Helping To Grow The Lafitte Greenway!
Stirling Properties’ Charles Barclay Is a Champion for New Orleans’s Newest Green Space
Mookie Square
The Lafitte Greenway is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and green corridor that connects neighborhoods from Armstrong Park to City Park in New Orleans. The $9.1 million project broke ground in early 2014 and opened in November of 2015. The Lafitte Greenway significantly transformed one of the most historic areas of New Orleans into a multi-use transportation corridor and linear park.
The Greenway includes a 12-foot asphalt path for cyclists and pedestrians, new recreation fields, green space, and landscaping improvements including approximately 500 shade trees, native plant meadows, bioswales and stormwater retention features. The path is fully lit with LED energy-efficient trail lighting and includes curb extensions, signalized high visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps at sidewalk corners, environmental remediation, a crushed stone walking path, and a bicycle and pedestrian roundabout. Many new retail, restaurant, and entertainment options are also popping up along the Lafitte Corridor.
The Lafitte Greenway runs alongside Mid-City Market, one of Stirling Properties’ premier developments in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans. The center was designed to incorporate extensive pedestrian features and to complement the adjacent Greenway, melding the retail center to the culturally rich urban neighborhood. Stirling Properties has remained a proud and active supporter of the Greenway ever since!
Charles Barclay, Stirling Properties Asset Manager, is currently a member of the Executive Board of Friends of Lafitte Greenway, whose mission seeks to revitalize the Lafitte Corridor. Friends of Lafitte Greenway has been the driving engine behind the construction of the bicycle and pedestrian trail, stretching from the edge of the French Quarter to Bayou St. John. “I have become a real champion of the Greenway and think it’s an excellent addition to the city, as it is beneficial to everyone that lives, works, and plays in the area,” said Barclay.
Photo by GeorgeLong.com
Now that the bike path is complete, Friends of Lafitte Greenway plans to launch several new initiatives and projects throughout the Greenway that will include art installations, healthy living events, guided tours, community gardens, and much more. The organization and its members are working diligently to build, program, and promote the linear park as a great public space.
According to the UNO Transportation Institute, in 2016, the Greenway’s first full year open, an average of 746 people per day used the Greenway in the Jefferson Davis section alone. While this is an impressive number of visitors, there are still so many in the surrounding areas and neighborhoods who do not know of the Lafitte Greenway. “We invite everyone to come out and explore the Greenway and all the events and activities it has to offer. We have everything from yoga to youth educational programs, not to mention the beautiful green space. You can also get involved through various volunteer opportunities,” said Barclay.
Friends of Lafitte Greenway is hosting a FREE, family-friendly event, Hike The Lafitte Greenway, on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30am-2:00pm. The public is invited to participate in a 3-mile guided hike (complete with live music and block party) to learn more about the Greenway. We hope to see you there!
New Orleans is returning to the global stage
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending GNO, Inc.’s annual meeting appropriately themed “GNO Global.” The event focused on the reflection of New Orleans’s “global past, present progress, and world-class future.”
New Orleans was once the most diverse city in the country—the largest in the South—and served as a premier export metropolis. But during the course of history, we have become eclipsed by other major cities competing for the global spotlight. GNO, Inc. illustrates how the Crescent City is triumphing and coming back brighter than ever as a true global leader.
As we approach the 300th anniversary of the City of New Orleans, there is much to be proud of. From new international flights to workforce development and tourism growth to public policy reform, our region has recently celebrated many significant accomplishments.
Stirling Properties is pleased to be a continued supporter of economic development in New Orleans and the entire Gulf South region. We look forward to many more successes in the years to come as New Orleans re-establishes itself as a major economic partner.
Check out this video with Professor Richard Campanella, Historical Geographer and Author from Tulane University, that showcases New Orleans’s unique global history:
To view the video in its entirety, please click here.
Marty Mayer
Past Chair Emeritus, GNO, Inc.
Stirling Properties Awarded Management Of PMAT’s 1,000,000 SF Retail Portfolio
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company has structured a new partnership with PMAT Real Estate Investments to manage the company’s growing portfolio of anchored shopping centers located across the Southeast, Sunbelt, Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest. This partnership will enable the complementary firms to create a scalable platform for the continued growth of both Stirling Properties and PMAT.
After disposing of approximately $200,000,000 of assets in the preceding years, the current PMAT portfolio consists of assets in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia as well as several centers in the acquisition pipeline and is well capitalized for continued growth in their target markets.
“Stirling Properties is thrilled to gain the property management contract for these centers—and to expand our portfolio and geographic footprint into new markets,” said Donna Taylor, SVP of Asset Management & New Business. “We look forward to working with PMAT Companies to enhance the asset performance and value. Our team of trusted experts is in motion working diligently to deliver optimum results for the property owners!”
