Cabela's coming to Tri-Cities (Bristol, VA)

[setnick]

Cabela's is no longer alone up at Exit 5 and Belk announced they are leaving the mall and relocating at "The Pinnacle" beside Bass Pro at Exit 74

More businesses coming to Exit 5 development | News - Home

Belk building new store in Bristol, Tenn. | News - Home

[kamoshika]

City officials announced today that three restaurants and a travel center will join the anchor store, Cabela’s, at The Falls Development at Exit 5 off Interstate 81.

In a joint meeting between the City Council and the Industrial Development Authority, purchase agreements and contracts were executed today with Calhoun’s, Smoky Mountain Brewery, Zaxby’s and Sheetz.
Calhoun's, Smoky Mountain Brewery among tenants announced for Bristol, Va., development

[BadJuju]

Let's just keep spreading everything around so the only people that can get to it have to have cars. Can't wait to get out of this poorly managed area.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by BadJuju

Let's just keep spreading everything around so the only people that can get to it have to have cars. Can't wait to get out of this poorly managed area.

Having a car in a rural area is almost a given. If you cannot or will not cope with that, leave. We don't have the population density to support a robust public transportation system and likely never will.

Originally Posted by kamoshika

City officials announced today that three restaurants and a travel center will join the anchor store, Cabela’s, at The Falls Development at Exit 5 off Interstate 81.

In a joint meeting between the City Council and the Industrial Development Authority, purchase agreements and contracts were executed today with Calhoun’s, Smoky Mountain Brewery, Zaxby’s and Sheetz.
Calhoun's, Smoky Mountain Brewery among tenants announced for Bristol, Va., development

I think the Calhoun's will be a big draw for several months, but not long term as there is far better BBQ in the area. I'd rather go to Ridgewood (best BBQ I've had even compared to Memphis/KC, even better than Arthur Bryants in KC IMO), Pratts, Phil's Dream Pit, or Firehouse. All of them had better BBQ than what I had at the Turkey Creek Calhoun's. After the novelty wears off, I can't see Calhoun's being a big factor.

The Smokey Mountain Brewery is going to be a major hit. There are NO gastropubs in the area where beer is also brewed on site. Many gastropubs/beerpubs like this brew their own beers and offer a reasonable food menu, on the level of a Fatz or Cheddar's, but the focus is on the beer, rather than the food. When I lived in Des Moines, Court Ave Brewing Company (local restaurant), Rock Bottom (chain), and Granite City Brewing (upper Midwest brewpub chain) all filled this niche. I've been amazed the Tri-Cities haven't gotten in on this action. If Smoky Mountain is half as good as the Midwest brewpubs I've been in, they will do very, very well.

[jabogitlu]

Having a car in a rural area is actually NOT a "given." For centuries rural areas maintained their livelihood by organizing into a village-and-countryside approach. The Tri-Cities "rural" area actually is now just a suburban sprawl wasteland, incapable of fully being either a city, a rural village, or rural countryside. You are joking yourself if you can't see that.

I'm really disappointed in the developments on Exits 5 and 7, the Target development in Kingsport, and the surely-to-come Boones Creek development in Johnson City. The Tri-Cities lacks vision and leadership to structure the region for solid growth in the next 100 years.

[BadJuju]

Great post, jabogitlu. I agree with you completely.