FEATURE ARTICLE, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010

PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS: NEW RETAIL PROJECTS AROUND THE NORTHEAST

The Gateway at Scarborough - Scarborough, Maine

The Gateway at Scarborough

FELDCO Development Corp. is developing The Gateway at Scarborough just off Interstate 95 in Scarborough, Maine. The development includes The Gateway Shoppes, which is anchored by Cabela’s, and The Gateway Square, which will contain up to 300,000 square feet of office space.

The Gateway Shoppes includes a 130,000-square-foot Cabela’s, a 6,000-square-foot Famous Dave’s restaurant, two 20,000-square-foot retail buildings, and an 8,000-square foot retail building. Retail tenants include Kennel Shop, Cricket & Co., Kitchen & Cork, and Haven’s Candies. Restaurant tenants include Portland Pie (a pizzeria), Henry VIII Carvery, and Thai 9.

The Gateway Shoppes has four additional pad sites. FELDCO is talking with several service station/convenience store operators who are interested in one site. The other three pads will likely be restaurants. Additionally, FELDCO plans to develop a 100-room hotel and is talking with several hotel operators who are interested in the site.

The Gateway Square was originally slated for a single 300,000-square-foot office development, but the intended occupant has put its plans on hold. Now, the project is more flexible and can hold a variety of buildings ranging from 10,000 to 300,000 square feet.

— Jaime Lackey

MCandless Crossing - McCandless Township, Penn.

AdVenture Development recently held a groundbreaking for one of the largest mixed-use projects in Pittsburgh in recent memory. McCandless Crossing will be located on approximately 130 acres on McKnight Road in the northern Pittsburgh suburb of McCandless Township. “[The site] is the last remaining parcel of land on McKnight Road, which is the major retail corridor in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh,“ says Kevin Dougherty, president of Selma, North Carolina-based AdVenture Development.   This location along a prime retail corridor means that the project will contain plenty of retail space — approximately 500,000 square feet based on current plans. The retail space will be joined by 200,000 square feet of office space, 300 to 500 residential units, and two hotels with a total of more than 200 rooms.

Retail is not the only draw of this corridor. McCandless Crossing is situated adjacent to UPMC Passavant Hospital, which is undergoing a $190 million expansion. Other nearby draws include LaRoche College and the approximately 400,000-square-foot Pittsburgh Office & Research Park.  The project will be constructed in phases over the next 3 to 5 years. Some tenants have already signed at the center, including Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and Fidelity Bank, both of which are expected to open in fall 2010. Development will begin on the northwest quadrant of McKnight Road and Duncan Avenue, which will contain the Lowe's, several outparcels and multi-tenant buildings. This side of McKnight also is expected to contain a fitness center, medical/professional office space, a hotel and restaurants. Phase II, which will be built on the east side of McKnight Road, will be a town center-style project. Initial plans include a grocery store, a movie theater, a bookstore, the other hotel, retail and residential. Trumbull Corp. is serving as the site contractor for the project.   While a mixed-use project of this size would seem risky in current economic times, Dougherty is not deterred. “Pittsburgh is not participating in this recession the way the rest of the world is. It is a healthy, solid market right now.“ 

— Coleman Wood

Legacy Place - Dedham, Mass.

Legacy Place, a 675,000-square-foot open-air center in Dedham, Massachusetts, is a joint venture of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts-based WS Development and Dedham-based National Amusements. The project, which celebrated its grand opening in August, is anchored by Whole Foods, L.L. Bean, Borders, Kings, and a 15-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux (owned by National Amusements).

Additional retailers include Anthropologie, Lucky Brand Jeans, Apple, Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, and City Sports. Restaurants include P.F. Chang’s, Aquitaine, Met Bar & Grill, Legal Sea Foods, and Yardhouse, among others.

The development is located at 950 Providence Highway at the intersection of Route 1 and I-95.

“We’re pleased to be 93 percent leased, which is exceptional in any economy,” says Brian Sciera, vice president of lifestyle centers with WS Development.

Sciera says, “Legacy Place is something new and fresh on the Boston retail scene. The trade area has had a pent-up demand for a center like Legacy Place. Now, residents don’t have to travel as far for great shopping. Traffic and sales are ahead of expectations.”

The 30,000-square-foot L.L. Bean store is certified LEED-Gold, and the entire development has eco-friendly features. Sciera explains, “The more than 2,000 new trees, plants, and bushes installed at Legacy Place represent the second largest planting in the history of the town of Dedham. Three underground water cisterns collect up to 280,000 gallons of rainwater from Legacy Place building rooftops and parking lots. The water is used for landscape irrigation; no public water is required. Rain gardens and bio-retention ponds significantly reduce water pollution loads coming from the property. Bike racks are located on site to encourage customers to use alternative forms of transportation. And, importantly, we used smart growth planning by offering new pedestrian access from Legacy Place to 580 adjacent apartment units and the nearby MBTA commuter rail station.”

— Coleman Wood

Christiana Mall - Newark, Del.

Christiana Mall

Chicago-based General Growth Properties is redeveloping its 1 million-square-foot Christiana Mall property in Newark, Delaware. The company is adding 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to the center as well as renovating the existing property. VCC Construction is the general contractor. The mall originally opened in 1978, and this is the property’s second expansion and renovation.

Nordstrom will open in spring 2011. J.Crew and The Cheesecake Factory will open in March 2010. Barnes & Noble, bebe, Brighton Collectibles and Bare Escentuals opened at the center in November, and Forever 21 opens this month. (The mall is currently anchored by Macy’s and JCPenney.)

“The redevelopment taking place at Christiana Mall is a reflection of the changing demographics of the area and to meet current customer demand,” says Steve Chambliss, senior general manager of Christiana Mall. “As the surrounding area continues to grow and change both demographically and economically, Christiana Mall is exceeding the needs of its customers by staying ahead of the curve.”

Chambliss  notes, “Christiana Mall is one of the most successful and productive shopping centers in the country attracting more than 17 million visitors annually. Nearly 25 percent of shoppers travel from surrounding states to take advantage of Delaware’s tax-free shopping.“

— Jaime Lackey

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