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Old 08-21-2015, 11:03 AM
 
778 posts, read 784,139 times
Reputation: 430

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You are dead on target John. It is a shame you have to drive to Barboursville to find a safe family mall and everything you said about being on edge when in CTC is accurate. This is not that CTC is in a bad place, it is actually in a superb location. It all comes down to the management company and the local management running the mall.

Frankly, were I at the CVB or in the Mayor's office I would come to conclusion that CTC was giving Charleston a black eye and make a move for the city to buy the mall or force Forest City to sell it to a 3rd another party. The City and County are obviously using the mall as a centerpiece in the urban renewal plans such as at the Civic Center, it would be wise of them to make sure the focus of their efforts was worthy. Right now, CTC is not run by professionals and it shows.
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Old 08-21-2015, 07:11 PM
 
Location: ADK via WV
5,995 posts, read 8,976,796 times
Reputation: 2493
I personally have never felt un-easy about being at the mall, but I could see how someone might feel that way. I think part of the problem is that there is not enough middle class residential units close enough to keep the mall filled during non-lunch or weekend hours. Usually social classes tend to drive the environment they place themselves in. For example, I know that certain NYC neighborhoods have changed from middle class to poverty (which destroyed business and brought in crime), and then as demographics started bringing young professionals and "hipsters" in, the neighborhood changes back to middle class and thriving business. Of course Charleston isn't NYC, but I think the same principle applies. Social Class drives an economy, and downtown needs more middle class housing.

When the civic center renovation is complete, that will help bring more visitors into the city and hopefully spark interest in attracting more restaurants and stores to downtown and the mall specifically.
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Old 08-21-2015, 08:15 PM
 
778 posts, read 784,139 times
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Chris,

The problem with CTC is that Forest City is cheap. They put little into the mall beyond basic maintenance and that is simply not enough. The malls that have a great demographic cross section and vibe are those malls that stay up to date with their store selection, general appearance and events. The advertise all over the media. When was the last time you saw a TV ad for CTC? Ever? Upscale malls have apps that update all the time and offer a personal connection to a shopper. CTC does not even run an active website. Punch in charlestontowncenter.com and see what you find. Not one photo in an OMG bland presentation is taken at the Mall. There is no video. The photos that are shown are not even from somewhere in West Virginia and the styles being shown on the models is very dated. That shows a terrible lack of professional management.

When the company is phoning in their job, why do they care if thugs roam through at any given time?
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Old 08-21-2015, 08:37 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
142 posts, read 162,928 times
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OMG so true.......CTC's web site is a total joke........why can't they get Tom Byrd and Lisa Crackhead replaced?
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Old 08-21-2015, 09:42 PM
 
778 posts, read 784,139 times
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I have never spoken directly to Tom but I have had a conversation with Lisa that lasted over an hour. She thinks of herself as the love child of Queen of England and Stephen Hawing. She is the smartest person she knows and is the most deserving of...well...everything and you should be grateful just to breathe the air in the same room with her.
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Old 08-25-2015, 09:29 AM
 
1,889 posts, read 2,128,496 times
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While I think that the CTC can be improved, especially in terms of cleaning and appearance, I've never once felt on edge or uneasy being inside. If I did I wouldn't visit.

I'm usually at the CTC about twice a week and I will agree that I've seen "unsavory" people walking around or loitering from time to time, it's nothing compared to bigger cities.
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Old 08-25-2015, 11:34 AM
 
778 posts, read 784,139 times
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But if you had small children with you, how comfortable would you be? You are right it is not like in larger cities, malls in larger cities are better run and safer. All you have to do is compare CTC with the Huntington Mall or the one in Beckley or Grand Central or those in Fairmont-Clarksburg-Morgantown. CTC stands out for all the wrong reasons and it should be the standard by which the others strive to achieve.
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Old 08-25-2015, 03:22 PM
 
82 posts, read 117,597 times
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Add me to the group who has never felt uneasy or unsafe in CTC. Neither does my pregnant wife, and I will have no issues taking our child there. I'm there fairly often and it has no more or fewer issues than any other mall, whether in big or small cities. A mall is a place where people naturally tend to congregate and loiter, whether they are actively shopping or not. That's been happening since the dawn of time. A few may look unsavory from time to time, but that's the nature of any public place.

CTC has taken a few lumps lately from chains that have shut down or severely contracted in a short time period (Radio Shack, delia's, Deb, Gap), but has been able to get new tenants in several of its vacant spaces fairly quickly. The vacancy rate isn't too bad and could be better. The problem is that most of the spaces left are small and unfortunately scattered (so you can't just combine them). Around the time Coach/Sephora/White House came in, they shuffled the locations of a couple stores around a bit to consolidate scattered vacant space together. I hope they do it again in the not-so-distant future to create some attractive, leaseable space.
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Old 08-26-2015, 08:23 PM
 
583 posts, read 578,700 times
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The east end of the mall lower level has the worst vibe to it. We had a family dinner at Tidewater 2 weeks ago at 7pm on a Friday and that area of the mall particularly when it is late has gotten a little too sketchy for me. Too many people walking around that are not shoppers and that look like refugees from the Transit Mall. No police presence is troubling too.The area right outside of the mall used to be the gathering spot but the seating area in front of Penny's has become an annex. A couple of years ago a man was assaulted coming out of Tidewater in front of his family and I won't forget the waiter from Outback who was robbed and killed leaving work. It's a judgment call. Daytime might be a different story. The first couple of hours after opening are great but to me I feel like there are risks not just outside of the mall or not just in the parking garage anymore and the later it gets the greater the risk. And I'm not certain that the folks to be leery of are even from Charleston or WV for that matter. Bigger cities are handing out bus tickets to folks and shipping them out to other places and we've gotten some recipients.
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Old 08-27-2015, 08:18 PM
 
Location: ADK via WV
5,995 posts, read 8,976,796 times
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Some updates on current construction projects going on around the area.

CAMC Memorial expansion: The hospitals ambitious expansion upward is making significant progress. They are already adding glass, in which they have chosen a funky pattern alternating between different shades of blue and green tented glass.

UC Sports Complex: They have started working on the foundation. This building will house a new multi-use arena for the college, classroom space, new locker rooms, etc... It will be a great addition to the campus.

Blvd. Building Renovation: (The building adjacent to the Southside Bridge) The renovations seem to be mostly complete. They really did a good job adding architectural features that weren't there before. The only problem I have with the building is they painted it solid white, which could be permanent to just a primer.

Shrewsbury Street Apartment Complex: Looks 100% complete, but I don't know if any residents have moved in yet.

Sheetz: Coming along quickly, I noticed today that they were pouring the concrete for the parking/pump area. Should be either on or ahead of schedule for their November opening date.

Chipotle: Looks maybe 80% finished on the exterior. They chose to have a solid concrete facade, but I don't know what color they will choose.
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