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The Grove Arcade's long-awaited and much-delayed opening became a reality on Saturday, November 2, when it opened its doors and retail spaces to the public. Along with simply checking out the new shops, the Grand Opening schedule included plenty of entertainment. The famous high-wire act, the Flying Wallendas, thrilled the audience below as they walked a tight rope 25 feet above the street between the Arcade and a neighboring building across the street � all without benefit of a net. The fun began at noon when the popular Hillcrest High-Steppin' Majorette and Drum Corps performed its crowd pleasing marching and musical performance. At 12:30 PM, an American Indian dedication was held, followed by the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 PM. The Flying Wallendas were next at 1:30 PM, and Tim Abell entertained the children in the crowd with stories and music. The Flying Wallendas returned for a second performance at 3:15 PM. The final act of the day was Robert Lee Smith and The Original Tams as they perform the beach music they made famous years ago.
The second floor of the building still has space available for offices, with about 7,000 of its 25,000 square feet leased as of the Grand Opening weekend.
With the resurgence of downtown residential living in the past decade, the availability of goods and services, particularly groceries, was limited. Now, many of those dedicated city dwellers - in apartments and condominiums on North French Broad, Haywood, and Biltmore avenues, among many others - are very pleased at the prospect of having so many new and convenient choices for shopping. The ease of walking over to The Grove Arcade for fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, and other food items is sure to add to the appeal of downtown living. The impact of additional pressure on downtown parking remains to be seen. However, many associated with the project have downplayed the lack of a new City garage near the Arcade. The Civic Center garage, located about two blocks from the Arcade's east entrance, normally has parking available. The Wall Street garage, located across the street from the Arcade, generally stays close to full on most days. While city officials maintain they plan to build a garage closer to the Arcade at some point in the future, all of the necessary land and/or leases have not been obtained at this time. People who are interested in viewing or leasing apartments or office space in The Grove Arcade should contact Landmark Realty at 828-252-5130. Businesses that are interested in retail space should contact G/M Property Group at 828-281-4024.
(Bottom 1920's photo provided by Grove Arcade Foundation)
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About 20 shops, restaurants, and produce or craft stalls were open for the Grand Opening, with about another 20 scheduled to open by year's end. The public market portion of the building, which occupies the first floor of the 269,000-square-foot building, has space for as many as 52 shops, and hopes to finish out the remainder of the space as momentum builds through early next year.
The third, fourth, and fifth floors are now home to 42 deluxe apartments, with rents ranging from about $1,000 to $5,000 per month. Most apartments feature nice city views, large windows, and attractive kitchens. About 26 apartments remain available, but leasing agents anticipate many of those apartments being leased in the next few months now that the building is open and readily accessible.