Profiles In Mixed-Use
Shopping Center Business takes a look at mixed-use projects from coast-to-coast.
Compiled by Randall Shearin and Coleman Wood

At this year’s ICSC ReCon convention in Las Vegas, it seemed like every project was mixed-use. With so much mixed-use on the radar, SCB profiles some of the projects underway from large to small, from east to west. From lifestyle centers adding hotel and office uses, to new town centers with boutique retail, mixed-use is taking many forms.

Harrison MetroCentre

Harrison Metrocentre

One of the most ambitious mixed-use projects in the U.S. is Harrison MetroCentre. Located in Harrison, New Jersey, the brownfield project began remediation and demolition construction in 2006. The first phase of the project is located on 35 acres situated about 8 miles west of Manhattan. In total, the project is planned to have 3 million square feet of office space, 5,000 residential units, 1 million square feet of retail and parking for 5,000 cars. A 350-room hotel will also be part of the project. Although the project will be vertical in nature, there will be some urban-style big box components to the retail portion, says Kevin Tartaglione, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the project’s developer, Advance Realty Group.

A separate, 25,000-seat soccer stadium, Red Bull Park, will be located adjacent to the project. With its main street atmosphere and plentiful amenities, Harrison MetroCentre is expected to become a major hub for commuters in the area, as well as a hub for local residents. The project sits along a PATH train line leading directly to Manhattan, and will have its own station.

“We think the urban centers are going to be coming back, especially the ones with rail service,” says Tartaglione. “This site has access to Manhattan in a 25-minute train ride.”

— Randall Shearin

Woodmore Towne Centre at Glenarden

Woodmore Towne Centre At Glenarden

Petrie Ross Ventures and Greenberg Gibbons Commercial are busy developing Woodmore Towne Centre at Glenarden, a 245-acre mixed-use project in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The project will consist of 800,000 square feet of retail; 1,079 units of single family, multifamily and townhome housing; two hotels totaling 360 rooms; and 1 million square feet of office space. Prince George’s County is considered the most affluent minority-majority county in the United States, and Woodmore’s retail mix attests to that fact. Wegman’s, Costco and Best Buy are among the retail anchors to sign on to the project, which is anticipated to open in late 2009. The project is located at the interchange of Interstate 495 (the Capitol Beltway) and Maryland 202, and has over 1,000 feet of frontage along I-495.

— Randall Shearin

Midlothian Town Center

Midlothian Town Center

Drawing its inspiration from the Rockwell-esque suburban neighborhoods of the late 19th and early 20th century, Midlothian Town Center brings an old colonial feel to the Richmond, Virginia, suburb of Midlothian. The project will encompass 60 acres located at the intersection of Winterfield Road and the Midlothian Turnpike, and is being developed by Charleston, South Carolina-based James Doran Company.

The heart of the development will consist of a 35-acre urban village that will contain 318,000 square feet of retail space, 10,000 square feet of office space and approximately 250 luxury condominiums. Construction of 30,000 square feet of retail space and an outparcel has already begun, with completion of the project’s first phase scheduled for spring 2009.

But there is more to the development. Midlothian Town Center will also contain a 3-acre natural lake, a lakefront promenade, numerous parks, plazas, courtyards and a town square. Pedestrians will be able to follow 8,000 feet of sidewalks through the pedestrian-friendly development, and residents of the project’s multifamily component will have access to a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse and swimming pool. Another part of the development totaling 25 acres will be used strictly for residences. Known as Michaux Village, the enclave will contain 25 single-family home lots and 122 townhome lots.

Assisting James Doran with the design of Midlothian Town Center are Atlanta-based Randall-Paulson Architects, Charlotte, North Carolina-based The Housing Studio and Richmond-based Cornerstone Architects. The developer partnered with locally based Divaris Real Estate to lease the retail component of the project. Prospective tenants include lifestyle retail anchors, restaurants, specialty boutiques, entertainment venues and service companies.

With an average household income of more than $129,000 within a 3-mile radius and a traffic count of 31,000 vehicles per day, the project has all the demographics to achieve success. All that is needed is residents and the right mix of tenants to provide the catalyst.

