Feature
!Traditions! - anything but traditional
by Elisabeth Pena
!Traditions! Festival Marketplace is not your average shopping destination. The 166,000 sq.ft. of retail space is more than a shopping center - it is a market and cultural center that comprises galleries, shops and restaurants that reflect the regionalism of New Mexico.
The center’s tenant mix, merchandise and architecture reflect New Mexican culture.
The center’s owner, Jim Long of American Property Management, Inc., created
!Traditions! at the site of a failed outlet mall that had sat vacant for more
than two years. Mr. Long decided to build a cultural marketplace rather than a
traditional center because of his interest in promoting the culture of New
Mexico. The marketplace opened in October 2000 and is located on Interstate 25,
which runs between Albuquerque and Santa Fe and has an average daily traffic
count of 35,000 vehicles.
The most nontraditional aspect of the center is the fact that the management
regulates the types of businesses allowed national retailers and outlet
tenants are not permitted to lease space at !Traditions! All of the merchandise
and art featured at !Traditions! is from New Mexico or Mexican products that
demonstrate an influence on New Mexico. This plan ensures that the marketplace
features unique products and one-of-a-kind merchandise while preserving the
cultures of New Mexico. The management has designated more than 40 types of
businesses that are allowed to operate in the center, including an Indian arts
store, a chile market center, a Hispanic weaving store, a New Mexican bookstore
and a New Mexican musical shop. Representatives at !Traditions! say the types of
businesses designated for the center are not set in stone, however they will not
allow shops or galleries that have the same products as other stores at the
center or products that are not reflective of the culture of New Mexico.
The center is 85% leased and includes 23 stores and restaurants. The stores are
designed in a pueblo revival architectural style with portales in front of each
store that contain tiles hand painted by the Santa Domingo Pueblo, a southwest
Indian tribe. Stores at the marketplace average 1,500 sq.ft., however, some
stores have expanded, including Camino Real Interiors. The retailer of high-end
handcrafted furniture and accessories has expanded to 8,000 sq.ft. Rents, not
including CAM or taxes, vary from $6 psf for a space of more than 1,500 sq.ft.
to $7 psf for a space of less than 1,500 sq.ft. !Traditions! management is not
actively marketing the center to prospective retailers, but looking to promote
the expansion of existing tenants.
The management, however, is actively marketing the center to customers. An
aggressive marketing campaign of advertisements on TV and in national
publications is underway. The American Bus Association recently mentioned
!Traditions! in its monthly Destinations publication. The company also has
detailed information about the marketplace at
www.buynewmexico.com/traditions.
The center has three restaurants: Biscochito Coffee House, which features New
Mexico-style pastries and coffee; the Flying Saucer Diner, which offers
traditional diner food with a New Mexican twist and the Santa Fe Salsa Company,
which offers traditional New Mexican cuisine and a dozen varieties of salsa.
In addition to shops, galleries and restaurants, !Traditions! is home to
KidCity. The 10,000 sq.ft. building features a kid’s general store, themed party
rooms, a New Mexico-style arcade, a story-telling corner and an old fashioned
dress-up photo studio. Adjacent to KidCity is the Alien Garden play area, which
is a playground for smaller children.
There are no plans to expand retail space at !Traditions!, however, in the
Spring an 8,000 sq.ft. Legends of New Mexico Museum will open. Long-term growth
plans at !Traditions! include the construction of an amphitheater that would be
run by flamenco dancer Maria Benitez.
For more information, contact Myra Kochnar, !Traditions!, 601 West Frontage
Road, Suite 660, Algodones, NM 87001; 505-867-9700, Fax 505-867-5500; Web site:
www.buynewmexico.com/traditions.