CONWAY — A developer wants to build a shopping complex with a big-box anchor and a grocery store in Conway, and city leaders expect to discuss the plans next week.
No retailers have been identified by city officials, but records indicate the project would include a 50,887-square-foot grocery store and a major anchor spanning more than 140,000 square feet. There would also be five shops on the grocery store's side of the center and nine outparcels, according to city documents. A portion of the property would be set aside for multifamily housing, too.
The shopping center would be built along Mill Pond Road at the Lochwood Lane intersection, according to city records. That's behind the Circle K and the standalone emergency room under construction on U.S. Highway 501 (Church Street).
New traffic lights and repainting a water tower
Along with new stores and housing, the plans call for additional infrastructure, including a road and two traffic lights. One new signal has been proposed for U.S. 501 and another has been recommended for Mill Pond Road, but those would have to be approved by the S.C. Department of Transportation.
City leaders are considering a development agreement for the project that would permit the developer to use larger signage than city code allows because the property being eyed for the project has limited frontage on U.S. 501.
A city-owned water tower that's adjacent to the property could also be repainted to provide advertising for the center, according to a draft copy of the development agreement.
That agreement is still being revised, and the city may add language encouraging the center to participate in Conway's annual Christmas and Halloween decorating, according to city documents.
There are other exceptions that would also be included in the agreement, such as relaxing the parking requirements for the outparcels. The city is considering lifting some of those restrictions to accommodate restaurants.
A familiar developer is involved
The proposal comes from Rise Partners, the same commercial real estate firm that bought the nearby Coastal Centre in October 2024 and transformed the moribund property by bringing in retailers like Marshalls, PetSmart, Burlington and Ulta Beauty.
A representative for Rise, which has offices in North Carolina and Tennessee, could not be reached for comment.
"This is something that we've all wanted to see happen for a number of years," City Councilman William Goldfinch said of additional commercial development. "It just took partnering with the right group that not only had the resources (and) the wherewithal, but the relationships with retailers to bring them in."
Goldfinch said the revitalization of the Coastal Centre spurred interest from retailers, leading to the proposal for the Mill Pond Road project.
"We really needed this to lay the foundation for even more retail and commercial development that people would come to expect in a town the size of Conway," he said. "But this had to happen first."
Which stores could be coming?
While the sketch plans don't mention specific companies, city officials have long been vocal about wanting to attract popular retailers such as Target, Publix and Kroger.
They've also hoped that Conway's growth would eventually generate interest from big-name brands.
The city's population hovers around 30,000, but it's part of a region that was the second-fastest-growing metro area in the nation in 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates released in March.
Between the 2020 and 2024, the city's population swelled by about 18 percent, according to Census estimates.
As more people have arrived, the city has seen interest in commercial projects on its eastern and western edges.
A major shopping complex with a home improvement store, restaurants and other offices has been proposed for property across from the Carolina Forest Walmart, and a new Food Lion is expected to anchor a shopping center near the corner of Highway 548 and U.S. Highway 501.
But the Mill Pond Road project would add retail in the center of the city. Conway leaders are being asked to rezone just over 67 acres for that project.
City officials said plans for the new center are still in the early stages, and they could not confirm which stores are being considered for the site.
But talks are moving quickly.
City Council is scheduled to discuss the proposed development at its Aug. 17 meeting. The city's planning commission could then hold a public hearing about the rezoning and the development agreement on Sept. 3, and, if the commission makes a recommendation, the council could take its first vote on the deal on Sept. 21.