STEELE
CREEK NEWS
Neighbors
Hear about Plans for New Retail Center at Steele Creek Town Center
(May
21, 2004) Chris Thomas, David Haggart, and other
representatives of Childress Klein Properties presented plans for a
new retail center at the corner of Highways 49 and 160 to several
dozen attendees at a public meeting on May 18.
Childress Klein has applied for rezoning
of the 86-acre site on the southeast corner of York Road (Highway 49) and
the relocation of Steele Creek Road (Highway 160). The petition and
other documents are
available on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission's web
site. (See Link to
Rezoning Petition 2004-064.)
Current zoning varies
for different portions of the property. The petitioner is requesting
a change for the entire property to CC and CC(SPA) (Commercial
Center, Conditional and Commercial Center, Conditional, Site Plan
Amendment). Most of the site is owned by Steele Creek (1997) Limited
Partnership. Eight acres are owned by Pleasant Hill Presbyterian
Church, and a picnic shelter currently is located there.
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The site plan sets
aside about 11 acres of floodplain greenway plus other areas as
open space, leaving about 70 acres available for development.
The developers will dedicate land and build a greenway trail
along Walker's Branch. The trail will be maintained by the
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and is part of
the county's master greenway plan.
Retail area
will be distributed among 20 or more separate buildings totaling
about 600,000 square feet, about the same as at the Arboretum
center at Providence Road and Highway 51.
The center is
expected to have two major anchor stores that will take up about
half of the retail space. These have been placed toward the back
of the center away from the highways. They will be positioned
back-to-back so that loading docks and other utility areas will
not be so noticeable to shoppers and neighbors. |
Click on the image above for a enlargement of
the conceptual site plan in PDF format.
(You will need to
download free
Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this image.)
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When asked if the
rumored Super Target and Home Depot will occupy those anchor spots,
Chris Thomas said that negotiations were still underway and the
potential tenants have asked that their names not be revealed yet.
He did say that Wal-Mart and Lowes Home Improvement Stores were not
looking at the site since they both have stores up the road at
Whitehall.
Also under
consideration is a 12- or 14-screen cinema complex. In the middle of
the center will be a pedestrian-friendly promenade surrounded by
specialty shops. Possible tenants in various buildings include a
pharmacy, an office supply store, a bank, several restaurants, a
book store, and a convenience store.
The developers plan to use upscale architectural and landscaping
designs that will produce an attractive asset for the Lower
Steele Creek Town Center intersection. The first stores could
open around spring 2006.
The Charlotte City
Council will hold a public hearing on the rezoning request. This
likely will be during their July 19 meeting. Direct questions
about the rezoning application to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Planning Commission at 704-336-2205 or to Chris Thomas or David
Haggart at Childress Klein at 704-342-9000.
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Aerial view of site from Mecklenburg County's
POLARIS (Property Ownership Land Records Information System)
web site, with approximate project boundary in red. Property
lines and road rights-of-way are in yellow. |
The Lake Wylie
Pilot says...
Steele Creek could
be the next Ballantyne! Read their story about the proposed
Childress Klein retail center:
Steele Creek could see big retail center
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