Metropolitan, Midtown Redevelopment

[SmellyCat]

Random comment....I just happened to have to go to Matthews and needed some items, and went to the Target there....the prices there are much (10%-20%) higher than prices the Midtown Target on almost all items that I regularly would buy....I wonder if Midtown is taking a loss to build a customer base, or if it will remain less expenesive.

I happened to stop by the Midtown Target today, and based on how busy it was, I'd be surprised if they needed to offer cheaper prices to solidify a customer base. Then again, maybe that's why it WAS so busy! Regardless, it's nice to see this project apparently doing quite well from a retail perspective.

[Spartan]

For the 130,000 or so of us who live inside of Route 4, that Target is the closest one.

[Miesian Corners]

I was told by a Target employee that the store has the highest sales per square foot in the state. I have no way of knowing if that's true or not, but the guy had no reason to lie about it. He said Minneapolis (HQ) was floored by how well the store has done.

[Andyc545]

I was told by a Target employee that the store has the highest sales per square foot in the state. I have no way of knowing if that's true or not, but the guy had no reason to lie about it. He said Minneapolis (HQ) was floored by how well the store has done.

I'd believe it actually. The first 2 months Met Target was up there with the Stonecrest Target which has the greatest sales in the metro and is in the top 75 of the country for sales. I remember from a few years ago hearing that the Met Target wasn't expected to bring huge profits initially and was more to serve the demographics and take hold of the land now, although things are looking much brighter than the original thoughts. For the record, also, the headquarters in Minneapolis shares all sales and stats for each store and any Target employee would have access to all of this. Managers announce sales and stats of Charlotte stores typically on a daily basis, so that employee was probally quite accurate.

[tozmervo]

^ As a former Target Team Member from back in the day, I can vouch for that access. They would frequently post sales (and red card sign-ups... sigh) for all of that market's stores. And the Met's biggest problem for several months was empty, over-sold shelves.

Bet they are wishing they had done a full SuperTarget there. I know I am.

[SmellyCat]

If the strength of the Met Target's sales is indeed this strong, hopefully it will help build some momentum for Uptown retail.

[Andyc545]

^ As a former Target Team Member from back in the day, I can vouch for that access. They would frequently post sales (and red card sign-ups... sigh) for all of that market's stores. And the Met's biggest problem for several months was empty, over-sold shelves.

Bet they are wishing they had done a full SuperTarget there. I know I am.

I may have been an Electronics Team Leader back in the day . I actually prefer the Target now versus a Super Target. This Tarjay offers a larger amount of grocery than typical Targets but of course not as extensive as the Super. A Super Target would have likely added even more vehicle traffic and doesn't sound the most "Urban Friendly". Although it's specialty, there will be a grocer on site.

Edited August 26, 2008 by Andyc545

[MZT]

I stopped in the Best Buy to pick up a few items. The parking garage was empty on the second floor with a handful of cars parked on the ground floor. Only a few other customers were inside, and I couldn't help but start thinking about how expensive it must be, to stock the store and run the A/C and all those displays... I bet the management is anxious for the construction to end, and the smaller infill retailers to set up.

Edited August 29, 2008 by MZT

[rebeljen]

I think it's been mentioned before, but I still have to complain about getting into and out of the Target parking lot. I can't figure for the life of me why there isn't a turn-only lane coming from the 277 direction of Charlottetowne Rd... Also trying to continue down Charlottetowne going east when leaving is not easy during the 5pm rush.

Does anyone know if they're planning on adding anything to help this since off highway traffic has to account for a good portion of their business?

[dubone]

I think they'll eventually need to add a like to Metropolitan Ave and Charlottetown Ave intersection.

I should note, though, that if you are taking Belk to the Target, instead of getting off on the Kenilworth/Charlottetowne exit, just keep going to 3rd and take King's to the other entrance. It puts you on the Target level, is all right turns, and avoids a lot of the problems driving in the deck.

[tozmervo]

I'd just be happy if they'd put a protected pedestrian crossing light (ie, a push-button activated red light) at the crosswalks between Target and the Metropolitan. There is a really astounding amount of pedestrian traffic there, and you have to be a pretty aggressive pedestrian with all the turning vehicles.

[Andyc545]

I'd just be happy if they'd put a protected pedestrian crossing light (ie, a push-button activated red light) at the crosswalks between Target and the Metropolitan. There is a really astounding amount of pedestrian traffic there, and you have to be a pretty aggressive pedestrian with all the turning vehicles.

I agree. I was crossing last weekend from BB to Target. It's like when the traffic on Charlottetown has a break, there are vehicles leaving the two parking decks onto Charlottetown and not a real break for pedestrians. I felt that I had to run to the median, wait, then run across the remainder. I don't know if there is a need for a light yet, but there may be some time when there are more shops. It would at least help with the pedestrian crossing. You would think that people would slow up due to the brick crossings and general urban atmosphere, but I guess people, like with LYNX, aren't accustomed to it or are truly just that ignorant.

