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CBL's Hamilton Place gets a makeover for tenth birthday

By Debra Hazel

Hamilton Place, Chattanooga, Tenn., is adding a suspended staircase to evoke a futuristic atmosphere.

Most 10-year-olds celebrate a birthday with a party. CBL & Associates Properties' Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, the largest mall in Tennessee, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a makeover being completed this month.

The 1.4 million-square-foot mall is being prepared for the millennium with a major interior renovation that will open up the common area of the mall, according to its locally based developer.

"Everyone comments, 'Why are you doing a renovation?' They're shocked. But we're making sure we're keeping things on the cutting edge," said Alan Lebovitz, project manager for the overhaul.

The grand reopening of Hamilton Place is scheduled for Aug. 23. But the look and feel of the center will be for 2000 and beyond, Mr. Lebovitz noted.

That includes a new more flexible interior that will allow the Chattanooga-based developer/manager to provide new tenants and/or entertainment features on a continual basis.

Finding out just what defined "cutting edge" was a matter of experience with a long-running renovation program plus customer feedback.

"We wanted to focus on improving things and making the center accessible. This center has something for everyone, from adults to teenagers," Mr. Lebovitz said.

Flexibility is the key to the new Hamilton Place: Many permanent fixtures have been removed and replaced with movable ones. The new interior landscaping features movable pots, allowing new looks to be created and pedestrian traffic redirected as necessary.

"We did extensive demolition of seating and landscaping that were obstacles. We're now going with movable fixtures, creating more traffic flow. It also allows us to fill the center with more traveling shows," Mr. Lebovitz said.

An older staircase in the center court has been replaced by a futuristic suspended staircase, giving the area a modern feel that is further enhanced by the use of neon lighting, accenting both the skylights and the entrances. Ambient light also is being stepped up throughout the center.

Continuing a more high-tech look, wood rails will be replaced by stainless steel rails.

Customer comfort also has been a focus. New seating areas have been created at the entrances to the department stores. (The center is anchored by Belk, JC Penney, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Proffitt's and Parisian.) The rest rooms have been renovated and/or expanded.

And in a rarity among regional malls, the common area of the upper level will be carpeted.

"We want to create some diversity for the feel of the mall. The upper level is soft. On the lower level, the soft seating area is carpeted, to create a home environment," Mr. Lebovitz said.

Unlike many renovations, Hamilton Place is not being substantially expanded at the same time. However, one area is growing: food service.

An expansion of the food court has added 6,600 square feet to the center, with seating increased from 387 to 614 seats.

Much of the additional space has been created through the removal of a fountain. Johnny Rockets and Atlanta Bread have been located at the entrance to the food court. Both are new to Chattanooga, Mr. Lebovitz noted.

The restaurants aren't the only new tenants. New arrivals also include Abercrombie & Fitch, Banana Republic, Cache, Children's Place, NASCAR Thunder, Garden Botanika and Pacific Sunwear of California. Belk and Sears have completed renovations.

To reflect all of the changes, a new logo has been designed for Hamilton Place by Wichita, Kan.-based Greteman Group and signage will be replaced throughout the mall.

Existing tenants have been excited to see the progress, reported center marketing director Pauline Thompson.

"When we had the tenant meeting on January 7th, the reaction was very positive," she said.

The changes will appeal to the region's affluent market. The Chattanooga metropolitan statistical area consists of 454,000 people, with 180,000 households, according to the 1990 census/National Decision Systems. The average household income is $47,559.

Results have borne out that excitement. The center's sales totaled $328 per square foot in 1997, and is tracking at $347 per square foot this year, despite the renovation disruption, said center manager Bill Silvis.

"We're repositioning the center from something from the 1980s to something for the future," Mr. Lebovitz said.