Land Near Pine Needles Under Review for Development

As of Friday, May 25, 2012

The Southern Pines Town Council will consider potential future uses on 550 acres next to Pine Needles at its monthly work session Monday amid speculation that a proposed upscale outlet center on the site is already a done deal.

Town Manager Reagan Parsons said nothing has been submitted for the packet that goes out to council members prior to the meeting.

"The packet is available to the public and has been posted on the town's website," Parsons said.

Kelly Miller, president and CEO of Pine Needles, said Tuesday that he plans to discuss potential uses for the land, not a specific project.

"I can assure you that there is nothing that we're even presenting to the town," Miller said. "We're just trying to open a dialogue. We're letting the town know what we're thinking and seeking input."

The Pilot received several emails earlier this week from concerned citizens and business people who questioned why the council was meeting on a holiday and placing a potentially controversial issue on the agenda.

"It underscores the rumor that the town is fast-tracking this project, which also may not be the case, and will only serve to foster mistrust among the people, which I'm confident is not your intention," Southern Pines resident Suzanne Coleman said in an email sent earlier this week to council members. "I urge you to approach any potential project such as this with great caution and the utmost transparency."

The rumor mill was fueled by Bob Sonnenblick, chairman of Sonnenblick Industries in Pacific Palisades, Calif., who recently told Value Retail News (VRN) that he was planning to break ground in January on Pinehurst Factory Stores.

Sonnenblick told the online publication that the 336,800-square-foot upscale outlet center - likely to be anchored by the outlet "brand" of four nationally known department stores - would be the first phase of a mixed-use project that would include three 300-room hotels with luxury spas and a golf course.

Sonnenblick also told VRN that he hoped to complete the outlet center by May 2014 in order to take advantage of the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open golf championships scheduled to be played in back-to-back weeks the following month on Pinehurst No. 2.

Sonnenblick has estimated that the outlet center would draw shoppers from a 200-mile radius, create about 400 new jobs and generate annual sales of at least $120 million.

But Miller said that the Bell family no longer has an agreement with Sonnenblick, who was attending an industry convention in Las Vegas this week and could not be reached at press time for comment.

"Clearly, he's no longer involved," Miller said. "Hopefully, that answers some of the concerns. We want to do the right thing. The town spent a lot of money developing the Comprehen-sive Long-Range Plan, and we look forward to working within the parameters of that plan.

"We want to work with town officials and the community to come up with a great project for the land, whatever that project may be."

The land is owned by the Bell family, which owns and operates Pine Needles and Mid Pines.

Hobbs Upchurch Associates, on behalf of the Bell family, asked to be on Monday's agenda to discuss the undeveloped property.

In 2007, the same tract between U.S. 1 and Camp Easter Road was slated to become Pine Needles Village, a mixed-use development that became so controversial that it affected the outcome of that year's election. Pine Needles Village was voted down by the council shortly thereafter.

"Given the history of this site and its significance as one of the larger undeveloped tracts in our jurisdiction, Mayor (David) McNeill asked that I extend a formal invitation to (Southern Pines) Planning Board members to attend the public work session," Parsons said last week in an email to council members.

The work session is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday in the community room at the Southern Pines Police Department.

Sonnenblick proposed last year to develop the outlet center along the north side of Morganton Road on 40 acres owned by the Van Camp family. The family had planned to add office space and multifamily housing on the surrounding 76 acres in a collective development called Morgan Park North.

But the proposal with Sonnenblick Industries unraveled to the point that the two sides exchanged a series of emails earlier this year in which each accused the other of lying and each threatened to sue the other.

The Van Camp family also owns 118 acres on the south side of Morganton Road, and is working with Clift Commercial of Southern Pines to attract "big box" retailers to the site.

Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at (910) 693-2474 or tnatt@the-pilot.com.

More like this story

doughnuts 12 months ago

Leith Automotive Group abutting the golf course?

SuzanneC 12 months ago

From: Suzanne Coleman
Date: May 21, 2012 1:57:54 PM To: Southern Pines Town Council Subject: CA-based developer announces Jan 2013 groundbreaking for "Pinehurst" Factory Stores in Southern Pines

Gentlemen:

According to a March 3, 2012, media release to Value Retail News (attached), the online publication of the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) that boasts a membership of 60,000, Bob Sonnenblick is planning to break ground January 2013 on his "Pinehurst" Factory Store outlet center to ensure a May 2014 opening in time to take advantage of the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open Golf Tournaments.

It seems our Mr. Sonnenblick has jumped the gun. An announcement of this nature, when no application has been submitted to the Town, is more than a bit premature. Some might consider it downright arrogant. At the least, it is disrespectful of the Town's development application process. From a political standpoint, It smacks of a done deal, when in fact, that may not be the case.

