Stirling Properties Acquires Open-Air Retail Center in Pace, Florida
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company announces the acquisition of Santa Rosa Commons retail center in Pace, Florida. The sale closed on Wednesday, September 11th at a purchase price of $26 million. This marks the first acquisition for the company in the state of Florida. Stirling Properties will also assume leasing and management duties of the property effective immediately.
Built in 2008, Santa Rosa Commons is located on US Highway 90 in Pace, a part of the Pensacola MSA. The 138,850-square-foot open-air shopping center is 96.5% occupied and anchored by Publix, T.J.Maxx and PetSmart. Shadow-anchors include Target and The Home Depot. Other tenants in the center are Maurices, Shoe Carnival, Anytime Fitness, Sally Beauty, GNC, GameStop, Wasabi House Restaurant, Dr. Vape It, The Joint and Cuts By Us. The purchase also encompassed three single tenant outparcels housing Chili’s, Regions Bank and AT&T.
“We are thrilled to add Santa Rosa Commons to our growing portfolio of commercial properties across the Gulf South region. This is momentous for Stirling Properties because it marks our first acquisition in the Florida Panhandle and really puts skin in the game for us in this thriving market. We are optimistic in the continued success of the Pensacola metro area and look forward to future growth opportunities,” said Donna Smith, Senior Vice President of Asset Management & New Business with Stirling Properties.
“Stirling Properties’ proven track record in acquisitions, along with our in-depth understanding of market dynamics and the positioning of assets allow us to identify unique investment opportunities such as Santa Rosa Commons,” said Beezie Landry, Vice President of Investment Advisors with Stirling Properties. “This is a stable, grocery-anchored retail center that sits on a high-traffic thoroughfare, situated in a dense retail node with excellent visibility. The property is well leased with a great mix of national, regional and local tenants—and we are confident that it will perform well for years to come.”
Stirling Properties has acquired and/or developed more than $2.3 billion in commercial real estate across the Gulf South region totaling nearly 28 million square feet, including retail, office, industrial, healthcare, residential and mixed-use properties.
For more information on Stirling Properties’ investment services, contact Beezie Landry at (985) 246-3781 or blandry@stirlingprop.com. For information on asset management, contact Donna Smith at (985) 246-3758 or dsmith@stirlingprop.com.
Home 2 Suites by Hilton Coming to Fremaux Park in Slidell, Louisiana
Home 2 Suites By Hilton in Gonzales, Louisiana
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company announces that Home 2 Suites by Hilton is coming to Fremaux Park in Slidell, Louisiana. Fremaux Park is the mixed-use property surrounding the Fremaux Town Center retail development.
Stirling Properties recently closed on the sale of a 2.7-acre land parcel to a Developer for Home 2 Suites by Hilton for the construction of a four-story, 106-room hotel. The development will encompass 65,000 square feet of space located on the west side of Town Center Parkway, across from Fremaux Town Center. Groundbreaking and construction timing will be announced soon.
Home2 Suites by Hilton is a more affordable, all-suite extended-stay hotel featuring contemporary accommodations and customizable guest room design.
Ryan Pécot, Senior Retail Leasing and Development Advisor with Stirling Properties, represented the landlord in the transaction.
Fremaux Park is part of the roughly 350-acre regional mixed-use development located at the southwest corner of Interstate 10 and Fremaux Avenue in Slidell, Louisiana. It includes Retreat at Fremaux Town Center luxury residential apartments, Springhill Suites by Marriott (under construction), Waypoint apartment community (under construction), Saltgrass Steak House and Dana Inc. Service & Assembly Center (under construction). The adjoining Fremaux Town Center, anchored by Dillard’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s and Best Buy, includes more than 640,000 square feet of retail and restaurant options. Additional phases are forthcoming with added residential, retail, industrial and office park.
For leasing or sales information, contact Ryan Pécot at 337.572.0246 / rpecot@stirlingprop.com or Bradley Cook at 985.246.3720 / bcook@stirlingprop.com.
