Project Profiles
International Gateway of the Americas
San Diego, California
North will meet South at the The International Gateway of the Americas. The mixed-use
center will be located in San Diego, California adjacent to the U.S./Mexico Port of Entry,
said to be the world’s busiest land border with more than 86 million crossings
annually.
The International Gateway of the Americas, Phase I
LandGrant Development, based in San Diego, formed a joint venture with JER Partners of
McLean, Virginia to develop and operate the $260-million, 1.4-million-sq.ft. project. The
center will include and integrate a variety of retail, commercial, entertainment and
transportation-related real estate components.
Included in Phase I will be a 625,000-sq.ft. open-air retail project designed in classic
Spanish architecture complete with courtyards and public plazas. National tenants will
include Tommy Hilfinger, The Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Liz Clairborne. A wide
range of entertainment and dining venues will also be included, offering a food court with
a variety of ethnic foods and theme restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse. The retail
portion is scheduled to open in November 2001.
Phase II will offer “The Bridge of the Americas,” a bi-national landmark
suspension bridge, along with a transportation terminal, duty-free shopping, and a
state-of-the-art federal inspection service facility designed to accommodate five million
border crossings annually. An office tower to house international governments and
corporations, a 300-room hotel and business conference center, and a cultural
entertainment center will be constructed during Phase II.
There are approximately 4.5 million people living in the San Diego/Tijuana region. San
Diego alone draws more than 27 million tourists annually. $250 million is spent monthly in
the city by non-U.S. citizens, primarily residents of Tijuana.
For lease information, contact Sam Marasco, Sr., LandGrant Development, 858-481-0094, Fax
858-481-3108.
Suburban Station Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Suburban Station in Philadelphia is getting a face-lift with enhanced retail opportunities
planned as part of its new look. Still the busiest regional rail station on the South
Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) line, the 70-year-old station
services 100,000 visitors daily. The extensive redevelopment will include new entrances,
atrium structures, improved lighting, new train information display systems, audio/visual
and public address systems and air conditioning. Some redevelopment was begun in 1997.
Suburban Station, Philadelphia PA
SEPTA signed a long-term agreement with MetroMarket, a joint venture of U.S. Equities
Realty, LLC and The Rubin Organization, for the development, management and leasing of
60,000 sq.ft. of retail space at Suburban Station. The cost of development is estimated at
$45 million, with SEPTA making the public improvements and MetroMarket arranging for the
private improvements. SEPTA’s architect is Bower Lewis Thrower Architects. The
general contractor is yet to be chosen.
The retail and transportation center will cover a six-block concourse between 15th and
18th Streets, Market Street and JFK Boulevard. Twenty lease commitments have already been
obtained, including Health Fair, Faber Coe & Gregg Newsstands, Beneficial Savings
Bank, Hallmark Gold Crown, Star Photo, Penn Center Beauty Supply, Happy Cobbler Shoe
Repair, Vitamin Specialties, Gabrielle’s Flowers, Spain’s Cards and Gifts, The
Camera Shop, and Katherine’s Boutique. Food tenants will include Asahi Sushi,
Passero’s Gourmet Coffee Company, Double T’s Cafe, Villa Pizza, Dunkin’
Donuts, McDonald’s, Hebrew National Hot Dogs, and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. The
station’s retail outlets, which currently include a mix of national and local
retailers and restaurants, are expected to triple as a result of the capital improvements.
The facility currently includes 30,000 sq.ft. of retail with 7,000 sq.ft. available for
lease. MetroMarket will develop an additional 30,000 sq.ft. over the next three years.
For lease information, contact Renee Wolf, Project Manager, MetroMarket Management LLC,
215-564-0492, Fax 215-564-3891.
Means Street Atlanta, Georgia
A $75-million plan to revitalize the Means Street area west of downtown Atlanta, Georgia
is being developed by Winter Properties Inc. The mixed-use project will cover five city
blocks, or approximately 500,000 sq.ft., and include residential, restaurant, office and
retail uses.
The plan calls for a preservation of the historic area through the use of urban infill,
inventive re-use of properties and renovation of existing buildings. With the goal of
reversing the urban decline of the area, the Winter Group Group of Companies, which
includes Winter Properties, Winter Construction and Winter Environmental, will act as both
developer and contractor to create an attractive, sustainable and valuable area of modern
real estate. The project is designed to preserve the cultural ambiance and sense of
neighborhood in the area by combining rehabilitation of buildings with historic
renovation.
Because of its proximity to Georgia Tech, it is foreseen that the planned new office space
will prove attractive to fast-growth high-tech firms that will provide a steady stream of
traffic to nearby retail, residential and restaurant operations. The Winter Group already
owns and is renovating 590 and 600 Means Street, which total 74,000 sq.ft. Space in 600
Means Street will be available in November with 590 Means Street ready in October 2001.
The Carriage Works and The Block Candy building in the area were both renovated into loft
offices and have been successfully rented.
As part of the renovation, Winter Properties intends to lease the Bankhead Highway bridge
from the city and assume all maintenance responsibilities. Built in 1903 and closed to
vehicular traffic by the city in 1994, the bridge is planned to be the future site of a
top-name restaurant. Overall project plans call for a 50-unit, eight-story loft apartment
building, new office and retail space at Marietta and Boss Streets, a 150,000 sq.ft.
office building atop an 817-space parking deck and a half-acre park.
For information on leasing, contact Richard Bell, Bell-Jackson Company, 404-231-8600. For
information on the project, contact Grant A. Grimes, Winter Properties Inc., 1330 Spring
Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30309-2810; 404-965-3386.