Developers inch closer to breaking ground on new Marketplace at Mills River

Dean Hensley, Hendersonville Times-News
Updated ·2 min read
The large grassy area is where developers out of Raleigh are proposing to build a grocery store complex in Mills River that will be called The Marketplace at Mills River.
The large grassy area is where developers out of Raleigh are proposing to build a grocery store complex in Mills River that will be called The Marketplace at Mills River.

MILLS RIVER - Developers are one step closer to breaking ground on a new grocery store complex in Mills River off N.C. 280 that now has a name: The Marketplace at Mills River.

Michael Malecek, the town of Mills River planning director, told the Times-News on March 14 that Town planning staff issued a zoning permit approval for Harris Development Partners' new Marketplace at Mills River shopping center on March 8.

"There is no substantive change in the plans that were approved by the planning staff compared to the first site plans that were submitted," Malecek said.

The applicant is Asa Harris, who is the president of Harris Development Partners based out of Raleigh. When contacted by the Times-News on March 19 and asked who the tenant of the grocery store would be, Harris said, "Unfortunately, I cannot comment at this time."

According to the Harris Development Partners' website, in his past projects, Harris has collaborated with leading national tenants, including Publix, Whole Foods, Walmart, Walgreens, Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods and L.A. Fitness.

This is the site plan for The Marketplace at Mills River, as submitted by Harris Development Partners.
This is the site plan for The Marketplace at Mills River, as submitted by Harris Development Partners.
Developers' plans show the height of the buildings for proposed grocery store complex called The Marketplace at Mills River.
Developers' plans show the height of the buildings for proposed grocery store complex called The Marketplace at Mills River.

Malecek said the only change from the original plans was a realignment of a private driveway to the development off of Emma Sharp Road.

"The approved development still consists of a 50,325 square-foot grocery store with an unknown tenant and a 10,800 square-foot retail shop building," Malecek said.

He said Harris has submitted applications to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to secure an erosion and sediment control plan approval and also a storm water management plan approval.

"Once the developer receives these approvals, they are free to begin land disturbance, site work and grading," Malecek said. "After that, the developer will need to apply for building permits with the Henderson County Permits and Inspections Department before they can begin construction of structures on the site."

More: Permit to operate new grocery store across from Mills River Ingles approved

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Grocery store complex has a name: Marketplace at Mills River