Tiffany takes its place at Easton

Saturday, November 8, 2008 - 3:08 AM

 

Tiffany & Co. opened its first area store at Easton Town Center yesterday.  The two-story shop is on a prime corner on Easton's square, across from the high-end steakhouse Smith & Wollensky.  At about 6,200 square feet, the new store is larger than most of the jeweler's others in the United States.  Tiffany's only other store in Ohio is in Cincinnati.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/11/08/biz_tiffanyart_1108.ART_ART_11-08-08_C10_0MBR1HQ.html

Now if only the city would throw millions at companies to land stores like these in the core like they did to get Time-Warner here.

 

Center city can barely sustain the mid-range stores it already has... how on earth would a luxury retailer survive there? Considering that the upper-end stores are already at Easton, Burberry would have to be insane to isolate themselves from the wealthy shoppers and other upper end stores at Easton. Easton and Polaris will be, for the next decade or so, the locations of Columbus' high-end stores... center city simply will not be able to compete since we don't have the population base for yet another up-scale retail destination, especially one that would be isolated from the wealth in the burbs. And I doubt the collective wealth of downtown's residents is anywhere nearly as attractive as the wealth concentrated in the burbs. Buying a hip $60 t-shirt is one thing, but a $1,500 coat is quite another - and arguably, a higher percentage of the small number of super wealthy downtowners would venture out to the burbs for a designer jacket than vice versa.

 

Plus, Time Warner brought quite a few jobs to the city core, which is arguably worth more than 4,300 square feet of retail space.

Easton doesn't think the time is right for major expansion

Monday,  December 15, 2008 5:33 AM

By Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Tiffany & Co. has settled into its new space, and work has begun on a nearby multitenant building. But don't look for many other new retail projects at Easton Town Center in the next year.  The plan to expand the lifestyle center slowly will trump new capital projects for the time being, despite a laundry list of interested prospects, said Adam Flatto, president of Easton co-developer Georgetown Co.

 

Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/12/15/ZONE1215.ART_ART_12-15-08_C8_4GC6IB0.html?sid=101

The funny this is though... the City has thrown millions over the years into the Short North to help make it what it is.

 

Some people are just going to complain no matter what.

 

The difference is obvious in that the city should not be rewarding sprawl. It's very simple: give incentives to invest in urban areas and design, don't give incentives to sprawl. Otherwise I'll have a growing laundry list of legitimate complaints.

 

Now if only the city would throw millions at companies to land stores like these in the core like they did to get Time-Warner here.

 

Center city can barely sustain the mid-range stores it already has... how on earth would a luxury retailer survive there? Considering that the upper-end stores are already at Easton, Burberry would have to be insane to isolate themselves from the wealthy shoppers and other upper end stores at Easton. Easton and Polaris will be, for the next decade or so, the locations of Columbus' high-end stores... center city simply will not be able to compete since we don't have the population base for yet another up-scale retail destination, especially one that would be isolated from the wealth in the burbs. And I doubt the collective wealth of downtown's residents is anywhere nearly as attractive as the wealth concentrated in the burbs. Buying a hip $60 t-shirt is one thing, but a $1,500 coat is quite another - and arguably, a higher percentage of the small number of super wealthy downtowners would venture out to the burbs for a designer jacket than vice versa.

 

Plus, Time Warner brought quite a few jobs to the city core, which is arguably worth more than 4,300 square feet of retail space.

 

What is center city and what about shoppers plunking down a few hundred on a pair of jeans in the Short North, they're not wealthy shoppers?

 

"We count every car that goes into the project," he said. "I like to think that even in a difficult economic environment, people are social animals and want to be with other people."

 

Easton isn't the best place to socialize for numerous reasons and one is that it's geared to a high degree toward consumerism, not as a place to interact with other people.

I doubt the city would ever incentivize Burberry to move into the Short North (if they could even get Burberry's attention - which they probably wouldn't). Columbus doesn't benefit from retailers as much as it does large corporations. I remember when Saks 5th ave. threatened to leave downtown Cincinnati. Tax payers gave them something like 6 million dollars to stay. It was a waste of money and more of a vanity move. Luckily, Easton is technically in Columbus.

M/I unveils marketing, design center at Easton

Friday,  March 6, 2009 - 3:10 AM

By Mike Pramik, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

 

Click here to view a slide show of the design center.

There is some sort of deep symbolism there . . .

Where is the money from this coming from? Savings? M/I's sales have to be down 80-90%.

ugh I hate Easton... I don't shop there... I work in the drab 4 storey buildings South of it... and as soon as I'm done with work I haul ass either home or into the short north or areas surrounding downtown.... When I am dragged to a business lunch at a Easton restaurant it just looks like main street in Disney world.. bleh

Someone should set fire to it.. any takers? ehh I guess I can wait for it to get boarded up in 7 years and watch it turn into another northland....

