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Roanoke development


StevenRocks

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They have great subs at the sub shop at Wegman's... it's only like 5 minutes from campus, and it reminds me of Ukrop's back home, only it's like a Ukrop's on steroids. It's a very nice place indeed.

Russ...we know you prefer your local farm fresh (even though its really owned by the massive Super-Valu) and you don't like much of anything about Richmond, so it's no surprise you don't like Ukrop's. It's cool though. If I was from HR I'd probably wanna support farmfresh, just like being from Richmond I wanna support Ukrop's.

I like how they are an independent, privately owned, Virginia grocery store. The Ukrop family and Wegman family are pretty close and they both share ideas and concepts with one another. I believe they have an understanding where they will not enter the same markets as one another. Respectable I think, because I think it's important for independent regional grocers to band together to fend off the big boys like Kroger and Wal-mart.

I think Ukrop's, like wegmans, brings a unique shopping experience to the table that hopefully will be embraced by Roanoke residents. Their customer service and prepared foods probably can't be beat which is what they put the most emphasis on. I know that they have been focused on trying to lower their costs on traditional grocery goods, while expanding their prepared offerings. There's no money in selling traditional goods these days.

If your suspicions are right though BGW, Ukrop's may have a similar experience that they had in Fredericksburg (unlike Williamsburg where they have thrived). The Fredericksburg store was slow to catch on, though it did help close a Winn-Dixie pretty quickly. Now though, I think the Fredericksburg store is one of the top improvers in the company.

I'm pretty sure the Sunday closing and Alcohol policy won't change anytime soon. I think it's more about keeping tradition than the Christian stuff that everyone always tries to bring up. I've heard that at some point, they may consider including a wine collection, though I don't think that will happen anytime soon. I think it tells you something about a retailer when they can be as successful as Ukrop's has been, when being closed on Sundays and not selling alcohol (a big source of revenue for many grocers).

Hopefully Roanoke can embrace Ukrop's. They are fantastic members of every community they are in.

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As a former Roanoker-turned-Richmonder, I'm not so sure. While visiting over Thanksgiving, I heard several people griping over the "high prices" at Fresh Market; I suspect Ukrops will be just as high, if not higher. I also suspect Ukrops' no-alcohol policy and being closed on Sunday will hurt them. I don't think it will flop, but it's not going to be then runaway success that some people seem to assume.

Typical Roanoke shoppers. :rolleyes:

The Fresh Market is not a cheap store at all, but at the same time, it's a worthwhile thing for Roanoke to have. They're bringing a lot of products to the market that we used to have to drive hours to get.

Roanoke is far too price-sensitive. High quality stuff is going to sell for more than low quality stuff. Invariably, the cheapest grocery stores in town (Food Lion, Wal-Mart) are horrible while the more-expensive ones (Kroger, Tinnell's, Natural Foods Co-Op) tend to be very nice.

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The Fresh Market is not a cheap store at all, but at the same time, it's a worthwhile thing for Roanoke to have. They're bringing a lot of products to the market that we used to have to drive hours to get.

I tried to explain that to people but it just didn't register. Granted, my father's still bitter that Mick or Mack isn't in business anymore, so he's probably a lost cause. But I'm hoping some of the others come around and realize that while maybe it's not the place for everyday shopping, Fresh Market is a valuable resource and they're better off with it.

Roanoke is far too price-sensitive. High quality stuff is going to sell for more than low quality stuff. Invariably, the cheapest grocery stores in town (Food Lion, Wal-Mart) are horrible while the more-expensive ones (Kroger, Tinnell's, Natural Foods Co-Op) tend to be very nice.

I think you're definitely right about Roanokers being price-sensitive. My mother is the first to complain about Kroger's meat department not being as good as it once was, but then she complained twice as loud at FM's per-pound prices. I give up. :wacko:

Thanks for mentioning Tinnell's. I'd never heard of them and just looked them up. I'll definitely have to pay a visit next time I'm in.

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I tried to explain that to people but it just didn't register. Granted, my father's still bitter that Mick or Mack isn't in business anymore, so he's probably a lost cause. But I'm hoping some of the others come around and realize that while maybe it's not the place for everyday shopping, Fresh Market is a valuable resource and they're better off with it.

I think you're definitely right about Roanokers being price-sensitive. My mother is the first to complain about Kroger's meat department not being as good as it once was, but then she complained twice as loud at FM's per-pound prices. I give up. :wacko:

Thanks for mentioning Tinnell's. I'd never heard of them and just looked them up. I'll definitely have to pay a visit next time I'm in.

Tell your dad there's still an independently owned Mick-Or-Mack off Memorial Avenue near the Grandin Theater. If he's into old-school, that defiantely the supermarket for him. Tinnel's is pretty old-fashioned too. They just did a major remodeling, by the way.

My mom says the same thing about Kroger's meat prices. Small world. :lol:

I think that Roanoke's too resisitant to change and/or upscale ideas. I don't know if you heard the outcry when Starbucks announced they were coming to town and Subway tried to move to the Market Building, but you'd have thought the world ws coming to an end for the grandstanding on Roanoke.com's message boards. It was surreal.

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Tell your dad there's still an independently owned Mick-Or-Mack off Memorial Avenue near the Grandin Theater. If he's into old-school, that defiantely the supermarket for him. Tinnel's is pretty old-fashioned too. They just did a major remodeling, by the way.

My mom says the same thing about Kroger's meat prices. Small world. :lol:

I think that Roanoke's too resisitant to change and/or upscale ideas. I don't know if you heard the outcry when Starbucks announced they were coming to town and Subway tried to move to the Market Building, but you'd have thought the world ws coming to an end for the grandstanding on Roanoke.com's message boards. It was surreal.

