Wegmans Agrees to Buy Land in Cornelius
Wegmans store in Virginia | courtesy of Wegmans
By Jon Show — Wegmans, the popular grocery chain based in Rochester, N.Y., has signed an agreement to purchase a large tract of land near Atrium Health on Statesville Road, according to a company spokesperson.
“We are currently evaluating the site as a potential location for a future grocery store, along with other possible uses,” said Wegmans spokeswoman Marcie Rivera. “At this stage, no final decisions have been made, and we will share additional information as plans progress.”
The company offered no further details on what could occupy the site other than a retail store.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority owns 90 acres of land at the corner of Westmoreland Road and Statesville Road, which is subdivided into two lots. The Atrium facility currently occupies 30 acres, and the remaining 60 acres was planned for further development.
Wegmans typically targets 10 to 14 acres of land to build a supermarket.
In a recent interview, town officials expressed a desire to lure boutique corporate headquarters to the site to help shore up the town’s commercial tax base. Wegmans had approached town officials in the past, sources said, with the town advocating for more corporate uses rather than retail grocery.
A grocery store would require Wegmans to pursue rezoning, which includes applications before the planning board and Board of Commissioners. There are no development proposals from Wegmans listed as active on the Town of Cornelius website.
Wegmans is family-owned with more than 110 stores across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The chain is known for its large stores, extensive prepared-food offerings, restaurant-style dining options and focus on fresh and specialty foods.
Wegmans will open its first store in the Charlotte area in Ballantyne in mid-October. The store will be about 110,000 square feet.
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Bring Wegmans to Cornelius.
We have missed this incredible, quality grocery store since we left VA.
Agree! I stop in Richmond or Charlottesville every time I get remotely close.
There’s never any traffic over at that location so we should be fine. And we are sorely lacking for grocery stores in our town. What could go wrong?
Make sure Westmoreland is widened first to accommodate the extra traffic!
Agree with Mr. Leck: NO to Wegman’s. aside from us being a “food desert” here in Cornelius (hah!),
This proposal will completely nullify the anticipated benefits of the extension of Northcross to Westmoreland, which I’m eagerly awaiting so as to have an option other than Sam Furr to cross the highway. AND: Westmoreland dead ends into Washam-Potts which has seen ginormous traffic increase in just this past year and another dense housing development is proposed. Are there 2 elementary schools on Westmoreland? I forget, but I do know that JV Washam is at the corner of Westmoreland and Washam-Potts and parents already block the road at arrival and dismissal lines that bring traffic to an absolute halt. (side note to CPD: why aren’t you directing traffic there?) We need a traffic light there already. or one of those traffic circles with two lanes in there so those of us not picking up children may continue on our merry way. This can only make it much, much worse. Now if you wanted to stick a Trader Joe’s in an existing shopping center on Catawba, I’d change my tune . . ,
Wegmans is a quality grocery store and we would be lucky to have one in Cornelius. Harris Teeter has lost its way to Publux but a Wegmans is a step above either. I agree with the traffic concerns which should have been taken into account before all the condos and townhouses were approved. To now limit having a great grocery store seems ridiculous. Widening all the roads that run through Cornelius should have been obvious way before now. We have changed the leadership for that reason but still see little change.
The traffic will be compared to Costco. WE do not need this!!!!!
100% need a Wegmans best grocery store hands down