In Tough Times, Retailers Drawn To Charlotte Mixed-Use Development

Times might be hard for retail overall, but even so retailers are expanding if the time and place are right. Recently two clothing boutiques and two restaurants inked leases at the 90-acre Waverly development in South Charlotte.

Joining the retail mix at the mixed-use property are Fab'rik, Scout and Molly's Boutique, Babalu Tapas & Tacos and DeSano Pizza Bakery. Waverly will have about 40 shops and restaurants, anchored by a Whole Foods that opened in May. 

The property's medical office anchor, Novant Health, opened last fall. Its six-story office building, The Hub, will see tenants take occupancy in July. Waverly's 141-room Hilton Garden Inn will open by the end of the year.

Childress Klein, along with partners Crosland Southeast and the B. Frank Matthews II family, are developing Waverly.

“Successful projects provide a customer experience that complements the location, design and tenant mix of the project," Childress Klein partner Chris Thomas said. "At Waverly, we have a walkable outdoor environment with good pedestrian activity on the street level, and we have residents, office workers and hotel guests integrated with the retail. We also have a mix of national, regional and local tenants who know their customers well."

Foundry Commercial's Gwen Glaeser repped the landlord on the lease transactions. Rhett Batanides with Newmark Knight Frank repped Fab’rik, Legacy Commercial Real Estate's David Tschirhart repped Scout and Molly’s, The Providence Group's Melissa McDonald repped Babalu and Tommy Trimble with Foundry Commercial repped DeSano.