McGowin Park mega center adds 10 tenants (Birmingham, Montgomery: appointed, sales, real estate)

[piratepress]

Saw this today online:

Ten new tenants have leased space in McGowin Park Shopping Center off U.S. 90 and Interstate 10 in Mobile, including 25,000 square feet of space to Ross Dress For Less, according to Josh Burmeister and Buff Teague of JLL, leasing agents for the center. The tenants include T-Mobile, Mattress Firm, Luxury Nails, Uncle Maddio's Pizza Joint, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Sport Clips, Verizon Wireless and LA Bikini. McGowin Park's major anchors, Costco Wholesale, Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream, are expected to open in May 2015, while the other stores should open by early fall. The mega center is near Hank Aaron Stadium.

McGowin Park mega center adds 10 tenants; 3 separate land deals announced in Saraland | AL.com

[bon_regis]

These are decent 'in-line' tenants for the smaller spaces alongside the larger anchors at McGowin Park. Ross Dress For Less is more than likely leaving the Festival Centre, but I wonder if Mattress Firm will close either of the two existing stores on Airport Boulevard.

[Mellowboy]

I hope they add a Nordstrom Rack and/or Macy's, because none of these retailers, with exception of Costco, are anything special; they all are just a repetition of what we already have. Dave & Busters and other new to market popular 'upscalish' national chains would do well to make this center worth the trip. They can have both Ross and Nordstrom Rack at the same place, as in the case for other centers across the country. But I'd settle for Nordstrom Rack taking over the space Ross has now at the festival center, and that too would make sense it being behind JC Salon, The Melting Pot, down the road form Whole Foods and the main super regional mall in town. Restaurant chains such as Bar Louie, Yard House, BJ's Brewhouse, Bravo! Cucina Italiana, Buca Di Beppo, la Madeleine Country French Cafe, Corner Bakery Cafe, Firebirds Woodfire Grille, J. Alexander's Steakhouse, Houston's, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Kilwin's Chocolates and Ice cream, Cold Stone Creamery, Haagen Dazs ice cream shop, Which Wich Superior Sandwiches, Smashburger, and Jamba Juice, should all be considered.

[Mellowboy]

These announced stores are low-end, run of the mill, and/or already greatly present in our market stores, if this center is to be anything special where people drive out for it, it needs to have unique and new and upscale retailers and dining options, we do not need another Verizon wireless , T-Mobile, or Ross, or Mattress Firm, or Five Guys which we have so many locations of already, they could at least bring a Mooyah Burger and Shakes instead. But it is obvious that none of these nicer special chains want to risk entering the Mobile, AL market,for they perceive it as blue-collar, cheap, and impoverished. Really sad and depressing.

[bon_regis]

Power centers are inherently midscale at best.

[raj kapoor]

The good side of this coin is that there was a time just a few years ago that this would have only been built on the Eastern Shore.
The bad side is that it is going to be a little more time before the true upscale fashion center is developed. But I have NO doubt that Mobile's time is coming for that center. And as I always reiterate, Bel Air is in a good location and has the history to continue upward in its market presence in the city. I am always saddened by how many people seem to think it has no future in what is yet to come to Mobile.

[Mellowboy]

This retail selection is beneath that of power centers of many other markets. This is just typical city of Mobile mismanagement and desperation to take any tenant willing to join easily without the hard work and patience required for getting the more coveted selective retailers. But I understand that our city is that which does not have the best reputation economically, it being the only city not having a Costco (until now), or a Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Earth Fare Organic Grocer, Apple/Apple re-seller (until recently) or Red Robin Burger (until recently announced), etc., between Montgomery (smaller metro population than Mobile/Daphne/Spanish Fort), Huntsville, and Birmingham. Hopefully that will all change given recent economic developments, but it seems someone needs to just go an open a new high-end center in an affluent, or at least, middle or upper middle class part of the city (including across the bay). Unfortunately, what is hurting Bel Air mall is that it is close what unfortunately some people would consider sketchy part of town (making some of the rich people in Mobile not come to or shop at the mall). Also from what I've heard, these new to market higher brands, like Apple and such, are not pleased with the economic demographics of and the allegedly high crime rate assumed regarding the area around Bel Air mall, and that is really unfortunate.