Retail Site Selection for Fast Food Restaurants or QSRs
Retail Trends Have Changed
While smartphones and technological advances have created the convenience for consumers to do just about anything with the simple push of a button, somehow it seems our society has never been busier. We are always on the go. Studies have shown that on average, today’s consumer spends approximately 30% more time in their vehicles than ten years ago.
Part #2: Fast Food or Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR)
The one retail sector that has seen the greatest benefit from today’s hustle-and-bustle society is the Fast Food industry (or Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR)).
As mentioned in Part #1 of this blog series, all retailers rely on traffic counts and accessibility of their location. And, like convenience stores (C-Stores), QSRs benefit greatly from traffic counts, but they must also consider proximity to their customers.
Until recently, very few QSRs focused on the A.M. or “breakfast consumer.” For years, except for a handful of fast-food chains like McDonald’s, most QSRs only focused on the lunch and dinner or P.M. consumer. Therefore, being on the P.M. side of the road was a must.
However, with retail markets becoming heavily saturated with QSRs, coupled with the increased capital tied up in a restaurant, QSRs have been forced to start offering a breakfast menu. In some cases, the small margin of revenue that breakfast sales now provide has become a crucial component in a QSR’s profitability.
The one QSR statistic that has remained a constant, however, is that the P.M. consumer is most likely to visit a QSR within 1-2 miles (5-7 minutes) from their home.
Most experts contribute this trend to two major factors: familiarity of surroundings and being able to eat a hot meal at home. So, unlike C-Stores, proximity to rooftops must be considered when choosing a QSR site. While C-Stores can rely solely on traffic counts, QSRs cannot.
With the addition of breakfast menus, more and more QSRs that once wanted to be on the P.M. side of the road will now select the best site in a desired trade area. Therefore, working with a seasoned site selection advisor can be extremely helpful in determining and identifying the ideal location to best capitalize on the surrounding market.
Stay Tuned… Part #3 – Drug Stores
If you are interested in a site selection specialist, or for questions regarding your commercial real estate property, contact J. Collier Thornton at (225) 926-4481 or cthornton@stirlingprop.com.
HOTWORX Hits 100
Stirling Properties brokers 100th retail location milestone for fitness franchise as part of rapid expansion plan.
Stirling Properties announces that new fitness concept HOTWORX has secured its 100th retail location in Southlake, Texas. The fitness franchise, which opened its first store in 2017, now operates in 20 states across the country and anticipates another 75-100 national locations in the pipeline over the next year, as well as international growth.
Two years ago, Stirling Properties was selected to exclusively represent HOTWORX, a new-to-market fitness concept, in its aggressive expansion efforts across the U.S. Stirling Properties’ commercial advisors worked with the company to identify and secure retail locations in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Now, HOTWORX has its sight set on international expansion efforts. Last month, the company officially closed the deal with a Master Franchisee for Australia.
HOTWORX—founded in New Orleans, LA—is revolutionizing the fitness industry by providing the ultimate hot exercise experience and is the first to launch a 24/7 business franchise model using its proprietary patented technology. It is a virtually instructed exercise program created for users to experience the many benefits of infrared heat absorption while completing a 30-minute isometric workout or 15-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. As the infrared heat penetrates the body, the isometric postures further accelerate detoxification by physically removing toxins from organs through muscle contraction.
Joe Gardner, CCIM, and Thomas Bryan, Stirling Properties’ Advisors, serve as the exclusive national tenant rep brokers for HOTWORX. Utilizing the Retail Brokers Network (RBN) and the local knowledge of individual brokers across the country, the dynamic duo is working diligently to secure the ideal store locations for the fitness concept.
HOTWORX in Orlando, Florida
“HOTWORX provides a first-in-class fitness program in the niche infrared exercise market. The franchisor utilized a tremendous amount of knowledge and input to create a business model that minimizes risk and maximizes customer experience—you simply can’t order this type of service online. We are proud of the extraordinary success of our client and look forward to helping them bring more retail locations to market soon,” said Bryan.
