Cary Town Center / Triangle Town Center - slow death

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2016/01/06/triangle-impacted-by-macys-40-store-closure.html

The long slow death of Cary Town continues. The Macy's will close this spring. Sears has sat empty since last year.

 

Malls are done for the most part anyway. It is a shame, but adaptive reuse has gotten so progressive I am sure Cary will find a way to make things work. Prime land there. Greenville, SC turned an old mall into their County offices.

 

Cary already has. Park and Ride for just about any Town event from there.

 

Call me a vulture, but I smell a serious sale. I could give a damn about what happens to that crappy old mall. Winter coats and boots for 80% off anyone?

*vulture swarm*

 

Ann Taylor and Express are also closing at Cary Towne Center.

 

Will be interesting to see how this eventually plays out.

Having lived in Cary for many years before moving out here I thought this could have been the death of just another small mall. Gone the way of others over the years.

Then I saw this link to a story about a Wegmans going in right across the street and started to have different thoughts. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/cary-news/article55454620.html Could be the owners of Town Center are positioning themselves for the future instead of preparing for the grave!

Wegmans is an awesome grocery chain.

 

And it does have Dave & Busters. That seems busy, I I doubt they would have moved in a year ago without some sort of either incentive or guarantees.

 

I think malls time have come and gone. They are as much an entertainment pass time as shopping.

-parking sux
-groups of kids who won't buy anything bigger than a drink
-online shopping. you can get anything, for less $, in 2-5 days
-strip malls are generally more accessible

 

As I am getting older and with this fascination of "Getting your steps in" as my watch is constantly reminding me, I typically use the mall as a walking track. As cold as it is up north right now there is no way I can get my walking in in the natural environment.

Last week I used the Midland Mall in Michigan twice and felt guilty and bought to CD's at the Barnes and Nobel just because I felt guilty.

Not too guilty because they were less than $5 a piece and I need my Taj Mahal & Velvet Underground fixes!

 

That's what I mean Hught. I love Barnes and Noble. I can read a hundred dollars worth of magazines, buy a couple of cups of coffee, flush the toilet 3 times, and hang out in a climate controlled environment for 10$. Internet shopping has/will kill many stores. Last welding gun I purchased was nearly 300$ cheaper online. My salesman agreed to match the price and cover the sales tax. I gave him a 50$ bill. I've got 25 or so RC planes and helicopters. 75% of the time I go to a local hobby store I'm told "we can order it". Maybe it's a Pavlovian response, but I can't help but say "hell, I can too"

Good or bad, online prices, selection, quality shipping is killing a lot of retail.

 

I just don't see a grocery store (no matter how nice) across the street will do much for the mall. I don't think the owners of the mall have any tie in to this new Wegmans.

 

Went to the Macy's "fire sale," what a joke. Several items we were looking for on display, but no corresponding boxes anywhere, and no one knew where they were. Mismatched shoes that either mean someone took the wrong pair-size, or has the corresponding show hidden under a chair somewhere for when the discounts get bigger. Everything in disarray, clueless staff (if you could even find someone to help you).

20% off most things, 40% off some. There was nothing there that you couldn't get from Amazon for cheaper than their discounted prices, without the hassle.

I totally get why malls are going OOB. If that's the best they can do, I just can't imagine who shops there. Grandmothers? If so, malls will die out with the baby boomers, probably sooner.

 

Upstanding law abiding citizens aren't going to the mall anymore because most of them have been taken over by teen thugs at some point in time. Why go, and pay more, if you can't even enjoy the experience? Amazon here we come. Punks and teens don't have funds most of the time but grandmas do.It isn't grandmas shopping there.

 

My family, friends and I shop and hang out at SouthPoint Mall all the time. Nice atmosphere, live acts and wonderful stores.

Sherry

 

It's not all about the grocery store. It's the potential that the grocery brings with it! From the article:

Columbia Development Group LLC, a Columbia, South Carolina-based shopping center developer have submitted a preliminary development sketch plan to the Town of Cary. The plan shows 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space; 300,000 to 600,000 square feet of office space; and 300 to 600 multi-family residential units.

The Wegmans announcement, and the ambitious plans for the 90-acre site, come at a time when Cary Towne Center officials are determining the future of the indoor shopping center, which has been losing anchor tenants and smaller retailers. Sears closed in early 2015 and Macy’s announced this month that it would close its store this spring.

Cary Town Council members have said they want to the land off Cary Towne Boulevard, which is part of what they call the “eastern gateway into Cary,” to become a destination.

“This is a gateway into Cary, a gateway off of (interstate) 40,” Councilman Don Frantz said Friday. “It needs to be remarkable. It needs to be something that stands the test of time. It needs to be something that provides a lot of jobs, shopping, retail, restaurants and residential.”

Council member Lori Bush said Friday that she and others envision the 90 acres as “the next North Hills.”

“They’re doing what we had hoped, which is to partner with retail, commercial, office and residential, so that’s a great step forward,” Bush said. “I’m not sure it’s there yet, but they are working hard and continue to keep the lines of communication open.”

The council will discuss its vision for that corridor at a Tuesday, Jan. 26, work session, where members will review a draft plan for the east Cary gateway special planning area. The plan was drafted by Imagine Cary, a group of residents and planners.

I believe there are more than 90 open acres along that corridor and hopefully lead to further development. Although, they are dealing with the Town of Cary and that is a tough nut to crack.

 

Last time we were there they had many empty store fronts! Shoot, even the Five Guys in the food court had closed! Like others have said, the day of indoor malls is probably fast approaching. Carys mall may indeed be a thing of the past soon. With the 90 acres across the st being built someone may just come in and buy the whole mall and plow it under and repurpose the land! Cary has always been a strange bird as far as retail space goes. In the 30 years we have been here, Waverly Place has never been close to 100% occupancy, yet it continues to survive!

 

The old South Square Mall in Durham was demolished and replaced with a Sam's Club/Super Target anchored strip mall. Perhaps that will be the solution for Cary as well.

 

waverly place. seldom blues. I think that was the restaurant. desert was always good when you got home

 

Agreed, it's still a good one.

 

SouthPoint has a bunch of brand new stores, that are new brands. People love the Apple store, B&N, Cheesecake Factory, Movies, entertainment, etc. It is usually packed and I sure don't see it closing soon.

Sherry