Who is the mayor of Easton?

I am of course...  :roll:

It won't be another Northland -- maybe another Continent.

Who is the mayor of Easton?

 

According to scraperdude, it's Micky Mouse.

Is Easton really 10 years old?  Believe it!  The Dispatch looks at the creation of Easton, its current place in the central ohio retail scene, and speculates on its future...

 

THE FIRST 10 YEARS 

Easton Town Center has become such a popular fixture, it's hard to remember that its concept was a risky decision

Sunday, July 5, 2009 

By Tim Feran, The Columbus Dispatch

 

It all seems so inevitable now.  Ten years after Easton Town Center arose from fields and horse farms, the trend-setting "lifestyle" center is an established part of the Columbus landscape.  It's a shopping, dining and entertainment venue that draws tourists and repeat local customers, a landmark with its own exit on I-270.  But from its planning stages through its early days and beyond, Easton was no sure thing.  Not by a long shot.  The elements of success for the center, which turned 10 on Tuesday, turn out to be hard work and luck as much as vision and inspiration.

 

When Easton was being planned, fully enclosed shopping malls had been the dominant retail option for several decades. Northland, Eastland and Westland malls had been staple shopping centers for decades and had been followed by Columbus City Center and the Mall at Tuttle Crossing.  Who was going to bet on an outdoor shopping center in a climate that includes rain, cold and snow? 

 

Read much much more at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/07/05/EASTON_AT_10.ART_ART_07-05-09_D1_3KEBDMF.html?sid=101

THE FIRST 10 YEARS: Easton Town Center has become such a popular fixture, it's hard to remember that its concept was a risky decision

 

Timeline and map of Easton to go along with the above posted article...

 

Planning for the development of Easton Town Center and areas surrounding it began decades ago with the purchase of land. Important dates in the center's history:

 

1980s: Limited Brands acquires land for possible distribution center and offices

1990-1998: Planning of new highway interchange and bridge over I-270

1994: Easton Square opens with Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club

1995: Limited Brands unveils plans for Easton Town Center

1997: Easton Chiller opens, as do Dick's Sporting Goods, CompUSA, Old Navy and Bed, Bath & Beyond; new area offices include M/I Homes headquarters

1998: Huntington National Bank offices open

1999: Easton Town Center's first phase opens, as does Chase Mortgage headquarters

2001: Planet Hollywood and the Official All-Star Caf close; Easton Town Center's second phase opens with fashion district featuring Nordstrom and Lazarus-Macy's

2002: Fifteen new tenants added to Easton Town Center, including five in the rotunda

2003: Customer visits to Easton Town Center exceed 18 million annually, and to the entire development, 30 million annually

2004: Development exceeds 30,000 jobs created

2007: Customer visits to Easton Town Center exceed 21 million annually

2008: Tiffany & Co. opens; Henri Bendel expands; Martini Park opens

2009: Easton Town Center celebrates 10th anniversary

 

Sources: the Georgetown Co., Dispatch research

 

 

It will be interesting to see when they start building the next generation of housing. If they make it work, I could imagine the more sprawling sections could be repurposed into a more urban-like environment.

I picture Easton being pretty sustainable. It's near such a wealthy area. The executives of Limited Brands who live nearby in New Albany would want it to continue to thrive.

Old news, but for anybody with kids ages 3 and up, news doesn't come any bigger than this:

 

Lego store to open at Easton

^ with a Duplo size headline.

That would be:

 

Lego store to open at Easton

Lego maniacs get their fix at Easton

 

It was Lego mania Saturday, August 1 at Easton Town Center, with the opening of the only Lego store in Columbus and second in Ohio.  Some customers waited more than two hours to get inside to scope out the interactive play area, model displays and, of course, wall-to-wall Lego products.  The 2,000-square-foot store, located at 4004 Gramercy St. on the north end of Easton, is the first tenant in the new art deco-style building.

 

AW, HELLS YEAH!!!

<b>Pottery Barn Kids is Closing at Easton Town Center</b>

By Walker | December 29, 2009 9:15am | Filed under Shopping

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/potterybarnkids.jpg">

 

Pottery Barn Kids announced this morning that they will be closing their Easton Town Center location as of January 17th. “The team at our nearby Polaris Fashion Place store is ready to serve your family’s needs in the future,” said General Manager Amanda Rausch in an email release. No other reason was immediately given as to why the location was closing.

 

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/pottery-barn-kids-is-closing-at-easton

Yes, it does sound like an Onion release.

Easton shuffle

Like most shopping centers celebrating 10 years of operation, the area's premier 'lifestyle' center is undergoing change, mostly paid for by tenants

Sunday, January 31, 2010

By Marla Matzer Rose, The Columbus Dispatch

 

After opening its first phase a little more than 10 years ago, Easton Town Center has become one of the most popular shopping districts in Ohio.  To stay that way, Easton's owners think it's time for a makeover.

