Oct. 29--Construction of a new shopping center near East Lincoln High in Denver is expected to start next year, and the new center will bring more traffic to the area.
Plans for the 96,000-square-foot Ingleside Village Center at N.C. 73 and Little Egypt Road call for a 49,000-square-foot anchor supermarket, drugstore, bank and additional retail space that could include restaurants and shops.
The shopping center could feature a connecting road to the planned 600-acre Carolina Ridge community, a 1,571-housing-unit project featuring single-family homes, townhomes and condos for people 55 years and older, said Randy Hawkins, zoning administrator for Lincoln County.
Both developments are expected to open in 2008.
David Clark Jr., one of the landowners for the shopping center, said planning started a year ago. He said construction would begin once work on the separate Carolina Ridge development is under way.
"Once we get a firm date on their plans (that) will tie into when the center gets under way," Clark said.
The shopping center is expected to bring 6,628 daily vehicle trips to the area. Of that, 10 percent of the trips could come from Carolina Ridge, Hawkins said.
Denver resident Cindy Vetter said her community does not need an additional shopping center that will only increase traffic congestion, noise and residential growth.
"I just feel like a fourth grocery store within a 2 1/2-mile stretch of road is probably unnecessary," Vetter said. "I think that a grocery store or any other commercial development that we are already getting is going to encourage more growth."
Lena Warmack: 704-987-3670, ext. 14.
