(Image credit: Continental Realty Corporation)
After operating a location in downtown Lakeland, Florida since 2016, Alicia Lovett, owner of Amelia Paige Boutique, recently decided that the women’s boutique was missing buying opportunities from customers who were venturing less often to Lakeland’s central business district area. So, the locally- and female-owned store signed a lease with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) for a second area store in Lakeside Village, with plans to open at the 460,000 square foot super-regional lifestyle center in suburban Lakeland this summer. Monica Johnson and Kristin Perry represented the landlord in this 2,217 square feet lease transaction.
The boutique offers a curated shopping experience that combines trendy women’s apparel, jewelry, accessories, and unique gifts. It features a custom hat bar where customers can choose from among hundreds of options to design their own personalized headwear. The store is frequently used for a girls’ night out or for bachelorette parties where customers create new hats for the occasion.
“Our downtown store continues to perform extremely well but, over the last several years, we have come to the conclusion that the downtown area has grown significantly, and the city can only accommodate so many patrons,” Lovett explained. “After speaking with some of our regular customers, we believe a percentage of our audience finds the downtown shopping experience a bit inconvenient, due to traffic and parking concerns. We wanted to be proactive and find a second location in a place where our current and future customers live.
“Taking a cue from my personal shopping experiences, I find that Lakeside Village offers a complimentary blend of nationally-operated and locally-owned shops, including several women’s boutiques,” Lovett said. “It will be a benefit to have like-minded shops and boutiques as our retail neighbors. We also believe our unique blend of products will add a different vibe to the retail venue.”
CRC, a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company active in 11 states, acquired Lakeside Village last summer.
Located at 1479 Town Center Drive just east of Tampa, Lakeside Village is anchored by Belk, CMX Lakeside Village 18 & IMAX, and Books-A-Million, and is shadow-anchored by Kohl’s. The center includes more than 70 tenants offering a diverse mix of uses, including entertainment, fashion, medical/healthcare, fitness, food, and beverages as well as 46,000 square feet of office space. Additional tenants include The Brass Tap, Abuelo’s, Fleet Feet, Journeys, Pandora, Francesca’s, Gaskins Barbecue and Lobster and Rocket Fizz.
“Amelia Paige Boutique is a beloved and locally-owned store that has been a staple in downtown Lakeland for many years, and is exciting addition to the tenant mix at Lakeside Village,” stated Kristina O’Keefe, Vice President of CRC’s Commercial Division. “The store’s monthly in-store pop-ups featuring events such as permanent jewelry bars, Botox and bubbly gatherings, and holiday-themed celebrations will further enrich the shopping experience.”
Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on acquiring and operating retail and multifamily properties. The privately held firm owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of nearly eight million square feet of commercial space and over 9,000 apartment homes across 11 states, with a portfolio value exceeding $4 billion. For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.
