Believe it or not, there are ongoing construction projects off campus, too.
The Lane Avenue Shopping Center, which was once a hotbed for area shoppers, is undergoing a facelift in hopes of regaining the prominence it once held.
The revamping, which began earlier this year, will lead not only to a new look for the center, but also a new name. Following the grand re-opening, the area located at 1585 W. Lane Ave. will be referred to as The Shops on Lane Avenue.
Throughout the redevelopment, the area has continued to be open to the public.
“We were able to retain 20 tenants that stayed open during the renovation,” said Susan Schaeff, the center’s general manager. “We have several that have opened within the last couple of weeks, and our hope is to be 65 percent full by Christmas and 80 percent full by the time of the grand opening.”
Casual Corner – one of the stores that remained open – experienced a decline in business when construction began, but employees hope for a renewal in shopper volume after the project is complete.
“We have our bad days just like everyone else, but our loyal customers have kept us afloat,” said Jennifer Serina, the store’s assistant manager. “I am sure we are going to be much busier once it is all said and done.”
Prior to the renovation, the center found itself in a state of decline, with its major stores leaving due to a lack of upkeep.
“I think the mall manager that we had before just let the place fall into ruin,” Serina said.
Schaeff acknowledged it was time for a change.
“They did the last renovation in 1980,” she said. “The rule of thumb is that you normally need to keep up with the times every 10 years. It really needed to be brought into the millennium – we still had disco mirrors on the wall.”
New stores such as Pier 1 Imports and Ann Taylor Loft, along with Baja Fresh and Rusty Bucket Tavern will help fill the void left by the retail stores that vacated the premise when construction began.
Bath and Body Works closed its doors shortly before the renovation process started and, as a result, had to decide how to handle its employees.
Store employee Amy Morgan said she was pleased with the way her employer chose to remedy the situation.
“Everybody from our store was offered a transfer,” Morgan said. “I still work for them today, but we will not be returning to Lane Avenue.”
Other stores let their staffs go without explanation or warning, she said.
While completion is a few months away, Greg Larson, the manager of Larson’s Toys and Games, has already noted the positive impact that the changes are having.
“I have already noticed some increase in business, now that a few stores have opened up,” Larson said. “The parking lot is finished and the fronts are all done, and I think that has helped a lot. We have seen a turnaround already.”
When finished, the center – which will span 200,000 square feet and feature 55 tenants – will still need to find ways to compete with other malls – the same malls which can be blamed for taking some of the center’s business in the first place, Larson said.
“Sales had been declining for the last couple of years,” Larson said. “I think that was partly due to Tuttle and Easton.”
