Business

Small Retailers and National Chains Create a Shoppers Paradise

Mooresville Town Square shopping center is billed as a “retail village.”

There was a time when national retail chains such as Target‚ Bed Bath & Beyond or Wal-Mart might bypass Mooresville. No longer‚ says Darrell Palasciano‚ a commercial broker with Pinnacle Properties‚ which is developing Mooresville Town Square‚ a retail center‚ and Legacy Village‚ a mixed-use development with retail‚ residences and offices.

“In the past five years‚ a lot of your national retailers have taken Mooresville a lot more seriously‚” he says.

Take Staples‚ for instance. The office superstore opened a second Mooresville location last summer to better meet the demand‚ says Peter Dorninger‚ general manager of the new store‚ which is on River Highway across from Target.

What’s fueling the retail boom?

In part‚ it’s the influx of new residents with the types of demographic profiles that appeal to retailers‚ Dorninger says. Newcomers are a mix of retirees‚ workers related to the NASCAR industry and employees who’ve relocated to the Lowe’s headquarters here. Lowe’s vendors have also sparked the population growth.

Recent accolades and awards have also caught large retailers’ attention.

In 2002‚ for instance‚ Site Selection magazine named the Mooresville area a “Top 10 Economic Development Group for 2001.” Mooresville was selected as a “Champion of Industry” award winner for 2003 by Pat Summerall Productions.

“Mooresville has such high income‚ such growth and so much employment‚” Palasciano says. “It’s become its own self-sufficient town. With the addition of Lowe’s and other large companies‚ it’s created its own identity‚ and with that has come a lot of retail.”

Morrison Plantation was among the first developments to spot the trend‚ says Billy Cooper‚ a commercial real estate broker with Southern Real Estate‚ which has been handling the leasing for the Shops at Morrison Plantation for the last five years. “We’ve got two spaces left‚ and we are nearly full‚” Cooper says.

Harris Teeter anchors the retail segment of the development‚ which also includes Georgetown-inspired townhomes and live-work townhomes located above retail shops. Although Harris Teeter is a chain‚ the store bills itself as a “neighborhood food market.”

SaladWorks‚ a national food chain‚ is also popular here.

Morrison Plantation has been joined by Winslow Bay Shopping Center‚ home to such well-known stores as Super Target‚ Dick’s Sporting Goods‚ T.J. Maxx‚ PetSmart and Pier 1 Imports. Mooresville Crossing‚ meanwhile‚ features Bed Bath & Beyond‚ Best Buy and Old Navy.

The latest addition‚ Mooresville Town Square‚ is a planned 400‚000-square-foot retail village with gardens and walking paths. Legacy Village will feature 450‚000 square feet of retail‚ office and residential space.

While giant retailers have clearly taken notice of Mooresville‚ there is still room for small businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities.

“There’s a wonderful phenomenon in Mooresville – maybe more so than in a lot of your boomtowns – and that is that there are as many if not more mom-and-pops continuing to flourish‚” Palasciano says. “There’s a very nice balance.”

Indeed‚ the Shops at Morrison Plantation is composed mostly of mom-and-pop operations‚ Cooper says.

Expect more retail options – both large and small – in the future. Mooresville‚ it seems‚ is on the map of site selection committees nationwide.

“The word has gotten out now‚” Cooper says.

Story by Pam George
Photo by Ian Curcio

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