The Grocery Beat: Bids for demolition/rebuild of Ingles at South Forest Shopping Center now open

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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ingles_asheville_2014Some of what’s happening on the grocery store front, from loyal reader Tiger:

Today’s grocery beat update includes two existing Ingles stores in Asheville and Waynesville and an update on the new Publix store in Weaverville.

-Plans exist to expand the Hazelwood store, known as Ingles #58 on Brown Avenue. A construction timeline has not been established as the project remains under review.

-Bids for the tear down and rebuild of the Ingles grocery store at South Forest Shopping Center on Hendersonville Road are being accepted. Ingles #79 will expand to 72,000 square feet.

-Bids to demolish Rose’s at Weaverville Plaza and construct Publix are being accepted. The 49,533-square-foot Publix will have a pharmacy drive thru. The traffic will wrap behind Wells Fargo.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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27 Comments

  1. Barb January 20, 2016

    IMHO, Harris Teeter has the best fresh produce department of any of the major players in town. Their Merrimon store surely has hurt the Mingles’s sales volume. I have never seen the HT store not crowded. I still can’t understand why they left south Asheville.

    Reply
  2. Jose Franco January 20, 2016

    I refuse to shop at any Ingles until they address Haywood Road and the Patton/Leicester stores… it chaps my ass to no end that the two closest stores to me are left to decay into dirty, under stocked and poorly run shitholes. The meat departments in both of these locations are a joke. I don’t need a Starbucks, a gas station, or a pharmacy… but how about a basic good grocery store that isn’t dilapidated and dirty? Meanwhile they build these new clean elaborate stores out in the sticks… Sure there are some nicer Ingles around, but If I must drive across town to visit a decent grocery store, I guess I’ll continue shopping at Harris Teeter. Obviously Ingles doesn’t want my money or they would have a decent store in West Asheville.

    Reply
  3. Lottie January 13, 2016

    There’s been discussion here before about the long neglected Ingles in Reynolds. Anybody know if there are plans to update it? The stores being demolished on Brevard Rd. across from the outlet center and the one at South Forest are both shiny and new in comparison. So what’s the story?

    Reply
    1. Tiger January 21, 2016

      I recall weavervilleman saying store 22 (499 Weaverville Road, Asheville, North Carolina 28804-1130) would be up for improvements in 2018. I would not be surprised to see the video department replaced with a pharmacy. The store already has an I-Market (store 722).

      Reply
    2. Tiger January 21, 2016

      Store 24 is undergoing a rebuild. Store 79 is expanding and rebuilding.

      Reply
  4. MC January 13, 2016

    I’ve shopped at the South Forest store for years, and I would argue that it is the least crowded store in town. The fact that Bobby Ingle lives across the street in Biltmore Forest may be a motivating factor to rebuild.

    Reply
    1. Tiger January 13, 2016

      I have not visited store 79. As it replaced store 1 and is likely frequented by the Ingle family, the store should be in excellent operation.

      Reply
  5. Former Reporter at WYPN January 12, 2016

    What’s the status of the Ingles at the beginning of Smoky Park Hwy in West Asheville? Are they ever going to build a new store location next to the Lowes, as rumored?

    Reply
    1. Tiger January 12, 2016

      I recall seeing the site plan for the new store 31 (153 Smokey Park Highway, Asheville, North Carolina 28806-1138) at over 100,000 square feet. It appears Ingles has downsized new stores to over 72,000 square feet. I would not be surprised if the new store 31 will be the same as store 134 (Hominy Creek, 1572 Sand Hill Rd, Candler, North Carolina 28715).

      Store 31 will be replaced. Stores 24 (863 Brevard Road, Asheville, North Carolina 28806-2205) and 79 may be higher priorities.

      Reply
  6. Barry Summers January 12, 2016

    #25, #34, #58, etc.?

    C’mon people, they have official names. The Ingles on Merrimon is ‘Mingles’. The Ingles on Haywood Rd. is ‘Hingles’. Patton Rd. = ‘Pingles’, Tunnel Rd. = ‘Tingles’, etc.

    Sand Hill Rd.? Sorry, you have ‘Shingles’.

    Reply
    1. The Real World January 12, 2016

      Hilarious…love it! I shall now think of them by those monikers.

      When I mention that I got something from Wally World, people say, “where is that?” I reply that it is my pet name for Walmart.

      Reply
    2. Tiger January 12, 2016

      Food Lion #412 (Westridge, 35 Westridge Market Place, Candler, North Carolina 28715-9174) and Bi-Lo #5421 (511 Smoky Park Highway, Candler, North Carolina 28715-8613) may have shingles with business lost to Ingles #134.

      Reply
      1. Barry Summers January 13, 2016

        Thanks for the reminder:

        Smoky Park Highway Ingles = Sphingles.

        Reply
        1. Adam January 15, 2016

          You are selling these a bit short.

