Morganton Park South, a 266,000 square-foot upscale shopping center located in the heart of Southern Pines, NC, is just a couple of months away from the opening of its first anchor tenants. The project presents an ‘open-air’ type atmosphere featuring elegant architectural features, vibrant landscaping and a number of well-known restaurant chains and retail providers. The project will also feature high-end apartment units developed by Zimmer Development Company.

“It’s been a long project, with many steps still to go. But we’re very enthused about it. We’ll be excited at least when the first phase gets going. And we’re working on all the future phases at the same time. So it’s been a fun one to do,” shared William M. Mees, Jr., Director of Development for Midland Atlantic Properties.

The whole development will eventually be about 100 acres, and the first phase of that was about 45 acres. Phase I required the construction of Carolina Green Parkway, a four lane parkway connecting regional corridors that extends from 15-501 all the way to Morganton road with signalized intersections at each end. 

Within these first 45 acres dedicated to phase I, about 31 acres of that is the Target anchored shopping center. Anticipated opening for Target is Oct. 2024. Some of the other stores in the shopping center will be opening up late March and early April 2024. 

“[Target] was really the catalyst that brought us to the market, because we knew that they had asked us to go find and locate a site for them there,” explained Mees. “The owner of our company is a gentleman named John Silverman. And he was kind of the developer behind Southpoint [shopping center in Durham]…And after Southpoint finished we were asked by Target to keep an eye on a couple of different markets and Southern Pines was one of them.” 

The first stores to open will be Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Home Goods and Five Below. 

Mees shared that they also have about 25,000 square- feet of what they call: upscale small shop spaces. These small shops will be home to four new restaurants that will be new to the market: HabitBurger, Goodberry’s Frozen Custard, Bibibop and Chicken Salad Chick. There will also be a nail salon and Half Moon Outfitters in the small shop area.

“We are 98 percent leased, we only have two spaces left to finish off the first phase. So it’s been a very successful project,” remarked Mees.

With a clock tower, pond and fountain, the property developers are dedicated to making this space charming and welcoming as residents and visitors to Southern Pines enjoy these new shopping and dining experiences. 

The additional acres portioned off for phase I will be home to a multifamily development. That property was sold to Zimmer Development Company, a multifamily builder out of Wilmington, and they’re approved to build 269 apartment units. The Zimmer Project is considered to be phase II of the development.

Phase III is where Midland Atlantic Properties is turning their attention to now. This third phase features a BJs Wholesale Club, a coffee user that Mees is working on a lease with now and also another restaurant. Phase III is about 18 acres.

Mees shared that they will start construction on the BJ’s Wholesale project within the next two or three weeks. By early February, it should be under construction.

There are still more parcels of land to be claimed by businesses for future phases of the project. Mees shared that they are talking to a number of different prospective users for those parcels. 

Midland Atlantic Properties is a landlord/developer based in Cincinnati, OH and the current owner of 37 shopping centers in 17 states comprised of 3.3 million sq. ft of space. The company specializes in all types of retail and has developed over 50 shopping centers in various regions across the US.