THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 9, 1995 TAG: 9505090284
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEPHANIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 133 lines
Military Circle, the aging shopping center smack in the middle of South Hampton Roads, will get a multimillion-dollar makeover that includes everything from skylights to a 600-seat food court, officials said Monday.
The renovation, expected to cost more than $10 million, will be the largest investment in the shopping center since it was built in 1970, said Bob Oliver, executive vice president of Chicago-based Urban Retail Properties Co., which manages the mall. Construction will begin this summer and last a year.
Monday's announcement follows two major retail developments in this region: plans for upscale mall MacArthur Center in downtown Norfolk and for a multimillion-dollar renovation and new anchor for Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach.
In Norfolk's Military Circle shopping center, customers may see several new tenants and perhaps a new anchor department store as management renegotiates leases and tries to attract new retailers, Oliver said. The mall has a small anchor spot available that once was occupied by department store Smith & Welton.
It's not clear whether some retailers would relocate or depart. For example, the Piccadilly Cafeteria is located where the food court is planned. And Oliver said his company was in discussions with the AMC Circle 6 Theatres inside the mall, but would not indicate whether the cinema would be asked to relocate.
When the construction crews finish, shoppers immediately will notice a clear path to the mall, marked by bigger and more attractive entrances and signs, said the project's architects, Cope Linder Associates of Philadelphia. The architects say customers now have difficulty finding the entrances to Military Circle because they aren'tclearly marked.
``We're going to start with the entrances, where the image starts,'' said Gerald Cope, co-owner of the architectural company.
Floor tiles will be ripped out and replaced with white-, sand- and khaki-colored ones in line with the mall's new nautical theme. In the food court, the floor will be brightly colored. Tall palms, new water fountains, landscaping and columns also will be added.
``It needs to sparkle,'' Cope said.
Several mall tenants, who were told of the plans Monday, said they were excited about the renovation.
``We will benefit from it,'' said LonVondee Bryant, assistant manager of DJ's Men's Clothing. ``The mall is so old now. When customers come to the mall, they want to have fun shopping. You come to this mall and it's dark and dreary, and you're not going to have fun.''
Built in 1970 by developer Harvey Lindsay Jr., the Norfolk mall once dominated the retail scene. It was built in the center of everything in South Hampton Roads, right off the interstates.
``In my mind, it's the finest retail location in Hampton Roads,'' Lindsay said.
But by the '90s, Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach had closed the gap. Several factors are probably behind Military Circle's slip, but it's clear that the mall's owners did not invest in any overhauls. The Rouse Co., the center's previous owners, promised tenants a $20 million renovation when it bought the mall in 1986. But it never delivered. Rouse has since sold its remaining interest in the center.
The current owners are a bunch of pension funds managed by J.P. Morgan Investment Management Group Inc. Urban Retail Properties took over the mall's management from Rouse last year. ILLUSTRATION: Color Illustration
Artist's Rendering
[Military Circle face lift)
KEYWORDS: MILITARY CIRCLE SHOPPING MALL
NORFOLK - MILITARY CIRCLE, THE AGING SHOPPING CENTER SMACK IN THE
MIDDLE OF SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS, WILL GET A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR
MAKEOVER THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM SKYLIGHTS TO A 600-SEAT FOOD
COURT, OFFICIALS SAID MONDAY.
THE RENOVATION, EXPECTED TO COST MORE THAN $10 MILLION, WILL BE
THE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN THE SHOPPING CENTER SINCE IT WAS BUILT IN
1970, SAID BOB OLIVER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CHICAGO-BASED
URBAN RETAIL PROPERTIES CO., WHICH MANAGES THE MALL. CONSTRUCTION
WILL BEGIN THIS SUMMER AND LAST A YEAR.
MONDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT FOLLOWS TWO MAJOR RETAIL DEVELOPMENTS IN
THIS REGION: PLANS FOR UPSCALE MALL MACARTHUR CENTER IN DOWNTOWN
NORFOLK AND FOR A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR RENOVATION AND NEW ANCHOR FOR
LYNNHAVEN MALL IN VIRGINIA BEACH.
