"It is not too far from Ballantyne, which is obviously a big driver of activity."
That was Yates Dunaway of Crosland Southeast, telling the Charlotte Business Journal why he went after the 130 acres that became The Exchange at Indian Land. The interview was reposted on Lancaster County's news page in February 2026. The land was zoned light industrial when his team started looking in September 2020, and the county's economic development staff wanted to keep it that way. Rezoning it to mixed use took about 13 months, ending with a development agreement in October 2021.
Five years later, that land holds the grocery store at the corner of US-521 and Possum Hollow Road. The 190-acre CrossRidge Center sits just to the south. This October marks one full year since the big anchors opened. The additions since then, plus the ones coming next, are less about errands. They're places built for staying put: a chili festival, a tasting room, a deli with seating, a beer counter inside the supermarket.
Twenty-Three Days in October 2025
Three of the region's best-known retailers opened on the same stretch of Charlotte Highway within about three weeks of each other.
| Store | Address | Opened | The detail beyond the basics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowes Foods | US-521 at Possum Hollow Road, The Exchange | Oct. 9, 2025 | Beer Den, Community Table, SausageWorks station |
| Target | 5345 Crossridge Blvd. | Oct. 12, 2025 | 149,000 square feet, with Starbucks, CVS pharmacy and a Disney store inside |
| Costco | 8800 Charlotte Highway | Oct. 31, 2025 | Warehouse anchor for The Exchange |
The Target size stands out. The Rock Hill Herald reported that the Indian Land store came in at 149,000 square feet, against a companywide average of 125,000. That includes a 16,000-square-foot section for produce, meat and dairy. So the Target's grocery side is big enough to be a real food stop, not just a convenience aisle. It sits a short drive down Charlotte Highway from both Lowes Foods and Costco.
Lowes Foods is where the "stay a while" idea first showed up. Besides the coffee shop, cheese shop and bakery, the store has a deli with eat-in or take-home meals in three themed areas: chicken, smoked meats and sandwiches. An area called The Community Table hosts food pairings, tea parties, floral arrangement classes and private events. The Beer Den lets shoppers have a drink while they shop or fill growlers and crowlers to take home. A grocery store with a class calendar and a beer counter is built for people to hang around. The rest of the corridor has been heading the same way since.
What CrossRidge Has Open Between the Big Stops
Away from Target, CrossRidge's current directory lists five food and drink tenants as operating: CrossRidge Cafe, Metro Diner, Paris Baguette, Taste Buds Kitchen and Whataburger. Paris Baguette, at 5358 CrossRidge Blvd., is the center's bakery-café and its coffee stop outside the Target Starbucks. Metro Diner at 2077 Parkway Dr., Suite 101 is the longest-running of the group. It was already open when the company announced its first Indian Land location in July 2025. Whataburger's listing points to its Indian Land address at 8576 Charlotte Highway.
The services side of the directory is the kind that saves a trip somewhere else: Chase Bank, Eyemart Express, Ideal Dental and M Nail Salon. CrossRidge's home page also promotes YMCA access and bills the center as a place for shopping, dining, live music, events and fitness.
The newest opening nearby is just up the highway. CharlotteFive reported that Guthrie's Chicken started serving customers at 8462 Charlotte Highway on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
October Has Two Saturdays Worth Planning Around
Today is Sept. 30, so the first of these is this weekend. Both are a short drive from the grocery anchors.
- Saturday, Oct. 3, at Walnut Creek Park. Lancaster County Parks and Recreation has a Forest Explorers Fall Hike on its calendar from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Since it ends at 1 p.m., the afternoon is open for a Costco or Lowes Foods run.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, at CrossRidge Center. The Carolina Chili CookOff runs both days, with chili sampling, live entertainment, local vendors and a public vote on favorite recipes. CrossRidge calls it an annual event. It's the only event on the center's calendar for the rest of the year. No November or December listing, holiday market or tree lighting has been posted.
Two weekday programs fill the gap between them. The county's Fall into Fun Mini Day Camp is on Monday, Oct. 5, and Pumpkin Palooza Mini Day Camp is on Thursday, Oct. 8. Both are at 8286 Charlotte Highway.
The Chili CookOff is a sign of where CrossRidge is heading. A center that hosts a two-day festival with a vote is using its land for gatherings as well as storefronts. The pipeline points the same way.
What's Next on the CrossRidge List
Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant is the biggest name on the way. CrossRidge announced in May 2026 that the restaurant would open its first South Carolina location at the center. The company described modern-casual dining, a Napa-style tasting room and an artisanal retail market. The Herald's June 4 coverage carried CrossRidge's announcement of a "this winter" opening. CrossRidge's own blog FAQ says no official opening date is available yet. For now, "this winter" is a season, not a reservation date.
The rest of the CrossRidge "coming soon" list, as the directory shows it today:
- King of Fire, a 3,484-square-foot restaurant first projected for the second quarter of 2026. That window has passed, and the listing still says "Coming Soon" with no new date.
- 521 Noodles
- Haraz Coffee
- Ilios Crafted Greek
- MilkShake Factory
- The Gilded Vault
None of these six has a published opening date. Just off the center, Playa Bowls lists an Indian Land location at 7756 Charlotte Highway, Suite 106, as coming soon. The Fort Mill Sun reported the expansion in June without an opening date.
Taken together, the list reads differently from the October 2025 openings. Last fall brought a warehouse club, a supermarket and a big-box store. The next wave starts with a winery restaurant that has its own tasting room, then adds a second coffee option, a milkshake shop and several new kitchens.
The Exchange's Smaller Shops Are the Next Unknown
At The Exchange, the grocery anchors are meant to be surrounded by a restaurant, a bank, a coffee shop and a medical office. As of the February 2026 interview, those smaller spaces were expected to be permitted and open later this year or early in 2027. The interview didn't name any tenants, and that timeline was a forecast made in February.
The other fixed date on the Indian Land calendar is further out. The Indian Land Community Festival is advertising its next festival for April 24, 2027.
Between now and then, two dates are confirmed. The Forest Explorers hike at Walnut Creek Park is this Saturday, and the Carolina Chili CookOff fills CrossRidge on Oct. 24 and 25.
If you own a home near CrossRidge or The Exchange, the changes on 521 over the past year are part of how buyers will see your street. The Kim Hamrick Team keeps track of what's opening along Charlotte Highway and what it means for nearby homes. Get your instant home valuation, and we'll walk you through how your address compares this fall.