There is definitely a segment that is VERY resistant to change, but I kind of sense a momentum shift of sorts around here with a growing segment that embraces it. We have the art museum actually going forward, the first two buildings of the biomedical/research park have started construction, Carilion Medical Center will apparently be the second largest hospital in the state of Virginia when the additions are complete, some new shopping areas under construction report they are targeting/luring more upscale retailers, heck city council even voted 5-2 to get past the Victory Stadium fiasco and build high school football stadiums on their respective campuses (we'll see if this decision survives the election this spring.... Lord I hope so) and from what I can tell, Starbucks is not regretting their decision to finally compete in our sleepy little city.

Don't know if you've been much, but Fresh Market was absolutely packed with business in it's first few weeks. You could hardly get through the place. I live nearby and go weekly, sometimes multiple times per week. I think there is a significant segment of the population that is STARVED for this kind of thing and retailers will be pleasantly surprised if and when they take a chance and locating here. Ukrops will do fine. The nice thing is, Mick or Mack and Tinnel's will probably survive as well.

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Don't know if you've been much, but Fresh Market was absolutely packed with business in it's first few weeks. You could hardly get through the place. I live nearby and go weekly, sometimes multiple times per week. I think there is a significant segment of the population that is STARVED for this kind of thing and retailers will be pleasantly surprised if and when they take a chance and locating here. Ukrops will do fine. The nice thing is, Mick or Mack and Tinnel's will probably survive as well.

The place I work isn't too far from Fresh Market and I've been in there numerous times. They're going to do well, and I don't think they'll have to canibalize sales from anyone in particular to do it. Same with Ukrops.

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Tell your dad there's still an independently owned Mick-Or-Mack off Memorial Avenue near the Grandin Theater. If he's into old-school, that defiantely the supermarket for him.

Wow, I didn't know that place was still around. I knew it outlasted the others, but I assumed it was gone by now.

I think that Roanoke's too resisitant to change and/or upscale ideas. I don't know if you heard the outcry when Starbucks announced they were coming to town and Subway tried to move to the Market Building, but you'd have thought the world ws coming to an end for the grandstanding on Roanoke.com's message boards. It was surreal.

I knew about the Subway deal (my mother works for the company that used to (or might still) manage the Market Building). I'd heard something about a Starbucks- locating right across from Mill Mtn Coffee maybe?

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Ukrop's tends to be pretty fair to its local competitors as well.... lots of examples of that.

Ukrop's has local competitors? ;)

Seriously, though- I think Roanoke will be a whole different challenge than Wmsburg & F'burg. Given what we've established about the Roanoke market, they've got a lot of work ahead of them if they want to build the same "we'd rather starve than shop elsewhere" mentality amongst their client base as they have here. But it will be fun to watch.

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  • 2 weeks later...

you might be getting a starbucks in the cafe of the new Ukrop's... they switched out their coffee brand and installed starbucks franchises in the cafes of a couple of their richmond stores...

I wouldn't doubt it. I think Roanoke will eventually see half-a-dozen Starbucks, and that would be a great site for one.

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that is cool. How's Valley View doing these days?.. btw... I think that Roanoke Ukrop's will be opening in March or April.

Valley View still dominates the market, and in many ways it's never been better. But a combination of big-box popularity and a general blandness in the shopping experience there (everything is beige now) makes it less of a destination overall. Most of the growth it's had over the past few years has come directly from the hide of its cross-town rival, Tanglewood Mall, which has been on a slow slide to obscurity for about ten years or so.

Tanglewood is finally showing some signs of life again though. As I write this, a large section of the mall that was once home to Woolco and Brendle's is being extensively renovated for a new tenant, and a number of new stores reportedly have signed deals or are on the verge of doing so.

Edited by StevenRocks
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I used to have that issue of the Roanoker. Must have lost it in one of my many moves.

The freestanding Kroger on 221 has had a Starbucks in it since early summer at least. Can't remember exactly when.

An article in Sunday's newspaper discussed the upcoming changes at both Valley View and Tanglewood. Wish List

-snip-

Survey markers are showing up in the Valley View parking lot between Sears and JCPenney. There are two markers in one of the grassy areas in the parking lot and some pink flags are tied to bushes.

"I can't say anything," said Louise Dudley, manager at Valley View, in response to questions about future retail developments at the mall.

At Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County, there is construction going on at the left side of the mall in the former space of Brendle's, a discount retailer. Beckie Spaid, Tanglewood's marketing director, would not discuss details about what will happen there. She only said the mall is "getting ready to turn it [the space] over to new tenants."

The space is being prepared for three or four tenants, Spaid said, and she called the future announcement "pretty exciting."

-end snip-

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The Valley View project is going to be some kind of outdoor "lifestyle center"-type component in place of what would have been the mall's sixth department store, if my sources are right. No word on tenants, but I think they're looking at a Borders Books and at least one more big-box retailer, along with some smaller shops and restaurants.

Tanglewood is a mystery. They're being very closed-mouthed, but I've heard that Kohl's was coming (as electicmonk already mentioned). I don't think that's all they have planned though. Then again, everything from Old Navy to Dick's Sporting Goods was supposed to have been at Tanglewood by now. :rolleyes:

Edited by StevenRocks
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Here's a few shots some recent/current construction projects. Since these relate to Roanoke development I'm putting them here. Feel free to move the post if you think it belongs in the photos thread.

Phase 1 of the new Patrick Henry High School. Opens next week. I need to walk up there to get some better angles though.

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The Ivy Market/Ukrops site.

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Two new buildings near Carillion Hospital. One still under construction.

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The Fairfax condo project.

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The Carillion expansion nearing completion. Wish I had the Windex contract for this place.

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First building in the Riverside Center/Biomedical Park project.

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Site work for the new fire/EMS headquarters.

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  • 5 weeks later...

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