          The Smoky Park store is obviously the “Smoky Pingles”, the one on Long Shoals is the “Valley Springles” and the one in Oteen is, of course, the “O’Tingles”.

          Merrimon – “Merrimingles” (much better, IMO, than Mingles)

          Reply
  7. Ellen S January 12, 2016

    What about plans to renovate the small, outdated Ingles in Fairview off of Charlotte Highway?
    It has a large traffic flow, a growing population, limited food selection compared to other grocery stores, and a GIANT pothole that has existed for many months in the parking lot.

    Reply
  8. A dude in W Avl January 11, 2016

    do something about Ingles #5 on Haywood Rd dammit. I realize the plot is way to small to warrant a huge expansion, but that store has not been updated since the early 90’s. It is old, hard to shop and lacking a number of staple items that all other Ingles markets posses.

    Reply
  9. AVL LVR January 9, 2016

    Lets be real honest, Ingles grocery store #79 at South Forest Shopping Center on Hendersonville Road does not need to be torn down and expanded. There are a lot more older Ingles than that. It does not receive enough business to justify expansion either. If you were going to tear it down and rebuild, I would raze the whole plaza and make the ground level with the road. A hill or slope is a psychological block like in the case of Publix which it also hurt visibility. While I’m here, the new Ingles in Candler was disappointing with the massive retaining wall up front which again is a major psychological obstacle.

    Reply
    1. AVL LVR January 9, 2016

      Correction: Tiger stated “Adjacent tenant spaces will be demolished to make way for expansion on the B-side (left side) and additional parking.” Good. I hope they make the ground level with Hendersonville Rd too. I think the store will do good. I want them to do really good because they are one of Asheville’s babies.

      Reply
      1. Tiger January 10, 2016

        Everything between the post office and Ingles #79 at South Forest Shopping Center will be demolished.

        Reply
    2. Tiger January 10, 2016

      The retaining wall in front of Ingles #134, Hominy Creek, on Sand Hill Road is not that bad in my opinion. As for the store itself, I enjoyed my experience at its grand opening. The store itself trumps Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, and Publix. I hope these stores will make their way into South Carolina.

      Ingles has done well to improve existing stores that were built in 1995 to the present. These improvements have included phasing out video departments in favor of Redbox and the addition of pharmacies, Starbucks, and fuel centers.

      Ingles is active with store projects in North Carolina and Tennessee where Publix is further expanding.

      Reply
    3. NFB January 11, 2016

      “It does not receive enough business to justify expansion either.”

      And you have access to Ingle’s business data to know this?

      Reply
      1. AVL LVR January 11, 2016

        Its practically empty every time I shop there. They are expanding it whether it is needed or not to up Publix. They want Publix to receive as little business as possible as they expand, so they rebuilding or remodeling every store near them. I can’t imagine Publix’s new Asheville location is doing well. Saturday is the only day it is busy when people who relocated from Florida make they weekly pilgrimage there. Also, their new Hendersonville location may also no do well. Although the location is more visible, the sheer number of competitors in the vicinity and an expanded Ingles will make it difficult for them.

        Reply
        1. NFB January 11, 2016

          Sorry, but you are really in no position to know what kind of business it does based only on when you are there.

          Reply
        2. Tiger January 13, 2016

          What do Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Lowes Food, and Winn-Dixie have in common in Buncombe County and across most of western North Carolina? They have been obliterated by Ingle’s, have self imploded, have closed stores, and mostly departed the region.

          What is different about Publix? It is the largest supermarket chain in the southeastern United States, is opening stores, has obliterated Bi-Lo, Food Lion and Winn-Dixie, and has created firm competition against Kroger and Walmart. Publix may not have store count in western North Carolina, but it will be the strongest competitor against Ingles.

          Reply
      2. indie499 January 11, 2016

        Frankly, I’m amazed Asheville businesses spend so much $ on planning and strategy when they could just check in with AVL LVR.

        Research? Focus groups? Data? Obsolete.

        Reply
  10. Tiger January 8, 2016

    The City of Hendersonville City Council approved on Thursday Halvorsen Development Corporation’s application for a Special Use Permit to develop South Market Village, which will be anchored by a 49,533 square feet Publix with a pharmacy drive thru. Publix has not officially announced the store yet. Awaiting the announcement of its 26th store in North Carolina and its first in Henderson County, Publix should be opening in mid-2017.

    Reply
  11. Tiger January 8, 2016

    Ingles #58 may temporarily close for a tear down and a rebuild after #23 completes its expansion and rebuild.

    Ingles #79 is an expansion project. Adjacent tenant spaces will be demolished to make way for expansion on the B-side (left side) and additional parking.

    Ingles #25 in Murphy may be undergoing an expansion soon. Walgreen’s is relocating to a freestanding location from an acquired Kerr Drug store. Ingles #25 will add a pharmacy and a fuel center. I do not know if the fuel center will be an I-Market or a Gas Express.

    Reply

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