[MZT]

It's just a busy area. You have traffic shooting off 277, and it's a 4 lane road, and a short block to boot. It probably won't be long before left-turn escapes are needed, to enter the parking from Charlottetowne. I already mentally think of the left lanes as turning lanes now, because of the likelyhood someone will want to stop there and wait in the road. The right lane is safer as a "through" lane even if you're going west and want to turn south onto Kenilworth.

Edited August 30, 2008 by MZT

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

I personally think they did a poor job of planning for traffic around the whole Metropolitan development. As was pointed out, there's no dedicated left turn lane from eastbound Charlottetowne into the Target/HD parking and it's only one lane westbound. Trying to cross from the Target side to the BB/Marshall's side is a cluster and dangerous for cars AND pedestrians. Coming out of the parking deck onto Kings, you can only go right, which is fine. But as I've mentioned in this thread before, there is then no arrow for left turning traffic from Kings onto Charlottetowne, so not only do some cars not make it through the light cycle if they're trying to turn left, it's hard to see oncoming traffic due to the cars sitting across the intersection, which is dangerous.

And it's just going to be worse when Best Buy, Trader Joe's and the other retail opens up - in addition to the residential traffic from the Metropolitan condos.

[New Name]

^One of the things I remembered talking about from the renderings was how the pedestrian crossing between the two sections would be handled. Initially I thought there would be below grade access via the greenway - maybe there will be, but I think we decided what we see is what we get. I remember thinking how unfortunate that would be, and now it's beginning to prove true. And I bet it will only get worse by the holidays.

[dubone]

I think a traffic light is inevitable. I guess at this point we'll need to wait til it gets worse and then push the city to add a light. They add lights for neighborhoods in the middle of no where, so i'm sure if this area needs one, they'll get it.

The pedestrian crossing is a big issue they'll need to address eventually.

However, the crossing cannot be the real reason BB and the others seem to lack customers.

[voyager12]

I shop often at Marshalls Cotswold so am glad there is one in Midtown closer to me now. Although the Met store seemed very tucked away and hard to find to me. The interior felt somewhat claustrophobic and cramped. Maybe I am cranky because I did not find anything decent. Marshalls can be hit or miss.

[monsoon]

The Met is essentially a big box strip mall. Big box strip malls beget big box traffic no matter how much effort is put into making it look fresh new and somehow "urban". There shouldn't be any surprise to the amount of traffic that it sounds like is appearing around this place. The sad thing about it is this strip mall came into being at the hands of city tax money.

[New Name]

^All things considered, this place needs to exist the way it is for one reason - we can't just jump straight back into urban retail. Hopefully, this is a stepping stone, a proving ground; that the need is there...no someone needs to take a real chance.

[monsoon]

^To the contrary. Having a Target, Best Buy and other right next to downtown is going to suck the remaining life out of the hopes of any new retail appearing in downtown. How many billions of dollars have been spent in downtown development since this project was developed and yet there is almost no place to shop inside I-277? The only people excited by this development are the ones that want a Target nearby so they can buy their cheap chinese made goods without having to drive to the suburbs. No downtown retailers can compete against this.

[New Name]

I disagree. All that has really been done is to reallocate the same spending money into a new (IMO: more preferable) environment. It's impossible to "build" our way back to 1950. American's retail spending is not what it used to be. Retailers give the people what they want (or think they want). Supply and demand. Is anyone demanding a mom and pop general store uptown [not would it be "ideal"]? Nope, everyone is fine with Target because that's what we've gotten used to.

[monsoon]

It is of course your right to disagree. I did say before this development was built that it would bring choking traffic to the area and nobody would believe it then. Is it a logical fallacy to equate that to what I said about downtown retail? Probably, but the fact remains. there has been a remarkable amount of money invested in rebuilding downtown Charlotte from scratch yet, just a remarkable, there is almost no relevant shopping there.

None the less you might be interested in this post that I made about Target/Walmart a few months ago.

[New Name]

It's now midway through Sept...

Ahem, Trader Joes - I'm talkin' to you...

[tozmervo]

Somewhere - on the O I think - I saw October 10 as the opening date for TJ.

Also, the new bus shelters that have been installed around the Metropolitan are a massive improvement over the old blue ones. They act as place-making identifiers rather than acting as random street furniture. I hope they're setting a new precedent for future shelters across the city.

[Spartan]

I like the fact that the bus shelters all say "midtown" on them. It helps give the area some identity, which it is lacking majorly. The TJ store is shaping up to be better than I thought it would. It faces that corner nicely, unlike its neighbors- Home Depot, Target, and Best Buy