Target coming to Blakeny!

[peaceloveunderstanding]

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

It's not completed yet, they still have two phases left to go. They are starting on those phases two years ahead of schedule. They should be starting on the apartments soon.

[DigitalSky]

Sorry that's what I meant.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

There's an interesting neighborhood shopping center development going up at Ardery Kell and Tom Short that has no name. It will have like 15-20 (I'm not sure on the number) shops, bars and restaurants - but no major tenant (e.g. no drug store or grocery store). It should be opening soon. Anyways, it's neat because it's pretty easy to walk to for the residents of that area.

Some day in the near future there will be 5-6 shopping centers along Ardery Kell. There are already 4.

[nyxmike]

There's an interesting neighborhood shopping center development going up at Ardery Kell and Tom Short that has no name. It will have like 15-20 (I'm not sure on the number) shops, bars and restaurants - but no major tenant (e.g. no drug store or grocery store). It should be opening soon. Anyways, it's neat because it's pretty easy to walk to for the residents of that area.

Some day in the near future there will be 5-6 shopping centers along Ardery Kell. There are already 4.

It's called "The Fountains"

[DigitalSky]

Yup. Interesting bit of information -- Harris Teeter owned that land, intentionally, so that no other grocer would come and take that spot, before selling off the land and making sure that the zoning wouldn't allow any store larger than 10k s/f

[peaceloveunderstanding]

It's called "The Fountains"

Really? So I guess it does have a name afterall.

I know the family that's putting an Irish Pub there. It looks like many of businesses will be locally owned, probably mostly by the wives of the big bankers and what not that live around there - it's a resonably affluent area.

[e2ksj3]

I had a chance to drive out there today, and wow, that development is huge, too huge actually. I don't understand why Target and Harris-Teeter would be tenants since there is a Target and HT up the road at Stonecrest. Won't this development take away from their customer base? Not to mention there will be a ton of traffic in that area, with this development and all the little subdivisions that surround it. One positive thing, at least the surrounding area has sidewalks so people can walk to it at least, although I doubt many will.

[DigitalSky]

I had a chance to drive out there today, and wow, that development is huge, too huge actually. I don't understand why Target and Harris-Teeter would be tenants since there is a Target and HT up the road at Stonecrest. Won't this development take away from their customer base? Not to mention there will be a ton of traffic in that area, with this development and all the little subdivisions that surround it. One positive thing, at least the surrounding area has sidewalks so people can walk to it at least, although I doubt many will.

Harris Teeter and Target own south Charlotte so this is really a boon for them apparently... not a negative impact on their customer base. Yes, traffic will increase and the planning has been crap for that...

[Glimmertwin]

You people who can't stand sprawl....MOVE. I LOVE sprawl. Seriously. Those of you who compain about traffic, if Charlotte would build larger and more roads, that would not be a problem.

I also love the people who make fun of Target and Wal-Mart. Sorry if I enjoy paying less for something. Gee, should I go to South Park and buy a pair of Levi's for $80.00 or go to Target and get them for $30.00? Sorry snobs, Target and Wal-mart are GOOD for people.

[atlrvr]

You people who can't stand sprawl....MOVE. I LOVE sprawl. Seriously. Those of you who compain about traffic, if Charlotte would build larger and more roads, that would not be a problem.

I also love the people who make fun of Target and Wal-Mart. Sorry if I enjoy paying less for something. Gee, should I go to South Park and buy a pair of Levi's for $80.00 or go to Target and get them for $30.00? Sorry snobs, Target and Wal-mart are GOOD for people.

Uhhhh....I feel dirty after reading that post.

All I can say is that Charlotte provides a great diversity of lifestyle choices.....plenty of sprawl and Wal-Marts for those who enjoy that, an urban core that can provide a car-free lifestyle for those who want that, and varying degrees and urbanness and suburbanness in between.

[reverbandwhiskey]

You people who can't stand sprawl....MOVE. I LOVE sprawl. Seriously. Those of you who compain about traffic, if Charlotte would build larger and more roads, that would not be a problem.

I also love the people who make fun of Target and Wal-Mart. Sorry if I enjoy paying less for something. Gee, should I go to South Park and buy a pair of Levi's for $80.00 or go to Target and get them for $30.00? Sorry snobs, Target and Wal-mart are GOOD for people.

