Charlotte's Urban Lowe's Home Improvement

[Conformity]

^^^^^^Thanks for posting those Mo. You are correct. The deck will extend under the retail. The upper level of the deck will terminate into the back of the mixed use building at the same FFE as the first floor retail.

[HopHead]

I saw today that the steel beams are going vertical at SouthBorough. I believe this is the restaurant portion of the project. I drive by it just about every day since I live right near there and they seem to be making a lot of progress on it. I heard from a few people in the area that Panera Bread is the rumored tenant. Anyone hear of this?

[Mobuchu]

Its only been 2 weeks since I last updated, but I noticed the retail section is going up so here is one more.

9-4-07

[Andyc545]

Things are moving quick with this project...

Didn't realize the structure would be this high, crazy!

[cltheel.sdl]

Looks nice! I believe it's a four-story structure with office and retail.

[BobbyDav]

Is it the Lowes building itself that will be four stories, because the renderings make it look much shorter? I'm guessing the surounding development is 4 stories.

[Guest]

That building is the front building for Southborough the development by Conformity Corp.

[cltheel.sdl]

Is it the Lowes building itself that will be four stories, because the renderings make it look much shorter? I'm guessing the surounding development is 4 stories.

The mixed use building that is shown (not Lowes) will be 4 stories. I think Lowes is only 1 tall story but with parking on the roof. Condos will be built into the side of the Lowes, and townhomes are also part of the development. The residential and mixed use buildings are being developed by Conformity, and Lowes is developing its own building.

[Andyc545]

The mixed use building that is shown (not Lowes) will be 4 stories. I think Lowes is only 1 tall story but with parking on the roof. Condos will be built into the side of the Lowes, and townhomes are also part of the development. The residential and mixed use buildings are being developed by Conformity, and Lowes is developing its own building.

Without actually looking for the info, I was under the impression the Lowe's was 2 stories and connected in front was a 2 story parking garage. In front was mixed retail, which I'm assuming is that 4 story structure, and of course the townhomes and condos as part of the development with Southborough. I could be wrong though.

[cltheel.sdl]

Without actually looking for the info, I was under the impression the Lowe's was 2 stories and connected in front was a 2 story parking garage. In front was mixed retail, which I'm assuming is that 4 story structure, and of course the townhomes and condos as part of the development with Southborough. I could be wrong though.

No, Lowes is one story with parking on top. There is a small deck for the mixed use building on the corner, but other than that there are no decks. Townhomes have individual garage and condos also have covered parking.

[HopHead]

On the corner of South and Iverson Way (opposite corner of the mixed-use building), there's another structure going up that appears to be seperate from the Lowe's building. Anyone know what this may be? Perhaps a Starbucks?

[uptownliving]

I believe what you are talking about is the freestanding Garden Center...which will be run by Lowe's but is seperate from the main building.

[Andyc545]

I believe what you are talking about is the freestanding Garden Center...which will be run by Lowe's but is seperate from the main building.

Is this suppose to be just a one story garden center, or will we be able to see 2 stories of garden? That would be really cool. Obviously big plants would have to be on the ground, to move them, but it would be cool to see accessories and small plants on a second floor.

[Conformity]

RE: Last 3 or so....^^^^^^

The outbuilding was added as a planning device to further shield the parking from view. It contains Seasonal Items (Christmas trees and grills, etc). It contains one level of store space, but reads as a 2-story volume from the outside.

The garden center is attached to the lefthand side of Lowes as viewed from Iverson thereby placing the Garden Center on South Blvd.

[BobbyDav]

Firstly, I'm glad to see the garden center, since it will help shield the parking lot. I wonder though, with Campbel's right down the road(literaly) who will buy from Lowes?

Do ya'll think Campbel's will lose its now devoted Southend following? I hope not, and let me add that I hope I never see the day Campbel's shuts down. Losing a place like that to Lowes would be like paving over the Manor to put up a BlockBuster. The quality and expertise is just that different. Not to mention it's often unmentioned and overlooked minority ownership, as well as being a hub for unaccepted culture (ie. gay culture).

