Bridges at Mint Hill

[StevenRocks]

Am I evil in saying I hope this mall doesn't happen?

No. Just sensible.

[Phantom Flyer]

I personally want this mall.

The problem is that there is no mall in Matthews and none in Mint Hill.

In order to get to a mall you have to drive 20-30 minutes.

With gas the way it is, I'd rather be able to drive 5 minutes or better yet ride my bike to a mall and see a movie, shop or whatever.

Now I'm very pro environment, so if this whole thing is so negative for the spot it's in, then I say find another spot. My exit would be nice. lol I'm one exit away from the proposed site.

Has anyone heard anything lately?

[StevenRocks]

Nothing of note.

[Matthew.Brendan]

The problem is that there is no mall in Matthews and none in Mint Hill.

In order to get to a mall you have to drive 20-30 minutes.

And this is exactly why I chose to move to Matthews.... I hope it stays 'isolated' in this way

[blburton]

Is 1.3 million sq ft necessary over there? I think that's what my issue is with the mall.

I personally want this mall.

The problem is that there is no mall in Matthews and none in Mint Hill.

In order to get to a mall you have to drive 20-30 minutes.

With gas the way it is, I'd rather be able to drive 5 minutes or better yet ride my bike to a mall and see a movie, shop or whatever.

Now I'm very pro environment, so if this whole thing is so negative for the spot it's in, then I say find another spot. My exit would be nice. lol I'm one exit away from the proposed site.

Has anyone heard anything lately?

[SmellyCat]

Is 1.3 million sq ft necessary over there? I think that's what my issue is with the mall.

It's still listed on General Growth's website as a future development, although I would be surprised if it gets built. My guess is that GGP's eyes are still glued to the performance of Northlake, which has shown mixed results so far.

[DigitalSky]

I agree, Northlake is the one to watch. We don't want to be over-malled.

[mybackyardis485]

The latest I heard was that the state is requiring a 200 foot buffer on all of the creeks on the property which will probably kill the project. The cattle on the property now are probably doing more damage to the heelsplitter than a new mall would but go figure.

[DigitalSky]

so if Bridges dies, does that mean we'll see Stallings Mall?

[mybackyardis485]

so if Bridges dies, does that mean we'll see Stallings Mall?

Ok, now my sources have told me that the deal has gone through and that the extended buffer would not effect plans for the development due to the initial over design of the mall in order to not effect the heelsplitter. They have officially spent a large chunk of money to buy all of that land and I don't see them selling it at a higher price within the next ten years so the only option they have left is to build. Plus, there is already money appropriated to get Lawyers road widened from I485 to Hwy 51 which is stupid because they should widen it all the way to Albemarle but maybe they will wait until WT Harris and Albemarle becomes an interchange about six years from now.

[DigitalSky]

So what does it all mean in terms of a timeframe for the mall

[MZT]

Just makes me more releived that I sold my house off Lawyers road and moved closer to town. It was hard enough to turn left, with no signal, onto 2-lane Lawyers.

Edited November 6, 2006 by MZT

[mybackyardis485]

So what does it all mean in terms of a timeframe for the mall

My prediction (not a solid one) would be to start construction sometime around 3Q07 at the earliest.

But that's just speculation....i'll keep this thread posted if I hear anything.

[DigitalSky]

There is some news on The Bridges At Mint Hill mall

http://www.mhpd.com/news_stories_concerning_mint_hil.htm

The article mainly talks about the heelsplitter and its effect on limiting growth and asking for an enlargened buffer zone. But the key thing is that the groundbreaking for Bridges is still on schedule for later this year

[mh10809]

Has anyone heard anything further regarding this mall and whether it is going to happen or not?

[DigitalSky]

Nothing of note, unfortunately

[nyxmike]

Well, there is some recent news on the status of this mall: It is still on schedule to open in fall 2009 and a grading permit has been filed. They are just waiting for the county to approve it before they start grading the site.

http://www.charlotte.com/union/story/197662.html

[DigitalSky]

Well, there is some recent news on the status of this mall: It is still on schedule to open in fall 2009 and a grading permit has been filed. They are just waiting for the county to approve it before they start grading the site.

http://www.charlotte.com/union/story/197662.html

Interesting. That still seems like a long way away... maybe Sears will hold on to their Eastland store up until that point?