“We are overwhelmed by the countless, positive testimonials we receive from our HOTWORX customers, and we are confident that increasing consumer access to the HOTWORX brand—by securing more locations across the country—will only create more stories to be celebrated. We’re excited to continue our successful partnership with Stirling Properties to grow our business,” said Stephen Smith, HOTWORX CEO.
“HOTWORX is growing faster than any other fitness concept in the country. One of the biggest attributes of this success is its desirability among landlords and property owners,” said Gardner. “Fitness is currently one of the most attractive space users in commercial real estate because of its ability to drive traffic to neighboring retailers and encourage repeat visits from customers.”
Fitness is driving growth in retail real estate. According to a report from ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers), Mixed-Use Properties: A Convenient Option for Shoppers, from 2008 and 2018, the number of fitness centers in shopping centers (including traditional/boutique gyms, yoga, cross-fit and cycle studios) increased from 6,218 to 14,044.
Furthermore, incorporating a mix of tenant types, such as health and fitness centers alongside traditional retailers, draws additional, more frequent traffic—29% of consumers say the presence of non-retail tenants encourages more frequent shopping center trips—and creates excitement through one-of-a-kind experiences.
The health and fitness trend has taken the real estate business by storm, morphing into a more than $30 billion industry—with no signs of slowing down. New-to-market, niche concepts such as HOTWORX that are reinventing the way consumers exercise and even shop, have a bright future in the evolving retail landscape.
Retail Site Selection & Convenience Stores
Proximity & Accessibility of Retailers
Since the beginning of time, retailers have strategically positioned themselves in a manner where they could capitalize on the disposable dollars that their target market spends.
While technology advancements have enhanced the ability for consumers to buy certain products online and have them delivered right to their doorsteps, there are still several retail sectors that cannot be replaced by e-commerce.
This blog series will outline three of those retail sectors: 1) Convenience Stores (C-Stores), 2) Fast Food Restaurants (Quick Serve Restaurants or QSRs), and 3) Drug Stores, as well as the site selection criteria they require.
I started in the commercial real estate industry in 1996. At that time, “portable” phones were in a bag that had to be plugged into a cigarette lighter, the internet was in its infancy stage, and relationships required verbal communication only.
While so much has changed over the past 23 years, three primary demographic criteria have remained a constant for market-based retailers: traffic patterns/counts, population (existing and growth) and access.
All retailers benefit from customers passing their physical stores regularly and having a location that is easily accessed. However, extensive consumer studies have caused certain retailers to apply more weight to traffic patterns and population when evaluating a market. Let me explain.
Part #1: Convenience Stores (C-Stores)
C-Stores are the one retailer that relies most heavily on traffic counts, as opposed to population. Also, C-Stores typically position themselves to take advantage of P.M. traffic patterns.
I started doing commercial real estate site selection work for a regional C-Store in 2002. The Director of Real Estate had over 30+ years of experience at the time. In one of our first meetings, when asked what the most crucial criteria were when looking for a site (outside of immediate competition), he said without hesitation, “We need to be on P.M. traffic side of the road.”
When questioned why that criteria were so crucial, he responded, “If you think about it, most people are pressed for time in the mornings. So, they will typically stop and only put enough gas in their tank to get them to work. If they have a couple of minutes to come inside and buy something, it is usually a small ticket item like coffee or a pack of cigarettes.
On the other hand, P.M. customers are typically not pressed for time. In turn, they are more likely to stop and fill up their tank. Plus, a higher percentage will come inside and buy much larger ticket items, like a 12-pack of beer, a carton of cigarettes or food for dinner.
We have done extensive studies, and our P.M. customers generate 4-5 times larger ticket sales than our A.M. customers. You do the math. That is why we will always prefer our stores to be accessible to the P.M customer.”
Over the span of several years, I sold more than 15 locations to the same C-Store. At one point, the client gave me a trade area in which to find a site. To my surprise, the trade area he provided had very minimal rooftops, at best. Besides, it wasn’t in a high-growth area.