— Coleman Wood

University Marketplace

University Marketplace

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Hawthorne Retail Partners, in concert with Crescent Resources LLC, is developing University Marketplace, a 438,000-square-foot mixed-use development in Durham, North Carolina. At a cost of $75 million, the project features a single story of retail, with three and four stories of residential space over the retail space, all on 15 acres in the Southwestern part of the city. The 320 residential units will be LEED certified. The 112,800 square feet of retail space will be anchored by a 20,000-square-foot Poppies Gourmet Market, specializing in local and organic produce and gourmet items. A 20,000-square-foot junior anchor will be announced later in the project. The center also contains a 500-space parking deck and a 4,500-square-foot greenspace that can be used by its residents. The center is adjacent to over 1 million square feet of existing retail and 1.7 million square feet of office space. It is also located about 2 miles from Duke University, Durham’s largest private employer. Three-mile average household income is greater than $85,000.

— Randall Shearin

Vintage Park

Vintage Park

In northwest Houston, locally based Interfin Companies is developing a shopping center reminiscent less of a typical Texas shopping center and more of  a European outdoor shopping promenade. Known as Vintage Park, the 84-acre project is located at the intersection of Louetta Road and Highway 249. Once complete, it will encompass 324,000 square feet of retail space, 24,000 square feet of office space and feature a 112,000-square-foot HEB Vintage Market.

The lifestyle center’s theme comes straight from the shopping promenades of Italy, with hand-laid pavers that create a cobblestone street effect, stucco and stone column walkways, clay tile roofs, and mosaic ornamental details. The central core of the center contains The Piazza, which features a series of fountains and gardens surrounded by arched porticos and restaurants.

Leasing has been brisk for the center, with 50 percent of the space already committed. Tenants already open at Vintage Park include Alam Murphy Salon, All About Feet, Amegy Bank, HEB Vintage Market, Imagination Toys & Shoes, LandAmerica Commonwealth Title, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Starbucks Coffee and Trustmark Bank. Retailers and office tenants coming soon to the center will include Advanced Wireless, Bank of Texas, Compass Bank, eminence fine furniture, Heritage Texas Properties, James H. Clarke D.D.S, Kickerillo Companies, Pepper-Lawson Construction, Smile Makers, Texas Floors, Venetian Nail Spa and Vintage Wellness & Aesthetic Center. Casual dining will also have a strong presence at Vintage Park, with restaurant tenants that will include Brix Wine Cellars, Cheeburger Cheeburger, Fish City Grill, Mia Bella, Peli Peli and Shogun.

Vintage Park makes up the retail portion of The Vintage, a 630-acre master-planned community. The land for the development was acquired from Hewlett-Packard by a partnership involving Interfin Companies, Kickerillo Companies, Mischer Investments, Perrin White and James Hill. The Vintage features high-end residential neighborhoods, apartments, townhomes, office, medical and retail space.

— Coleman Wood

Hollywood As Mixed-Use

Hollywood As Mixed-Use

For CIM Group, the city of Hollywood is becoming a mixed-use environment. The company has amalgamated 14 properties on and around Hollywood Boulevard – everything from office properties with retail on the bottom to apartment buildings to the 687,000-square-foot Hollywood & Highland retail project (pictured at left).

“The project demonstrates that mixed-use is more than just a single building being used for multiple uses,” says Jeff Kreshek, principal, leasing, for CIM Group. “It is urban planning in a horizontal and vertical setting.”

For CIM — whose headquarters are in one of the buildings it owns in Hollywood — making the area mixed-use is paramount to the city’s turnaround. For example, CIM Group purchased 7046 Hollywood Boulevard, a 1920s office building, and converted it to 42 apartment units with ground floor retail below. The company also purchased the TV Guide building, an office building, and placed retail on the bottom floor of the 192,000-square-foot building. CIM has been able to lease the office space to five corporate tenants, the smallest of whom uses 8,000 square feet. Five retail shops, including H&M, now anchor the ground floor. 

“There’s a regeneration and a reuse of space into much better uses than it was being utilized for just a few short years ago,” says Kreshek.

At 6904 Hollywood Boulevard, which CIM recently acquired, Zara will locate in a 15,000-square-foot space, as well as another retailer and a 17,000-square-foot office tenant on the upper level.

