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The point about VAS is well taken. I do not see how that area can sustain two major shopping areas. Of course, I would have to drive by the VAS to get to Killian's Crossing. So, there would need to be enough of a reason for me to drive there. They definitely need to newer shops there.
My list would be some of the following:
-a health food store is needed. I would suggest Greenlife Grocery
-Costco -Crate and Barrel
-Eddie Bauer -I guess the Cheesecake Factory -Maggiano's
-Chuck E. Cheese (for the kids)
-PF Changs
-Trader Joes
-Maybe some ethnic restaurants (e.g., Indian, Ethiopian)
Basically, it has to be somewhat different from what's at VAS.
Assuming this may be different from VAS (which I agree it HAS to be), and that it may be upscale, is there a retail development model (new or otherwise) that can attract these restaurants/retailers without a big elite regional mall like SouthPark or Perimeter or Tysons? My observations that the "regional destination restaurants" have been tacked onto legacy upscale malls anchored by traditional department stores. But nowadays new developments like lifestyle centers are anchored by restaurants and cinemas (e.g., "experiences" rather than "purchases") more than any particular retail store anchors. In a denser and/or more urban setting this could work in a compact lifestyle center concept - I'm wondering if this has been tried somewhere like in Southern California which has a lot of "dense upscale suburbia" - but I don't know if it would work in the Southeast, especially in a relatively conservative market like Columbia.
To me it seems like a larger Trenholm Plaza or something like Birkdale Village north of Charlotte should be the model we should be thinking about if it's even going to try to be upscale.
OTOH, since the State article references "big box" stores, perhaps we should be more hopeful for a Costco or something, at least initially.
I'd really like to see them beef up the Killian park. It has one softball field, one basketball court and the actual building. We played softball league over there this fall but it's only one field and kinda low-key and a little sketchy IMO, but the people there are really nice. They could renovate it.
Which I don't understand why they have "100 acres" put to the side for a park. When the killian park is right up the road.
Typically for large developments like this that are going to have a lot of new roofs and paved areas, the "parks" are really just for stormwater management.
Note that the article said "green space" and "walking trails" - this is going to basically be vegetated flood/stormwater control measures dressed up with pedestrian-friendly landscaping not a sports-and-recreation facility. A good example would be the ponds, walking trails, and landscaping around the South Carolina Retirement Systems office complex by SC-277 and Fontaine Rd. This would be better than having large faceless detention ponds simply fenced off from the rest of the development (something even the Village of Sandhills didn't go beyond, but I think the flat terrain there without any natural lakes/ponds may have necessitated them).
The point about VAS is well taken. I do not see how that area can sustain two major shopping areas. Of course, I would have to drive by the VAS to get to Killian's Crossing. So, there would need to be enough of a reason for me to drive there. They definitely need to newer shops there.
My list would be some of the following:
-a health food store is needed. I would suggest Greenlife Grocery
-Costco
-Crate and Barrel
-Eddie Bauer
-I guess the Cheesecake Factory
-Maggiano's
-Chuck E. Cheese (for the kids)
-PF Changs
-Trader Joes
-Maybe some ethnic restaurants (e.g., Indian, Ethiopian)
Basically, it has to be somewhat different from what's at VAS.
Because I live in this area, I would LOVE to see this type of stuff move in, but there just isn't that kind of money in this area. Chang's, I can see, even though they like to pretend that they are high class. Crate and Barrel? C'mon now. The only thing this list is missing is an Apple Store.
Because I live in this area, I would LOVE to see this type of stuff move in, but there just isn't that kind of money in this area. Chang's, I can see, even though they like to pretend that they are high class. Crate and Barrel? C'mon now. The only thing this list is missing is an Apple Store.
None of the better stores are gonna come to this place in this economy. Heck, Sandhills is struggling. It hasn't gotten any of the better stores and even the Brix Pizza closed. No good stores are gonna open in Killians when Sandhills is struggling. I gotta say this too. Killians better have some good security. I was in Sandhills on a weekend night and the rowdy teens were all over the place.
