Bigger, Better Shopping
Genesee Valley Center remains dominant in the marketplace with a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion.
Susan H. Fishman

Genesee Valley Center, which first opened in 1970 in Flint Township, Michigan, has recently undergone a major renovation and expansion.

“Genesee Valley is the dominant shopping center north of Detroit, and the opening of the Outdoor Village will introduce to area residents a new and exciting dining and shopping experience,” says Joseph C. Szymaszek, vice president of retail operations for Turnberry Retail Development, who is developing the new property.

Also the largest regional center north of metropolitan Detroit, Genesee Valley Center was renovated in 1987 with the addition of the second-floor food court. The Marshall Field’s and Sears anchor stores underwent multimillion-dollar upgrades last year. The new look features upgraded lighting with a canopy of bright chandeliers; new tile and carpet flooring; redesigned seating, including couches and chairs in rest areas; and King Arthur’s Castle, the county’s only indoor playground.

Barnes & Noble anchors the new Outdoor Village at Genesee Valley Center.

And more and more families are moving to the area. Genesee County has experienced renewed vitality in the past several years. The county has benefited from several key demographic trends, including the migration of people and businesses north from Detroit, and the expanding influence of FAFTA on Lake Huron’s major port cities. Unprecedented levels of redevelopment and investment in downtown Flint have stimulated new home ownership and business expansion, and several prominent projects aim to rehabilitate Flint’s cityscape and historic sites. The county’s airport, Bishop International, is one of the fastest growing in the nation and its annual commuter traffic has almost tripled since 1997.

Turnberry Associates is developing a new Outdoor Village at the center.

The new Outdoor Village is the brainchild of Turnberry Associates, the South Florida-based real estate development and property management company that oversees Genesee Valley Center and works in partnership with Walton Street Capital, which has owned the center for the past 7 years. Together they commissioned Communication Arts Inc., a Boulder, Colorado-based shopping center design firm, to lead the design efforts.

The architect for the Outdoor Village is JPRA Architects of Farmington Hills, Michigan, with E&L Construction Group of Flint overseeing the work. E&L also recently completed the $6 million interior renovation at the center.

Opened in spring 2006, the open-air, “boulevard-style” streetscape component includes a grand entranceway visible from Miller Road, two glass atrium towers, an upscale restaurant, approximately 10 nationally recognized tenants, a coffeehouse and a picturesque fountain.

“It’s exciting to watch the amazing progress at the Outdoor Village,” says Cooper. “It certainly sets the stage for an exciting new retail experience for Flint-area residents.”

Anchoring the Outdoor Village will be a 26,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble offering nearly 200,000 books and an array of music, DVDs and magazines along with a café serving Starbucks’ coffee in a courtyard setting.

The project is bringing in some other national tenants, not previously found in the Flint market, including Coldwater Creek, Bar Louie and Ritz Camera.

“We have affluent markets north and south of us and people from those markets were all traveling to Detroit to shop,” notes Lili Donaldson, marketing manager for Turnberry Associates.  “We’re bringing in these prominent tenants that are now offering better shopping choices.”