“This partnership is a very good marriage for our two firms. Based in our own backyard, Stirling Properties is a trusted, best-in-class management company with significant operational expertise and an owner’s mindset,” said Kevin Kush, President of PMAT. “With Stirling Properties’ support network of talented professionals, PMAT will be able to focus on portfolio expansion and executing our value-add investment platform. After our recent dispositions and strategic partnerships, our platform is now more scalable and better capitalized for growth than ever before.”
PMAT was founded in 2003 by Robert Whelan, the former CFO of a NYSE REIT. Since that time, the company has invested in nearly 4 million square feet of anchored shopping centers with combined acquisition and disposition transaction value of over $1,000,000,000. These investments comprise an array of redevelopments of grocery-anchored centers including experience with such grocers as Publix, Kroger, Winn-Dixie, Lowes Foods, Food Lion (Delhaize), Giant (Ahold), Sweetbay, and Bravo as well as an array of national and regional tenants ranging from traditional soft goods tenants like Ross, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Bealls to alternative users such as YouFit, Planet Fitness, Bargain Hunt, Paragon Theaters, Cinepolis, Jumpstreet, and Altitude Trampolines. For more information on PMAT, please contact Ben Bolz at Ben@pmat.net.
Stirling Properties currently manages more than 16 million square feet of property, with close to 114 million square feet of property and land for sale or lease.
For more information on Property Management/Asset Management, please contact Donna Taylor at dtaylor@stirlingprop.com or (985) 898-2022.
President’s Message: The Year of Possibility!
Last year, around this time, I wrote a message about being prepared during times of uncertainty. Little did I know then how prophetic those words would really be during 2016. And now, as we cautiously welcome 2017, we face even greater uncertainty in our industry—and the country as a whole. So, being prepared is even more critical today than it was a year ago.
As we look back on 2016, we have faced many challenges. We’ve weathered an unstable economy, low oil prices, and community unrest. We lost a beloved Stirling Properties employee. We experienced unprecedented flooding in our region that killed 13 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Several of our own retail centers and multi-family properties in Southeast Louisiana were significantly damaged. But, through it all, we have persevered.
Amidst all of the trials, Stirling Properties has made significant progress during the last year as we continue to grow and build on the comprehensive services and value that we bring to our clients and communities across the Gulf South region.
In 2016:
- We, along with partners CBL & Associates Properties, Inc., celebrated the grand opening of Ambassador Town Center, a 430,000-square-foot retail center in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was 100% leased within 6 months of development! Anchor tenants include Costco Wholesale, Dick’s Sporting Goods/Field & Stream, and Nordstrom Rack.
- We completed the development of Stirling Bossier—the last of 6 planned phases—in Shreveport. The 682,000-square-foot hybrid retail center is now 100% leased. Anchor tenants include Academy Sports + Outdoors, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy and ULTA Beauty.
- We broke ground on the new Offices at River Chase in Covington and announced the 1st tenant, Duplantis Design Group, PC. We also announced that Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar will be joining the River Chase mixed-use development later this year.
- We welcomed Whole Foods Market to Premier Centre in Mandeville, Louisiana, marking the 1st Northshore location for the popular upscale grocer. Whole Foods Market, along with Forever 21 Red, re-tenanted the space occupied by the former Albertson’s grocery store.
- We announced the development of a new mixed-use medical facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Phase I of this development includes a lease to Ochsner Clinic Foundation for a roughly 20,000-square-foot freestanding emergency room and diagnostic center that is scheduled to open in the summer of 2017. This is just the beginning of our planned diversification strategy into healthcare.
- After many years of discussion, we announced The Home Depot is joining the tenant line-up at Hammond Square. This is the first location for The Home Depot in Tangipahoa Parish. Construction commenced late last year and the store plans to open by late 2017.
- We transformed the 1st floor of the Pan American Life Center in New Orleans and secured retail options such as Starbucks and Tsunami. We also welcomed Morris Bart Attorneys At Law to the center.
- We relocated our New Orleans office to the Pan American Life Center. This move is more representative of Stirling Properties’ future than just a new office. It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the city, the region, and to the future, as we continue to build our brand.
In difficult circumstances, preparation and leadership are vital to an organization. Over the past year, I have witnessed first-hand how well our Stirling Properties team can come together to respond to crisis and uncertainty. What we have successfully overcome—and achieved!—this year, gives me the utmost confidence in our leaders and employees moving forward.
The financial market, unemployment, tax reform, a new Presidential administration—you name it—there’s still much uncertainty in the year ahead. There’s a lot of unknowns and “what if’s.” But as the saying goes, “When nothing is sure, anything is possible.”
With that in mind, Stirling Properties is embracing the unknown, thinking towards possibilities. We have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline for 2017. We’ve laid out some lofty goals for the year ahead. We will continue to diversify our services, explore new areas of growth, and expand our client base.
Who knows what obstacles we may face, but I know we have the right team in place to succeed. As we embark upon the unknown, I am more confident than ever that we are prepared to take advantage of any, and all, opportunities that may come our way.