IN NORFOLK'S MILITARY CIRCLE SHOPPING CENTER, CUSTOMERS MAY SEE
SEVERAL NEW TENANTS AND PERHAPS A NEW ANCHOR DEPARTMENT STORE AS
MANAGEMENT RENEGOTIATES LEASES AND TRIES TO ATTRACT NEW RETAILERS,
OLIVER SAID. THE MALL HAS A SMALL ANCHOR SPOT AVAILABLE THAT ONCE
WAS OCCUPIED BY DEPARTMENT STORE SMITH & WELTON.
IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER SOME RETAILERS WOULD RELOCATE OR DEPART.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE PICCADILLY CAFETERIA IS LOCATED WHERE THE FOOD
COURT IS PLANNED. AND OLIVER SAID HIS COMPANY WAS IN DISCUSSIONS
WITH THE AMC CIRCLE 6 THEATRES INSIDE THE MALL, BUT WOULD NOT
INDICATE WHETHER THE CINEMA WOULD BE ASKED TO RELOCATE.
WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS FINISH, SHOPPERS IMMEDIATELY WILL
NOTICE A CLEAR PATH TO THE MALL, MARKED BY BIGGER AND MORE
ATTRACTIVE ENTRANCES AND SIGNS, SAID THE PROJECT'S ARCHITECTS, COPE
LINDER ASSOCIATES OF PHILADELPHIA. THE ARCHITECTS SAY CUSTOMERS NOW
HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING THE ENTRANCES TO MILITARY CIRCLE BECAUSE
THEY AREN'T CLEARLY MARKED.
``WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE ENTRANCES, WHERE THE IMAGE
STARTS,'' SAID GERALD COPE, CO-OWNER OF THE ARCHITECTURAL COMPANY.
FLOOR TILES WILL BE RIPPED OUT AND REPLACED WITH WHITE-, SAND-
AND KHAKI-COLORED ONES IN LINE WITH THE MALL'S NEW NAUTICAL THEME.
IN THE FOOD COURT, THE FLOOR WILL BE BRIGHTLY COLORED. TALL PALMS,
NEW WATER FOUNTAINS, LANDSCAPING AND COLUMNS ALSO WILL BE ADDED.
``IT NEEDS TO SPARKLE,'' COPE SAID.
SEVERAL MALL TENANTS, WHO WERE TOLD OF THE PLANS MONDAY MORNING,
SAID THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT THE RENOVATION.
``WE WILL BENEFIT FROM IT,'' SAID LONVONDEE BRYANT, ASSISTANT
MANAGER OF DJ'S MEN'S CLOTHING. ``THE MALL IS SO OLD NOW. WHEN
CUSTOMERS COME TO THE MALL, THEY WANT TO HAVE FUN SHOPPING. YOU COME
TO THIS MALL AND IT'S DARK AND DREARY, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE
FUN.''
BUILT IN 1970 BY DEVELOPER HARVEY LINDSAY JR., THE NORFOLK MALL
ONCE DOMINATED THE RETAIL SCENE. IT WAS BUILT IN THE CENTER OF
EVERYTHING IN SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS, RIGHT OFF THE INTERSTATES.
``IN MY MIND, IT'S THE FINEST RETAIL LOCATION IN HAMPTON ROADS,''
LINDSAY SAID.
BUT BY THE '90S, LYNNHAVEN MALL IN VIRGINIA BEACH HAD CLOSED THE
GAP. SEVERAL FACTORS ARE PROBABLY BEHIND MILITARY CIRCLE'S SLIP, BUT
IT'S CLEAR THAT THE MALL'S OWNERS DID NOT INVEST IN ANY OVERHAULS.
THE ROUSE CO., THE CENTER'S PREVIOUS OWNERS, PROMISED TENANTS A $20
MILLION RENOVATION WHEN IT BOUGHT THE MALL IN 1986. BUT IT NEVER
DELIVERED. ROUSE HAS SINCE SOLD ITS REMAINING INTEREST IN THE
CENTER.
THE CURRENT OWNERS ARE A BUNCH OF PENSION FUNDS MANAGED BY J.P.
MORGAN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP INC. URBAN RETAIL PROPERTIES TOOK
OVER THE MALL'S MANAGEMENT FROM ROUSE LAST YEAR. by CNB