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After Yesterday’s Report, Developer States Harris Teeter Will Not Be User of Kmart Tract

By Jesse Wood

Feb. 26, 2015. While the Kmart property sits vacant and developers continue to market the abandoned shopping center, different information is being released from the parties involved.

In response to yesterday’s report of Boone Planning Director Bill Bailey saying that he expected a permit application for Harris Teeter in the next month, one of the developers who purchased the Kmart property for nearly $7 million last summer said this wasn’t going to happen.

“Harris Teeter does not have an option on our property and will not be the user. We are working on other uses and as we have said in the past we cannot disclose the ultimate use at this point,” Ron Turner of Piedmont Land Development said in an email on Thursday morning. “We believe the Boone community will be very excited about our redevelopment and look forward to being able to announce our plans in the near future.”

This comment from Turner came after months of essentially “no comment” from him and his colleague at Piedmont Land Developmet, Jeff Watson.

Speaking today, Bailey said in response that he’s had several conversations with Harris Teeter since Kmart closed to the public.

“Each time they’ve told me they have the option and Publix [Super Markets] is waiting in the wings to get the option,” Bailey said.

Reached for comment for a prior story, spokespersons for both Harris Teeter and Publix Super Markets said it was against company policy to comment on potential locations.

Click on the links above for previous stories about this development.