There was a sign-spinner out on Kingston Pike over the weekend, so you know things must be getting serious.
At the corner of The Pike and Lovell Road, where construction activities are entering the home stretch, there are multiple notifications that the new Costco store is ready to open on November 9. The Washington-based chain will be opening, here, in less than a month.
It’s an exciting time because it will give Farragut shoppers a large discount warehouse store within town limits and boost the local sales tax rolls.
Lisa was weighing the possible benefits of joining the near-by Costco versus our current Sam’s Club membership. I suggested that there might not be reasons for holding memberships for both establishments; I suspect I may be outvoted on that issue.
Regardless, it’ll be a happy day in Farragut. I’m excited about the new store. I’m in favor of anything that brings progress and commerce to the TOF.
I’m just not sure how that dovetails with all the empty buildings around town.
A recent Farragut Shopper article noted that, while shoppers enjoy their time at the mega Kroger store at Brooklawn – which opened two years ago – the old Kroger facility may just sit empty at least a couple more few years.
Such is the story around the Town.
The TOF is not in the leasing business, developers and real estate companies do the leasing. All the Town can do is tout the it’s friendly to business mantra and do its best to try to showcase the municipality as a desirable location.
My question, then, is who should champion the cause to fill the vacant caverns up and down The Pike – from the former Food City to the former Ingles to the old Goody’s space (and everything in between). Is it a Chamber function? Business alliance? Is there a consortium among the developers? I really don’t know the answer.
A recent Knoxville News Sentinel article says the Farragut Pointe Shopping Center (which formerly housed Food City, among others) has been sold. Presumably, we will soon have new shoppes at that venue.
That’s a start. But what will move into the other empty spaces around the area?
We’ve heard about the need for a rec center for the Town. Is that an option? I can tell you from my baseball coaching days, we would have paid good money for an indoor facility we could’ve used during the off-season. In fact, there was quite a bit of competition for winter workout space in those days.
What other types of businesses could benefit from locating into this high visibility spaces? And with those once-empty spaces being filled again, wouldn’t we all benefit from the additional tax revenue in our county?
Years ago, there was talk about using the old Kroger facility for overflow space for the high school. But once Hardin Valley Academy opened and the problem of overcrowding at Farragut High School seemed to abate, that discussion faded. And I really haven’t heard of any use for that space.
Well, it is generally referred to as the ‘sophomore parking lot’ for the high school, but that’s a different matter altogether.
The parking lot also serves as the location for the annual Taste of Farragut event and other activities throughout the year. Those are all good things that build camaraderie and community pride. We can’t get enough of that.
And we can’t get enough of good local shopping options, either.
So, I’m happy about the arrival of Costco. And I suspect we will frequent that facility starting in early November. We may even double-dip on our membership cards, but I suspect we may try to keep our shopping dollars within the Town limits.
I just wish there could be bustling shopping options in those other close-by spaces as well.
JG
Originally posted 10/15/2012
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