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West Ashley trying to create it's own "Downtown"

vicupstate

By vicupstate
in Charleston

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vicupstate Metropolitan Area

vicupstate

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West Ashley attempts to create "Downtown" at Bees ferry & Glenn McConnell Parkway

This is very encouraging, especially since it is occuring in a city that understands what it takes to make an urban area function as it should. Note that even WAL-MART seems to be on-board. Hopefully in a few years when this is complete, we will be reading about this as a model of how to transform suburban commercial areas into an urban oasis.

I admit that I don't quite have a 'mental picture', but maybe the print edition has a site plan. I will check the library in a few days for that.

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Charles Pearson City

Charles Pearson

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...superb urban plan & a great article; very good too to see Wal-Mart viewed in the "positive" for a change...Though I have never been to Wal-Mart, I had always thought of it as being selfish and against "downtown" development...Sidewalks, trees and scrubs are good signs that should get more people out of their cars and walking and in better physcial shape...Neighborhood "downtowns" are much fun!

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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I never thought I'd say this, but I really want to check out that Walmart.

This looks like a great concept for West Ashley. I am glad that Charleston has shown that walmart can be incorporated into urban developments, and not necessarily be equivilant to generic sprawl.

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Charles Pearson City

Charles Pearson

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I never thought I'd say this, but I really want to check out that Walmart.

This looks like a great concept for West Ashley. I am glad that Charleston has shown that walmart can be incorporated into urban developments, and not necessarily be equivilant to generic sprawl.

Good move on Charleston's part. Wal-Mart is having a tough time in California...

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krazeeboi Gigalopolis

krazeeboi

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Wow, sounds pretty awesome. It would be nice to see some pictures until I can get down that way again.

I especially liked this part:

"Many communities, including Mount Pleasant, have encouraged or permitted town center developments that harken back to traditional downtowns, where stores were closer together, taller and easier to walk between. But this is different, because it won't be the product of one developer, said Tim Keane, a former planner with the city of Charleston who now has opened his own planning and development firm."

At least we can get a sense of variety here.

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  • 5 weeks later...
Charles Pearson City

Charles Pearson

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I never thought that I'd agree with any court decision that came out of Colifornia...

Sparta, here's a pretty good article (I thought) regarding Wal-Mart "changes...around green or greenwashing", including hiring a SF environmentalist, that you might find interesting that came out this week in one SF's alternative Weekly newspapers, The Bay Guardian...There will prob. never be a Wal-Mart's here...with so much politics involved...

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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I tried to find this walmart while I was in Charleston last weekend. I was unsucessful. West Ashely can be a confusing place. I also wasn't 100 percent sure where it was.

I have heard that Walmart is going green and going urban where it has to. There is a development in Charlotte that is relatively urban in nature and anchored by walmart....

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lsgchas Whistle-Stop

lsgchas

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I tried to find this walmart while I was in Charleston last weekend. I was unsucessful. West Ashely can be a confusing place. I also wasn't 100 percent sure where it was.

I have heard that Walmart is going green and going urban where it has to. There is a development in Charlotte that is relatively urban in nature and anchored by walmart....

You shoulda gone into an Internet cafe and asked for directions on UP! :D The new Wal-Mart is nice, but I saw a very similar one in Minneapolis. I bet the one in Charlotte also looks like the Charleston one, maybe sans the palmettos.

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krazeeboi Gigalopolis

krazeeboi

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I tried to find this walmart while I was in Charleston last weekend. I was unsucessful. West Ashely can be a confusing place. I also wasn't 100 percent sure where it was.

I have heard that Walmart is going green and going urban where it has to. There is a development in Charlotte that is relatively urban in nature and anchored by walmart....

Hmmm, where? I'm unaware of this Wal-Mart you speak of. :)

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Spartan Gigalopolis

Spartan

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I don't recall a specific location. I just remember reading something abuot a 'green' walmart concept store. They used green building design and they were trying to see which elements saved money. I also have a freind from Charlotte who told me that there is an urban greyfield redevelopment going up off of Independence that inluded a walmart mixed in with other stores and condominiums. I haven't made the effort to conform this on UP or not, but if it is happening, I am certain the Charlotte section will have something about it.

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Charleston native Burg

Charleston native

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Spartan, the next time you're down there, drive down Glenn McConnell Blvd. all the way to Bees Ferry Road. Right before the road, you'll see a new stop light and a new road. Turn left there, and you'll see parallel parking spaces and the Wal-Mart will be on your left. To simplify, Glenn McConnell Blvd. is essentially the main highway when you exit off of I-526, taking Hwy 61 North. The site of where the old Wal-Mart was will be on the right...the rumor is that Sam's Wholesale Club will locate to this site...keeping the economic energy there.

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toddbarwick Unincorporated Area

toddbarwick

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I tried to find this walmart while I was in Charleston last weekend. I was unsucessful. West Ashely can be a confusing place. I also wasn't 100 percent sure where it was.

I have heard that Walmart is going green and going urban where it has to. There is a development in Charlotte that is relatively urban in nature and anchored by walmart....

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SimCity Whistle-Stop

SimCity

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Trust me - you haven't missed much at this Wal-Mart. The "locals" don't like the interior layout one bit - everyone says the same thing. It's very difficult to navigate and laid out in a confusing manner - it doesn't seem that any logic was used. You need a road map to figure out where items are located in the store. The employees can't even help because they don't know! As for the outside, it's definitely not your typical Wal-Mart design - it's very unique. The palmetto trees filling the parking lot do give it a very tropical feel though. I'll be glad when some other retailers join the fray and the West Ashley Circle is completed. It's a little desolate (and scary at times) around Wal-Mart because it's a little off the beaten path currently. That will change as the area develops.
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