Wegmans struck a deal with Atrium Health to purchase 62 acres in Cornelius. The site could become the grocer’s second spot in the Charlotte area. The Rochester, New York, company confirmed this Monday, just weeks before its first Charlotte store swings open next month.
The tract sits beside Atrium Health Lake Norman, wedged between Statesville and Westmoreland roads near Interstate 77. Mecklenburg County records indicate the health system snagged this parcel back in 2019, paying $19.6 million.
“We are currently evaluating the site as a potential location for a future grocery store, along with other possible uses,” said Marcie Rivera, a spokeswoman for the company, according to the Charlotte Ledger. “At this stage, no final decisions have been made.”
What Wegmans paid remains unknown. When a second store might open is also unclear. Atrium officials didn’t respond to questions Monday.
The family-owned chain will throw open the doors to its 110,000-square-foot Ballantyne spot at 9 a.m. Oct. 14. Crews broke ground last September. The building stands at 11550 North Community House Road in South Charlotte.
A Cornelius store isn’t shocking news. Two years back, the 110-year-old grocer revealed it wanted to plant three to five stores across Charlotte’s massive $10.8 billion grocery scene, which holds nearly 740 shops. The company said it was sizing up a dozen sites — SouthPark, Huntersville, and Cornelius among them.
The chain runs over 110 stores scattered across eight East Coast states, stretching from Massachusetts down to Virginia. Its first North Carolina outpost opened Sept. 19, 2019, at 1200 Wake Towne Drive in Raleigh.
Since then, three more Triangle-area stores popped up — Chapel Hill, West Cary, and Wake Forest. Another is coming to Holly Springs.
A May survey in Charlotte revealed something interesting: many transplants from New York crave tastes from upstate and western New York. The grocer has won over Northeast residents who’ve relocated to North Carolina.
Fans have spent months plotting to camp outside the Ballantyne store before it opens. The Cornelius property’s most recent assessed value hovers around $13 million, though market value can swing differently from assessed value.
The site carries a hospital-use designation right now. That means rezoning might be needed to fit a grocery store. If this deal pushes through, the North Mecklenburg location will probably take a couple of years to launch.
Dining and Cooking