Fine, then you go live out in burbs and enjoy the constant gridlock. And no, we're not going to waste more money building wider roads. You say you love sprawl? Well then suck it up and enjoy the traffic that comes with it.

I'll be enjoying my pleasant bike commute through Dilworth down East Blvd which was just narrowed to make it more bike friendly.

Targets and Walmarts are not good for communities. There are literally dozens of books and studies on the subject matter. The depress wages, put a large burden on local and state government to care for the employees that they unperay. They are environmentally unsound, create traffic ngihtmares, and further the concept of disposable society.

[Glimmertwin]

The depress wages, put a large burden on local and state government to care for the employees that they unperay.

Let's see...where in the Constitution does it state that Govt. must pay for this?

So, you are pretty much saying that the Govt. should be able to decide what businesses can live and die, what they must pay and so forth? Hmmmm....smells like a Commie to me.

What a joke. Wal-mart provides jobs..more than any other company...jobs that create more money being put into the economy and thus helping it grow. Wal-mart is GOOD for America. It's you Socialists who are bring our country down the economic drain.

[loanshark]

Targets and Walmarts are not good for communities.

I guess the people who shop there are either too stupid to figure this out or too greedy and want to save money. I'm glad we have people like you to tell us what is best for us.

[Glimmertwin]

Nice Loanshark.

[reverbandwhiskey]

Let's see...where in the Constitution does it state that Govt. must pay for this?

So, you are pretty much saying that the Govt. should be able to decide what businesses can live and die, what they must pay and so forth? Hmmmm....smells like a Commie to me.

What a joke. Wal-mart provides jobs..more than any other company...jobs that create more money being put into the economy and thus helping it grow. Wal-mart is GOOD for America. It's you Socialists who are bring our country down the economic drain.

Well the Government does currently control almost every facet of business, through zoning, labor, health, environmental, any many other forms of regulation. So you can take your dated rhetoric back to AM talk radio.

Any economist will tell you that you do not create jobs in the retail sector, you only move them. Walmarts put smaller stores out of business. Consolidating wealth, and lowering wages does not help the economy grow. It actually hurts local economies because almsot all of the products sold in Walmarts are imported from China and all of the profits leave the community. Please actually take a basic economics course before spouting off outright falsehoods.

So I am both a Commie and a Socialist now? Please at least get your insults straight.

I guess the people who shop there are either too stupid to figure this out or too greedy and want to save money. I'm glad we have people like you to tell us what is best for us.

No we have numerous articles, studies, and books to document the damage that Walmart/Target does to local economies.

[loanshark]

No we have numerous articles, studies, and books to document the damage that Walmart/Target does to local economies.

And I'm sure I can find just as many documenting the good Wal-mart provides to "working familes".

[cinco]

Nice Loanshark.

... ok. are you guys upset cause limbaughs off air? cause it's cool - jason lewis is on 1110 AM, right now.

do you really like sprawl? why? endless streets of wal-marts and targets are a good thing - please explain.

my main problem with wal-mart, is all the jobs that it has sent overseas... b/c manufacturers can't compete to give wal-mart the "muscled down" dollar with american labor. not too mention small town americana business has suffered... it's sad to see the local hardware store go under cause they can't compete.

[reverbandwhiskey]

And I'm sure I can find just as many documenting the good Wal-mart provides to "working familes".

Please do. I will start.

1. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/research/ssq-poverty.pdf

2. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/images/americapays.pdf

3. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/research/neumark.pdf

4. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/research/CFCW-healthcare.pdf

5. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/amrightsatwork.pdf

6. http://www.brennancenter.org/programs/down...boutwalmart.pdf

7. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/miller-report.pdf

8. http://www.seta.iastate.edu/retail/publica...10_yr_study.pdf

9. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/state-reports.html

10. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/berkeley-report.pdf

11. http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/wmtsubsidies.pdf

12. http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/healt...-Mart_final.pdf

13. http://cecd.aers.psu.edu/policy_research.htm

14. http://amiba.net/pdf/barnstable_fiscal_impact_report.pdf

15. http://www.newrules.org/retail/midcoaststudy.pdf

16. http://www.civiceconomics.com/Andersonvill...nvilleStudy.pdf

This one is my favorite. It shows that locally owned businesses create 70% more economic local impact than chain stores.

