Roanoke Stores and Retail

[Cadeho]

Slow but steady. I don't think they're going to make their tax-incentive dependent deadline though.

I had come here to ask about it... so you can be added to places I can live. Me without a Ukrop's is like a plant without water.

[StevenRocks]

Ukrop's and Wegman's are the only two conventional supermarket chains I've heard people get passionate about.

[weill]

Somehow I dont think many people in Roanoke will favor it, but you never know.

Looks like Tanglewood is coming along quite well

[StevenRocks]

Ukrop's will do okay. I'd strongly suggest adding another location on the north end of town to balance the market.

I haven't been by Tanglewood in a little while, but I did notice the new paint job. I think Staples is coming to the spot beside T.J. Maxx.

[BGW]

Ukrop's will do okay. I'd strongly suggest adding another location on the north end of town to balance the market.

Has there been an announcement regarding other tennants in the Ukrops development? Here in Richmond, Ukrops' no-alcohol policy has resulted in many independent beer/wine shops opening in the same development. Roanoke could use a couple more such stores.

[weill]

Maybe so, but there is a liquor store or something close to it on every other block in most parts of Roanoke

[BGW]

Maybe so, but there is a liquor store or something close to it on every other block in most parts of Roanoke

A liquor store is very different from a specialty beer and wine store, which itself is very different from a convenience store which happens to sell some beer and wine. The last I checked, there were only 1 or 2 places in Roanoke to buy Belgian ales, or anything more "micro" than Samuel Adams, and the beer "experts" in those stores are anything but.

[electricmonk]

Most of the Kroger's have a good selection of beer. Don't know about Belgium beers but plenty of good American beers like Widmer (my favorite), Magic Hat, Anchor, Red Hook, Old Dominion, New River, etc.

I do wish we had a dedicated beer store here though like the Wine and Beer Warehouse or even better a brewpub. There were a couple attempts in the early 90's at brewpubs here but for a variety of reasons they folded.

As for other stores at Ivy Market none have been announced yet that I know of other than the Walgreens

[BGW]

Most of the Kroger's have a good selection of beer. Don't know about Belgium beers but plenty of good American beers like Widmer (my favorite), Magic Hat, Anchor, Red Hook, Old Dominion, New River, etc.

That's the same as Kroger here, and snob that I am, I don't really consider that a good selection. Magic Hat & Red Hook are wannabe macros that don't really make good beer, Widmer's Hefe tastes like dirty dishwater, and Old Dominion's stuff (they brew New River too) is OK, but not spectacular. I can walk into any beer store here and pick up stuff from Victory, Three Floyds or Lost Coast, but in Roanoke, I can rarely find any of those.

I do wish we had a dedicated beer store here though like the Wine and Beer Warehouse or even better a brewpub. There were a couple attempts in the early 90's at brewpubs here but for a variety of reasons they folded.

Brewpubs in VA usually fail due to the bureaucratic BS that VA ABC puts them through. But if someone is smart, they'll open something up next to Ukrops.

[weill]

That is why i said or something close to it

but I don't drink so what do I know about it, even though im surrounded by it, even my neighbors and everybody in SE, NW, and Martinsville (where I live)

[mclawsdrive]

I think that the only place I've ever seen a decent beer selection in Roanoke is in some wine stores downtown. As I seem to recall, theres one on market street that has a sizeable number of rare beers. The next best selection would probably be in Kroger. This is definitely something that Roanoke is lagging in, but with all the upscale residential development downtown, upscale alcohol retail is sure to follow.

In other news, 'Martin's Grocery' has been named as the anchor store for the new Keagy Village shopping center. story

[StevenRocks]

I think that the only place I've ever seen a decent beer selection in Roanoke is in some wine stores downtown...In other news, 'Martin's Grocery' has been named as the anchor store for the new Keagy Village shopping center. story

I miss Lee & Edwards. They were great for wine and beer.

Martin's is a division of Giant Super Markets (Carlisle, Pa.), which has the same parent company as Giant Food (Landover, Md.). They have a store in Waynesboro, but that's as close as they've come to Roanoke before this. They're also rumored to be eyeing the redevelopment of West Salem Plaza.

What's crazy is that all signs were leading to Kroger leaving Ridgewood Farms for Keagy Village or Ukrop's opening a second Roanoke store there. Martin's is a "dark horse candidate"

[designerjunkie48]

Do we know of any other tenants going into Keagy Village except for Starbucks and Bonefish Grille??

[BGW]

I miss Lee & Edwards. They were great for wine and beer.

