Little Rock Retail Rebound (Malvern: fit in, house, tenants)

[ArkansasSlim]

"Arkansas Business" newspaper reports that in the past 12 months in the Pulaski County retail market the occupancy has improved from 89.4% to nearly 91.2. This includes occupying new structures as well as re-occupying vacant ones. Things are looking up.

[txdave35]

I heard last night that the Apple store is coming, Ross Dress for Less, and some new restaurants like Cheddars!

[ArkansasSlim]

Originally Posted by txdave35

I heard last night that the Apple store is coming, Ross Dress for Less, and some new restaurants like Cheddars!

10-4 on the Apple Store. About the 20th of this month, I think, and it will be in the mall on west Chenal Parkway. I think Cheddars is now under construction at the old University Mall site.

[thewizard16]

Originally Posted by txdave35

I heard last night that the Apple store is coming, Ross Dress for Less, and some new restaurants like Cheddars!

All of that is correct. J Crew is also being added to the Promenade next to Apple (Anthropologie, Apple, and J Crew all in a row will be a busy/very appealing little section of the mall), Shackleford Crossings should be filling up a bit more soon, Park Plaza is still doing very well and a couple of the little empty spots are filling up (and Forbidden City is being replaced by an outfitters store), Panera, McDonalds, Staples, and a Verizon store are all already committed or under construction along with the Cheddars at the Park Avenue development (old Univ. Mall site), McCain Mall is under renovation and adding a higher end 12 screen movie theater, Lowe's is looking to add a West Little Rock location finally and there should be some interesting retail/commercial news announced for downtown in the form of a new development before the year end. Little Rock never really got hit hard on the retail front by the recession since the local economy stayed pretty strong, but things that got delayed at the beginning of the recession are now starting back up along with a few new things. The amount of development that has been going on and the increased retail presence in Little Rock during the past few tough years is pretty exciting.

[ArkansasSlim]

Also, out here on west Chenal Parkway, a new call center in going into the old empty home furnishing/builders supply building and there will be a new fitness center (I think) going into the old Kroger, and something else I don't remember.

[thewizard16]

Originally Posted by ArkansasSlim

Also, out here on west Chenal Parkway, a new call center in going into the old empty home furnishing/builders supply building and there will be a new fitness center (I think) going into the old Kroger, and something else I don't remember.

The old National Home Center is turning into a Windstream data center, and it already is looking better now that they're doing some work on it, but I guess it doesn't qualify as retail anymore. I hadn't heard about a gym going into the old Kroger, but I did see they were splitting it up into a strip mall style front to make it more appealing to potential tenants. The last I'd heard they hadn't confirmed any tenants, but I could see a fitness center being a good fit in that spot. I'd hoped another big box retailer might be interested in the space, but I honestly couldn't think of anything that might be wanting a location out there right now.

[necraven]

Big box stores and strip malls. Just what Arkansas needs more of.

[jenni-b]

(Anthropologie, Apple, and J Crew all in a row will be a busy/very appealing little section of the mall)

right? come on Urban Outfitters! that and a TJ's and I'm a happy camper.

[thewizard16]

Originally Posted by jenni-b

right? come on Urban Outfitters! that and a TJ's and I'm a happy camper.

Haha, I'm not a big Urban Outfitters person, but I find Trader Joe's interesting enough I'd shop there. With Whole Foods and Fresh Market already on the scene and Kroger dominating the overall market I imagine it would probably be a while before they'd consider the LR market though. The one store I desperately want that due to their recent troubles we'll probably never get is a Restoration Hardware. It'd be great in the Midtowne shopping center (and close to my house that way...). I don't ask for as much in a shopping scene as most people though, so I'm pretty easy to satisfy.

[ArkansasSlim]

Originally Posted by thewizard16

Haha, I'm not a big Urban Outfitters person, but I find Trader Joe's interesting enough I'd shop there. With Whole Foods and Fresh Market already on the scene and Kroger dominating the overall market I imagine it would probably be a while before they'd consider the LR market though. The one store I desperately want that due to their recent troubles we'll probably never get is a Restoration Hardware. It'd be great in the Midtowne shopping center (and close to my house that way...). I don't ask for as much in a shopping scene as most people though, so I'm pretty easy to satisfy.

10-4 on the Restoration Hardware store. Although I, personally, no longer have a need for them, many, many years ago when we were restoring a Craftsman in Malvern we gave their catalog lots of business. I think I may still have some of their fixtures in storage here in L.R. I understand there is lots of do-it-yourself restoration taking place here in L.R. and it would be great to be able to look at the item before purchase.