New shopping center draws attention

If there’s any doubt about the potential for continued commercial growth in Indian Land, look no further than Six Mile Commons, the new shopping center in front of Walmart, to put those doubts to rest.
Nine months after Charlotte commercial real estate firm Merrifield Patrick Vermillion broke ground on the project, the shopping center is a hub of activity as contractors put the finishing touches on six of the shopping center’s nine new businesses.
The other three? They’re already open. And the rest aren’t far behind.
Merrifield Patrick Vermillion Development Manager Michael Bilodeau said even now, Six Mile Commons is an unqualified success – and a good sign for Indian Land.
“The whole project looks fantastic, but it’s also just what this market needed,” Bilodeau said. “Most retail spaces don’t come out of the ground with 100 percent leasing like this and such a strong roster (of stores).
“I think it speaks to the strength of the Indian Land market,” he said.
Speaking of the Indian Land market, shoppers are going to love the new businesses in Six Mile Commons, a mix of nationally known retailers, restaurants and services.
Stores already open
Already open are video game retailer Game Stop, health and nutrition retailer GNC and the Nail Spa, a nail salon formerly known as Happy Nail Spa, which moved to Six Mile Commons from nearby Carolina Crossings.
Set to open in coming weeks are Verizon Superstore, Super Cuts hair salon, Friendly Dental, Shane’s Rib Shack and Marco’s Pizza.
“One of the primary things for us is households ... and there are a lot of households, lots of families in this area,” Marco’s Pizza co-owner Andy Hunter said of the franchise’s draw to the shopping center. “Walmart being nearby was an attraction for us and the highway right out front. Those were key.
“Plus, this is an all-star tenant mix, you’ve got all the big players, so this is going to be a knockout shopping center for sure,” he said.
Free stuff
Hunter said the pizzeria is scheduled to open Monday, June 11. Like many of the stores, Marco’s Pizza will open with a bang.
On Sunday, June 10, the restaurant will hold a “Friends and Family” event  from 4 to 7 p.m. with free samples from its menu, followed by a big giveaway on opening day.
“For our grand opening on the 11th, the first 50 people through the door will win a free pizza a month for a year,” Hunter said.
Perhaps the most anticipated of the shopping center’s businesses, though, is the  Krispy Kreme Doughnut Factory set to open at 6 a.m. Tuesday, June 12.
“We are extremely excited about bringing out delicious array of one-of-a-kind doughnuts and complimentary beverages to [Indian Land],” said Cindy Bay, Krispy Kreme’s senior vice president of U.S. franchises and company stores, in a press release.
“We want everyone to join us at 6 a.m. as we flip the switch for the first time on our Hot Doughnuts Now sign, and throughout the day as we celebrate the joy of Krispy Kreme with our local fans,” she said.
In addition to its famous doughnuts, trade-marked Chillers iced drinks and Krispy Kreme Signature coffees, the new 2,500-square-foot Krispy Kreme will feature a drive-through.
The location will also celebrate with free giveaways: A free dozen of its original glazed doughnuts a week for a year for the first customer in line; a free dozen glazed doughnuts a month for the next 98 customers; and a free commemorative Krispy Kreme Indian Land grand opening T-shirt for the first 100 customers.
Stores still hiring
As you might expect, all those businesses are going to need warm bodies, and as a result, most are still hiring.
Bilodeau estimates the businesses in Six Mile Commons will provide about 200 jobs.
Bilodeau said the jobs and services at Six Mile Commons will provide a foundation for Indian Land that draws businesses to the area, which, in turn, creates more need for support services, while leads to more business, and so on.
Another shopping center?
Judging from the success of Six Mile Commons and Indian Land’s potential as a growing community, Bilodeau said Merrifield Patrick Vermillion is considering developing another out-parcel it owns in the same area next door to the Chick-fil-A.
“It’ll be a 7,000-square-foot multi-retail building, if we decide to do it,” Bilodeau said.
“We haven’t made a decision on it, we’re still testing the market, but given the strength of this project, it looks good.”
 

Reece Murphy/reporter

Three of the nine new businesses in the new Six Mile Commons shopping center in front of the Indian Land Walmart are already open with several others slated to open next week, including Marco’s Pizza and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

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