17. http://edworkforce.house.gov/democrats/WALMARTREPORT.pdf

Another wonderful pieces that estimates that a single Wal-Mart "employing" 200 people would cost taxpayers over $400,000 in added social spending.

Well, that should give you more than enough reading materialfor some time. I look forward to 17 documenting how good Walmart is for working families and communities.

[StevenRocks]

You people who can't stand sprawl....MOVE. I LOVE sprawl. Seriously. Those of you who compain about traffic, if Charlotte would build larger and more roads, that would not be a problem.

I also love the people who make fun of Target and Wal-Mart. Sorry if I enjoy paying less for something. Gee, should I go to South Park and buy a pair of Levi's for $80.00 or go to Target and get them for $30.00? Sorry snobs, Target and Wal-mart are GOOD for people.

Calling people snobs because they differ in opinion from you doesn't show any maturity on your part.

[loanshark]

Here two that sum up the benefits of lower prices to consumers

http://www.globalinsight.com/publicDownloa...ent/hausman.pdf

http://www.forwalmart.com/facts/denver-economic-impact/

[Glimmertwin]

Walmarts put smaller stores out of business

That is dead wrong. 100% wrong. Wal-Mart has NEVER put smaller stores out of business. Prove to me that Wal-Mart itself has forced a small business man to close.

It's the CUSTOMERS who, with their own wallets, decide to go to Wal-Mart and pay less for a product. If the consumer continued to shop the small business it would be Wal-Mart out of business.

It's simple economics. Supply and Demand. Basic free markets. The wonders of Capitalism. Whatever you want to call it, it is what drives this economy and is what, in part, helped to make the United States the single greatest country on the earth.

Something you Liberals simply distain for some reason.

[Jettanout]

What makes this country great is the freedom to choose. I choose Wal*Mart because my funds are limited. Others may choose higher cost/similar quality goods because they have that luxury.

But, I challenge you to find one person in a lower income bracket who will say a box of cereal at Harris Teeter for $3.50 is better than the same cereal at Wal*Mart for $2.50. Those dollars add up, and if you are saying Wal*Mart hurts America, then I say hurt me Wal*Mart. If Uncle Sam get's 30% of my paycheck, I think I deserve the right to spend my money where I can stretch my dollar the farthest.

[loanshark]

Jettanout and Glimmertwin, what you guys are talking about is freedom of choice, the right to choose. You can't be a liberal and be against that.

[voyager12]

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because of their well documented predatory tactics of setting up shop on the edges of towns and sucking the life out of Main Street. They also seriously underpay employees compared to other discount retailers. Their health benefits are subpar. So bad that the State of Maryland passed a law requiring Wal-Marts in the state to contribute more money to health plans. It was recently invalidated by a higher court ruling because it was ruled to be illegal to craft a law soley focused on one employer. The main point stands though. The Court did not argue with Wal-Mart's pitiful health benefits just the narrow nature of the law meant to regulate it so I hope its refashioned and passed again. Many"Associates" more like indentured laborers, are forced to be on welfare while employed at Walmart. At some Walmarts in high crime areas of town they "lock in" employees preventing access even to emergency exits, threatening life. They discriminate against women, don't promote and hire them at the same rate as men. Which is why there was a massive class action suit filed against them. There have also been instances of managers clocking employees out when they are still onsite during their scheduled hours. I could go on all night. Of course Wal-Mart denies all this and runs transparently slick PR ads touting its great behavior Target is not perfect but they are much more progressive and responsible towards their employees, community at large and their stores are uniformly clean and inviting. As opposed to most of Walmart's dark and dirty locations. So Target gets my business frequently.

[reverbandwhiskey]

Here two that sum up the benefits of lower prices to consumers

http://www.globalinsight.com/publicDownloa...ent/hausman.pdf

http://www.forwalmart.com/facts/denver-economic-impact/

You have to be kidding me. The second site you linked to is actually FUNDED BY WALMART! The study you linked to was funded by Walmart and performed by "Global Insight" who is well known for creating junk-science to defend major corporations.

You are going to have to come up with something better than that. Even with those, I believe you owe me 15 more.....

Those do not address anything other than lower prices. I don't think anyone is debating Walmart's ability to offer low prices. When you use the Government to subsidize wages/benefits, and import everything from third world sweat shops, it is fairly easy to undercut the competition in pricing.