None of the better stores are gonna come to this place in this economy. Heck, Sandhills is struggling. It hasn't gotten any of the better stores and even the Brix Pizza closed. No good stores are gonna open in Killians when Sandhills is struggling. I gotta say this too. Killians better have some good security. I was in Sandhills on a weekend night and the rowdy teens were all over the place.
Using Brixx is a bad example....I was talking with someone in the corporate office here in Charlotte about VAS. This was primarily an issue with the franchisee. Brixx is scouting Columbia for multiple locations.
This area seems to be catching on. All of the luxury dealerships are moving in this direction, I doubt they would do that if the customer base would not support this decision. The Lexus store looks way better than Hendrick, the Carolina's largest Lexus store, on Independence. BMW is looking to move out to Killian as well.
None of the better stores are gonna come to this place in this economy. Heck, Sandhills is struggling. It hasn't gotten any of the better stores and even the Brix Pizza closed. No good stores are gonna open in Killians when Sandhills is struggling. I gotta say this too. Killians better have some good security. I was in Sandhills on a weekend night and the rowdy teens were all over the place.
From a rough bird's eye view this may make sense. However, a couple of things for perspective:
(1) As someone said, Brixx was an individual franchise issue. Remember the Atlanta Bread Co. at the Clemson Road entrance side also closed, and that was also an individual franchise. It was quickly filled by Panera so the consumer demand for that type of dining experience still exists and is still well-served. I would imagine any similar pizza joint that's at least a notch above a Pizza Hut would do fine in VAS.
(2) I think the big think in favor of the Killian site is direct interstate access. In fact I wonder if Alan Kahn would have waited a few more years, he may have purchased and developed this site as well (at the time in the early 2000's, the sense was probably that new subdivisions were moving east along Two Notch & I-20 (e.g., Wildewood, Woodcreek, etc.), rather than north along I-77 - this has probably changed now).
Now, that's not to say I wouldn't worry about over-saturating and cannibalizing the Northeast retail market. If Killian Crossing merely duplicates the VAS area and whatever else is on Two Notch, then I would be genuinely concern that in the long run we're just asking for more empty boxes within a decade or so.
But just driving on Hard Scrabble a couple days ago seemed to give me the impression that the overall retail market may be perking up again (e.g., new gas station on Hard Scrabble near Farrow; land has just been cleared next to the Blue Ginger/Wasabi/Beef O'Brady's strip center). As such there may be enough "room" for Killian to develop, especially if the differentiate themselves enough and leverage their excellent location.
Last edited by Chi2Midlands; 01-09-2012 at 08:14 AM..
(2) I think the big think in favor of the Killian site is direct interstate access. In fact I wonder if Alan Kahn would have waited a few more years, he may have purchased and developed this site as well (at the time in the early 2000's, the sense was probably that new subdivisions were moving east along Two Notch & I-20 (e.g., Wildewood, Woodcreek, etc.), rather than north along I-77 - this has probably changed now).
Oops - I meant to say that if he not purchased the Clemson Extension (now VAS) property and bought and held onto the Killian site instead.
This area seems to be catching on. All of the luxury dealerships are moving in this direction, I doubt they would do that if the customer base would not support this decision. The Lexus store looks way better than Hendrick, the Carolina's largest Lexus store, on Independence. BMW is looking to move out to Killian as well.
Thus creating another dead spot in an already-dying area.
I see they built a new gas station/liquor store on Hardscrabble. Pretty close to my house actually.I'd prefer they built something else there, considering there are two gas stations less than a minute down the street at Hardscrabble/Farrow, but I suppose some growth is better than nothing. I wonder when the next restaurant will set up shop in the La Fogata building in VAS? That place was always packed. I guess the food was so cheap they couldn't pay the (probably exorbitant) rent.
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