Target coming to Blakeny!

[DigitalSky]

OBSERVER EXCLUSIVE / DOUG SMITH

Target buys land to build in Blakeney

Retailer's decision speeds expansion in south Charlotte toward early completion

DOUG SMITH

Blakeney in south Charlotte is developing faster than Crosland Inc. anticipated when it started the multi-use community more than two years ago.

And now, the 270-acre project is about to accelerate another notch.

Target Corp. is giving Blakeney's retail hub a major boost by purchasing 10.57 acres for another store only two miles south of its StoneCrest at Piper Glen location.

Mecklenburg transaction records show that the chain paid $3.6 million last week for a site off Rea and Ardrey-Kell roads.

"Now that Target has committed to Blakeney, we are confident several other anchor retailers will quickly follow," said Ryan Preston, Crosland's director of leasing. "This will allow us to complete the center at least two years sooner than projected."

Crosland has four divisions and an affiliate involved in the retail/office/residential development at the Rea and Ardrey-Kell roads intersection.

The company had anticipated a fall 2009 completion of the northwest quadrant's shopping hub -- zoned for up to 495,000 square feet of retail. Now, it looks like that will happen in summer 2007.

Retail division President Peter B. Pappas said rapid residential growth and vastly improved road systems are providing the allure.

Retailers typically follow residential growth, which is burgeoning in south Mecklenburg and spilling to neighboring Union and Lancaster counties.

That's occurring, in part, because in summer 2002, Rea Road opened north and south between Ballantyne Commons Parkway and Providence Road in Union County. And Ardrey-Kell Road was completed east and west between U.S. 521/Lancaster Highway and Providence Road.

Before the extension of Rea, Blakeney wasn't easily accessible from the south.

The area south of Interstate 485 is one of the county's fastest growing. Crosland's demographic studies indicate the population within a one-mile radius of Blakeney will grow 38 percent to nearly 13,000 within five years.

Pappas said Target plans to start work this summer on a 124,717-square-foot store to open in March 2006 on the south side of the retail hub near Blakeney Heath Road.

The chain plans to continue to operate its 123,733-square-foot StoneCrest store at I-485 and Rea Road.

Both stores are smaller than SuperTargets, which average 175,000 square feet and include a grocery section. Target has 1,313 stores in 47 states.

Harris Teeter completed a deal with Crosland last fall for a 48,000-square-foot supermarket in the Blakeney retail hub. The grocery chain expects to start construction this spring and open in January 2006.

Crosland officials noted that Harris Teeter, like Target, felt the south Mecklenburg market was strong enough to support stores within two miles of each other. Harris Teeter also has used that strategy elsewhere.

Target officials couldn't be reached. Rich Barta of Core Properties Inc. represented the chain in the land transaction.

Crosland plans to devote about 35 percent of Blakeney's acreage to open space. A network of trails along a creek will link the community's greens, parks and nature preserves.

What else is happening at Blakeney? Construction is booming at three quadrants of the Rea and Ardrey-Kell intersection.

The 52-acre northwest quadrant -- where retail site work is humming -- will include a 2-acre park with play areas for children and walking trails leading into a village of shops and restaurants. The businesses will be complemented by a plaza, fountain and outdoor dining areas.

Blakeney Greens, a neighborhood that eventually will total 364 houses and townhomes, is progressing rapidly in the northeast quadrant, where the initial work began in Blakeney.

Crosland said about 300 homes have been sold in Blakeney Greens, which includes a swim club, play areas and two greens.

Another residential community -- Blakeney Preserve -- is under way at the southwest quadrant. Pulte Homes is constructing 216 townhomes there.

They're being developed around a 5-acre preserve with walking trails and sidewalks connecting to Blakeney Professional Center, where 72,000 square feet of single-story office buildings along Rea Road have been sold to service providers and physicians.

George Macon and associate Mike Joyner of Crosland affiliate Merrifield Partners are spearheading sales and development at the professional center.

Macon said about 38,000 square feet of single-story offices also are under construction on the Ardrey-Kell side of the professional center. About 60 percent of that space is under contract for sale, he said.

Kids R Kids has purchased 2 acres there for a child learning center expected to open within the next 10 months.

The next big project in the southwest quadrant will be a pair of two-story office buildings, Macon said. The professional center is zoned for about 220,000 square feet of offices.

Ask if he's surprised by how rapidly the buildings are selling, Macon said, "At first I was. I guess now I'm getting used to it. That market is really strong."

Crosland is ready to kick off another residential project in Blakeney's southeast quadrant: a 206-unit apartment project. The two-story units will be developed to look and feel like single-family homes, Crosland officials said.

That's a quick trip around Blakeney. See it today. Tomorrow it won't look the same.

[DigitalSky]

Here's an image from Crossland's website

And a site plan. You can see in the NorthWest quadrant where the Retail Center is, the bigger building is the Target and the one on the right is the Harris Teeter

[monsoon]

Man, that is some nasty looking development in that that last photo. Unfortunatly the Charlotte City Council never saw a development it didn't like and approves almost everything. The only exception to this is when a development was proposed near former city councilman Lynn Wheeler's house. She raises a lot of squawk about that one, but generally approves everything else.

