Peninsula Momentum Building
August 7, 2007
The buzz of activity surrounding Peninsula Town Center's conversion from The Coliseum Mall to an outdoor town center is reflective of Newton's First Law, which states that objects in motion tend to stay in motion.
In the midst of a busy construction and renovation process, several milestones have been reached, and, to the evident delight of area residents, a number of important pieces are already falling into place.
Promising developments for the site's anchor tenants include recent announcements surrounding two of the center's major department store anchors: JCPenney's new 103,000-square-foot store is set to opened its doors on August 2nd of this year, and tremendous progress is being made towards giving the existing Macy's a complete overhaul with extensive interior and exterior renovations.
Additionally, plans will be officially revealed shortly for bookseller Barnes & Noble's new 29,000-square-foot store- located adjacent to the development's future town square park -which is set to open in late Summer 2008.
These highlights, exciting as they are, are just a portion of the 75-acre master plan, a comprehensive redevelopment and re-imagining of what was formerly the Coliseum Mall in Hampton, Virginia. Macy's, JCPenney and Barnes & Noble are part of what is planned to be over one million square feet of retail, dining, office and residential space. By creating a series of natural public gathering places and using the power of the street grid to generate a vibrant, small-town atmosphere, the new Peninsula Town Center will present an innovative new take on a mixed-use destination.
In that spirit, the City's recent demolition of a large concrete flyover structure that served as a traffic overpass perfectly captures the tenor of the new pedestrian-friendly Peninsula Town Center. The demolition of the structure, which obstructed sightlines and inhibited pedestrian enjoyment of the space, is just a part of a larger public initiative now underway to make improvements on infrastructure, utilities and surrounding roadways. The changes are representative of the commitment-by Steiner + Associates, Mall Properties and the City of Hampton- to the extensive pedestrian pathways, broad avenues and lush landscaping that will distinguish the finished project.
While the official Grand Opening isn't scheduled until the conclusion of the multi-phase development process in early 2009, a private site blessing on July 19th commemorated another "official" milestone in the town center's lifeline. There is no doubt that events at Peninsula Town Center are in motion-and it looks like they will stay that way well beyond 2009's Grand Opening.