 “We have worked at attracting the locals through our retail program,” says Kreshek. “We’re really coming at it all approaches — something for the locals, something for the tourists, something for the theater-goers — we want to be a multi-purpose district. That’s the key to this working.”           

— Randall Shearin

Frisco Square

Frisco Square

In the northern Dallas suburb of Frisco, a master-planned development is springing up that seeks not only to become the major attraction of the town, but the town center itself. Known as Frisco Square, the 147-acre project has the potential for up to 4.4 million square feet of office, retail, multifamily and municipal space in a pedestrian-friendly environment.  The project is unique among other area mixed-use developments in that the city of Frisco’s new city hall, library and heritage center will be situated within the center, which is located at the intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and Main Street.

Joining the 144,000 square feet of government space will be approximately 1.5 million square feet of office space, 500,000 square feet of retail space, 1,400 apartments and 500 residential units comprising a mix of townhomes, condominiums and stacked-flats. Retail leasing activity has been steady, with four new restaurants joining the tenants roster. Lochrann’s Irish Pub & Grill, Mattito’s Mexican Food, Go-Go Burger and Sake Toro Sushi have all recently signed on at the center. Additionally, a 64,000-square-foot building has recently been completed. Located on Main Street, the building contains 49,000 square feet of office space above 15,000 square feet of retail space.

“We won’t have the same retail mix or the same quantity of retailers as nearby centers,” says Jim Leslie, managing partner of the project. “We will have some select retailers that fit with the mixed-use concept and the old world architecture that we have.”

Frisco Square is also working hard to engrain itself in the community. The development was recently home to a spring carnival. This summer, it will host a farmers market and weekly Movies In The Square, in which a giant project screen will be put up at City Hall Plaza.

With a wealth of options for all visitors, Frisco Square has proven to be popular. The development had 3.3 million visitors in 2007, a number that is surely to increase this year. Nearby attractions are bound to help. Directly across the street from Frisco Square is the $65 million Pizza Hut Park, which includes the 20,000-square-foot stadium of the FC Dallas Major League Soccer team. As the city of Frisco grows — it recently surpassed the 100,000 population mark — Frisco Square is bound to grow with it.

— Coleman Wood

The Streets Of St. Charles At Noah’s Ark

The Streets Of St. Charles At Noah’s Ark

The St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, Missouri, will soon be home to one of the area’s premier mixed-use developments with the construction of Cullinan Properties’ The Streets of St. Charles at Noah’s Ark. Designed in a New Urbanism style, the $385 million project will span 26 acres facing Interstate 70. It will contain 250,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, more than 250,000 square feet of Class A office space, a 150-room hotel with a conference facility, more than 2,500 parking spaces and a significant residential component. Although currently less than 500 residential units are planned, the project has the potential for up to 1,100 units with an average value of $250,000.

The location of The Streets of St. Charles may prove to be one of its best assets. The project sits in the middle of a fashion retail void, with the closest regional mall 7 miles away. Exit 5, the interstate exit where the project is located, is also home to Ameristar Casino, which attracts more than 10.5 million visitors annually, and Old Town St. Charles, which receives more than 1.5 million yearly visitors. The area also contains a Bass Pro Shops, a new Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center, and has a daily traffic count of 187,000. The quality of life of the city is equally alluring. St. Charles was recognized by CNN’s Money.com as one of the top 100 places to live in 2006, and was named one of the top 100 places to raise a family in the book Best Places to Raise Your Family.

The Streets of St. Charles is fully permitted and entitled, and demolition at the site has already begun. Site work will begin immediately upon completion of the demolition process, with completion scheduled for 2010.

— Coleman Wood

The Clock Tower at Seven Hills

The Clock Tower At Seven Hills

Citation Property Group is busy developing The Clock Tower at Seven Hills in affluent Henderson, Nevada. Envisioned as a place for the local market, The Clock Tower at Seven Hills will be a 500,000-square-foot mixed-use center encompassing retail, office, boutique hotel and residential uses. The 100,000-square-foot retail component will be anchored mostly by upscale restaurants. The balance of the space will be filled by mostly local boutique-oriented retail, says Citation CEO Rodney Tucker. About 50,000 square feet of office space will be nestled in the project. A 130-key boutique hotel will also be part of the mix, as will 300 upscale for-sale residential units. The project, designed by Gensler and JMA, is designed with an eclectic style.

