Returning from summer vacation, sophomore Abby Morlan was greeted with a sudden surprise as her family exited I-40 and drove towards Elon. On the horizon was an entirely new mall; the last time she had seen it only Olive Garden had been a complete structure.

Situated just minutes from Elon’s campus, Alamance Crossing will be home to around 70 department and chain stores, restaurants and a movie theatre, and has been the buzz on campus.

Morlan said aside from being a great addition to the community, Elon is helping students associate with the surrounding area by adding a shuttle service to make it more accessible.

“I was very excited to have a new mall close to us, and was hoping that it was an improvement to the Burlington Mall,” she said.

While AC boasts more space and stores than Burlington Square Mall, it also offers a blended look to give it multi-purposes. The mall’s developmental contactor, CBL & Associates Properties Inc., said it has “the architectural appeal of small town America, combined with all the advantages of an urban destination [and will] offer residents the best in shopping, dining and entertainment.”

According to Shopping Centers Today, the land was originally part of a family-owned tobacco farm. However, the City of Burlington knew the area could be put to better use, and it was first looked into by CBL in 2001.

During the next 18 months, CBL opted to create a smaller mall, then dubbed Burlington Marketplace, and develop around 60 acres.

But after marketing and noticing the needs of Burlington, they decided to expand to 142 acres and drew the attention of major stores such as Dilliard’s, Belk, Barnes & Noble and JCPenney.

Forming a sponsorship with Coca-Cola and Alamance Regional Medical Center to help back the project, CBL also took into account other aspects such as Burlington’s growing population trends, local colleges and universities and major companies, such as LabCorp, that are located around the area.

Barnes & Nobles Community Relations Manager Susan Ellington said she assumed her corporation had looked into the location before committing and were probably impressed by the location and surrounding population expansion.

The project went into full force after the North Carolina Department of Transportation created a new interchange that led I-40 directly to University Drive and enough space was created for the current property.

Ground was broken in September 2005 to create an aesthetically-pleasing open-air center, the looks of which could rival Elon.

“The center’s unique architecture will pay tribute to the area’s rich history in the textile and tobacco industries as well as the transition into today’s influence of technology,” the AC brochure said. “The Main Street design will provide shoppers with spacious walkways and convenient curbside parking.”

Also included is a lake, covered pavilion for entertainment and a bridge crossing over a wetland area, which is a new mall format for CBL, who is also invested in properties such as Oak Hollow Mall in High Point and owns Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem.

While some students have been using the off-campus availability of AC to their advantage, Ellington said she sees many students in and out of her doors, but hasn’t been able to decipher just how many are Elon students.

“I actually just spoke with an Elon student, but I know there have been a lot of faculty and staff members in our store,” Ellington said.

With a location in Greensboro and Durham, Ellington said her store has been busy, especially with customers that are happy they have moved in.

Possessing free hot spot high-speed cable, a café, reading station and memberships for frequent visitors, Ellington said business is strong and provides a great hangout for college students.

“Hopefully we are providing a place for people to come not only to shop, but to relax and get some entertainment,” Ellington said.

Strategically placed along I-40, the mall is a prime location for students who are studying or shopping, but also for those that are on a job-hunt.

While Morlan works at Abercrombie in Four Seasons in Greensboro, her friend sophomore Jesse Unger recently received a job waitressing at Red Robin in AC.

“It’s nice to know that half of what I make isn’t going to have to go to gas just for me to get there,” Unger said. “It’s just a hassle, especially working while having classes.

“It’s nice just to be located a few miles away, unlike some other jobs that my friends or I have had.”

While some students are being turned away from establishments since they already have full staffs, Barnes & Noble is still hiring and is interested in student-workers.

Open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, the mall is expected. to bring 1,500 jobs to the area and create an annual revenue of more than $200 million, according to The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area.

While talk for a possible second phase, which would invite more development and stores to the area are in the works, there is nothing official yet.

But for the mean time, Morlan and her peers are appreciating the luxury of having an updated, large shopping facility at their disposal.

“I think people will start going to Alamance Crossing instead of Greensboro and Raleigh since the mall is new and has more stores,” Morlan said. “I think they are hoping that more stores will be added, but are happy to have an improved mall in the Elon area.”

For more information, visit www.alamancecrossing.com

Special Features Editor: Andie Diemer - 09/12/07