Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
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store you go to," Baker said. "These are neighborhoods that 10 years ago you would not want to drive through, much less stop in to get ice cream. So it helps for retailers to see that there is demand in these areas." National retailers always pay close attention to their potential co-tenants, even when the property in question is a High Street rather than a mall. As Atlanta developer Ben Carter pitches chains on his plans for the revitaliza- tion of Savannah's Broughton Street, he can stress his own ability to closely manage the tenant mix in the area. Since the spring of last year, Carter has snapped up 37 properties in and around Broughton Street and now controls in excess of 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space in the historic area. His Ben Carter En- terprises is now renovating and restor- ing facades, storefronts, roof decks and awnings at these properties, many of which are more than a century old. The plan, reportedly at a cost of $75 million, is to bring new life to Broughton Street by dividing it into themed retail districts with clusters of synergistic shops and restaurants. "We just signed a lease with H&M; for a four-story, 30,000-square-foot store that will be a brand-new proto- type with home and childrenswear in addition to H&M;'s typical lines," Carter said. Among other tenants in the area are Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Gap, J.Crew, Kate Spade, Urban Outfitters and World of Beer. "We have been doing a pretty active campaign of marketing to prospec- tive tenants on a regular basis by sending out lifestyle stories and items of interest about the economy," Carter said. "And, of course, we're keeping people updated on new re- tailers that we have gotten commit- ments from." One selling point: Sa- vannah, Ga., draws about 13 million tourists per year, roughly three times the 4.5 million who visit Charleston, S.C., Carter notes. The city's popula- tion also trends younger, thanks in part to the Savannah College of Art and Design. "A lot of retailers are now looking at how to broaden their perspective on merchandise and ap- peal to Millennials as well as their core customers," he said. "They are focused on lifestyle stores, which can be a great fit in urban historic dis- tricts like Savannah's." Meanwhile, Carter and Tanger Outlets are pitching a 40-acre expan- sion on outparcels near Tanger Out- lets Savannah. The mall opened in April with factory stores from the likes of Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers and Coach. "One of the unique things we have been doing for about the last six months is flying a drone over the site," Carter said. "You can see the construction going on, the interstate, the completed roads and the cars in the parking lot. It has been J u l y 2 0 1 5 / S C T 47 Savannah'S Broughton Street haS demographicS retailerS drool, SayS developer Ben carter (right).