Further, if the Hobbs Upchurch request to discuss the Miller/Bell property will include any discussion of the factory outlet center, the Town has done the citizens a significant disservice by adding it to the May 28th work session agenda on Memorial weekend when most folks will be out of town or entertaining company. It underscores the rumor that the Town is fast-tracking this project, which also may not be the case, and will only serve to foster mistrust among the people, which I'm confident is not your intention.

There has been great concern voiced by citizens and local business owners about the prospect of a 350,000+ sf outlet center being built in SoPines. I urge you to approach any potential project, such as this, with great caution and the utmost transparency.

Suzanne Coleman

SuzanneC 12 months ago

MARCH 2, 2012

GOLF-MECCA OUTLET CENTER PLANNED IN NORTH CAROLINA

One of the nation’s most venerable golf meccas will be adding an outlet center to its list of attractions, according to a California developer. Bob Sonnenblick, chairman of Sonnenblick Industries in Pacific Palisades, Calif., told VRN he intends to develop the 336,800-sf Pinehurst Factory Stores in Southern Pines, N.C., about one hour from Raleigh. The outlet center will be the first phase of the mixed-use project that will include three 300-room hotels with luxury spas and a golf course.

Construction on the project, at U.S. 1 and North Carolina Highway 2 (Midlands Road), is scheduled to start in January 2013 with completion in May 2014. The opening day was set to take advantage of the U.S. Open and the U.S. Open Women’s golf tournaments being played in Pinehurst a month later, Sonnenblick says.

Sonnenblick was a familiar figure in the outlet industry in the late 1990s when he was developing the 1.3 million-sf New Jersey MetroMall in Elizabeth, N.J. That project was acquired by Glimcher Realty Trust in 1996 and opened as Jersey Gardens in 1999. See further details in the April 2012 VRN

http://www.valueretailnews.com/show_gob_issue.php?i=49

SuzanneC 12 months ago

Southern Pines Factory Outlet Center Site Plan

Bflat 11 months, 4 weeks ago

If they build it, who will be shopping during the Golf Tournaments? Most of the restaurants and stores in the area stocked up with extra inventory in anticipation. Golfers came to see the golf, went back to their rented houses and condos or back to the parking lots to home. .

tarheelborn 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Oh BOY! Here we go again......

"""Kelly Miller, president and CEO of Pine Needles, said Tuesday that he plans to discuss potential uses for the land, not a specific project. LIES, coming from one of the BEST!

"""Hobbs Upchurch Associates, on behalf of the Bell family, asked to be on Monday's agenda to discuss the undeveloped property."""

OK. Here we have Kelly Miller, saying something totally different, than Arrogant Bob that they are not doing a deal together. Someone is Lying here. Bob Sonnenblick has ALREADY tried to do a couple other deals in Moore County, only to find out the people of Moore County are not the stupid down home, poor, uneducated, southerners (which lost the war) and don't know what we are doing. We are VERY AWARE of his Big Time Development agenda. Then we have the All Mighty FRED HOBBS of Hobbs and Upchurch Engineering Company, "on behalf of the Bell Family". I might ask why in the world Ma. Bell even wants to have anything to do with this CHARGED and CONVICTED CRIMINAL!, which LIES to Everyone and wants a piece of the Bell and Sonnenblick MONEY! ! ! I really don't think she knows. I think it is her son-in-law which is trying to control everything over there in that camp...

"""The rumor mill was fueled by Bob Sonnenblick, chairman of Sonnenblick Industries in Pacific Palisades, Calif., who recently told Value Retail News (VRN) that he was planning to break ground in January on Pinehurst Factory Stores."""

Let him go ahead and build, "PINEHURST FACTORY STORES" and he will see the WRATH of PINEHURST come down on his head like no other! Pinehurst Resort and Country Club OWNS the NAME PINEHURST! This will be Very Interesting. Bob Sonnenblick has plenty of money and very little brains, if he thinks he will use the name PINEHURST in ANYTHING he Builds to capitalize off the name of Pinehurst! ! The Resort will Beat the Pants of his arrogant little YOU KNOW WHAT! This will be SO FUNNY to see someone with MORE MONEY than HE, whip his pants off in Court! !

The fact that the Town of Southern Pines is conducting a meeting "WHEN EVERYONE IS ON VACATION", Smells to the HIGH HEAVENS! ! ! !

I see a WHOLE LOT MORE playing out in this story, before it is over....

cantstandya 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Soon this once peaceful environment,which is what has been the magnet that brings people here to live will soon be lost,it has already been impacted as our crime rate seems to climb,Cary was a sleepy little town up into the early 80's,now it takes an hour to drive through it,and there are probably not but a small percent of native's left,everyone wants to have the area to exspand and grow,but unfortunatley they are from other areas and will soon be off to their next project,this will be no different,many should be careful of what they ask for,it will definetly bring jobs,but will also be just another move closer to the end of what once was,pretty simple arguement that will mean nothing to those that will reap the financial benefits provided by building it.