High Point University asked to purchase Oak Hollow Mall

[DigitalSky]

HPU has purchased the Circuit City site on the property.

[DigitalSky]

A developer is proposing new shopping for High Point.

They want to build a "mall" (lifestyle center... barf) that is around 350,000 square feet (which is the size of Randolph Mall) somewhere in High Point city limits for the remainder of the retailers to flock to when Oak Hollow Closes.

Put it into perspective: Oak Hollow Mall is 1,262,000 square feet total, of which 800,000 was bought by High Point University (and assuming they will buy the rest eventually)

The two locations that are proposed are near the Palladium (IMO too close to Greensboro, Four Seasons and Wendover) or at the new 311 Bypass & I-85 Business (IMO too far away from a lot of High Point who will still go to Greensboro or Winston-Salem to shop)

Belk said they are committed to staying in High Point, and they are at nearly every mall in NC so no doubt Belk would flock to this project. I really can't see any other department store moving there, JC Penney pretty much showed they are through with HP, Sears/(Kmart) is in jeopardy, Dillard's probably won't be able to compete either. I could see perhaps Kohl's (if the 311&85 site is picked) and maybe Target relocating there.. and possibly Best Buy and other junior box retailers. (still can't believe Guilford County only has one Best Buy)

If any more develops on this I'll create a new thread, otherwise it's probably wise to keep it in with this one.

Story:

http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-developer-proposes-new-mall-for-high-point-20110627,0,1260133.story

If only Westchester Mall was still open today and Oak Hollow never built we probably wouldn't be dealing with any of this. Sad that mall had to end...

[StevenRocks]

I'm curious if High Point really has the market for a mall. Oak Hollow pretty much was dying from day one.

[DigitalSky]

It doesn't. The malls of Greensboro and W-S sustain High Point... i think it's just that HP residents want their own mall but yeah good luck with that working

[NCMike1981]

I have a feeling you are right DigitalSky....sounds like the proposed lifestyle center is really just a way for a developer to take advantage of providing a way to allow Belk to move and for the other stores in the current mall to move without leaving the city. I wonder what will happen with the Sears.....they tend to stay put until they either lose all profitability or are kicked out. Does the Sears at the current mall have good road visibility or is it tucked around the back of the mall?

[cityboi]

The problem with Oak Hollow is that it was never a regional mall like Four Seasons, Hanes or even Friendly Shopping Center. It served mainly High Point/Archdale/Trinity residents. It was just hard to compete with Four Seasons and Hanes. But Oak Hollow was in a poor location as well. If it had been built closer to I-85/hwy 220, it could have attracted shoppers from Asheboro and other areas. It would have been more regional.

[NCMike1981]

Looks like the Sears @ Oak Hollow was on the latest closing list for Sears:

http://searsholdings.com/about/122711_close.pdf

[cityboi]

I figured Sears at Oak Hollow would close. Eventually they were going to close because HPU wants to tear the mall down and build an arena

[DigitalSky]

No surprise there.

[kdub1]

A developer is proposing new shopping for High Point.

They want to build a "mall" (lifestyle center... barf) that is around 350,000 square feet (which is the size of Randolph Mall) somewhere in High Point city limits for the remainder of the retailers to flock to when Oak Hollow Closes.

Put it into perspective: Oak Hollow Mall is 1,262,000 square feet total, of which 800,000 was bought by High Point University (and assuming they will buy the rest eventually)

The two locations that are proposed are near the Palladium (IMO too close to Greensboro, Four Seasons and Wendover) or at the new 311 Bypass & I-85 Business (IMO too far away from a lot of High Point who will still go to Greensboro or Winston-Salem to shop)

Belk said they are committed to staying in High Point, and they are at nearly every mall in NC so no doubt Belk would flock to this project. I really can't see any other department store moving there, JC Penney pretty much showed they are through with HP, Sears/(Kmart) is in jeopardy, Dillard's probably won't be able to compete either. I could see perhaps Kohl's (if the 311&85 site is picked) and maybe Target relocating there.. and possibly Best Buy and other junior box retailers. (still can't believe Guilford County only has one Best Buy)

If any more develops on this I'll create a new thread, otherwise it's probably wise to keep it in with this one.

Story:

http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-developer-proposes-new-mall-for-high-point-20110627,0,1260133.story

If only Westchester Mall was still open today and Oak Hollow never built we probably wouldn't be dealing with any of this. Sad that mall had to end...

 

If a new mall is to be built in High Point, then the following need to happen:

• Two tenants only 
• These tenants would be the only ones with two floors--the new mall would otherwise resemble Westchester Mall or even the old High Point Mall, which had a bunch of no-name stores before it was remade in the mid '90s
• The I-74/Business 85 site works best over I-74/I-85 and the N. Main Street/Old Plank Road site since the project would be scaled down. 74/85 isn't even in High Point and is too far for locals while the Old Plank Road would run into the same problem as the Palladium does--it's in the northern part of town, and the rest of the city's residents could further feel alienated by the north side
• Per Ed Price's suggestion, this new mall can't be larger than 350 square feet
• Since Belk will be at the Palladium next year and Sears's complete departure from High Point, Dillard's and JC Penney are the only candidates as tenants (don't try to be fancy b/c Saks, H&M, etc wouldn't work in HP)
• CBL can't/shouldn't/wouldn't be the owner