Rentschler Field Outlets "On Track" Again, Town Leaders Say

[Drew]

 

[huskypantz]

It's great if there's an actual need. Hopefully they do their homework.

 

[06029]

No one makes that loan today. And if someone does, I have an amusement park in Ellington that I want to have financed.

 

[bmayuc]

I thought you meant power outlets for my cell phone at my seat. That was exciting.

Retail space, less so. Meh.

 

[UC1995]

Doesn't this seem eerily similar to the Covic Center.... It definitely doesn't scream college athletics...

 

[Adios]

The developer's portfolio seems to be getting better with time.

 

[uconnkelly]

We walked a lap around the Rent before Sunday's practice. There was heavy equipment and a few dirt piles near the press box/suites entrance near gate A. Seems too close to the stadium for the outlets, so not sure what they're working on.

 

[Sky ball]

We walked a lap around the Rent before Sunday's practice. There was heavy equipment and a few dirt piles near the press box/suites entrance near gate A. Seems too close to the stadium for the outlets, so not sure what they're working on.

Getting ready to expand to 55K seats. Just waiting for Delany's announcement before starting.

 

[huskymedic]

Doesn't this seem eerily similar to the Covic Center.... It definitely doesn't scream college athletics...

Throw a brew pub/destination restaurant and a UConn bookstore outlet in and that's a start for 7 weekends a year.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Getting ready to expand to 55K seats. Just waiting for Delany's announcement before starting.

Need to do before any P6 announcement.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I think it's great for the area. It's not like East Hartford has a lot going on for it otherwise. And open air shopping centers are still doing pretty well -- isn't Evergreen Walk doing quite well in the South Windsor area? Malls are a dying breed, but I think boutique shopping centers like this can work.

 

[HawkHusky]

Is this an attempt to turn the PAWSARF area into Blue Back Square lite?

Also... makes me think how awesome and packed Gameday would be if PAWSARF was located in West Hartford...

 

[06029]

The developer's portfolio seems to be getting better with time.

From a research report and this is not the developer (Horizon was too small to make it into the report), but the largest outlet mall owner...

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (SKT)
REIT Earnings Commentary Reinforced by Data
Conclusion:
Thasos data confirms comments made by the SKT management team during the 1Q17 and 4Q16 earnings calls. Specifically, we observed positive 1-2% YoY foot traffic in 4Q16 (blue line in December 2016) and up to 9% in April 2017 (green line).
While the management team focuses on April in its 1Q17 comments, YoY foot traffic was -7% for the first quarter ending in March 2017 (blue line). The data continues to show negative growth with -2.5%quarterly YoY foot traffic across all SKT malls through May 2017 (blue line).

The real issue is who they sign up as tenants with the Bass Pro/Cabela's merger overlay and the future of the East Hartford store when all of the tax abatements run off. Outlet center tenants are generally real short leases and a lot of stores. There are already 3/4 outlet malls within 90 minutes of East Hartford. The potential stores know their sales at those locations and where the shoppers come from. Hard to see why outlet centers will work in East Hartford. Six football games per year will not work.

Better plan is destination entertainment/restaurants, a hotel and apartments (although the environmental clean up costs for the last two may make it cost prohibitive) with free shuttle to Uconn Storrs and Hartford using a busway just like New Britain/CCSU. More sales tax revenue and more likely to spur additional spending in East Hartford.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Is this an attempt to turn the PAWSARF area into Blue Back Square lite?

Also... makes me think how awesome and packed Gameday would be if PAWSARF was located in West Hartford...

If the stars aligned better and the Greater Hartford campus moved to downtown leaving the school with a huge parcel of land in WeHa a decade earlier....it's another 15 minutes from Storrs but pre and post game would be better and it's "on campus."

 

[UCFBfan]

I think it's great for the area. It's not like East Hartford has a lot going on for it otherwise. And open air shopping centers are still doing pretty well -- isn't Evergreen Walk doing quite well in the South Windsor area? Malls are a dying breed, but I think boutique shopping centers like this can work.