[Raintree21]

Whatever became of the affects on the heelsplitter mussel?

[underoak]

Whatever became of the affects on the heelsplitter mussel?

The heelsplitter split.

Just kidding.

Article says: "Though public utilities are available at the site, there is still a question of whether Mecklenburg County will be allowed to pump that much additional water into the Goose Creek Basin until an agreement is reached with the state over protection measures for the Carolina heelsplitter. Thomas says wells have been dug on the site and he expects the shopping center to open using a combination of city and well water."

[Matthew.Brendan]

Is the proposed site inside or outside of 485? I'd like to take a look on Google Maps/Earth.

[mh10809]

Is the proposed site inside or outside of 485? I'd like to take a look on Google Maps/Earth.

The proposed site is located inside of of I-485 on the north side of Lawyers Road and east of Bain School Road.

The Observer had an interesting article posing the question that since the development has be stalled for so long due to the environmental issues posed by the endangered Carolina Heelspliter that it may have put itself behind due to other retail options in Southern Mecklenburg County. Do you think that because of the unique design of this project, unlike anything else in the metro region, and the upscale nature of the shopping center, that it will have the draw to attract people from around the Charlotte area? Or do you think it will be another Northlake Mall that will suffer in the long run?

Also, the mall is drawing a lot of very high-end niche housing developments such as Cheval, an equestrian community, and Sienna, a neighborhood with working vineyards that start upwards of $1million for a home and there are several retail developments that are waiting in the wings to develop in Mint Hill if and when the mall breaks ground. These developments along with several other large upscale housing developments are tieing themselves to the opening of this new mall. Do you think this mall will get developed? And if not what affect will that have on the Mint Hill area if this mall never gets off the ground? It seems the town has a lot riding on this thing getting built.

I have my doubts myself. I live in Mint Hill and there has been no groundwork, demolition or anything on this property yet. The property is largely pasture and the cows are still grazing in the fields the last I checked. If grading was suppose to happen any day now and they are just waiting on a driveway permit as the Observer says dont you think some activity would have started by now?

[DigitalSky]

honestly, I don't think the area is ready for another mall yet. Most people if they want upscale they drive to SouthPark. And with the Heelsplitter issue, who knows if Bridges will ever happen. I wonder if Stallings' Mall will happen

[mallguy]

Bridges at Mint Hill (or "of Mint Hill"?) seems like another Northlake, with 3 department stores, a bookstore and a movie theater, although open-air.

http://www.ggp.com/Properties/NewDevelopments.aspx?smuid=39

I don't know the southeast area of Charlotte well enough to know whether or not it can support its own mall, but in reading the reviews of Eastland below, I wouldn't think that any normal mall would be in competition with it:

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-reviews-2970027-...k955GTEgr2fFmoL

[mh10809]

honestly, I don't think the area is ready for another mall yet. Most people if they want upscale they drive to SouthPark. And with the Heelsplitter issue, who knows if Bridges will ever happen. I wonder if Stallings' Mall will happen

I know that the issue of the heelsplitter is a moot issue at this point. The developer has already gotten the go-ahead from the state to be able to build at this site after applying numerous mitigation techniques, engineering controls, and design plans that help limit the impact to the Goose Creek Basin (or so they say). And from what I have heard the Stallings Mall is not going to happen. The mayor of Stallings was trying to push this issue to have a developer come and build a mall there but it did not happen. The issue I am most concerned with is that because of economic issues with the slow-down of the economy and the current demographics of the area that the mall would never get off the ground. I think that, like Southpoint in Durham that the surrounding development would come, to be located in proximaty to the mall if the thing were able to get off the ground. I guess we will just have to keep waiting to see what happens.

This would be a major change for Southeast Mecklenburg County if it did happen. And if it doesnt I wonder what the future will hold for Mint Hill due to the town and developments in the town pretty much depending on whether the mall gets built. There are a lot of undeveloped neighborhoods right now in Mint Hill that are selling at higher-end prices. I think there are more than 2,200 homes planned right now and most are selling above $300,000? Can this area support all of that development without an attraction such as this mall?