Harbourview Towne Center will bring to Suffolk, Virginia from 800,000 to 1.2 million square feet of office, retail and residential space in a Town Center format.

Harbourview Towne Center Taking Shape

SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA -- Divaris Real Estate has taken on the leasing and management of Harbourview Towne Center, a mixed-use development planned for East Suffolk. Located on Interstate 664, Harbourview Towne Center already has the only large stadium-seating 16-screen cinema complex in Suffolk. The cinema is operated by Consolidated Theaters. It is surrounded by small specialty retail and restaurants. The project is being developed by Landonomics of Chicago.

      Designed by CMSS Architects as a traditional Town Center with a grid-street pattern, Harbourview Towne Center will range in size from 800,000 square feet to 1.2 million square feet, with a combination of office, retail and residential space in two- to four-level buildings. The architecture will have the clean, classical look of a traditional city center, although there will be some variety in terms of each building taking on its own character and style.

      “It’s an evolving development that will be designed exude quality and style with a timeless look about it,” says Gerald Divaris, chairman/CEO of Divaris Real Estate, Inc.

      CMSS has been making a name for itself with “town center” designs, especially in Southeast Virginia.   It is the architectural firm that is responsible for the master plan and design of The Town Center of Virginia Beach, (see story page one), of the City Center of Oyster Point in Newport News and Rocketts Landing in Richmond.

      The Harbourview area, which encompasses much more than just the Towne Center, has been designated as a major growth node for the city of Suffolk, the largest city in Virginia by land mass.  Harbourview alone encompasses over 2,000 acres of land, and the city has been making a name for itself as a first-class bedroom community, with easy access to Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk as well as to the Virginia Peninsula cities of Newport News and Hampton. Suffolk is also one of the most rapidly growing cities, having recently been selected by the U.S. Government for a major Department of Homeland Defense facility. Historically, Suffolk has been a large agricultural area, with commercial activities including Planters Peanuts and Lipton Tea. It is also has a campus of Tidewater Community College.  The Harbourview Towne Center features a new unit of Bon Secours hospital which will spur several new medical buildings, two of which are expected to break ground in 2005.

      “There are two great existing components — the hospital and the theater.  The hospital is a catalyst for medical office tenants while the theater creates great synergy for restaurants, a bookstore and other retailers,” says Divaris. "In addition, Harris Teeter is close to inking a deal to build its upscale food store in the complex."

      The Towne Center is located across the interstate from a big-box power center, anchored by Wal-Mart Supercenter.  Area road systems allow easy access and great visibility.  The Towne Center is surrounded by high-end waterfront neighborhoods, and the trade area boasts a population of roughly 160,000 within a seven-mile radius. Over the next five years, Suffolk's population is projected to grow by 3.1 percent. The average household income is estimated to be around $58,000, and it is expected to increase by 15.4 percent over the next five years.

      With an anticipated opening in early 2008, Harbourview Towne Center currently is at an advanced planning stage. Divaris is working with two large department stores, which have not yet been announced, to “bookend” the main street, and there are several restaurants that want to be located in the center because of the dynamics the theater brings. Harris Teeter is under contract as a third anchor to the center, and additional retailers will include those found in traditional town centers, such as home furnishing stores and fashion retailers.