So, let’s celebrate a year of uncertainty and infinite possibility!
Stirling Properties Welcomes The Home Depot to Hammond Square
Stirling Properties commercial real estate company is pleased to announce that The Home Depot is coming to Hammond, Louisiana, as part of the Hammond Square redevelopment. This will mark the first Tangipahoa Parish location for the long-awaited home improvement retailer.
The Home Depot closed on the acquisition of 9.65 acres of property located on the corner of West Minnesota Park Road and South Magnolia Street on the north side of the shopping center. Construction on the site is anticipated to commence by the end of the year. The store will occupy roughly 106,000 square feet of space with an adjoining 28,000-square-foot garden center, and is expected to open in 2017.
“We are excited that The Home Depot has chosen Hammond,” said City of Hammond Mayor Pete Panepinto. “The Home Depot brings more jobs and consumer choices that are critical to Hammond’s continued growth.”
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer with nearly 400,000 associates and more than 2,200 stores in the US, Canada and Mexico. The Home Depot at Hammond Square will offer a one-stop shop for do-it-yourselfers and professional contractors, with more than 35,000 products in store and 1 million products online.
“Stirling Properties is thrilled to welcome The Home Depot to Hammond Square and to the Hammond retail market,” said Grady Brame, Executive Vice President at Stirling Properties. “The Home Depot was one of the first retailers we targeted when we decided to redevelop the mall back in 2006. This addition has been a long time coming and we are happy to see it finally come to fruition.”
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. Anchored by Dillard’s, Target, Sears, JCPenney, Academy Sports+Outdoors, and AMC Theatres, the 850,000-square-foot shopping center offers a dynamic mix of national and local retailers, shops and restaurants. Stirling Properties developed Hammond Square and currently manages and leases the center.
Tenants include Academy Sports+Outdoors, Albasha Greek & Lebanese Restaurant, AMC Theatres, Bellagio Salon & Spa, Best Buy, Books-A-Million, Bra la Vie (coming spring 2017), Cato, Charming Charlie, Claire’s, Dillard’s, East of Italy, Foot Locker, GNC, Great American Cookies, Hibbett Sports, JCPenney, Justice, Kay Jewelers, Maurices, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Nagoya Sushi & Japanese Steakhouse, Norris & Co. Salon, Obsession, Popcorn Bistro, Rite Aid, rue21, Sears, Shane’s Rib Shack, Shoe Dept. Encore, Sport Clips, Target, The Children’s Place, The Home Depot (coming 2017), T.J.Maxx, ULTA Beauty, Which Wich Superior Sandwiches and Zales. Outparcels tenants include Chase, Olive Garden, Raising Cane’s, Santa Fe Cattle Co., Smoothie King and Verizon.
For sales and leasing information at Hammond Square, contact Rhonda Sharkawy at rsharkawy@stirlingprop.com or (504) 620-8145.
Debunking E-Commerce Myths
We’ve recently heard of fake news stories, hoaxes, and fabricated plots that have permeated headlines lately—and, unfortunately, the negative consequences that some have caused.
One such fictitious headline that’s running rampant is “the death of the shopping mall” and countless more tales of online sales putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business. But the reality is that the in-store vs. online struggle is not quite the battle that you probably think it is. In fact, physical stores continue to dominate retail sales.
So with the proliferation of fake news stories, here are a few facts to debunk these e-commerce myths and demonstrate the strength of the shopping center industry.
In-store retail sales accounts for $4.2 trillion or 90.7% of the market. A common perception is that online giants, such as Amazon, dwarf brick-and-mortar competition, but the reality is that Amazon is still a small percentage of the overall market. Online-only retailers represent merely about 3.5% of all U.S. retail sales.
Research also shows that 78% of consumers prefer to shop in-store, and spend significantly more per month in a physical store than online. We’re also seeing that omni-channel retailing is actually an enhancement to brick-and-mortar stores. E-commerce and other technological advances are improving the brick-and-mortar shopping experience and boosting sales at physical stores. 93.4% of all retail sales owe all or part of sales to a brick-and-mortar presence.
These are all encouraging statistics that confirm the shopping center industry is thriving, and the rise of technology and e-commerce is not going to change that. But we do need to change our thought process. Industry professionals and supporters need to advocate for our shopping centers and educate the consumer. According to one of my industry colleagues, “The consumer needs to be told that bricks and mortar is here to stay because if you keep telling the consumer it’s dead, the consumer will think it’s dead and start shopping online.”
Our friends at ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) have recently drafted several editorial pieces that have appeared in national news publications such as The Wall Street Journal. We are grateful for the leadership of Tom McGee and his team to help this business create our own sources of credible information, and to educate consumers on how vital the shopping center industry is, to both them and our entire country. Read the full articles “A Talk With Tom McGee” and “E-Commerce and Physical Stores Are Friends with a Common Purpose.”
-Marty
