The Three Rs: Repurpose, Recycling, Repackaging Lead Way Toward Peninsula Town Center
Peninsula Town Center remains on schedule for its much-anticipated April 2009 Grand Opening. In what may be an exciting taste of things to come for area residents who have been eagerly awaiting the revival of this local mixed-use landmark, the outline of what will become the new community destination for Hampton, Virginia is beginning to take shape.
Repurpose
With demolition of several components of the old Coliseum Mall now essentially complete and construction officially underway, visitors and local residents are beginning to get a sense of how the project will ultimately come together. Foundations are starting on five new buildings, giving observers a sense of how the designed layout of this promising new project will create a compelling mix of retail avenues, pedestrian pathways and natural gathering places. In fact, by early 2008, all five remaining buildings will be well along into construction. By 2009, a once enclosed mall will become an outdoor destination reminiscent of urban city centers of yore.
Recycling
On December 3rd, work began in earnest on the new parking garage. With the foundation already in place and a design composed largely of prefabricated components, construction on the garage is projected to be complete this spring. In addition to recycling scrap metal and rebar from the demolition, the Peninsula Town Center construction process uses industrial grinders that recycle crushed concrete and construction materials into usable gravel. This innovative technique prevented 32,000 tons of waste and debris from going to landfills, creating material that is used as fill under building slabs and sidewalks.
Repackaging
In the northeast corner of the site, JC Penney, which celebrated its official "new" grand opening on August 4th, has been doing booming business. A new prototype for the company, which previously operated a 200,000-square-foot two-level store on-site, this new layout represents the firm's trending away from traditional, stand-alone single-level malls and moving into more mixed-use and lifestyle centers with a mix of indoor and outdoor components.
This newer, more compact store is approximately 100,000 square feet, and is part of a JC Penney rebranding initiative that includes a larger selection of high-end products and a high-tech new checkout system. The store will have a south-facing entrance looking out onto the main town square of the new Peninsula Town Center. Flanking the new entrance, a number of in-line specialty retail stores will not only mask the blank wall, but also create an intimate little retail plaza.
That same concept carries over to the Macy's building, where additional storefronts will perform a similar function. Macy's - which has remained open throughout demolition and early construction, will be undergoing a full interior and exterior upgrade to coincide with Peninsula's new look and feel.
Other highlights to look forward to include a Barnes & Noble bookstore near the town square, a park-side ground-level retail building with two stories of office above, and a residential building that will overlook a second, children's park.
Local area residents will no doubt stay tuned for further developments, as this promising new Steiner + Associates and Mall Properties project continues to fulfill its promise; recapturing the sense of place for which Coliseum Mall was famous, and honoring the community connection that has for so long been a fundamental part of what makes this Hampton landmark so special.
