Smaller spaces + local faces = success

Is it any wonder that the owners of a once-struggling Gilbert strip mall have found success?

They did three things really, really right. And it's a model for lots of other Valley shopping centers that lack character (and tenants):

1) THEY IXNAYED THE GROCERY STORE.

Conventional wisdom used to be that strip malls needed an anchor store to be successful. But that's no longer the case. The owners of Greenfield Plaza stopped trying to find big-box uses for empty big-box stores. After all, how many grocery- and department-store chains are there in Arizona? And how many are in a position to expand?

Right. Precious few. So stop waiting for one to show up and play savior. Break up the space for smaller uses that match the area's character. We saw this happen in downtown Gilbert: A huge restaurant that never could keep tenants was broken into two smaller ones, Postino and Joyride. They were so successful that a third restaurant, Snooze, was added on the property.

2) THEY GOT INVOLVED.

The owners of Arizona Gold Properties live near the shopping center. They knew the area. So it wasn't hard for them to identify potential tenants. They showed up at their doors and said, "We need you to be in Gilbert. Here's why." Which leads to the third, and perhaps most important, point:

3) THEY ASKED FAVORITES TO COME BACK.

There are dozens of beloved businesses that shut their doors each month. The owners went to the popular Gecko Grill, which had closed in another shopping center, and said, "What can we do to get you to re-open in our center?" I don't know what they offered. Maybe it was cheap rent. Maybe it was marketing. Or maybe it was just the invitation to get back into the game with a fresh start.

But they identified places that make Gilbert feel like Gilbert and didn't let them go gently into that good night. They put a "there" there. Given that the Valley is often criticized as bland and devoid of personality, we sure could use more of that.