Can't speak for Evergreen Walk but I know every time I head down to Blue Back in WH, there are a lot of empty storefronts that used to be filled. Just not sure what the deman will be.

In terms of outlets, the ones in Westbrook have taken a massive hit after they opened the Outlets at Foxwoods. Haven't been in awhile but family members went a few weeks back and said a lot of the stores were vacant compared to a year or two ago. Not sure I see an outlet at the Rent doing very well.

I do agree that if they go with a more of a brewpub, restaurant, and entertainment type set up, they'll likely have more success. Problem is, they're fighting against the same type of hopeful development in downtown Hartford. Hartford has the advantage in that a lot of younger folks live downtown so can walk everywhere and are less likely to travel the 10-15 min out to EH for something similar.

Not sure what would truly work here....

 

[uconnell]

The Tangerine Outlets in Westbrook has been sold, I'm told.

 

[huskymedic]

>>Leclerc also announced that a new four-lane road is open in time for football season. Called East Hartford Boulevard North, the road will provide access to the shopping center, and more immediately, to new parking lots at the Rentschler Field stadium. The roadway was built with $7 million in state bond funds originally authorized in 2007.<<

>>The outlet center apparently has been downsized from initial plans. When town planning officials approved the development in 2015, the first phase was to include 349,000 square feet of retail space. A news release sent Wednesday, however, says the initial development will be 290,000 square feet.

The outlet shops are to be the first part of a new "lifestyle center" that also is to include housing, entertainment venues and restaurants. Horizon runs eight outlet centers across the nation and is developing the East Hartford location and another in Cleveland, Ohio, according to its website, www.horizongroup.com.<<

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

East Hartford and Cleveland

 

[TheDrifter75]

East Hartford and Cleveland

That was my thought too.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

East Hartford and Cleveland

Horizon Group just may have some recent success developing, operating, and selling similar outlet malls and actually may have some favorable market analyses regarding the area beyond just a lot of highway traffic near the Rent. "The Outlet Shoppes at Cleveland will be located across from the Burke Lakefront Airport, at the Interstate-90 and Highway 2 interchange with average daily trac counts of 133,520. On Marginal Road near Ninth Street, the center will be close to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, all three professional sports venues, federal, state and municipal government oces, downtown hotels and oce high-rises, the USS Cod Submarine Memorial, and the Great Lakes Science Center."

 

[auggie22]

East Hartford and Cleveland

They know who is vulnerable for a shakedown.

 

[Hoophound]

Either that or they jump on locations with untapped potential. Let's face it, demographics and population density probably make East Hartford a great value when it comes to large commercial tracts close to lots of people. Tons of people passing by, nothing to make them stop....yet. The problem is that there is no buzz surrounding what is happening there. If you want to revitalize an area and put it on a path to great semi-urban living, somebody has to go first and build something great.

We all know this place may struggle. It is all about quality, comfort, product mix and ease of access. If they do it right, it will boost the whole area. If they skimp, it will be a ghost town.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

As somebody connected closely to East Hartford and its success/failure, I wish this had happened years ago...long overdue. This land has been pigeonholed for something big for a very long time, and the Rent was supposed to be "just the start." Even though my work timeline is in its twilight, I see this as huge for East Hartford and the entire Greater Hartford area. Not much of a downside to anything positive here. Cabelas...our stadium....outlets....things are looking up for the first time in a long time.

 

[TheDrifter75]

As somebody connected closely to East Hartford and its success/failure, I wish this had happened years ago...long overdue. This land has been pigeonholed for something big for a very long time, and the Rent was supposed to be "just the start." Even though my work timeline is in its twilight, I see this as huge for East Hartford and the entire Greater Hartford area. Not much of a downside to anything positive here. Cabelas...our stadium....outlets....things are looking up for the first time in a long time.

I hope you are right

 

[SubbaBub]

I take issue with the word, "again" in the OP.

When the access road is finished then you can talk about tenants.