I can’t see a Walmart going in this type of development. Just doesn’t seem very Walmart.
Whatever happened to the Cary IKEA idea? Seems like something that could fit perfectly in this situation.
3 Likes
IKEA cancelled all their future big suburban boxstores and are moving in a new direction for their bricks & mortar format. Which is strange because historically their online store stinks.
6 Likes
How about a giant flagship Dollar General?
4 Likes
serious characters
2 Likes
Really weird when a lot of people seem to consider their stores a destination. With the oversaturation of grocery stores in the area they may be best just making it another block of shops / restaurants. Would be weird however with no anchor tenant.
2 Likes
How about a open park area instead?? 
5 Likes
We make the trek over to the Atlanta IKEA about twice a year (I am just north of Anniston if you ever went west from Doug’ville) and pretty much make a day of it, lol. When we visited the wife’s family in Vancouver BC, we all went to IKEA, checked the kids in the kids center, then had an adult-only lunch, lol. I’ve been to the small foootprint, urban format in Rome, IT, and it wasn’t nearly as much fun as the big box. But there it is, giant corp’s will do as giant corp’s want.
1 Like
Gotta think Wegmens lost some money pulling out when this level of design and renderings were already in place?
11 Likes
IKEA says that but then where’s the smaller format IKEA in the Triangle? There’s heaps of dirt cheap retail space of all shapes and sizes everywhere in the Triangle. It’s BS, they don’t want to come here at all.
4 Likes
looking at the site plan they do appear to be missing that nice gathering space that most of these types of developments have these days. Not sure how far they are in terms of actual site work but maybe they can rethink and use that space differently.
Instead of that huge surface lot, make half of that + wegmans space into park surrounded by another row of shops and restaurants with residential over.
Instead of that huge surface lot, make half of that + wegmans space into park surrounded by another row of shops and restaurants with residential over.
8 Likes
They were planning a 2nd one next to the ATLUTD training ground but I think it’s dead now. But I guess they’re the ones with the billion dollar company so maybe they know best lol
1 Like
What makes a grocery store an important anchor tenant anyways? If I’m going to Wegmans and getting groceries, I’m usually not also stopping to get M Sushi or a drink at Dram & Draught (while my groceries sit in a hot car) so it’s not like the grocery store would necessarily draw me to visit other stores in that development.
(Opinion from someone who has no insight into market research or development patterns)
5 Likes
Anchor stores are about drawing foot traffic and eyeballs from a broad cross-section of the market. Doesn’t have to be about a single trip.
2 Likes
is there any research to back this up as a good strategy today? I know speaking for myself, if I’m looking for somewhere to eat/drink/shop now a days, there’s tons of information online in the form of reviews/pictures to attract me to a certain place (as opposed to in the past where you had to rely on word of mouth or just drawing eyeballs visually)
2 Likes
Well my idea would replace the store with a cinebistro with a bowling alley and bar on the first floor and a few restaurant theaters on the second and third. A Hampton or Virginia Beach, VA development has one of those as a main tenant.
1 Like
I didn’t realize Cary already has a cinebistro but the current one looks old and dusty 
Cinebistro was the original planned movie theater on the site but they pulled out due to COVID
4 Likes
Grocery stores are important to a mixed use development in general. It gives the full Live/Work/Play atmosphere as they are important to people who live there. You need to get groceries. Having one nearby is a big plus.
I think they should rework the size of this building and go smaller. Put a smaller grocery store and add more residential units to build the customer base.
2 Likes
Wow that’s crazy, I definitely don’t remember seeing that
Interesting that in the photo of the Midtown Exchange grading, they’ve graded out to the edge of the property, even though the building they’re building will only occupy a small portion of the land. I guess they’re prepping for the buildings to come.