Everyone wants a piece of South Charlotte, including grocery stores. We’ve known about and posted on the Publix opening up on Randolph Road in Cotswold before. As I drove past this week, the sign is officially up, directly across the street from the Harris Teeter in Cotswold Village Stores, which offers up a fantastic variety of everything you need, from drug stores to World Market to several good eating establishments.
The plan for the 45,000+ square foot grocery store with a integrated parking garage below has an escalated timeline and is now slated to open in 2016 according to recent reports, instead of the original 2017 timeline. Meanwhile, Starbucks employees report the chain is moving upscale and across the street into the same complex with Publix. Other stores will announce their plans soon, too.
Additionally, Harris Teeter recently announced its plans to increase the footprint of its existing grocery store in Cotswold by building on a second story. The 1,500 square foot expansion should include a wine bar and patio, pizza ovens, and the inclusion of its own Starbucks for an enhanced shopping experience. This grocery store already has impressive produce, cheese, and seafood offerings, so I’m excited to see the additions.
The only other two story Harris Teeter stores in Charlotte now are in the very popular neighborhoods Plaza Midwood and Myers Park. This is a great sign that the Cotswold area is becoming an even hotter market in Charlotte. It’s where I live, and I love it!
For those of us lucky enough to live near both Cotswold and South Park areas, we will soon add Publix to our list of supermarkkets from which to choose, including the existing Harris Teeter, one mega-Harris Teeter (my husband and I call it the Taj MaTeeter), a Publix, a Whole Foods, and an Earth Fare.
The Take Away
The investment and planning needed for both grocery chains in the Cotswold neighborhood is a clear economic indicator of the increasing importance of this part of South Charlotte. Residents in the area aren’t the only ones who are hopeful with residential real estate infill projects and ongoing home renovations. Commercial developers and market-leading retail continue to point the way to the area inside Highway 51 in South Charlotte.
Charlotte is making room for continued growth with expanding borders, but the trend continues strongly to develop the center city and mid-town areas. I can’t wait to see what comes next!