, either in composition, design, or timing, so maybe there are problems we aren't aware of.

No matter what I did appreciate their email to me.

[atlrvr]

I've yet to receive my stock reply, but maybe it will come.

I would think Grubb has to be frustrated. Their Latta Pavillion project was born out of Whole Foods balking on their agreement to build a stand-alone store on that large site assembled by Dennis Richter. That's two strike against WF promises to come to the urban core that have cost developers lots of time and money.

[hinsp0]

^My stock reply came on Friday. At least they care enough to send any reply...

[CLT2010]

Where are they going to go in South Park? With an Earthfare finishing up and a Harris Teeter.

[dubone]

They are going across Colony from Earthfare on the SouthWest corner of Sharon and Colony.

[DigitalSky]

They are going across Colony from Earthfare on the SouthWest corner of Sharon and Colony.

yeah. That's grossly oversaturated

[Miesian Corners]

It's been six days since I wrote them. So far, no response. Of course, I probably angered them. Instead of begging them to open in Elizabeth, I tried to shame them by reminding them they have ultimately turned their backs on what their corporate philosophy is supposed to be. I went further by telling them to make sure the parking lot at SP is large enough to handle Escalades and Hummer H2s because no one will be walking there.

[revitalize]

I haven't heard back from them either... been about a week. I took the approach of comparing the Elizabeth area (and the future Grubb master plan) to the Clarendon neighborhood in Arlington VA, where they have an excellent Whole Foods location that I used to love when I lived up there. The Whole Foods was sort of the anchor of the whole Market Common area there that was such a lively urban retail scene, and I feel like Elizabeth could develop similarly if WF would drop in and start the ball rolling.

[zvyozd]

It's been six days since I wrote them. So far, no response. Of course, I probably angered them. Instead of begging them to open in Elizabeth, I tried to shame them by reminding them they have ultimately turned their backs on what their corporate philosophy is supposed to be. I went further by telling them to make sure the parking lot at SP is large enough to handle Escalades and Hummer H2s because no one will be walking there.

Nice.

I say start bugging Trader Joe's to get them to open a location downtown. Far superior to Whole Foods in just about every respect, more fitting to the demographic there, and would probably be more inclined to come to Elizabeth, seeing as their only location in Charlotte now (that I know of) is the Rea Rd. one.

[DigitalSky]

I went further by telling them to make sure the parking lot at SP is large enough to handle Escalades and Hummer H2s because no one will be walking there.

[Andyc545]

Nice.

I say start bugging Trader Joe's to get them to open a location downtown. Far superior to Whole Foods in just about every respect, more fitting to the demographic there, and would probably be more inclined to come to Elizabeth, seeing as their only location in Charlotte now (that I know of) is the Rea Rd. one.

Mallard Creek Church Rd / University is the site of the second one. I drove by it this week, the steel structure is actually going up.

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

On June 14, I received the exact same response from Darrah Dorgan that fulcrumsf got. And I agree that the tone of the letter hints that THEY weren't the ones causing the hitch in the Elizabeth location and also that the door remains open for the possibility of it going forward as originally planned. One can only hope.