“The Clock Tower at Seven Hills acts as an anchor point for the entire demographic area by providing people a place where they can gather close to home, with all the amenities they are looking for in one location,” says Tucker.

CB Richard Ellis is leasing the retail and office components of the project.           

— Randall Shearin

The Shops of Saddle Creek

The Shops Of Saddle Creek. Photo credit: Paradigm Productions, Memphis Tn.

The first lifestyle center in the U.S. is turning mixed-use. Poag & McEwen Lifestyle Centers is planning a 1.3 million-square-foot mixed-use addition to The Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown, Tennessee, which was the nation’s first lifestyle center. Originally opened in 1987, The Shops at Saddle Creek — at 140,000 square feet today — has many top national, regional and local retail tenants. The expansion, which is projected to open in spring 2010, will add 350,000 square feet of street level retail and restaurants, 300 apartments, 175,000 square feet of Class A office space and a four-star hotel. Memphis-based Poag & McEwen is going for LEED certification for the expansion, which will also include a large central plaza to be used for community events and activities. The city of Germantown has incorporated a smart growth initiative that requires developers to go vertical, according to Josh Poag, executive vice president and CFO of Poag & McEwen. Construction will start this fall, with a planned opening in 2010.

“The lifestyle center — which is now 21 years old — is performing very well,” says Poag. “We want to expand it, keep it up with the times and help our retailers do even better.”                                   

— Randall Shearin

Newpark Town Center

Newpark Town Center

Long known for its ski resorts and the annual Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, will soon have another attraction with a new $350 million mixed-use development. Newpark Town Center will encompass 820,000 square feet at Kimball Junction on Interstate 80, and development is already underway. The project currently contains 95 townhomes, Snyderville Basin Recreation Center and 90,000 square feet of office space with a tenant roster that includes the headquarters of Rossignol/Quicksilver.

But even more is on the horizon for Newpark Town Center. A four-star, 135-room boutique hotel is scheduled to open this winter. Additionally, the 150,000-square-foot retail component of the project is currently under construction. The developers, Las Vegas-based Territory Incorporated and New Park Corporation, are striving to create an upscale, lifestyle space in the retail core of the development. Groundbreaking occurred in the first quarter, and completion is scheduled for summer 2009. Tenants already announced include a 30,000-square-foot Best Buy, which will anchor the retail space, and Empire Bowl,  which will construct a $6.5 million upscale bowling facility. Totaling 21,750 square feet, Empire Bowl will contain 16 bowling lanes, regulation-size billiard tables and a gaming arcade. The bowling alley will be adorned with high-definition, plasma screen televisions, and will contain a full-service restaurant and sports bar. Empire Bowl is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2009.

Once complete, Newpark Town Center will be much more than just offices and retail. A total of 360 residential units will ultimately be constructed at the project. Also planned is the Swaner Nature Preserve Center. Territory and Newpark have also designed the project to be pedestrian friendly. It will feature a Main Street area with multiple plazas, and a human-scale sun calendar. A community park will contain an amphitheater that will eventually host concerts and other outdoor activities. Additional components will be announced at a later time. In a city that already teems with visitors and residents, Newpark Town Center is sure to find its audience. 

— Coleman Wood

12th & Midtown

12th & Midtown

Selig Enterprises, Daniel Corporation and MetLife are all diligently working to create 12th & Midtown, an urban district along Peachtree Street in Atlanta. The first phase of the project includes 1010 Midtown, a 35-story highrise condominium building that will be ready for occupancy this fall. Canyon Johnson Urban Funds is also involved in the first phase of the project. A second phase, scheduled to open in spring 2010, will include a 725,000-square-foot office tower, 60,000 square feet of flagship retail space and a 414-room Loews Hotel. Further phases will add additional residential units, on-street retail and office space. In all, the $2 billion project will span four city blocks and contain 1.2 million square feet of office space, more than 1,000 residences, and 200,000 square feet of retail space. 

— Randall Shearin