Crabtree Getting Lego Store
Sue Stock reported today that Crabtree will be getting a large Lego Store in May. This will be the chain’s 24th store.
Circuit City Stores Closing
Certainly everyone has heard about Circuit City’s bankruptcy resulting in the entire chain’s closure. For this area it means another empty box across from Triangle Town Center, Crabtree, Crossroads, and Beaver Creek Commons. Unfortunately we’re not in a climate where Gold’s Gym can come bail these property owners out (like they did in the late 80’s across from South Square).
Be sure to round up all gift certificates and use them! Currently the stores are running 10%-off sales (including printer ink), but beware: all sales are final.
Ambiente International Introduces Kartell
Ambiente International furniture gallery has recently added internationally renowned Italian furniture manufacturer Kartell to its collection. Kartell features the designs of Phillip Stark, Ron Arad, Vico Magistretti, Piero Lissoni,Antonio Citterio, and many others. Kartell award winning products are distributed in 96 countries.
fye Crossroads Store Closing, 50% off sale
The fye CD and DVD store at Crossroads Plaza is closing, and apparently today is the last day. They are having an everything-must-go 50% off sale today. This marks the fourth major retailer to close in the center in 2008. Earlier in the season the center became a victim of the bankruptcies of Bombay Company, Tweeter, and Linens and Things.
The fye store is located in the center cluster (where the “food court” is).
LLLavender Trunk Show Saturday
Local clothing and jewelry source
LLLavender
will be having a trunk show this coming Saturday night (12/13) from 6pm to 10pm at Catch 22 (322 Glenwood Ave.).
If It’s Paper Going Out of Business
One of the area’s neat stores, If It’s Paper, is closing “some time before December 20th”. Word is that the chain is closing some or all of its stores. There is not currently a sale, but one will be beginning soon.
McKenzie Tribe Store Coming to North Hills
A new upscale casual men’s clothing store appears ready to open in North Hills. There is no exterior sign, but the store features graduated rise McKenzie Tribe jeans and other clothing. It is located in the former N.C. Symphony space between McAllister’s Deli and Yoho Asian Bistro.
Triangle Spared from Circuit City Closings
Circuit City
announced today that they will
close 155 stores
nationwide. Thankfully only one is in North Carolina, and it’s the one in the UNCC area. This is good because let me tell you, the difficulty filling vacant big boxes with quality stores is way up there, so the areas tend to get blighted when the stores don’t make it.
Catch 22
Linens n’ Things Throws In Towel, Closing All Stores
Unable to compete with BB&B and warehouse stores, Linens n’ Things will close all of its stores including seven in the Triangle (Beaver Creek Commons, Crossroads, Renaissance Center (at Southpoint), New Hope Commons, White Oak, Poyner Place, and Glenwood Avenue (near Raleigh Grand theater). Liquidation sales are expected to begin tomorrow.
Guru Guitars Open on Hillsborough
Tucked between Cup-A-Joe and Nice Price Books is a new guitar shop,
Guru Guitars
. Guru stocks a selection of many different types of guitars (handmade, vintage, used), banjos, and mandolins as well as effects pedals and accessories. The store is owned by local guitar makers Howard Critcher and Eugene Reinert.
Shopping Spree Begins Today
One of the new convention center’s most anticipated events for locals begins today. The Junior League of Raleigh starts its
Shopping Spree
show today, and runs thru Sunday. Over 130 unique vendors from outside of the area (including 40 new ones) are present. Shop for jewelry, home decor, women’s and children’s clothing, shoes, art, men’s gear, food, and much more. Spree is a fantastic place to buy gifts, especially for women.
The daily hours are:
- Thursday, October 2: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Friday, October 3: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday, October 4: 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Sunday, October 5: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission is $10 for a four-day pass. Children under 5 are admitted free.
There are numerous areas for public parking around the Convention Center. Daily public parking is available in the Performing Arts Parking Garage on Lenoir Street, two parking lots across from the Progress Energy Center on Salisbury and Wilmington Streets and in the Convention Center Parking Garage next to the new Marriott Hotel on Lenoir Street. Hourly public parking is available in a garage on the corner of Cabarrus and Wilmington Streets and in the block of Davie and Salisbury Streets. Weekend-only public parking is available across from the Convention Center on Cabarrus Street and beside the Convention Center Parking Garage on Lenoir and Wilmington Streets. Daily parking fees are: $7.00; Hourly: First 15 minutes, free; $1 each additional half hour, $10 maximum.
My personal favorite parking place, though, is under the new Marriott. It allows one to have quick access into the convention center with very few steps. To get there, head downtown on Capital Blvd, which magically becomes Dawson. Proceed three lights past Joe’s Place (featuring Joe’s Mom’s food) and turn left onto Lenoir Street (which is now two-way). Just past Salisbury St., turn left into the Marriott’s parking garage. map it
Waverly Sold To Distant Firm
The Cary shopping center that once looked like the prologue to a New Urbanist’s dream has been sold,
according to Jack Hagel at the News & Observer
. Durham’s Todd Zapolski has given up his aggressive dream for reorganizing the site into a North Hills cousin, and sold the property to
RP Realty Partners
, a Beverly Hills, CA firm. Zapolski told the N&O he was glad to be cashing out on the property that has had so much trouble gaining momentum. Zapolski did not sell his outparcels at the center.
As you may recall developers Zapolski and Rudd bought the odd-shaped site a few years ago and proposed partial demolition in order to facilitate high-rise hotel, condo, and office space. Z&R reorganized and in June I hypothesized that Waverly might have an advantage in getting a Dean & DeLuca store based on the fact that Leslie Rudd owns D&D.
Most likely the existing plans (.PDF) for the center will be scrapped. Who knows what RP wants to do with the property, but we all know how it goes with long-distance landlords. In an area of the Triangle that is dying for upscale shopping opportunities, RP will probably low-ball the entire project and continue to hold nearby residents hostage.
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