Northlake Mall

[CLT2014]

1 hour ago, Temeteron said:

Olive Garden and Chili’s are still there as out parcels also

Northlake Commons is "technically" a different owner than Northlake Mall that isn't in such a dire financial situation. That center is helping keep some life in the broader area though. 

[KJHburg]

the tract between the mall and Northlake Commons shopping center is where I think a large multifamily residential apartment community should be built.  I would market the 2 level Dicks to the TJ Maxx Corporation for some of their stores ( Homegoods, TJ Maxx etc)   Some of the parking space out back should be converted to residential multifamily as well. 

[rancenc]

A new StayAPT Suites hotel coming to the Northlake Mall area.

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article116349.html

[PuppiesandKittens]

A large apartment complex is being built next to the mall.  Not sure if I’d pick that location, but more housing can only help.

Is Northlake the next Eastland?  If not, why isn’t the mall performing well: competition from Birkdale and SouthPark?

[TheOneRJ]

Sephora, Aerie, Loft, and Starbucks have all closed. These are some pretty big name losses to the tenant lineup and come after Abercrombie & Fitch and Dick’s Sporting Goods closed last year.

On the bright side, Toys R Us will open inside of the Macy’s location at the mall.

[KJHburg]

at least this is happening there is a rezoning request for apartments on the last anchor site at the mall. between Dillard and the AMC theaters but I think this is good for the mall to have more mixed uses. 

2022-133. Paramount Development LLC. 20 acres on 3 parcels at North Lake Mall Drive from CC to MUDD_O. “To allow two multi-family residential communities to be part of NorthLake Mall.” Site plan calls for up to 603 apartments.

here is the exact site https://polaris3g.mecklenburgcountync.gov/#pid=02509144&gisid=02509144

Edited August 8, 2022 by KJHburg

[LKN704]

Those a pretty big names to close IMO...Sephora to me stands out for some reason. 

I wonder if the Apple store there is on borrowed time. 

[CLT2014]

Northlake is not in a great scenario....

• 12 minutes away: Birkdale Village continues to expand / renovate and is centrally located for the affluent lake suburbs. Being an outdoor lifestyle center also makes it a more appealing location to hang out / relax. Surprise, surprise.... some of the stores that closed at Northlake already have a Birkdale location (Sephora, Loft, Aerie, et...). 
• 11 minute away: Concord Mills is MASSIVE and middle class shoppers love deals, outlets, and the thrill of the hunt (reason TJMaxx/Homegoods is so popular). For residents in neighborhoods like Prosperity Village, Highland Creek, Skybrook, southern Huntersville, Mallard Creek et... Concord Mills is a more attractive place to spend a Saturday afternoon shopping. Add in the non-shopping attractions at Concord Mills from an aquarium to "attraction stores" like Bass Pro Shops, and it isn't comparable. 
• 16 minutes away: Charlotte Premium Outlets. Has some more upscale brands than Concord Mills and again pulls middle class shoppers looking for deals on aspirational brands. It also is outdoors, which is appealing when the weather is nice. I suspect upscale areas like Mountain Island Lake and and Riverbend are selecting Charlotte Premium Outlets and Birkdale.

The only areas that are dramatically more convenient to Northlake over other malls are largely wedged between Uptown and Northlake along the I-77 corridor. These neighborhoods are low income and struggle with poverty. When people are struggling to pay for gas and living paycheck to paycheck, they aren't necessarily dropping $400 at Loft on a Saturday. Retailers like Sephora that had locations at Birkdale, Concord Mills, and Northlake are constantly analyzing store performance, and the opportunity cost of keeping Northlake open probably wasn't justified if revenue and profit was below benchmarks. With loyalty programs too like Beauty Inside.... Sephora can analyze where their customers live and what locations they visit to determine if they are losing many customers by closing a location. 

Edited August 9, 2022 by CLT2014

[go_vertical]

The traditional mid-range malls out there (your Northlakes and your Carolina Places) really need to be proactive and figure out what their identities are going to be in the "post mall/department store" era.  With the exception of ultra luxury shopping centers, which I feel most mid size and larger cities can maintain at least one, the traditional mall concept is dead and isn't coming back. 

Condense your remaining tenants to half the indoor space and tear down the empty half.  Build an outdoor portion with a strong sense of place that people will want to stroll around after a dinner.  This area can have some soft goods retail mixed in with restaurants and entertainment such as bars, billiards, a small bowling alley, and unique activity spots like Puttshack in Atlanta (look it up it's really cool), outdoor stages for live music, etc.  Now you still have a smaller and more manageable indoor shopping area adjacent a  small and manageable stroll district with cafes and the like. 

For God sakes reduce the parking lots.  Those asphalt wastelands are almost entirely empty 364 days a year and with black friday becoming more and more spread out over multiple days or weeks not to mention moving more online they are eyesores that desperately need to go.  Tear up 70% of them, build one centrally located two story deck with a covered transit or bus stop between that and the new, hot local hangout spot. 

