North Richmond 15 acre retail/commercial center planned (Atlanta, Martinez: fit in, 2013)

[nortonguy]

15 acre retail/commercial center planned for Riverwatch Parkway. I believe the address is 3247 Riverwatch Parkway. Located between the Riverwatch/Furys Ferry intersection and the Columbia County line. Another potential site that can attract retail not presently in the market. REI, Trader Joe's, Cheesecake Factory, or Dave & Busters...

Planning & Zoning - Project Search Details

[Airforceguy]

This potential retail center could be a nice addition to the Augusta retail scene. I would imagine the developers of this center are competing against the Mullins for the same stores considering the demographics of the area. I think Augusta is growing fast enough to support not only this, but the Mullins Crossing expansion. I hope the center proposed for Riverwatch is built in the same style as the Avenue shopping centers of Metro Atlanta.

[Carolina Knight]

It will be interesting to see who this commercial development can attract.

[Airforceguy]

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

It will be interesting to see who this commercial development can attract.

I would imagine that with its central location in the metro and easy access to I-20, this new retail project would be able to attract a decent amount of quality retailers. I could see stores like J. Crew, Anthropolgie or Microsoft come to this center.

[GRU_Minion]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

I would imagine that with its central location in the metro and easy access to I-20, this new retail project would be able to attract a decent amount of quality retailers. I could see stores like J. Crew, Anthropolgie or Microsoft come to this center.

Given its address somewhere between Fury's Ferry and Pleasant Home on Riverwatch, I honestly don't see any of those retailers coming to this center. Nor any of the ones that Nort mentioned. I promise I'm not trying to downplay it or poo poo on the whole thing, I just don't see that being a spot where any of those things would be interested in going. Another Walmart market would be a more likely scenario to me. That spot is just too much of a retail 'island' to itself and not up against the interstate or anything else remotely similar to those things. There's nothing upscale enough about that location to make many of those items likely occupants to me.

[Airforceguy]

Originally Posted by GRU_Minion

Given its address somewhere between Fury's Ferry and Pleasant Home on Riverwatch, I honestly don't see any of those retailers coming to this center. Nor any of the ones that Nort mentioned. I promise I'm not trying to downplay it or poo poo on the whole thing, I just don't see that being a spot where any of those things would be interested in going. Another Walmart market would be a more likely scenario to me. That spot is just too much of a retail 'island' to itself and not up against the interstate or anything else remotely similar to those things. There's nothing upscale enough about that location to make many of those items likely occupants to me.

You raise a valid point, but while those retailers I mentioned might not fit into that location; I still think this site could hopefully draw more than just a Wal-Mart neighborhood store. The Augusta area seems under retailed in many ways for a metro area its size. Especially when compared to peers like Columbia, Greenville, Jackson, Huntsville, Chattanooga and even Lexington.

[Carolina Knight]

Originally Posted by GRU_Minion

Another Walmart market would be a more likely scenario to me.

A Walmart Neighborhood Market would not be a bad idea.

[nortonguy]

The Avenue Furys Ferry was proposed in the same general area before the recession. The plans was to build an upscale lifestyle center..
Shoppers will travel Avenue 111705 - The Augusta Chronicle

This location is within 5-10 minutes of I-20, Riverwatch Pkwy, and Washington road. Easily three of the most traveled roads in metro Augusta..

This location is within close proximity of numerous upper middle class neighborhoods.

The only shopping area with an better location in the CSRA is the Village at Riverwatch, Washington Crossing, or the Augusta Exchange.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

You raise a valid point, but while those retailers I mentioned might not fit into that location; I still think this site could hopefully draw more than just a Wal-Mart neighborhood store. The Augusta area seems under retailed in many ways for a metro area its size. Especially when compared to peers like Columbia, Greenville, Jackson, Huntsville, Chattanooga and even Lexington.

Augusta is nowhere close to being under retailed for a metro it's size.. Chattanooga and Columbia don't even have Apple stores correct? The Costco in Columbia may still be under construction and Augusta had one since 2010.

Augusta had Imax, PF Changs, Apple, Gander Mountain, Costco, Cabela's, etc before Columbia. I know they did get Dave & Busters recently, but Augusta wins that battle in terms of which city got the national retailers or restaurants first.

And Greenville doesn't really beat Augusta either.. I can't speak on the rest of the cities...

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

A Walmart Neighborhood Market would not be a bad idea.

A brand new Walmart Market opened in Martinez about 5-10 minutes away in 2013.

[GRU_Minion]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

A brand new Walmart Market opened in Martinez about 5-10 minutes away in 2013.

Which should have zero effect on it, since it's nearly 3.5 miles away. Given the fact that many of the full-service Walmart stores in our area are 3mi or less apart from each other as the crow flies. 15 acres is not likely to be more than an anchor and a few smaller stores, at most. I wouldn't get on board with the pipe dreams of a lifestyle center at that location.