Wal-Mart coming to Southpoint?
WRS Realty Inc., a real-estate investment company that specializes in developing Wal-Mart shopping centers, has made an offer of $20.5 million to property owners in Kentington Heights, a low-income subdivision close to the Streets at Southpoint in southwestern Durham, according to a letter obtained by the Indy.
The letter, dated March 6, 2009, was sent on behalf of WRS from Lestep, Inc., a Durham based real estate company. Khalil Hanifa, who provided a phone number but no official title, asked Kentington Heights property owners to return a signed statement of intent to sell, provided in SASE envelopes, by March 17, 2009, at which point WRS “will be ready to prepare purchase contracts.” The letter mentions a Feb. 28 meeting between WRS and “about twenty owners of Kentington Heights,” in which the group of owners recommended everyone sell.
“While the developer would like to buy all the lots in the subdivision, he does not need all lots to make the subdivision work,” wrote Hanifa, who was not immediately available for comment.
Kevin Pethick, an in-house counsel for WRS, told the Indy that Scott Smith, a principal with the company “has been talking with some folks out there,” but did not provide details of an offer. Smith, who was referenced in Hanifa’s letter, was not immediately available for comment.
For background on the Kentington Heights saga, read Jennifer Strom’s May 2002 article in the Independent Weekly.
More updates to come.
UPDATE (1:15 PM): Still waiting to hear from WRS, but meanwhile, it’s worth noting that, according to the company’s Web site, it’s also a developer for the planned Wal-Mart Supercenter at Glenn School Road and I-85.
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Though I empathize with Kentington Heights neighbors and the hand that developers and Durham has delt them more than once…
A Walmart by the Streets at Southpoint is not a good addition:
1) A Walmart here could hurt business at all the other stores associated with Southpoint and the Southpoint Renaissance Center. I witnessed a Walmart completely destroy the downtown area in my hometown of Martinsville, VA (reducing our mall to Belk, Walmart and Blockbuster). I imagine that the Walmart in New Hope Commons had some part in the demise of Southsquare Mall (which has, thankfully, been resuscitated, well, kind-of).
2) Linens and Things and Pier One kids (two big stores in the Southpoint Renaissance Center) remain vacant, and 1/3 of the store fronts at the ‘new’ Harris Teeter Shopping Center on Hwy 54 remain empty. We should not contemplate building another mega-store until we fill the empty retail buildings we currently have.
3) We already have a Roses in the Harris Teeter Shopping center, and a Super Target beyond Southpoint Mall. Do we really need another Lower-budget Superstore in this area? What’s next? A Sam’s Club? A BJ’S?
4) A Walmart will attract significant traffic — both car and foot — from Hwy 40…people looking to get the lowest prices in, arguably, the lowest-budget store. There are many neighborhoods in this area, with pedestrians and bikers not to mention young children, and these neighborhoods don’t want the all-day traffic increase that would be associated with a Walmart shopping center (and surrounds). Think ‘New Hope Commons’– my friends and family avoid that area like the plague b/c the traffic is so bad there.
5) Mayor Bell once said we have to draw the line somewhere, but the Southpoint Mall area is looking more and more like Cary every day.
There’s no doubt that the Kentington Neighborhood Citizens deserve some help. But surely we can find a better use for the Kentington property than a Walmart Shopping Center.
We can’t expect developers to bail us out. When all is said and done, we’ll be paying for it anyway (the Jordan Lake Nutrient Rules, for instance)…
— Melissa Rooney 12 March 2009
Edit this please?! I can’t understand this one bit.
— Aaron Huslage 12 March 2009
Aaron, what exactly did you have trouble understanding? Was it a particular phrase or passage, or the premise of the article itself?
— Matt Saldana 13 March 2009