Still for my two cents I'm happy to see development stretching further down S. Blvd. and you would be amazed at how much a flagship store can impress people (I know a lot of ex-Charlotteans in Va. who are still captivated by the Harris Teeter at SP).

[Guest]

Firstly, I'm glad to see the garden center, since it will help shield the parking lot. I wonder though, with Campbel's right down the road(literaly) who will buy from Lowes?

Do ya'll think Campbel's will lose its now devoted Southend following? I hope not, and let me add that I hope I never see the day Campbel's shuts down. Losing a place like that to Lowes would be like paving over the Manor to put up a BlockBuster. The quality and expertise is just that different. Not to mention it's often unmentioned and overlooked minority ownership, as well as being a hub for unaccepted culture (ie. gay culture).

Still for my two cents I'm happy to see development stretching further down S. Blvd. and you would be amazed at how much a flagship store can impress people (I know a lot of ex-Charlotteans in Va. who are still captivated by the Harris Teeter at SP).

I too have been a lil wary of the effect on Campbell's. I'm hoping the two can coexist, as campbells has quite the orchid business going on that lowes likely will not have.

[Charlotte_native]

I too have been a lil wary of the effect on Campbell's. I'm hoping the two can coexist, as campbells has quite the orchid business going on that lowes likely will not have.

Campbell's is a specialty shop. His clients won't want the quality of plants found at a Lowe's garden center. Taking nothing away from Lowe's at all, but they won't have the orchids, bonsai, or other items that are mainstays of Campbell's. If they lose anything it might be the random shopper that stops in for houseplants or garden plants.

FYI -- go to Charlotte Photo of the Day thread -- I have a pic in their down the orchid isle at Campbell's (a week or two back)

[VoS Resident]

Can anyone out there give an update on:

a) How sales of Southborough are going? Is the project 20%, 50%, etc. sold out?

b) What retail tenants are expected to be on the corner of South Blvd. closest to Uptown? I've heard everything from Five Guys to Panera Bread. Any chance it will be a sit down restaurant along the lines of what we've seen on East Blvd. or even Southend Brewery (now apparently Woods on South)?

I live in the Village of Southend across the street and would love to know whats going on with this development (especially considering the construction that wakes me up every morning at 7am with the constant hammering and beeping).

Thanks,

[RiverwoodCLT]

Set up a web cam in your window and watch it grow.

[Mobuchu]

Southborough and the Lowes.

10-13-07

[cltheel.sdl]

Man, Southborough is really starting to look good. This is probably the best project going on in South End at this time.

[Andyc545]

Southborough and Lowe's Update 11/16/07:

[cltheel.sdl]

Thanks for the pics Andy! These are really starting to look impressive!

[Charlotte_native]

I don't mind admitting I didn't like this project (mostly the location of a Lowe's on such a tight site) at the beginning but have completely changed my mind. This is really turning out quite nice. I really like the additional commercial buildings that are part of it -- I don't think I knew early on about these other buildings. South Blvd is going to look great in a couple of years when this is finished, Southhaus is done, and all the others along this block or three stretch are complete.

[dubone]

This stretch already feels like a much better place just with the structure of Southborough up already. I predict that with the new light at Iverson and the fact that people all around the city will know about this Lowe's, this area will really be a distinguishable place, rather than just a placeless stretch of South Blvd like it is now.

I drove around it last week and you can already tell that a number of the mitigation features are just genious. The wall on Iverson will look nice, and keep you from seeing the parking lot. The building at Iverson and South for seasonal goods is just brilliant, and plugs a major hole in the early plans. When you drive down Magnolia and Lynwood, you can tell you'll feel like you're in a neighborhood that has been enhanced.

I'll repeat what I said earlier, that now, the major problems in the area are what were there before. The wall around Olmstead Park is just shameful. Then there are some highly unattractive homes around there, that either need fixing up or replacement. This isn't the historic district, so other than a few shotguns on Iverson that seem worth saving, the improvement of those houses will not have major downsides other than reduction of affordable housing. However, with such nicer places all around there, that transformation is inevitable.

For the retail itself, I think that it is a perfect blend to have a full scale Lowe's and a Home Depot Design Center. There is enough overlap to keep competitive pricing, but otherwise they are really going to be different stores that you go to for very different reasons.