Filed under: Uptown
A report commissioned by Charlotte Center City Partners reveals what anyone who frequents Uptown has known all along — it’s in dire need of more retail.
To persuade more stores to come uptown, however, city leaders must — for now — abandon previous efforts to lure suburban shoppers to the center city, the study said.
Instead, it said, developers should start catering to the people who already live, work and play uptown.
The $60,000 study, conducted by Virginia-based H. Blount Hunter Retail and Research Co., addressed a common gripe heard from people who spend time uptown. The study was commissioned by Center City Partners, a group that promotes uptown neighborhoods.
“The main complaint we hear from customers is that there’s not enough places to shop,” said Betsy Almond, co-owner of The Beehive, a home accessories and gift shop located in the Bank of America Plaza on Tryon Street. “They want to know why there aren’t more things open and more variety.”
About 12,000 people live uptown, and about 65,000 work in the center city. Thousands more visit for sports, nightlife and cultural activities.
The study estimated that last year, the city missed out on about $338.5 million in spending because of limited store offerings uptown. Sales uptown last year were estimated at $96.2 million.
