Kingsport to redevelop Parkway Plaza shopping center (Johnson City, Bristol: 2014, neighborhood)

[sprintuser2014]

Looks like the site is about to be torn down soon, rumor has it a Walmart Neighborhood Market will be built here and that is almost 100% certain now.

Kingsport to redevelop Parkway Plaza shopping center | News - Home

[Serious Conversation]

A neighborhood market would be a welcome addition. That plaza has been vacant and an eyesore for many years now.

[sprintuser2014]

Originally Posted by Emigrations

A neighborhood market would be a welcome addition. That plaza has been vacant and an eyesore for many years now.

Agreed plus it's basically in downtown where all you have is Food City as a grocery store. That area could use another grocery store and that center in its current state looks terrible. Not only would it look better but a Walmart Neighborhood Market would be perfect for that location.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by sprintuser2014

Agreed plus it's basically in downtown where all you have is Food City as a grocery store. That area could use another grocery store and that center in its current state looks terrible. Not only would it look better but a Walmart Neighborhood Market would be perfect for that location.

I'm 28 and don't remember anything actually being in business there.

[sprintuser2014]

I'm 34 and I vaguely recall a small Kroger in that shopping center but my memory is pretty fuzzy, honestly this center has been dead for over twenty years. It has been such an eyesore and I always saw potential in the property so it's nice to see that finally it's being torn down and something is going in that location. With IGA closing in downtown leaving only Food City in that area a grocery store is perfect for that spot.

[kamoshika]

Got my hair cut there as a wee lad in the early '60s. Used to eat at Burger Chef across the street. Dollar General was there until fairly recently; they built a new store just across the parking lot, so this Walmart store will probably wallop them.
Sky City: Southern and Mid-Atlantic Retail History: Parkway Plaza Shopping Center: Kingsport, TN

I do hope someone salvages the vintage sign out front. The center was built in '61 and I've always thought the sign is pretty cool.
http://archives.roueche.org/wp-conte...09/1Greene.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UJQzmnjudg...a_1_040210.jpg

[Serious Conversation]

It's beyond dated. I doubt anyone would even want it.

[kamoshika]

Originally Posted by Emigrations

It's beyond dated. I doubt anyone would even want it.

Of course it's "dated," but then it'll never be reused as a functional sign. It is, however, a piece of Americana and some folks endeavour to save these nostalgic pieces of yesteryear, like those signs salvaged, restored & displayed at RC's Storage in Bristol, VA. Or like Otis Eldridge's Memory Lane in Rogersville.
Tennessee Signs | RoadsideArchitecture.com

FWIW, Paul Bellamy owns Parkway Plaza and God knows he has plenty of storage space, if he has the notion to sock it away somewhere.

[fourwinds]

The whole of Lynn Gardens should be redeveloped. Drove behind there and it reminded me of the worst of New Orleans or Atlanta. Couldn't believe housing like that existed in Kingsport. Poor Appalachia exists today!

[Page2]

There was a flurry a couple years back that Food City was positioning itself to move into that location, but the city made them a better offer to move into the redeveloped Kingsport Press site. I don't think Walmart Neighborhood Market has signed on the dotted line yet, but they have reportedly been looking in both Kingsport and Johnson City. The Pay Less, Dollar General Market and Aldi seem to be doing well and they are to Walmart Superstores what Walmart Superstores were to grocery stores. I read no long ago that grocery is about 30% of Walmart's profit and it's being zinged by the likes of Aldi etc. That's one reason behind the Walmart Neighborhood Markets. The big question is if this type competition and grocery adjustment continues will Walmart continue having two Superstores in Kingsport? We seem to be evolving into a two-tiered market and most of the attention and development is moving to the lower tier.