Mall owner says Marquee Cinemas may expand at current site (Kingsport: sales, home)

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Well it looks like Marquee Cinemas may not be moving to the Kingsport Pavilion area after all. Click on the link below to read the full article.

Mall owner says Marquee Cinemas may expand at current site - Kingsport Times-News Online

[setnick]

i wish they would get to the bottom of this story. because both sources are legit

[rccrain]

Sounds like damage control for the mall. The mall is scrambling to keep the cinema because losing it would be a quick trip to Chapter 11.

[Ripshin]

Not sure why everybody is rushing to that big box site. The mall needs an upgrade (granted) that it can't afford, but I hardly think that the Pavilion is the be-all, do-all answer.

[rccrain]

I agree "The Pavilion" is in an awful location. Feels like driving halfway to Bloomingdale. It's not near the interstate, a la the "big box" at Exit 7.

It should have been built at the Eastern Star exit at the junction of I81 & I26. That would draw locals from Kpt & JC, almost locals from Virginia & NC, and passers through via interstate traffic as the major destination between Kodak and Roanoke.

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Originally Posted by rccrain

I agree "The Pavilion" is in an awful location. Feels like driving halfway to Bloomingdale. It's not near the interstate, a la the "big box" at Exit 7.

It should have been built at the Eastern Star exit at the junction of I81 & I26. That would draw locals from Kpt & JC, almost locals from Virginia & NC, and passers through via interstate traffic as the major destination between Kodak and Roanoke.

Umm... It's a GREAT location right off East Stone Drive. Easily right in a larger section of population in Kingsport and right off 11E connecting Kingsport and Bristol together. Not to mention Preston Forest is right behind the Pavilion area which is home to a large population of people with higher than average incomes for the area.

[rccrain]

It's 11W, correct?

The current location will bring in some folks from Kpt no doubt, maybe a few from SW Bristol occasionally, and maybe some from Weber City, Gate City, etc. But imagine what it could have been if it were centrally located on two major interstates.

For example,
I'm from JC and recently lived in Bristol. I've been to The Pavillion once; I have found that it's not convenient enough that I would ever return from either location. Exit 7 was better from a Bristol, TN standpoint. It's a 45 minute drive from JC.

[ComicalMoodyDan]

Originally Posted by rccrain

It's 11W, correct?

The current location will bring in some folks from Kpt no doubt, maybe a few from SW Bristol occasionally, and maybe some from Weber City, Gate City, etc. But imagine what it could have been if it were centrally located on two major interstates.

For example,
I'm from JC and recently lived in Bristol. I've been to The Pavillion once; I have found that it's not convenient enough that I would ever return from either location. Exit 7 was better from a Bristol, TN standpoint. It's a 45 minute drive from JC.

Sorry, I meant 11W. Not sure why I said 11E! I happen to work at one of the stores in the Pavilion. We actually get a lot of business. We don't get much traffic from JC but we get a lot of Kingsport and Bristol people. People from this side of SW VA come in as well. Wise, Norton, Big Stone Gap, Gate City, etc... We also get quite a fair share from the Harlan County, KY area shopping at the Pavilion as well.

In general Kingsport is never going to get much business from those in JC no matter the location. The Pavilion though being located right in the heart of Kingsport and right off the track to Bristol and this side of SW VA though does bring in quite a crowd. I can tell you where I work we do very well and we have exceeded goals.

[Ripshin]

"Convenience" can be a detriment, sometimes. Just bringing them in, no matter the cost, can doom a community....destroy the local economy. The Tri-Cities need to consider more than big boxes in suburban areas. It will destroy what is unique about the area. I, for one, don't want to live in Anywhere-mart, USA.

[mbmouse]

In the grand scheme of things, geographically, populations and so forth, the Tri-Cities has a lot less big box stores than a lot of places. That is the way it should be. We have Networks, a Sullivan County organization that's main purpose is to entice manufacturing/industries to the area, Kingsport and Bristol (and HOPEFULLY soon JC) downtowns are being renovated to entice small independent owned business (less than 5000 sq ft retail and office spaces) and the Chambers of Commerces do a good job at marketing to families,working class and retirees to move here. Higher education centers, vocational and medical training centers.......I personally don't think we have to many "big box" stores here compared to elsewhere. It is a proven fact that small retail needs big box as anchors to survive and thrive. The Pavilion has helped the whole city. Because of the increased sales tax base, the property rate/cost went down and the schools were funded even more. Because Kingsport is the main shopping area for a lot of little towns: Church Hill, Mnt. Carmel, Surgoinsville, Rogersville, Gate City, North Gray, Colonial Heights, Blountville and so forth, I personally think that location on 11W was a good choice. They didn't try to cram it in amongst other already heavy traffic areas like Stone Dr. and Eastman or Fort Henry and Center St, but pulled some of the traffic away by creating that large shopping destination that it was a smart location choice. Exit 7 is a nightmare traffic wise and makes no sense to me.
Just look here on this forum of a lot of people who are considering moving here, it is about a 50/50 split of wants when it comes to shopping. There has been quite a bit of " what do you mean there is no Trader Joe's or Macy's there" and also, " Are there small locally owned places to shop?" So the best thing a local government can do is entice a bit of each.
As Abe Lincoln said: "You can please some of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you can not please all the people all the time."