Real Estate: Replacing Kmart and Rite Aid
Cary, NC — Two empty commercial real estate properties in Cary have found new tenants, including the former Kmart site on Kildaire Farm and Rite Aid’s location at High House and NC 55.
Carolina Pottery Gets Kmart Site
As reported last week in Triangle Business Journal, Carolina Pottery has purchased the former Kmart store in Mayfair Plaza on Kildaire Farm Road.
Kmart closed the location in the autumn of 2011, dealing a blow to residents inside the Maynard Loop. The store, with more than 96,000 square feet, presented an unfortunate vacuum on retail near downtown Cary.
Meanwhile, Carolina Pottery had been kicked out of their home at Harrison Square to make room for a Bass Pro Shop.
But all has seemingly worked out in the end. Bass Pro Shops has begun renovation of the property on Harrison Ave. And Carolina Pottery has purchased the old Kmart location for $3.3 million, according to TBJ.
Via Facebook and Twitter, Carolina Pottery announced:
Hey Cary, NC!!! Guess who’s coming back to town!? We are so excited to announce we will be opening a new store in March 2014 at 960 Kildaire Farm Rd (former Kmart at the corner of Kildaire Farm and Maynard)! We are thrilled to be coming back to Cary and look forward to serving you!
Dollar Tree Replaces Rite Aid
Across town at the corner of High House Road and NC-55, a Dollar Tree has popped up, replacing a short-lived Rite Aid.
It’s an odd intersection, with retail on three corners, all nearly inaccessible to pedestrian traffic. The small retail strip that houses the new Dollar Tree includes a Biscuitville and a Starbucks.
As you can see in the photo, the wrapping is not quite off the Dollar Tree. But the store is open and is seeing more traffic than ever witnessed at the Rite Aid.
Next Challenge: Lowes in Cornerstone
Retail is doing quite well in Cary, thank you very much.
The next challenge for commercial realtors is the soon-to-be empty Lowes Foods in Cornerstone Plaza. One might be tempted to think this is a tall order with retail development on all four corners of Davis and High House.
But the good times keep rolling in Cary, so don’t be surprised if Cornerstone finds a new tenant for the Lowes space before too much sand has slipped through the hourglass.
Kroger failed badly before the Walmart grocery store took over that High House & 55 location.
The place has very, very poor automobile access! Hope TOC never allows this again, regardless of who maintains the roads, etc.
And, stop signs within a shopping center are not the responsibility of law enforcement, so use care!
Tenant Suggestion: former Lowes grocery store maybe oughta cater to the hundreds of seniors moving in this Fall at SearStone. Maybe, one of those 24-hour access exercise places, like what is near the Panera, further up High House?
Then one could justify eating the at all the nearby fried chicken/burger havens. ;-)
Great news! That Kmart plaza was looking pretty grim.
Should read: Kildaire Farm Road versus Kildare Farm Road. Thanks for the updates on the new stores.
It takes a village.
I believe “Lowes Food” is misspelled in the article.
Any word on what the exterior of Bass Pro Shop will look like in Cary? BPS originally published a rendering showing a cabin-like front with timbers (http://carycitizen.com/2013/01/11/bass-pro-shop-replacing-carolina-pottery/), but knowing Cary, I can see them forcing the company to water down their design dramatically. I certainly hope not.
TY Brendan. Lowes, Loews, Kmart, K-mart, Walmart, Wal-mart, Wal*Mart – this journalistic accuracy thing can be a drag.
Don’t have any info about the potential Cary-fication of Bass Pro Shops.