With the newly cleared land put up driving ranges, mid rise residential and office, boutique hotels, and parks.  Boom, you're back in business.  Sure, this wouldn't be cheap or quick, but if they insist on running the AC in a sad space that gets a handful of visitors a day then they're just throwing money out the window instead of making more of it. 

[CharlotteWkndBuzz]

Hanes Mall in Winston Salem has been trying to bring some life back in their mall. Not nearly as nice as north lake but is the main mall in the area, it has been trying to find ways to fill the empty box stores that used to anchor it. For example, the old Macy’s they are renovating to house Truliant’s operations center. I believed they used the old sears space during the height of Covid at Hanes mall as a massive drive thru Covid testing center. These type of mid level malls need to be creative to stay afloat like you mentioned. Main thing too is you gotta keep these type of malls that are already on life support safe. Too much crime or negative publicity can be the nail in the coffin. 

[JeanClt]

Why protect them?

[asthasr]

Welp, there's been another shooting at Northlake. Not what the mall needed...

[Third Strike]

The mall has been losing tenants for the past few years and I can only imagine it will continue, especially with shootings like this one. Curious if Apple plans to leave. I wonder if they would consider an Uptown location, or head further north to a location in one of the lake towns. 

[PuppiesandKittens]

I haven’t been to Northlake in a few years but was there when it opened.  The directory doesn’t list many stores that would appeal to me (a former uptown resident).  It reminds me of the Eastland Mall directory in about 1999.

It’s bad enough to lose higher-end chains such as Anthropologie, but that could be offset by using empty space for other uses that would attract the same demographic.

It’s even worse to fill vacant space with low-budget stores.  That drives off higher-income potential customers.

If I were Northlake, I’d move all the national chains to one level, convert the other level to maybe entertainment space and maybe co-working space, and fill the parking lots with mixed-use properties.  Filling the mall with low-budget stores is just going to accelerate its demise.

[tozmervo]

I'd rather focus on a post-mall future. In the MetroRapid studies, one proposed scheme looks at integrating BRT into new development just north of the mall proper. I could easily see development like this sapping off the rest of the tenants in the mall, allowing for it to be removed and broken up into a street network with smaller parcels. 
(also: if someone can locate this presentation in published form, that would be awesome. all I know of is the youtube recording of the presentation)

Edited December 20, 2022 by tozmervo

[rancenc]

Unfortunately instead of unique and exciting retail options that a lot of members here on FB requests for the Charlotte area, this type of event seems to be the norm instead for Northlake! 

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article272146127.html

[Third Strike]

Apple Store at Northlake is permanently closing. Another Charlotte area store will open sometime early next year. Bloomberg says it was because of the recent shootings at the mall. 
 

https://www.apple.com/retail/northlakemall/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-02/apple-abruptly-shutters-store-in-north-carolina-after-shootings#xj4y7vzkg

[kermit]

 

 

Edited March 2 by kermit

[Seaboard Fellow]

Unpopular opinion: If Eastland was still standing, Northlake and Concord Mills wouldn’t have half of the problems they have. 
 

Neutral opinion: I think we’ll see Birkdale get the new location to continue to serve the northern suburbs, however the Duke Energy Plaza location would become a tourist destination. I hope that location is on their radar. 

[CLT2014]

1 hour ago, Seaboard Fellow said:

Unpopular opinion: If Eastland was still standing, Northlake and Concord Mills wouldn’t have half of the problems they have. 
 

Neutral opinion: I think we’ll see Birkdale get the new location to continue to serve the northern suburbs, however the Duke Energy Plaza location would become a tourist destination. I hope that location is on their radar. 

On the other thread, some posters mentioned the plans are confirmed to move to Birkdale (just not formally announced). Duke Energy Plaza is marketing the prime spot as a restaurant tenant as opposed to retail. My guess is we end up with a high end restaurant chain that can afford the rent and meets the stability the building owners would want with solid financial backing. 

Edited March 2 by CLT2014

[CLTProductions]

AAAAAAANDD this has hit national news. Great

[JeanClt]

I guess it was because of the suddenness and the attention the gun incidents were drawing.

[KJHburg]

Joe Bruno noted metro Atlanta twice as large as Charlotte only has 5 Apple stores.  I do believe it will be relocated to Birkdale Village to serve points north.  That being said I do think another store could be located intown somewhere but remember Southpark is only 5 miles from uptown.  This latest shooting was outside the mall which I think the last one was too still not good but not inside the mall.  Heavy security presence is needed to make shoppers feel safe.  But I think the interim ownership of the mall itself is a problem.  

[TheOneRJ]

I saw this coming a long time ago when Abercrombie closed their location at Northlake but this will surely be the final nail in the coffin for the mall as it currently stands.

[PuppiesandKittens]

This is really a shame.   Northlake is an attractive, new mall and to see it go under so quickly, I’d guess due to crime, is sad and infuriating.  And think of the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars that have been spent on it, wasted, and it’s all the fault of [email protected]:;[email protected] people who are barbarians.  (This has nothing to do with race; it’s a lack of decency and character in too many individuals.)

Edited March 3 by PuppiesandKittens