[MPC]

Originally Posted by Mellowboy

This retail selection is beneath that of power centers of many other markets. This is just typical city of Mobile mismanagement and desperation to take any tenant willing to join easily without the hard work and patience required for getting the more coveted selective retailers. But I understand that our city is that which does not have the best reputation economically, it being the only city not having a Costco (until now), or a Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Earth Fare Organic Grocer, Apple/Apple re-seller (until recently) or Red Robin Burger (until recently announced), etc., between Montgomery (smaller metro population than Mobile/Daphne/Spanish Fort), Huntsville, and Birmingham. Hopefully that will all change given recent economic developments, but it seems someone needs to just go an open a new high-end center in an affluent, or at least, middle or upper middle class part of the city (including across the bay). Unfortunately, what is hurting Bel Air mall is that it is close what unfortunately some people would consider sketchy part of town (making some of the rich people in Mobile not come to or shop at the mall). Also from what I've heard, these new to market higher brands, like Apple and such, are not pleased with the economic demographics of and the allegedly high crime rate assumed regarding the area around Bel Air mall, and that is really unfortunate.

What's bad about Bel Air mall area's demographics. Within a 3 mile radius, average house hold income is $55k. Total retail sales reach $1.2b in 3 miles radius and $2.6b in a 5 mile radius. I don't know where you are hearing this from but it does seem right, probably just rumors. A lot of Mobile's highest income earners are within 3-5 miles of the mall.

Every city has it's wants when it comes to certain retailers. Everybody wants an Apple store, Dave & Busters, etc but you got to meet certain criteria. But Mobile's economics probably doesn't play as much a part as population goes. Places like D&B will not even go to a market with less than 750k in daytime population, you could assume population plays a major role in places like Apple too not just income.

[Mellowboy]

Originally Posted by MrPortCity

What's bad about Bel Air mall area's demographics. Within a 3 mile radius, average house hold income is $55k. Total retail sales reach $1.2b in 3 miles radius and $2.6b in a 5 mile radius. I don't know where you are hearing this from but it does seem right, probably just rumors. A lot of Mobile's highest income earners are within 3-5 miles of the mall.

Every city has it's wants when it comes to certain retailers. Everybody wants an Apple store, Dave & Busters, etc but you got to meet certain criteria. But Mobile's economics probably doesn't play as much a part as population goes. Places like D&B will not even go to a market with less than 750k in daytime population, you could assume population plays a major role in places like Apple too not just income.

So how do you explain Jackson, MS; Huntsville, AL; Boise, ID; Des Moines, IA; Lexington, KY, and the list goes on for cities that have Apple stores, and other higher-end retailers, and yet, have metro populations approximate to that of Mobile/Daphne/Spanish Fort area, which was as of 2012, was 604,000 people (CSA population)? Jackson, MS has 578,000, the other cities run 600K-700K. Population is important sure, but the financial means and tastes of that population is important as well. Now have you, I agree that Mobile has been wrongly overlooked to some extent on this regard, and that is why I mentioned that there are rich people who can patronize such retailers but don't because they are turned off by the environment around in in Bel Air mall and for some, and/or because the mall does not have the upscale exclusive stores of their liking. The malls and centers here did not cater to them and assumed that there were not enough of such, and only catered to those of less means, given that Mobile has all communities close to each other. Eastern Shore Center which was supposed to get an Apple store in 2004, and did not obviously, has a lost a lot of retailers and for the most part, has a repetition of the stores that Mobile and Pensacola have, i.e., not bringing itself enough traffic from both. Also the high rent and tax thing there did not help for the better. The latter along can revolutionize Eastern Shore Centre. Instead of an Express, they could have put a Banana Republic (same price range) and that would have brought people from Mobile and Pensacola there, and it would have brought people from Baldwin County to Bel Air mall for Express, is one example of the repetition issue. Legacy Village at Springhill on Dauphin Street has a small selection of upscale retailers, most of which are in Eastern Shore, could have been very well the purveyor of the store I mentioned, had they been a larger property.

[PortCity]

Guys I'm very disappointed in the line up of tenants . The announcemt of this was blown out of proportion by the local media and should have remained just a basic real estate column announcement. The shopping center should not have included any stores and restarunts that the city already has. I would have rather seen them put another Old Navy , Foot Locker , Buckle and etc if you are going to bring in tenants that already have a presence in the area. It would have been nice to throw in a Banana Republic, Tommy Bahama , Nautica , Polo, IZOD , and Levi store in the mix.