Belk opens at The Pinnacle in Southwest Virginia

A new Belk store, with 132,000-square feet of retail space, opened Wednesday at The Pinnacle, a new shopping development in the Tri-Cities area.  It was the second anchor store to open in the 250-acre, open-air, mixed-use development off Interstate 81 in Bristol, Tenn.

The $20 million store — the size of nearly three football fields — is the largest Belk in the region, the developer said.  With two levels, it offers an assortment of premium and national brands, Belk private brands, and a large shoe department.

“Our objective is to give consumers a one-of-a-kind opportunity from Whitesburg, Ky., to Roanoke; Asheville, N.C., to Morristown; and all parts in between,” Pinnacle developer Steve Johnson said in a statement.

Johnson, president of Bristol, Va.-based Johnson Commercial Development, said Belk’s opening kicks off a string of store openings at The Pinnacle, include Marshalls, opening on March 12; Versona, opening March 19, as well as Boot Barn opening this spring. “We will also be adding numerous restaurants throughout the year, including the region’s first Steak ‘n Shake,” he said.

Other stores set to join anchor Bass Pro Shop and the new Belk include: Michael’s, Kirkland’s, Shoe Carnival and Pier 1 Imports. In all, Johnson said 450,000 square feet of retail shopping will be available by the end of March.

By fall, when The Pinnacle 12 by Marquee Cinemas opens, the total square footage of retail space at the development will reach 500,000 square feet.

At total build out, the complex is expected to accommodate more than 1.3 million square feet of retail, restaurant, hotel, entertainment and medical office space.