SouthPark Mall

[uptownliving]

Well its official, Galyan's has signed a letter of intent to build an 80,000 sq ft store on the old Sear's site at SouthPark mall in Charlotte. The new wing will be open in late 2004 and will also house the mall's new food court and some outdoor dining. This new wing will also be tied into the Symphony Park.

I'm looking forward to this new store it looks like its going to be really cool.

This is the store in Atlanta...the one in Charlotte will look similar to this on the inside.

[BnaBreaker]

Galyans is a great store, although I prefer REI a bit more. I thought Galyans was just a regional midwest chain that was just starting to branch out seeing as how there are a couple in Indianapolis (where i assume it started)...i didn't realize that they expanded into the south already.

[49er]

Ive never been in one. Isnt it just an upscale Dicks Sporting Goods?

It would be cool if the Barnes & Noble across the street built a signature store on mall property.

[uptownliving]

Ive never been in one. Isnt it just an upscale Dicks Sporting Goods?

It would be cool if the Barnes & Noble across the street built a signature store on mall property.

Yeah Dicks would be the Wal-Mart of the group and Gaylan's would be the Target...yeah they basically have the same stuff but the shopping experience is better at Target.

[DruidCity]

I've never been in a Galyan's, but I know they're building Alabama's first one in Hoover (B'ham's largest suburb) next to the Galleria.

Those photos look pretty nice - sort of like a Bass Pro Shop.

FWIW, a 40,000-sq-ft store on that order opened in Tuscaloosa today, but it's just a local operation. I just got back from there - very much like a smaller version of Bass Pro. The view from up there on the hill where it's located is outstanding !

I could clearly see the bank building downtown, the hospital, and the football stadium, all of which are probably a couple or three miles away.

[uptownliving]

Yeah the Bass Pro Shop in Charlotte (Concord) is more back woodsy, whereas this Gaylan's will have a more urban chic feel to it.

[Brickhead]

That is good news for Charlotte!

Galyan's is opening their second store in Virginia (their first one is in Fairfax) next Thursday, 9/18/03, in the new Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond. Just last week Dicks opened their third Richmond store in Short Pump Town Center. It will be interesting to compare the stores, but I'm a little surprised that these retailers have so much faith in the Richmond market. How many sneakers and jock straps do people need?

[monsoon]

[Allan]

Good News for Charlotte. I like the look of the interiors. We do not have Galyan's by us. We have a 225,000 sqft Cabela's though.

[Southend]

i really hope there is LOTS of glass and a truly pedestrian atmosphere around the store. SP needs that.

[Neo]

If only we could work on the number of turn lanes on Colony Road.

Now you know that NCDOT can't comprehend that, LOL! I agree though...I think there are a lot of places around Charlotte that would greatly benefit from more turning lanes. NCDOT seems backwards...6 lanes of traffic in NE I-485 and 4 lanes of traffic in SE I-485...with SE having a much higher population...welp, that's NCDOT for you!

On another note, I can't wait until SouthPark Mall is complete! I've made it my primary mall and shopping experience given that the Belks there is the absolutely best one I've ever been to! I used to go to Carolina Place, which isn't bad, but I love the atmosphere that Southpark has!

[willy]

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World superstore in Hampton's new Power Plant center. It will have a 110,000-square-foot store and an outdoors-themed restaurant.

Galyan's Trading Co. is opening May 2004 at Virginia Beach's Town Center. It will be a two-story, 85,000-square-foot store with a 45-foot rock climbing wall and golf simulators.

######'s Sporting Goods just entered into this market with a 53,000-square-foot store in Va.Beach

[monsoon]

[willy]

[QC704]

Galyan's is one of the nicest sports-themed stores I've ever been in. It sold team apparel, all kinds of equipment and also had a huge climbing wall.

Maybe it's just me, but will anyone miss that chick fil a at SouthPark? It has a soft spot in my heart because years and years ago they used to sell a BBQ chicken sandwich, it was the only place you could find it outside of the ATL.

[orduresblanches]

Does anybody know when the South Park expansion will open and what new stores will be there?

[uncc2006]

All of those upscale retailers and more will be headed to South Park Mall. Just heared the announcement on 6 News this evening. Charlotte can now deem it's self as North Carolina's premier shopping destination. People used to trek to Atlanta and D.C. to shop at these kind of stores well now you can find them in North Carolina's own big city a.k.a the Queen City! These stores will be the first and might be the only for North Carolina for some time to come as SouthPark Mall is the most upscale mall in North Carolina. It's only getting better!!!

[TravisNC]

WCNC and the Charlotte Observer both say that Kate Spade, Sigrid Olsen, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Tommy Bahama are coming to the mall, but not Chanel, Armani, or Gucci. Are you sure you heard about the others?

[monsoon]

[cityboi]

Is there a Brooks Brothers store in Charlotte?

[49er]

yeah there's a brooks brothers in Southpark. An Oakley store just opened too. Call me redneck, but I'd never seen one of those before.

Know what sucks though? The stronger Southpark gets, the more difficult it is for retail to take hold in downtown. Dept stores in downtown? Not a chance for a decade or two in my opinion. Southpark is just too freakin close. Plus the new mall north of downtown makes it even worse.

[Raleigh-NC]

I have to agree with 49er... the more upscale shopping they put outside downtown the harder it gets for Uptown Charlotte to complete its image and speed up the momentum. Of course, South Park's proximity to Uptown may also work for the latter's growth, too. As people get closer to the core, they will eventually embrace Uptown even more. While I would prefer those stores to have a more central address, it is still great news for Charlotte's shopping scene.

[cityboi]

I guess I would liken Charlotte's South Park to Atlanta's Buckhead.

It would be great to see stores like Lovi Vitton, Channel, Armani, Gucci come to uptown like in cities such as Minneapolis or Atlanta. Charlotte's center-city can support them and they would improve the image of uptown Charlotte as a cosmopolitian, urban core. But like others said before, there is just too much competition in areas like South Park and other areas thats opening up new shopping centers and malls.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Great for rich suburbanites, bad for urbanists....

[49er]

Id have to disagree a little on it being a suburban wasteland. Southpark is an urban paradise compared to the likes of Carolina Place/Pineville, University City, Matthews. etc. Density is arriving there although youre right about the people, many are anti urban to the core.