Erin Zlomek – The Arizona Republic
West Valley cities and shopping-center managers are searching for ways to rehabilitate and find new uses for plazas anchored by now-empty big-box stores.
A souring economy sent many chain retailers out of business heading into the holidays. About 450,000 square feet of big-box space – half the size of an indoor shopping mall – dot the West Valley due to the closure of stores like Mervyns, Circuit City and Linens ‘n Things.
Developers and government staffers from Goodyear, Avondale, Tolleson, Surprise and Glendale recently attended a conference put on by the International Council of Shopping Centers in an effort to recruit new retailers and keep empty big boxes from becoming eyesores. Those replacement retailers also would contribute to dwindling city-sales-tax revenues.
But with consumers cutting back on spending, few chain stores are expanding, making recruitment more difficult.
“We’re up against a lot more competition. There is more available space and fewer tenants going around,” said Barbra Coffee, senior development manager for Goodyear’s Economic Development Department.
Last week’s conference introduced city leaders to the small pool of stores still scouting locations. Many are value-oriented stores that were previously never considered for plazas anchored by big-name retailers such as Best Buy, Kohl’s and Bed Bath & Beyond.
“We’re getting a lot of callbacks from big landlords that before wanted nothing to do with a dollar store. In the last six months or so, they’ve really started coming on to us,” said Ted Flood, real-estate manager for Dollar Tree.
Chuck Gibson handles leasing for the Goodyear Centerpointe shopping plaza, which was anchored by a Mervyns and Circuit City until both went out of business late last year.
“To be honest with you, what you really have to do is cast your net out there,” said Gibson, a vice president and broker with Staubach Retail.
Many cities are examining faster permitting procedures to aid in retail-center rehabilitation.