Lane Parke tenants open shop
Late this month, a handful of Lane Parke retail tenants are set to open their doors nearly a year to the day construction on the 66,640-square-foot luxury mixed-use space first began.
The “shells” of the tenants’ spaces were turned over to the shop owners April 11, said John Evans of Evson, Inc.
“They started their own individual build-out from there,” he said.
All tenants, with the exception of the restaurants and Western Market, are expected to open sometime in the late July to August timeline, Evans said.
New to the list of publicly announced tenants is Platinum Pilates. It’s a fitness studio that’s a “well-heeled operation,” said Robert Jolly, president and CEO of Retail Specialists.
The addition of another, not-yet-publicly-named tenant leaves all but one remaining space for lease. Though he could not share the name of the latest tenant, Jolly described it as a “luxury outdoor gear and apparel” store providing hunting equipment and field attire.
The final tenant to occupy the Phase I space will be carefully selected, he said.
“There’s been a lot of interest in the space,” Jolly said. “We have to be very selective in picking a tenant, one who will meld well with the other Lane Parke tenants.”
The list of announced retailers, which are either “first to Alabama” concepts or relocations from the existing shopping center, will feature an assortment of restaurants, specialty shops, an art gallery and a coffee emporium.
They include:
A’mano: Showcasing local, national and international artists with one-of-a-kind creations in glass, pottery, jewelry and clothing. It’s a popular tenant in the current shopping center.
CharBar No. 7: Long known to residents in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina, as a mid-priced dining experience, the CharBar No. 7 menu ranges from beef to seafood to chicken to classic sandwiches.
Kinnucan’s Specialty Outfitters: (Or KSO as its fans call it) carries brands for an active lifestyle.
The Local Taco: Known for diverse flavors including tequila lime chicken, portabella with sage goat cheese and Korean short rib. The Local Taco menu has been described as “tapas on a taco.”
M&S Interiors: Sophisticated, high quality furniture and home accessories at wholesale pricing.
Revelator Coffee: Born in New Orleans with a roaster and corporate headquarters in Birmingham, Revelator is all about specialty and boutique coffees.
Western Market: The current tenant of the existing plaza will have a new, larger store with expanded offerings including local, organics, produce, seafood, wine, craft beer and groceries. The wine department will include a climate controlled fine wine room.
YEAH! BURGER: Atlanta-based restaurant named by Bon Appetit magazine as one of 10 Favorite Burgers Spots in the U.S. It’s an upscale fast-casual eatery using natural and organic ingredients.
B. Prince: Formerly Betsy Prince, the new store will get back to the roots loved by its customers, said owner Bezshan Dolatabadi. B. Prince will stock its shelves with unusual finds — offerings it had moved away from at its current location in Brookwood Village.
KSO is said to be among the first set to open when the back-to-school rush begins. Western Market expects to open sometime in September or October. The supermarket will remain open at its current space until the move, Evans said.
“All stores and restaurants should be up and running by mid-October,” he said.
Once open, the property will offer plenty of parking, Jolly said, including parking for visitors to the Grand Bohemian next door.
The $35 million boutique hotel has helped bring even more interest to the area, Jolly said.
“It’s a good problem to have,” he said.
In the evenings, restaurantgoers will be able to take advantage of valet services, Jolly said.
Once Western moves into its new space, Phase 2 of the project will get underway. Phase 2 will be more women’s fashion and boutique-heavy and should be underway sometime in 2020, Jolly said.
First, the area will be demolished to the edge of the current Western, where a few retailers with non-expired leases will remain. The fully-functional Jemison Lane, which will connect Montevallo to Lane Park Road, will ease access into the area, especially once construction of planned roundabout improvements to the intersections of Cahaba Road, U.S. 280, Culver Road and Lane Parke Road are complete, he said.
The Lane Parke apartments, which opened in June 2015, were recently acquired by JLL Income Property Trust. JLL purchased the property for $73.3 million. The 276-unit apartment complex is 97 percent leased. Evans said selling the property was always part of the plan.
“The purchase of Lane Parke furthers our apartment acquisition strategy which is geared toward identifying suburban locations within highly rated school districts with attractive demographics and significant barriers to entry for new apartments,” said Allan Swaringen, president and CEO of JLL Income Property Trust.
For more information on Lane Parke, go to laneparke.info.