Clearing and grading work has begun on the future Koury Corporation shopping center in Mebane, between Trollingwood-Hawfields Road and South Third Street. The company has also announced the future name for the shopping center and residential area around it: Third & Wood.
The company estimates that the project will be complete in about two years, in the spring of 2027.
The primary tenant publicly confirmed thus far is Target.
Mebane’s city council approved the rezoning in December, 4-1, after about four hours of a public hearing on the project and extracting several more concessions from the project’s developers.
Sean Ewing was the only council member to vote against the rezoning. Voting in favor were council members Katie Burkholder, mayor pro tem Tim Bradley, and council members Montrena Hadley and Jonathan White.
The project, on 82.921 acres, is across from the entrance to GKN; the mixed use development includes 300,000 square feet of retail space; 645 apartments in 12 3- and 4-story apartment buildings); and 38 townhouses.
Story continues below layout of the mixed-used development and illustrations of the proposed look of the retail and residential portions of the development.
One unresolved issue is one of the Third Street entrances into the residential portion of the development. That lot is owned by Alamance County, bought for a future EMS station. While the company portrayed that it had secured the lot, in fact, it had not. And as of today, still has not, although the company has floated the idea of a “land swap” for another lot at the corner of NC 119 and Smith Drive.
The acreage, now zoned for industrial use, is beside the residential area, and residents at the city’s planning board meeting in November and at the city council meeting in December expressed fears about traffic congestion, lighting, noise, property values, and even smells.
Richard Vanore, the president and CEO of the Koury Corporation, made this statement in connection with the new development and its now formal name: “Our commitment to developing quality real estate projects extends beyond the physical building. We have dedicated more than 70 years of
enriching the local landscape and contributing to a community’s growth and vitality through our thoughtful development projects. Our commitment to Mebane with Third & Wood goes beyond construction, as we strive to create spaces that enhance the community’s fabric and foster a sense of belonging for residents and businesses alike.”
See earlier coverage:
Council approves rezoning (Dec. 2, 2024): https://alamancenews.com/mebane-council-oks-koury-corporations-new-retail-residential-project-4-1/
Investigative report: county gave Koury Corp. approval to seek rezoning for property county still owns (Dec. 5, 2024): https://alamancenews.com/investigative-report-county-mgr-gave-koury-corp-authority-to-represent-county-owned-parcel-in-its-rezoning-but-she-says-company-didnt-request-what-county-had-intended/
Property swap discussions between Koury Corp. and county idle (April 3, 2025): https://alamancenews.com/countys-land-swap-with-developer-in-idle/
See announcement about Target’s commitment to the Mebane shopping center (March 6, 2025): https://alamancenews.com/target-confirms-future-store-in-new-mebane-shopping-center/