Despite being provided the sales numbers of an existing competitor in the market, the trade area was a mystery to me. Furthermore, the trade area to choose from was on the A.M. side of the road, yet the competitor’s C-Store had the 2nd highest sales out of 65 corporate locations.
I spent the better part of the next week sitting across the street from the competitor’s store and driving the trade area, trying to determine who their customer base was. I sat and watched the A.M., mid-day and P.M. traffic patterns. The store was packed the entire day.
In addition to a railroad track eliminating the P.M. side of the road from being developed, the road was a major thoroughfare to one of two bridges that crossed the Mississippi River. As a result, customers that lived up to 10+ miles away were forced to pass the location on a regular basis.
While the immediate area had limited rooftops, the competitor’s store had record sales based on traffic count alone.
Throughout the site selection process, sometimes the criteria evolve based on a specific market area. That’s why it’s important to consult a site selection specialist who can help you analyze the area and find the ideal location for your business.
Stay Tuned for Part #2 – Fast Food Restaurants or QSRs.
For questions regarding your commercial real estate property, contact J. Collier Thornton at (225) 926-4481 or cthornton@stirlingprop.com.
Stirling Properties Announces New Tenants at Hammond Square
Redevelopment of former Sears and Rite Aid stores into multi-tenant retail space.
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is thrilled to announce that Michaels, HomeGoods, Five Below and PetSmart will join the tenant lineup at Hammond Square shopping center in Hammond, Louisiana.
Rhonda Sharkawy, Senior Retail Leasing & Development Advisor with Stirling Properties, handled the lease transactions on behalf of the landlord.
Michaels, HomeGoods and Five Below will occupy a newly constructed multi-tenant building on the parcel formerly occupied by Sears and Rite Aid. Michaels will lease 21,000 square feet, HomeGoods will lease 22,000 square feet and Five Below will lease 8,300 square feet. PetSmart will occupy approximately 15,000-square-foot store adjacent to Hibbett Sports. There will be a newly created outparcel at the corner of Hammond Square Drive and Palace Drive, near the entrance of the retail center. This outparcel is available for a future retail or restaurant up to 6,000 square feet.
Demolition of the former Sears and Rite Aid buildings was completed earlier this year to make way for the $15 million redevelopment project. Construction of the new space has commenced, and developers are recycling the crushed concrete from the building demolition to use for paving base material. Buildout is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2020 with the new retail tenants anticipated to open in the second quarter of 2020.
Also new to Hammond Square, Old Navy celebrated its grand opening this past spring. The new-to-market fashion retailer is located on Palace Drive between Zales and Shoe Dept. Encore. Poké City recently announced that it would open its 2nd Louisiana location at Hammond Square. The restaurant, serving Hawaiian-inspired food bowls, will occupy the former Which Wich location on Palace Drive between Menchie’s and GNC. It is expected to open this August.
“Stirling Properties is excited to welcome these first-class retailers to Hammond Square. They are all new to the Hammond market, and we are confident they will be extremely well-received by the surrounding Tangipahoa community. They complement our existing tenant mix perfectly—even further positioning Hammond Square as a leading shopping destination in the region. In addition, our leasing team is still working to secure additional retailers and restaurant options that we hope to be able to announce very soon,” said Grady Brame, Executive Vice President with Stirling Properties.
Hammond Square is Tangipahoa Parish’s premier shopping destination, located on approximately 100 acres at the northwest corner of Interstate 12 and US Highway 51 Business (SW Railroad Avenue) in Hammond, Louisiana. It is the 2nd largest open-air center in Louisiana encompassing over 902,000-square-feet of more than 40 national and local retailers, shops and restaurants, including Dillard’s, Target, The Home Depot, JCPenney, Academy Sports+Outdoors and AMC Theatres. Stirling Properties redeveloped Hammond Square and currently manages and leases the center.
For more information on Hammond Square, visit www.hammondsquare.com or facebook.com/hammondsquare. For leasing and sales information, contact Rhonda Sharkawy at (504) 620-8145 or rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com.
