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BY MATTHEW MORIARTY: Staff Writer

Aberdeen Commons, the new shopping center anchored by Best Buy, has been sold to a Pinehurst investor for $23.6 million.

The previous owner, Faison and Associates of Charlotte, sold the shopping center to Aberdeen Commons, LLC, which is at least partially owned by Pinehurst developer James Kirkpatrick, according to Aberdeen Planning Director Giles Hopkins.

The sale closed April 17. Bill Barnett, head of retail development for Faison, said that the company had been looking to sell the shopping center.

Aberdeen Commons was built in 2004 after Faison bulldozed the previous shopping center, which at that time was the home of Big Lots. Before that, Kmart was the main store.

The 123,000-square-foot-shopping center is now home to Best Buy, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Ross Dress for Less and PETsMART. Specialty tenants include Rack Room Shoes, Panera Bread, Kirklandís, Coldstone Creamery, and Moeís Southwest Grill.

It is on U.S. 15-501 across from Harris Teeter shopping center and Taco Bell.

Barnett said that selling the property wasnít the companyís original plan, but he wouldnít elaborate on why plans changed.

Bill Seymore, a member of the Faison group, is the developer building Starbucks Coffee Company and some other property near Aberdeen Commons, according to Hopkins.

Faison operates some other properties in Moore County, such as the Harris Teeter shopping center bordered by U.S. 1 and U.S. 15-501.

The company manages and develops properties throughout the South and Mid-Atlantic and maintains regional offices in Bethesda, Md.; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte; Charleston, S.C.; Atlanta; and Orlando and Delray Beach in Florida.

Other Faison retail projects in the Carolinas include South Square and Alexander Place Promenade in the Raleigh/Dur-ham area, Northlake Commons, and Amity Gardens in Charlotte and Mooresville Crossing in Mooresville.

Faisonís current roster of residential developments in the Carolinas includes: Village Manor at Ayrsley and 800 Hawthorne in Charlotte and Fenwick in Charleston, S.C.

Faison is a privately held development company with holdings of $1 billion and $500 million worth of new projects in development.

David Lampke, Faisonís managing director of acquisitions and dispositions, represented the seller in the Aberdeen Commons deal.

Kirkpatrick couldnít be reached for comment.

Matthew Moriarty may be reached at 693-2479 or by e-mail at moriarty@thepilot.com.