Stores Galore - This time next year, shoppers from all over will be trying out the many sides of Concord Mills

SALISBURY POST
BY MATTHEW WINTER

It is upon us - THE weekend to shop, or, depending on one's disposition, not to.

But by this time next year, the urge to shop may be too much for even the most begrudging holiday gift-seeker. By this time next year, what has been touted as the biggest and undisputed retail mecca in the Carolinas will be complete.

Concord Mills, a 1.4-million-square-foot regional shopping and entertainment destination, is expected to open Sept. 16. Workers continue to piece the mall together 10 miles north of Charlotte off Interstate 85.

"It will be crazy, no doubt about it," Mills development director Ramsey Meiser said this week at the construction site. "Retailers call it (the day after Thanksgiving) Black Friday. I don't expect it to be any different for us.

"Let me put it to you this way: We'll probably have about 7,500 parking spaces, and I'd anticipate them being pretty well full that day."

Crews placed the last piece of steel on the building earlier this month, and developers promptly unveiled a finished 8,000-square-foot section of "Mainstreet," a one-mile oval boulevard that will circulate shoppers through the mall.

The finished portion of Mainstreet provides a glimpse of "shoppertainment," a development concept perfected by the Mills Corporation in even larger regions throughout the country. Based in Arlington, Va., Mills is a full-service real estate development company with a portfolio of seven super-regional shopping complexes and 11 other centers.

Corporate representatives promise Concord Mills will provide hundreds of retail stores with unmatched selection, value and convenience, all surrounded by colorful architecture and interior design.

"People are used to the marble floors, chrome handrails and other mainstays of the typical malls they've been in," Meiser explained. "I think they'll be surprised by the playful atmosphere of Concord Mills."

The mall's decorative features will reflect the local culture and history of North Carolina, from the rich arts and crafts heritage of the region to the hundreds of festivals held throughout the state and the famous lighthouses along the Carolina shoreline.

Each of six main entrances to Concord Mills will have a theme and 50-foot tall architectural structures. One entrance will feature the Carolina Lily, the area's famous quilting pattern, which is also the center's logo. Other entrance designs will include oversized chair backs and Whimmy Diddles.

The regional mall will be divided into six neighborhoods, each with its own graphics, colors, flooring, lighting and signs to give shoppers a sense that they have entered a different shopping environment. Thirty 80-inch "MillsTV" monitors will be suspended from the ceiling throughout the mall, providing shoppers with continuous in-house programming such as music videos, tenant promotions and public service announcements.

When it opens, Concord Mills will have more than 200 manufacturers' and designer outlets, specialty retailers, category dominant stores, theme restaurants, theaters, interactive virtual-reality game centers and other entertainment venues.

One of the most anticipated stores, Meiser said, is the 140,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World "mega sporting goods store." The gargantuan shop will house aquariums, waterfalls, trout streams, an indoor shooting range, taxidermy and adventure travel services. Shoppers also will find a fishing department with more than 3,500 fishing rods and 14,000 types of lures, a full line of Nitro and Tracker boats and RVs, marine accessories, outdoor and athletic gear, footwear and apparel.

A 20,000-square-foot Alabama Grill theme restaurant will feature high-tech musical shows that include videos, live concert performances and interviews with the group "Alabama" and other country music stars. The eatery also will display memorabilia and personal artifacts of the band.

Jillian's will open a 50,000-square-foot entertainment complex featuring a full-service restaurant and bar, virtual rides, giant screen video walls, dancing, bowling and billiards.

Concord Mills is expected to attract 16-18 million visitors a year. Other Mills centers have quickly become the top tourist attraction in their states. Sawgrass Mills in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. is the No. 2 tourist destination behind Disney World, and Potomac Mills is the top tourist attraction in Virginia.

The economic possibilities tied to the mega-mall haven't escaped attention from local legislators.

"Concord Mills is going to raise tourism and tax revenue in this region to a whole new level," state Rep. Richard Moore said. "As Cabarrus County grows, revenue from developments like this will enable us to build an infrastructure that matches demand. And as people visit Concord Mills, they will also spend money with local shops, restaurants and hotels."