4 Kmarts, but 3 Walmarts? Oddities abound...

[101_ce]

There is definitely enough for a Costco there, especially if they tear down the whole center (not just K-mart). If you look at any aerial map (i.e. Google Earth, Bing, etc.) you can tell that. If you just look across the street and see Sears, you see that Sears could easily fit. Sears is 222K square feet, so 111K square feet for one level. Since Costco is only one level then they could easily fit a store that size there, and definitely a larger store. The store would have to be where the smaller stores are and the Tuesday Morning (at least I think that is what it is) and then most of the Kmart would have to be parking. But it could definitely fit there! I would love an IKEA, but that's not at all realistic, unfortunately. Better yet, why don't they just tear down Innsbruck and put the Costco there? Tunnel Road is even more rough looking than South Tunnel, and that would definitely help the area transform.

[mediamongrel]

There is definitely enough for a Costco there, especially if they tear down the whole center (not just K-mart). If you look at any aerial map (i.e. Google Earth, Bing, etc.) you can tell that. If you just look across the street and see Sears, you see that Sears could easily fit. Sears is 222K square feet, so 111K square feet for one level. Since Costco is only one level then they could easily fit a store that size there, and definitely a larger store. The store would have to be where the smaller stores are and the Tuesday Morning (at least I think that is what it is) and then most of the Kmart would have to be parking. But it could definitely fit there! I would love an IKEA, but that's not at all realistic, unfortunately. Better yet, why don't they just tear down Innsbruck and put the Costco there? Tunnel Road is even more rough looking than South Tunnel, and that would definitely help the area transform.

That's a good idea for some semi-transformation of North Tunnel Rd, which is still pretty rough. There are about 3-4 motels on that road that are either very cheap (or charge by the hour), which doesn't give that area are very good reputation. Also, the closed down ABC store is a bit of an eye sore now. It would be nice if they would re-do/widen that road a little bit too.

[101_ce]

I would love for a Costco to open in Asheville! I would love to try it. Since we like Sam's, we would definitely love Costco! I think that the area has started to turn around some, but definitely is a long way from actually being "nice". Really, if you just rid the road of those cheap hotels you speak of, something new in the Kmart shopping center, and the area will actually be looking pretty good. This doesn't really apply to Tunnel east of 240, but there would have to be a lot of things to make that road better, and I doubt that would ever happen.

[mediamongrel]

I have heard from multiple people that the property manager for the plaza that houses the Kmart on Tunnel Rd. has been sighted talking to various tenants in the plaza at various times during the last month. They also claimed to have noticed an insurance agent scoping out the area as well. Just some news which may or may not be important. But for a property manager to be sniffing around a plaza that only has 5 tenants left is kind of suspicious.

[orulz]

If something happens at K-Mart Plaza, you have to wonder if Beaucatcher Cinema won't be involved as well... it's nearly 30 years old.

[mediamongrel]

If something happens at K-Mart Plaza, you have to wonder if Beaucatcher Cinema won't be involved as well... it's nearly 30 years old.

I was also thinking that an AMC 24 theater or something like that would go well in that plaza, considering the only other one in the area besides Beaucatcher is the old Carmike near the Target. According to the property website though, the theater property is not owned by them.

[101_ce]

I would hope something would finally happen to that area. I would love to have a nice lifestyle center with the AMC, or even just the AMC and a Costco. I've heard that Costco owns the land across from Target in South Asheville, so unless they sell that (if they do), I can't see that happening here. I would rather have one great theater rather than an old, crappy one and an okay one. Besides, some of the movies overlap occasionally. The newness of Regal has rubbed off, and the bathrooms are starting to get broken stalls that are written on and ugly, and the bathrooms are starting to smell as well. I think AMC would probably want to expand more into NC. Do they even have locations outside of Charlotte?

[mediamongrel]

I do not know of any locations other than Charlotte for AMC in the immediate area, but it would be a little more convenient being right off the highway at that plaza. The Regal at Biltmore Park is good as you said but it is kind of wedged in there with little parking other than walking to the garage. I think Costco would fit in better across from the Target in South Asheville as you said.

[mediamongrel]

Please refer to the new topic page for this discussion;http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/53445-kmart-plaza-tunnel-rd-1975/

[Lootles]

I was also thinking that an AMC 24 theater or something like that would go well in that plaza, considering the only other one in the area besides Beaucatcher is the old Carmike near the Target. According to the property website though, the theater property is not owned by them.

The Carmike is only about ten years old, if that. In your opinion, how long does it take for something to attain the description "old".

[mediamongrel]

The Carmike is only about ten years old, if that. In your opinion, how long does it take for something to attain the description "old".

That Carmike looks a lot older than ten years, are you sure? The inside design looks like it was built in the late 1970's or early 1980's. Maybe it was just not run properly, in effect, making it look 30 years old. Also, that Carmike is hidden, so unless you already know it's there, it wouldn't be as visible as a new theater would be in the Kmart plaza.

[orulz]

Carmike is probably 15 years old. As I recall, It opened up while I was in high school which would put it between 1996 and 2000. It opened up several years before Target but several years after Office Max. Back then, Regal's "Hollywood Cinemas" (now known as Carolina Cinemas) on Hendersonville Road was the nicest theater in town.

[orulz]

Update: The Carmike was built in 1996. Target was 2003. Office Max etc. was also 1996. So I had it somewhat right...

As an aside, I wish that River Hills Road connected to Glendale Avenue. That would provide an alternatvie to the ridiculously curvy and busy Wood Avenue.

[rooster8]

I didn't know until five seconds ago that you can connect to Glendale via an access road behind Target. I wish I had known that before, would have saved me from wasting a lot of time on S. Tunnel Road.

[Lootles]

I didn't know until five seconds ago that you can connect to Glendale via an access road behind Target. I wish I had known that before, would have saved me from wasting a lot of time on S. Tunnel Road.

Yes, its off of McArthur Lane.

[mediamongrel]

I would love for a Costco to open in Asheville! I would love to try it. Since we like Sam's, we would definitely love Costco! I think that the area has started to turn around some, but definitely is a long way from actually being "nice". Really, if you just rid the road of those cheap hotels you speak of, something new in the Kmart shopping center, and the area will actually be looking pretty good. This doesn't really apply to Tunnel east of 240, but there would have to be a lot of things to make that road better, and I doubt that would ever happen.

So I am assuming my source was correct back in June. The plaza owners had this planned six months ago.

I have heard from multiple people that the property manager for the plaza that houses the Kmart on Tunnel Rd. has been sighted talking to various tenants in the plaza at various times during the last month. They also claimed to have noticed an insurance agent scoping out the area as well. Just some news which may or may not be important. But for a property manager to be sniffing around a plaza that only has 5 tenants left is kind of suspicious.

This sighting of insurance agents and property owners should have tipped someone off back in the summer.

[rooster8]

The Hendersonville Road Kmart is to close this fall which I believe reduces the number of Kmarts down to 2 (Patton and Brevard Rd).  May be time to rename this thread!

[NCMike1981]

They are dropping like flies!

[orulz]

There's no Walmart immediately nearby either the Patton Avenue or Brevard Road locations, so they probably have the strongest case for continued existence of the four. The Brevard Road store is much newer than the others, having been built in the early 90s around the same time as Biltmore Square Mall, so count that in its favor as well.