I thought I'd heard they were closed. More than once, I heard the "beer expert" making up whatever he was telling a customer, but they weren't bad if you knew what you wanted. There also used to be a place on Market St which had an OK selection, but again the staff was rather clueless.

Martin's is a division of Giant Super Markets (Carlisle, Pa.), which has the same parent company as Giant Food (Landover, Md.). They have a store in Waynesboro, but that's as close as they've come to Roanoke before this. They're also rumored to be eyeing the redevelopment of West Salem Plaza.

Nice to see some real grocery diversity coming into Roanoke. Wish we'd had those choices when I was there.

[StevenRocks]

I just hope the new grocers do well. It's going to be hard to break Roanoke of its Kroger-Food Lion addiction.

[weill]

There is an article about Keagy Village, I dont know if this is what yall are talking about, but it showed a diagram of Keagy Village.

[StevenRocks]

Another Starbucks could be coming to the Towers Mall area.

[electricmonk]

Has anyone heard any plans for the Franklin Rd K-Mart? That place is looking sadder and sadder everytime I go. They don't seem to be restocking the shelves at all and I saw a sign in the paint aisle that said they are discontinuing paint mixing. It looks worse now than it did a couple years ago when they were in bankruptcy. I wonder if they are just going to kill that store through neglect or if all K-Marts are looking like that now.

Personally I would hate to see that store close because I won't go to WalMart for the same items. I usually buy my household items like cleaners, containers, the occasional tool or whatever at k-Mart. I really thought once they merged with Sears they would get better. Guess I was wrong.

[weill]

I haven't noticed

Also whats going on at Melrose Ave. beside Forest Park, I remember there were trees there and now its a big construction site, maybe some sort of another Melrose Tower?

[StevenRocks]

Has anyone heard any plans for the Franklin Rd K-Mart? That place is looking sadder and sadder everytime I go. They don't seem to be restocking the shelves at all and I saw a sign in the paint aisle that said they are discontinuing paint mixing. It looks worse now than it did a couple years ago when they were in bankruptcy. I wonder if they are just going to kill that store through neglect or if all K-Marts are looking like that now.

Personally I would hate to see that store close because I won't go to WalMart for the same items. I usually buy my household items like cleaners, containers, the occasional tool or whatever at k-Mart. I really thought once they merged with Sears they would get better. Guess I was wrong.

I think that Kmart is safe from closure as long as Kmart as a chain is safe, which means they could go on for a while or they could pull the plug anytime. Who knows?

Anyway, for Kmart's part, that store was recently painted on the outside and it does look like they're cleaning the floors. But it's a 30-year-old store that's been badly maintained, so it looks like a$$.

[electricmonk]

Looks like the Record Excange is done for.

Plan 9 from Richmond is the rumoured buyer if so I hope they keep a store open here. I've always liked Plan 9.

As for Kmart I hope that store stays open. I have a sentimental attachment to it. I grew up within walking distance of it and used to go there on snow days from school and eat at the old lunch counter.

edit: Man I hate this old laptop keep missing keys.

[weill]

No this is stupid, Record Exchange must live, we need it. First it was the Blacksburg closing then the Salem closing, we should have seen this coming. Now where can I buy my Illbotz CD?

[mclawsdrive]

No this is stupid, Record Exchange must live, we need it. First it was the Blacksburg closing then the Salem closing, we should have seen this coming. Now where can I buy my Illbotz CD?

Well at least Plan 9 is a 'local' chain. I'm sure they would support local music in the same way the Record Exchange does. The article didn't mention what I think the major cause of declining revenue is; mp3 players.

[StevenRocks]

I can't tell you how much money I've spent at the Record Exchange over the years. Hopefully Plan 9 will save what's left of it.

PS: The one new Starbucks I mentioned earlier will apprently be two Starbucks. Stay tuned.

[designerjunkie48]

Have we heard of any new leases for the District/419 Finks Area/or Keagy Village. I figured by now some things would have surfaced!

I know that the following stores are going in at 419 Finks Area: Vivendi: An INCREDIBLE womens boutique. The clothes are absolutely breathtaking. It is temporarily located right near Elderberry's on the opposite side of 419. Elderberry's will also be moving to the Finks Area. Bliss is scheduled to come as well as another Starbucks. I was also told that The Brambleton Deli will be opening a more upscale restaurant that will have an irish pub like atmosphere. And the last thing I have heard is Henri Kessler Furs.

Has anyone else heard anymore about any of the above retail developments?