Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/390025
O c t O b e r 2 0 1 4 / S C T 5 C E N T E R S T A G E Declaration of independents Asheville, N.c.'s GrOve ArcAde shuNs NAtiONAl chAiNs By Barbara Thau I f these walls coulD talk, they would tell a southern tale of a self- made millionaire's dream to create "the most elegant building in america" — a dream that was later realized as a Depression-era em- porium of fine shops housed within an archi- tectural jewel. the storied past of the Grove arcade shop- ping center, in asheville, N.c., began with the vision of e.w. Grove, a patent-medicine mag- nate who imagined building what he came to call "the finest structure in the south." when the arcade opened in 1929 tenants in the neo- Gothic-style building included a haberdashery, candy and cigar stores, millinery shops, book- stalls and specialty grocery stores. the Grove arcade was a commercial hub in downtown asheville for 13 years until 1942, when the federal government took over the building during world war II. seventy-four shops and 127 offices were shut and their oc- cupants evicted with less than a month's notice. after the war the government transformed it into the headquarters for the National climatic Data center. But public demand kept growing for a return to the arcade's original use. In 1999, after roughly a dozen private devel- opers had looked at renovating the building, community leaders formed the Grove arcade Public Market foundation to spearhead a $40 million restoration. aaron Pohl-Zaretsky, the founding executive director, who had been director of seattle's Pike Place Market, led the project. the restored Grove arcade was unveiled in 2002. today the city of asheville holds title to the 65,000-square foot building, in the central business district, and the Grove arcade Public Market foundation holds a mas- ter lease with the city for 198 years. Retailers, restaurants and service busi- nesses operate on the ground floor, the sec- ond level is given to commercial offices, and 32 luxury apartments occupy the third. with an ambience reminiscent of a european shop- ping arcade, some 66,000 square feet houses about 40 independent restaurants and shops that offer goods made mostly in asheville or in the u.s. this is by design. "If you come here, you're not going to see businesses you see in a big commercial shop- ping mall," said Ruth summers, who runs the retail portion of the building as the Grove arcade Public Market foundation's executive director. "we wanted homegrown businesses that were not chains," she said. "we would have a coffee shop where you can find fresh rolls, croissants and pastry — not a starbucks." Galleries, jewelry stores, clothing boutiques, bookstores and crafts shops are among the tenants found here. appalachian strings sells locally handcrafted musical instruments; fine jeweler alexander & lehnert offers the designs of two asheville artisans; and women's fashion shop caravan sells clothing from places as dis- parate as california, Paris and Israel. "asheville is known for its crafts, ceramics, jewelry and textiles," summers said. the food mix is far-flung, including thai and Italian res- taurants, wine bars and a produce stand for fruits and vegetables grown on the local farms. the shoppers, young and old, may include any- one from tourists to those summers describes as "old asheville — the people who grew up here and have lived here for decades." SCT C E N T E R S T A G E +1 646 728 3800 fax: +1 732 694 1730 www.icsc.org Editor in Chief eDMuND MaNDeR +1 646 728 3487 EDITORIAL Managing Editor BRaNNoN Boswell +1 646 728 3488 Copy Chief DaVID s. oRtIZ Copy Editor ValeRIe DaVID Art Director JohN D. lewIs Contributing Editors steVe BeRGsMaN Joel GRooVeR steVe M c lINDeN IaN RItteR sPeNceR RuMsey BaRBaRa thau BeNNett Voyles ADVER aMIe leIBoVItZ +1 773 360 1179 aleibovitz@icsc.org suZaNNe taNGuay +1 646 728 3475 stanguay@icsc.org sally stePheNsoN +1 847 835 1617 sstephenson@icsc.org Production Coordinator DaVID stackhouse +1 646 728 3482 dstackhouse@icsc.org ICSC OFFICERS Chair man RoBeRt f. welaNetZ, cRX, csM President and CEO MIchael P. keRcheVal Vice Presidents VINceNt a. coRNo, cRX kaReN flaVelle MaRtIN a. MayeR keNNeth a. M c INtyRe JR., cRX MaRk a. schuRGIN JohN a. stRachaN Secretary-Treasurer DoNalD c. wooD Publisher RuDolPh e. MIlIaN, cRX, cMD, csM for article reprints, call (866) 879-9144 or contact sales@fostereprints.com SCT (ISSN 0885-9841) is pub lished monthly. VOLUME 35, ISSUE 10 © 2014, International Coun cil of Shop ping Cen ters, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020-1099; phone, +1 (646) 728 3800; fax, +1 732 694 1730. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and ad di tion al mailing offces. Sub scrip- tions $70 per year; Canada and other foreign $99. Single- copy price $20 (May issue $30). For subscription informa- tion call +1 727 784 2000. POST MAS TER: Send address changes to Shopping Cen ters Today, Sawida Worley, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020-1099. Publications mail agreement No. 41482022, return unde- liverable Canadian addresses to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek, Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6. S H O P P I N G C E N T E R S T O D A Y