 

Shoppers over the next few months will notice shuttered storefronts and temporary barricades, all part of an effort to shuffle the tenant mix as well as move and expand some stores.  Less than 10 percent of Easton's square-footage will be affected by the moves, but the changes will take place in highly visible areas in the middle of the shopping center.

 

Adam Flatto, president of Easton co-developer the Georgetown Co., estimates that much more than $20 million will be spent on renovations at Easton this year.  What's unusual, he said, is that almost all of that is being paid for by the retailers, not Easton itself.  Typically, malls will give "allowances" to stores to pay for their renovations.

 

Map of Easton:  Tenants Coming Soon, Remodeling, Relocating, Leaving

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/01/31/easton_shuffle.ART_ART_01-31-10_D1_11GDSGR.html?sid=101

An Easton news item that sort of writes its own headline. :wink:

 

 

Game over for GameWorks at Easton

Monday, March 29, 2010, 4:25pm

Business First of Columbus

 

The GameWorks game room, restaurant and bar at Easton Town Center has closed its doors after more than a decade at the north Columbus shopping center.

 

Easton spokesman Mike Duffey told Columbus Business First Monday that GameWorks’ last day of business was Sunday.  GameWorks opened at Easton in 1999 and occupied more than 30,000 square feet adjacent to AMC’s 30-screen movie theater.

 

Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/03/29/daily7.html

And there was a commercial for this place just the other day.

H&M sets Oct. 28 opening at Easton

 

Apparel retailer H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB is just weeks away from opening its second Central Ohio store at Easton Town Center.

 

The company said its two-floor, 20,200-square-foot location at Easton will open Oct. 28 at noon, selling men’s, women’s and children’s apparel. H&M is offering a number of grand opening giveaways, including passes valued between $10 and $300 for the first 250 shoppers at the location, situated on the east side of the Easton Station building.

 

Read more: H&M sets Oct. 28 opening at Easton - Business First of Columbus

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/10/11/daily7.html

Easton adding a new building

Thursday, April 7, 2011 

By Marla Matzer Rose, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Work begins next week on an 18,000-square-foot building that will be part of Easton Town Center's northern district.  It's the first new building there since 2009.

 

When it opens in September, it will house a Jimmy John's sandwich shop, a Verizon cellphone store and a Max Wellness outlet.  The latter is a health- and medical-supplies chain started by the founder of OfficeMax, which currently has locations in Cleveland and Florida.

 

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/04/07/easton-adding-a-new-building.html?sid=101

C.O. Bigelow at Easton closing, leaving chain with just 2 stores

 

The C.O. Bigelow store at Easton Town Center, one of just three stores remaining in the chain, will close its doors next month.

---------------------------

“Demand among retailers for space at Easton continuously exceeds supply,” a spokesman said in a statement. “We announced a number of new tenants recently, including Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors and Sephora, so this newly available space will provide us additional flexibility as we constantly review our tenant mix.”

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2012/01/26/co-bigelow-at-easton-closing.html

Easton Town Center adding parking garage by Macy's

 

 

If you build it, they’ll need to park.

 

This year was poised to be a busy one for Easton Town Center with several high-profile merchants arriving and renovations under way at multiple stores and restaurants. Now construction activity is increasing again as the development gets a $21.7 million parking garage.

 

“We think there is plenty of parking, but we are responsive to our customers and there is a perception that there is a shortage,” said Adam Flatto, president of Georgetown Co., co-developer of Easton with Steiner & Associates Inc. “We want to make visits as positive as possible.”

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/04/06/easton-adding-parking-garage-to.html

Easton getting redone Victoria’s Secret, Express stores – plus new parking garage

 

 

Don’t look in the usual places at Easton Town Center for Victoria’s Secret and Express.

 

The two high-profile retailers are the latest tenants to take over temporary spaces as they remake their flagship stores at the lifestyle center.

 

----------------

 

The remodels of Victoria’s Secret and Express are just two of several changes occurring at Easton this year, including work on a new parking garage that began this week, the addition of dine-in capabilities to the AMC Easton Town Center 30 movie theater and the arrival of renowned retailers Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors, plus Brazilian steakhouse Texas de Brazil.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2012/04/easton-getting-redone-victorias.html

We think there is plenty of parking, but we are responsive to our customers and there is a perception that there is a shortage, said Adam Flatto, president of Georgetown Co., co-developer of Easton with Steiner & Associates Inc. We want to make visits as positive as possible.

 

So they are building a parking garage not to address parking needs, but to address the perception of parking needs?

 

Oh, Easton.

Or...they could just build LRT and turn it into a TOD for Northeast Columbus.