[UptownJ]

Man, that is some nasty looking development in that that last photo.    Unfortunatly the Charlotte City Council never saw a development it didn't like and approves almost everything.  The only exception to this is when a development was proposed near former city councilman Lynn Wheeler's house.  She raises a lot of squawk about that one, but generally approves everything else.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It should be renamed.... Sprawl

[dubone]

Man, that is some nasty looking development in that that last photo.    Unfortunatly the Charlotte City Council never saw a development it didn't like and approves almost everything.  The only exception to this is when a development was proposed near former city councilman Lynn Wheeler's house.  She raises a lot of squawk about that one, but generally approves everything else.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"but generally approved everything else." . Her career was cut short by a .3 billion dollar basketball court.

[uptownliving]

Its actually a $0.000265 Trillion basketball court.

[monsoon]

"but generally approved everything else."  .  Her career was cut short by a .3 billion dollar basketball court.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually I thought it was the voters that cut her career short.

[DigitalSky]

new renderings, tenant information, site plan of Blakeny!

http://www.crosland.com/retail/properties/blakeney/

It'll have Brixx and Chili's for restaurants so far

CVS/Pharmacy, Petro Express Gas station among other smaller retailers on the site

and of course Target and HT

I hear they're trying to woo stores like Talbot's and Williams-Sonoma to add a more upscale atmosphere

and it looks like they're adding mid-sized box stores in Phase II, i would guess like Linens-N-Things and Bed Bath & Beyond

[Lithuania]

Well at least they are making efforts to make these shopping centers look a little different than traditional strip malls. But still, isn't everyone getting tired of seeing the same old tenants? Target, Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter? It's pretty much the same store, different location.

[DigitalSky]

^apparently not.. what competes with Target and Wal-Mart? Kmart a bit but there's not much else that would fit in a shopping center like Blakeny. It pretty much is Stonecrest part II though

also check this out:

[Lithuania]

^ I see your point, and I shop at both of those stores (although I really prefer Target). That area of Charlotte has changed a lot since I lived there in the mid to late 90's.

Doesn't it seem like the number of discount retailers has dropped off a lot since Target and Wal-Mart took over? My coworker showed me a map of all of the Wal-Marts that were open as of 1995. The southeast was basically blanketed in black dots.

[NCMike1981]

Roses will make a comeback someday!!!!!

Are there even any left in Charlotte?

[Lithuania]

Roses was the place my folks used to shop when I was a kid. I don't know of any in Charlotte, but there is one in Edenton NC and one in Portsmouth, VA.

It's time for Roses to make a comeback:)

[RaleighHeelsfan]

There are two Roses in Wake Co...that I know of

Zebulon and Fuquay Varina

there could be more

[cltguy99]

There is still a Roses in my hometown of Belmont. I remember going in there as a kid, which it was comparable with k-mart at the time, but its really gone downhill the past several years. I doubt it will survive when Wal-Mart makes its arrival practically next door.

[DigitalSky]

^i've been to that Roses.. also remember that small Harris Teeter next door.. yeah wal-mart will kill it unfortunately

[Lithuania]

The Roses in Portsmouth is still hanging on, despite there being two new Walmarts within 5 or so miles from the store. I don't know how it is still in business, because that Roses has not been redesigned or redocarated since the early 80's.

I guess there are a few people out there who find shopping at Walmart frustrating, like me:)

[DigitalSky]

I guess there are a few people out there who find shopping at Walmart frustrating, like me:)

i KNOW there are more than a few people...

[DigitalSky]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/business/13178665.htm there was an article on Blakeny and its 'commercial promise' a few days ago in the paper

[DigitalSky]

A McAllister's Deli is coming to the project, so it joins Brixx and Chili's as the restaurants so far (and Starbucks if you want to count that)

[DigitalSky]

According to the Bizjournal, new tenants (some perviously announced)

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stori...15/daily33.html

They include Radiance Medspa, a 2,823-square-foot skin-care facility; Yoga Flex, a 2,384-square-foot instructional studio; McAlister's Deli; SunTrust Bank; and Cold Stone Creamery. Also, Encore Caf

[cltheel.sdl]

That shopping center is so nice. Too bad it's all sprawl.

[reverbandwhiskey]

Joy! Another Target! Just what that trashy area needs, poorly made cheap crap for people to fill their pooorly made mcmanisons with!

Sprawl is fun! I look forward to dodging even more traffic on my Saturday bike ride now.

[mediamongrel]

Joy! Another Target! Just what that trashy area needs, poorly made cheap crap for people to fill their pooorly made mcmanisons with!

Yeah, for some reason people treat Target different than Wal Mart, when in reality both companies get products from the same below wholesaler in Taiwan and China. both sell cheaply made products, Target just displays the junk better, so you think you're getting better wuality when you aren't. I'd rather go to Wal Mart and by the same cheap junk for $5 less than Target has it.

[DigitalSky]

You can see the evolution of this sprawling center, BlakEney (i couldn't spell it properly earlier), here http://www.charlotte.com/multimedia/charlo.../dev/index.html

The O has an article talking about it too http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/14998681.htm also mentioning it's completed 2 years ahead of schedule