HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — North American Properties, the group that owns and manages Birkdale Village in Huntersville, has announced its next lineup of businesses to come to the shopping center.

The Huntersville mixed-use development’s ownership group, North American Properties, revealed that Anthropologie, Evereve, Lilly Pulitzer, Monkee’s, and Southern Tide would join the previously announced Bartaco, Drybar, Foxcroft Wine Co., The Good Wurst, and The Cheesecake Factory.  

Walking around the Village, the construction and renovations are already evident, like the more prominent space coming for Brixx Pizza.  

“I think they’re just upgrading things to keep it fresh,” said Birkdale resident Diana Howes.  

Still, some loyal Birkdale shoppers have concerns about the businesses that were pushed out to make room for the new ones.  

“Cheesecake Factory, yeah, there’s a draw there,” said shopper Tonya Langhorne. “But to see some of the smaller businesses and boutiques being pushed out? I’m assuming they can’t afford rent.” 

Actually, some of the small-business owners that have left Birkdale Village in the past year told Queen City News that their departure had nothing to do with rent. Rather, NAP told them they would not be renewing their leases.  

“We were given notice that we were not part of the vision for the future of Birkdale Village,” Corkscrew Wine Shoppe owner Joseph Klosek said in August.  

Most visitors say they expect the new businesses will bring increased traffic and tighter parking, though many disagree on whether that’s positive or negative.  

“Everybody’s got a concern about traffic, but it is part of the growth,” said Howes.  

“Parking is going to become an issue, and also, with this expansion, they took big chunks of parking for valet,” said Langhorne. “So, they’re catering to a higher end — a certain clientele.” 

NAP recently proposed a seven-story office building and an associated four-story parking deck for Birkdale Village. Still, Huntersville commissioners last month denied their request, citing issues with the building’s height and aesthetic.  

A spokesperson for NAP told Queen City News that because the rezoning was denied, the parking situation at Birkdale will be the same for the “foreseeable future.”