Owners hunting for new grocer
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on January 31, 2008 1:59 PM
Wayne County might or might not be one step closer to a new grocery store, a local developer says.
The Office Depot going up at Memorial Commons is on schedule, and developer Connell Radcliff of 1st Carolina Properties expects the store to open in late February as planned.
But the hunt for another anchor is ongoing, Radcliff said. While he hopes to sign a major grocery store chain, the company he is working with now is moving slowly.
"But we are still optimistic that a high-end grocer will want to be at the site," Radcliff said.
He would not specify a chain, but said Harris Teeter, Lowes, Farm Fresh, Fresh Markets and Kroger were possible targets for the site. He added that he believes they could benefit from being in Goldsboro.
"And believe it or not, grocers like to hear from a community if they're wanted," Radcliff said. "I'm telling you. It helps."
In the meantime, Starbucks has agreed to be one of the tenants on the outparcel, and negotiations are under way with several restaurants and some retailers as well to fill the other storefronts.
Radcliff and his two partners at 1st Carolina Properties have extensive experience in real estate and management and development of shopping centers. Radcliff's background combines many aspects of the business, including site selection, development, tenant representation, acquisitions and leasing for both anchors and specialty shops.
Through its tenant relationships, 1st Carolina Properties has already developed projects for tenants like Belk, The Home Depot, Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ross Dress for Less, Piggly Wiggly, Bi-Lo, Lowe's Foods and Kroger.
Besides the 115,000-square-foot Memorial Commons, the company is working on two other sites in North Carolina -- in Morrisville and Cary. The company has already developed six shopping centers in the state, including Berkeley Commons in Goldsboro.