 

Either or.

We think there is plenty of parking, but we are responsive to our customers and there is a perception that there is a shortage, said Adam Flatto, president of Georgetown Co., co-developer of Easton with Steiner & Associates Inc. We want to make visits as positive as possible.

 

So they are building a parking garage not to address parking needs, but to address the perception of parking needs?

 

Oh, Easton.

 

This is the world in which we live. They don't even want to build the thing, but are forced to because it looks like they don't have as much surplus parking as an area full of surface lots.

There are two spots at Easton that are regularly hard to find parking - the surface lot in front Macy's and the garage by Crate and Barrel.

I like Easton for what it is, and I'm glad it's been so successful in keeping up with changing trends.  I'm glad it also helped out that area of the city. 

 

But yeah, suburbanites suck.  The whole parking thing is laughable.  I don't think I've ever been to Easton and had trouble finding a parking spot, even during the holidays. 

I've had trouble parking there before. It was in February 2010 and I think it was mostly caused because of the parking spaces the snow banks took up.

Easton’s 1st hotel since ’07 begins construction

Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter

Date: Monday, May 7, 2012, 3:50pm EDT

 

A suburban Cincinnati developer will open its first hotel in Columbus near Easton this year, the first in the mixed-use development since a Hampton Inn & Suites opened in 2007.

 

Crestpoint Cos. of West Chester started construction on the 100-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites last month after an exhaustive search for land in the Easton area.

 

MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2012/05/eastons-1st-hotel-since-07-begins.html

The Death Star expands!  :-o

 

Easton Gateway

 

 

The 54-acre Easton Gateway development adds more than half a million square feet of retail space to an immediate area that already boasts more than 5 million square feet of best-in-class retail.

Easton Gateway will be home to two large format anchor tenants, as well as nearly 100,000 square feet of small and mid-sized retailers and new restaurant concepts. The project also adds significant new parking capacity, with space for almost 3,000 vehicles. With I-270 to the east and Morse Road to the north, Easton Gateway enjoys both extraordinary access and optimum visibility: nearly 200,000 vehicles pass directly by the site every day.

 

More below:

http://www.steiner.com/projectsunderdevelopment/eastongateway.aspx

Is this going in where Stelzer used to connect directly with Morse? The one that had the '60s ranches in ribbon development down the road?

Bingo.

WOW....Easton getting bigger.....didn't think that was possible! Hopefully this is good news for my property value

I wonder why the developer has moved away from the lifestyle center form of development with this, a strip mall. The average life cycle for new retail is 5 years at a good property. I wonder how this will look 10 years from now.

I wonder why the developer has moved away from the lifestyle center form of development with this, a strip mall. The average life cycle for new retail is 5 years at a good property. I wonder how this will look 10 years from now.

 

This is what makes me wonder about the intelligence of developers and the laws of economics in capitalism.  Strip plazas and outlot development seem to be big losers these days (low-end stores, high vacancies, short life spans), and Easton has obviously been a huge hit (largely due to the lifestyle center setup).  So what would make sense?  Surround it with strip plazas and outlots of course!

Actually, what a lot of developers are doing is building the mall, leasing it out, then selling it in a very short time frame. That way they come out on top and the buyer is left with a declining asset/mall. They don't care about the money the new mall will be loosing or the blight it will create when it ages, because they'll be long gone by then.

Then comes the conga line of different owners and management companies.

This could all be moot if there were actually strict density codes involved.  That style of development flies directly in the face of what has made Easton successful.  Incidentally, I was at Morse Crossing and Easton just today.  Easton was, of course, busy.  Morse Crossing, a typicaly suburban-style strip plaza, besides the restaurants, was decidedly quiet.  The same thing was true across 161 at the Best Buy/Sports Authority strip plaza.  I couldn't help but wonder how it made any sense to build out more of this soulless strip retail with zero residential when residential will, at the very least, provide more customers and ultimately more tax revenue for the areas/cities involved.  It makes absolutely no sense even from a for-profit developer.  Not only that, but it's become very clear that this type of development has fallen way out of favor with emerging trends.  It's like no one is bothering to even look around.  This is going to appeal only to the shrinking supply of people who still think the suburbs and seas of parking are awesome. 

Columbus has adopted urban overlays on a few choice areas of town, but when it is going to hold the rest of the city/suburban mess to the same standard? Notice that bikes aren't mentioned anywhere but it'll have 3,000 parking spaces for cars and that one block on the right in the rendering is the only one that has a sidewalk. That the proposal was submitted as such is telling of Columbus' lack of development standards for most of the city: what was that about complete streets and best biking city in the nation?

^To be fair, if the rendering was generated from the developer, which I think it was, the city of Columbus had nothing to do with the absense of side walks or bike friendly areas. This is more a reflection of this specific developer