Click to enlarge photos.
By Kristal Dixon
kdixon@cherokeetribune.com
A Woodstock shopping center that's suffered from a lack of commercial interest seems to be on the upswing.
Tenants of the Woodstock Place shopping center said they have suffered since Wal-Mart moved its operations to a new location at Highway 92 and Trickum Road in May of 2004.
Woodstock Place, at the intersection of Highways 5 and 92, will see a new tenant move into the old Wal-Mart garden center within the next few weeks.
The owners of Woodstock Market, a new consignment store and outdoor market, said they hope to help revitalize an area that's seen little, if any, economic development since Wal-Mart moved out.
Co-owners Karen Bennett, Linda Fail and Lisa Welty said the store's location gives them the perfect opportunity to reach a wide variety of customers.
"We've had a lot of interest in the area," Mrs. Fail said. "It's a highly-visible area."
They are planning a "soft open" on Friday and a grand opening from Dec. 5 to 7.
The store will offer shoppers an "old-world market" feel, Mrs. Bennett said, noting there will be a vintage and antique collection of furniture, an upscale cabinet maker and an outdoor area with a fresh, organic produce section.
"That's what makes us different," she said. "There is nothing like this in Woodstock."
Woodstock Market is the second store to move into the shopping center since last year.
Furniture Xpress recently celebrated its one-year anniversary in the building that housed Wal-Mart.
Manager Ryan Michael said business has been slow since they opened.
"A lot of people don't know we are here because we don't advertise heavily," he said, adding word about his store is "getting out" slowly.
Michael said he's confident the new consignment store will bring more people into his discount furniture store as well.
Woodstock Place is a 170,940 square-foot shopping center that thrived in the 1990s with Wal-Mart as its anchor store between 1984 and 2004.
Since Wal-Mart's move, businesses that opted to stay in Woodstock Place have dealt with the loss of potential customers.
Lee Sparagis, co-owner of Gondolier Italian Restaurant and Pizza, has been in his same location at the center since 1995.
"It's affected us because not many people come through the parking lot," he said of Wal-Mart's move.
Four years after the move, Sparagis said business still has not recovered.
Since many of the stores that were in the center moved along with Wal-Mart to its new location, Gondolier has been unable to reach new customers.
"We only have our long-time customers," he said.
The center, owned by Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty (DDR), has seen little growth since Wal-Mart's move and less than half of the center's retail space is being used.
Betsy Keck, director of public relations and corporate communications, said the company is constantly working with potential tenants to fill the vacant spaces.
Other businesses currently operating at Woodstock Place include Good Nutrition, HoneyBaked Ham, O'Charley's, New China Buffet, Salon Genesis, Shoe Repair and Alterations and Super Nails.
DDR also owns the SuperTarget-anchored Woodstock Square shopping center, Riverstone Plaza in Canton and Hickory Flat Village at the corner of East Cherokee Drive and Hickory Flat Highway.
Woodstock Mayor Donnie Henriques agrees the Wal-Mart move had a "tremendous impact on merchants in that area financially."
On the flip side, Henriques said the city has seen "several good plans" come to the city to utilize some of the vacant space.
However, he said, owners of the property have been reluctant to partner with businesses to make changes.
"In the three years I've been mayor, I've sat down with eight to 10 serious development groups that have had good plans to redevelop the property," he said. "We couldn't get anywhere with the ownership group."
The center has proved a successful location for city-sponsored events.
Most recently, the city's E-Recycle Day held in September in the former Wal-Mart parking lot turned out a good crowd, Henriques said.
It's also been used as the starting point for its July 4 and Christmas parades.
"It's been great for us," Henriques said. "It's been a great staging area."
Diane Clark, manager of Good Nutrition, said redevelopment of the center could draw in new customers and new businesses.
"We've seen a couple come and go," she said of new tenants. "They won't clean up the shopping center, the landlords."
HoneyBaked Ham, which opened 12 years ago, has done everything it can to help keep customers coming to its store since Wal-Mart's relocation, Supervisor Jason Johnson said.
Business saw a decrease in sales after Wal-Mart's move, but Johnson said he's starting to see a surge in customers.
Johnson said he also thinks the shopping center's appearance is lacking.
"We've done renovations to our site, but it could definitely use more help," he said of the shopping center.
Comment on this Story
Posted Comments