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Above: Chunky’s footprint in pink; Cowabunga’s! in blue. At least four other flexible spots to fill, including the pad that was once the outdoor area of Lowe’s. Anyone looking for a high-profile location for their business, this could be the one. Click the right corner to enlarge the image.
MANCHESTER, NH – All things considered, the path to bringing a movie house back to Manchester has been pretty smooth, says Perry Snow, a commercial sales and leasing advisor for the Norwood Group. They are getting to the home stretch of construction and renovations at the old Lowe’s building on Huse Road, making way for Chunky’s Cinema Pub, a much-anticipated anchor for the Center View Plaza.
Fingers crossed, it should be opening in May, says Snow.
⇒RELATED STORY: Coming attractions: Chunky’s Cinema Pub to open on Huse Road in 2017
A second tenant, Cowabunga’s!, a kid-friendly indoor inflatable playground, is also on board.
“The latest I’ve heard from the ownership is that, at the same time we’re looking at opening Chunky’s we’re also working on the fit-up for Cowabunga’s! – so we have the two tenants under contract and we’re working on a third, which would take up the front space,” said Snow.
He wouldn’t identify the third prospective business except to say that it’s more of an office component. But there are still spaces left to fill, and they are actively seeking the right fit. The possibilities are more or less limitless – except for a restriction by Lowe’s not to add a home improvement store.
He says the city appears to favor a sit-down restaurant to a drive-thru eatery, if an eatery is to join the mix. But current trends in development mean responding to the shift away from “big-box” retailers.
“The face of retail is changing as we transition away from big box users – the Sports Authorities and Circuit Cities and Sears stores – they’re all getting downsized or going out of business, so the retail market is absolutely changing,” says Snow.
Chunky’s will occupy 47,350 square feet and Cowabunga’s will occupy 21,998 square feet, leaving about 34,000 square feet left to fill in four remaining flexible configurations, says Snow.
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Plazas that feature family-friendly entertainment and active use are in demand.
“You’re not seeing as many of the widget stores out there looking for space. With everyone shopping online, the demand isn’t there. So we’re actively looking to try and turn Center View Plaza into a recreational family-oriented entertainment complex, as much as we can,” Snow said.
Generally speaking the project is still on track, although slightly delayed from the original projected opening of February 2017, says Snow. Barring unforeseen weather or logistical issues – or a hiccup with city-side compliance, a May grand opening for both Chunky’s and Cowabunga’s! is expected.
“We are welcoming any inquiries for the remaining spaces. We have to think of the longevity of the center. We could probably get some mom-and-pop stores to fill it up, but for something lasting, we have to consider the change in people’s buying patterns,” Snow says.
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