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Large Retail Development In The Works For Mebane?


Creasy336

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This morning in the Burlington Times News it was reported that there is an unknown developer wanting to build 1,000,000 sq ft of retail on the Orange county half of Mebane (Buckhorn Rd) at the site of the former Buckhorn Road Jockey Lot. One of the retailers coming has been rumoured to be Cabela's who has been scouting this site for some time. With the ongoing construction of the Tanger Outlets, Mebane could become quite the shopping destination for the Triad and Triangle.

Here is the online version of the story that has alot more details.

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This morning in the Burlington Times News it was reported that there is an unknown developer wanting to build 1,000,000 sq ft of retail on the Orange county half of Mebane (Buckhorn Rd) at the site of the former Buckhorn Road Jockey Lot. One of the retailers coming has been rumoured to be Cabela's who has been scouting this site for some time. With the ongoing construction of the Tanger Outlets, Mebane could become quite the shopping destination for the Triad and Triangle.

Here is the online version of the story that has alot more details.

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I don't think it will be a regional open air shopping center. Alamance Crossing is 10 miles away with Southpointe and Northgate both about 10-25 miles away.... not to mention Friendly Center 30 minutes to the west.

Instead.... could this be North Carolina's second "Mills" mall??? :rolleyes:

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Yes, another 'open-air' mall would be overkill for this area. It could very well be another Mills mall (the description and estimate of square-footage sounds right), but I'd be hesitant to say so due to the fact Simon recently acquired the Mills Corporation.

Still, 1,000,000 sf coupled with the future Tanger Outlet Center!? :shok:

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I have to agree with Jerseyboy that area is seeing alot of growth in retail. Both projects together would give Mebane about 1,500,000 sq ft in retail space in the up and coming years. There have been many rumors that Cabela's has been scouting the land for some time. The only thing standing in the way of this large development was the jockey lot there, which county officials finally found a way to condemn despite large popularity amoung the local people. This location is 40 miles west of downtown Raleigh and 55 miles east of downtown Winston-Salem. This area is central to 2.5-3 Million people. I've always said that location would be great for say a large Nascar speedway or a large amusemant park. If this were a mills mall I think 1,000,000 sq ft would be somewhat small.

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In this latest article from the Raleigh News and Observer, more details become released about this project such as "2 to 3 story lofts with first floor retail" similar to Birkdale Village in Huntersville. This project also has one 200,000 sq ft anchor that I'm believing will not be a Wal-Mart or Home Depot being that there is a Lowes within 3-4 miles of there, and a Home Depot serving Hillsborough about 7 miles away. I'm thinking this could possibly be a Super Target or Costco being that Wal-Mart is already 1 exit away. Another anchor (possibly Cabela's) being planned would be a destination anchor that would draw visitors "hours away". A retail-entertainment district would include resturants with a movie theater. The article mentions having a small town feel similar to The Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham. How many times have we heard this concerning any large mixed use development???? The positive thing about this proposal is that its in Orange County and they hold projects there to a much stricter set of guidelines than there neighbors to the west.

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:rolleyes:

I have faith that Orange County will hold this to a stricter set of guidelines, like you said Creasy, or reject it altogether. Personally, I'm sick of these faux wannabe-urban villages that claim to be sustainable and good for our environment. Yet another piece of vital swamp land that will be drained and paved over for the sake of the consumer's dollar...

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Being the IKEA junkie that I am, I highly doubt that this would be the location of a new store. They have barely entered the NC market yet with their unbuilt store in Charlotte. They like to 'test out' new markets they're entering before they build new stores, so it's a little early IMO for them to announce a new store. Cabela's on the other hand would fit perfectly.

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Retail is going into a rough patch this year, with even the strongest players running into sales declines and marketing problems, and I don't think the market in Mebane is going to have enough buying power to support 1,000,000 square feet of additional retail space for another 5 to 10 years.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Here is a new article adding more detail to the large scope of this project and how it will it effect Orange County and Alamance County. The article states this project being close to the size of Concord Mills and Durham's Streets at Southpoint. 40,172 vehicles are expected to come in and out of Buckhorn Village's 4 entrances meaning Buckhorn Rd, Exit 157, and possibly I-85/40 would need to widened. That stretch of interstate is one of the busiest in the state, so I can imagine traffic problems in that area if there aren't great improvements to the roads. The developer is the same one that did Southern Village in Chapel Hill and Orange County commisioners seem to be onboard with project due to the proximity of Mebane and it's utilities being nearby.
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Retail is going into a rough patch this year, with even the strongest players running into sales declines and marketing problems, and I don't think the market in Mebane is going to have enough buying power to support 1,000,000 square feet of additional retail space for another 5 to 10 years.
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  • 3 months later...

After considering the plans for this location over and over. I think Mebane should ultimately turn this project down without major modification. The NCRR is within walking distance not even 2000 ft from the exit. Orange County should push for a dense development that could possibly become a TOD in the future when commuter rail is implemented making that rail spur to Chapel Hill much more lucrative. If destination retail is mixed with smart growth this area could be its own city if developed right.

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