Shopping Center Business

MAY 2017

Shopping Center Business is the leading monthly business magazine for the retail real estate industry.

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BATTERY ATLANTA 218 • SHOPPING CENTER BUSINESS • May 2017 EXPERIENTIAL RETAILERS When mapping out the philosophy of the tenant mix, Fuqua Development worked very closely with the Braves, who were very involved in the decision making process for Battery Atlanta. "We work together with the Braves as a team, and every decision that was made we sat down and made them together," says Zuckerman. "When we talked to new retailers, we would go and talk to the Braves too. There's a very stringent vetting process to make sure we curate the best-in-class retailers and restaurants here in the project. The focus for the develop- ment is on experiential retailers." One tenant even went so far as to put "experience" in its store title. Baseball glove and bat brand Mizuno opened the Mizuno Experience Center, it's first ever store in the United States. Born from its relationship with professional baseball and specifically the Braves, Mizuno will offer its newest baseball gear, as well as items for golf, running, softball and volleyball. The approximately 3,000-square-foot store will also feature an extra incentive for fans to swing by the store before the opening pitch. "They'll have 2,000 baseball gloves available for fans to grab, use during the game and then bring back into the store," says Zuckerman. "It's an interesting way to get people in and out of the store, and it fits with our experiential strategy." Another baseball-specific concept at the Battery Atlanta is Baseballism, a Port- land-based retailer that sells baseball-re- lated merchandise — everything from T-shirts to phone cases made from glove and baseball leather. "Baseballism is a very cool clothing store that sells apparel without logos on it. It's soft, vintage apparel related to base- ball," says Zuckerman. The new store will be the fifth flagship Baseballism location in the country, join- ing existing locations in Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame; Portland; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Emerson, Georgia. Above and adjacent to the Mizuno store is Punch Bowl Social, an upscale "eat, drink, play" venue that offers eight bowling lanes, a bocce ball court, three private karaoke rooms, a 360-degree bar and lounge and a 2,200-square-foot rooftop patio. Punch Bowl Social spans 27,000 square feet across two stories. "Punch Bowl Social has more than a dozen locations nationwide," says Zuck- erman. "We're planning to open them this summer." In the same vein as Punch Bowl Social, the Cordish Cos. opened its Live! at the Battery, with its two-level storefront fac- ing the ballpark. Cordish operates Live! concepts at sporting venues across the country, including Cleveland Live! across from Quicken Loans Arena, Texas Live! with the Texas Rangers and Ballpark Vil- lage with the St. Louis Cardinals. Live! at the Battery will feature a two-story Sports & Social, Todd English Tavern and PBR (Professional Bull Rid- ers) Atlanta, which opens in May. The Sports & Social section features a 40-foot, high-definition LED TV screen and a gi- ant wall of TVs, as well as bar games like ping pong, air hockey, shufflepuck and foosball. Another experiential retailer coming to the village is Sweet Pete's, which will open a 10,000-square-foot, two-story store. Marcus Lemonis, best known from the TV show "The Profit," is a principal investor in the company. "Sweet Pete's will have a school that teaches guests how to make fudge, ice cream and candy," says Zuckerman. "A lot of interesting retailers are creating ex- periences within their stores." In addition to the aforementioned stores and venues, other retailers at Bat- tery Atlanta include BURN by Rocky Patel, a 5,000-square-foot, upscale cigar lounge; a SunTrust onUp Experience store; Harley-Davidson; DressUp; Sugar- boo Designs; and the Braves Clubhouse Store. "Braves fans are coming from Birming- ham, Nashville and the Carolinas," says Zuckerman. "It's been a great platform for brands that are growing in the South- Situated near SunTrust Park's Right Field Gate, the 53,000-square- foot Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre will host roughly 40 shows a year, mostly on non-game days. The Plaza is situated steps outside of SunTrust Park near Live! at the Battery, Yard House and Terrapin Taproom.

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