Cross Pointe Shopping Center on cusp of ‘metamorphosis’
The Cross Pointe Shopping Center — a fixture at the northern gateway of Centerville for decades — is about to get new neighbors.
Seven buildings in the Allure Apartments, a joint venture between Beavercreek-based Mills Development and Cincinnati-based Hills Properties, will bring 312 units next door. Gateway Lofts spans 40 acres from Alex-Bell to Interstate 675 and will be home to roughly 350 more units.
“The outstanding location is a huge part of why we chose this spot, as well as our work hand-in-hand with Don Wright Realty,” said Brandon Guttman, executive vice president of Land Development and Construction for Cincinnati-based Hills Properties.
The first Allure building is already fully leased.
“We think of this area now as one piece, a mixed-used development where you can live, work and play without ever getting into a car,” Guttman said. “We’ve got a big passion for Dayton and Centerville in particular.”
Centerville Economic Development Administrator Michael Norton-Smith says about 100,000 cars pass the shopping center every day.
“Cross Pointe is a truly a commercial destination. It has all the elements to drive success: location, accessibility and visibility along with a variety of unique retail establishments and eateries,” Norton-Smith said.
The city worked with developers at Allure and Cross Pointe’s owner to form a coordinated plan to connect the two properties.
“Cross Pointe is going to go through a metamorphosis in the next five years because of all these apartments going in within 500 yards,” Cross Pointe Property Manager Scott Wright said. “The city has been instrumental. They said, ‘How are we going to make this community flow?’”
The answer in part is the Cross Pointe Connection: a 25-foot wide paved walkway with overhang lighting and large wooden trellises at either end. Wright says he will invest an additional $40,000 in landscaping for the connection.
It’s the most recent in a long list of improvements the Wrights have made since Don Wright Realty purchased 217,000 square feet of the center in 2003. All of Cross Pointe encompasses approximately 345,000 square feet.
Not only did the Wrights replace the roof of their portion of the structure, they purchased all new brown metal awnings and upgraded each of the center’s 118 air conditioning units.
Every year, the Wrights devote $100,000 to the 1,000space parking lot alone. They recently planted knockout roses around the property and upgraded all parking light fixtures to LED, an improvement that pays off in visibility and safety.
Their effort is noticed: the City of Centerville awarded Cross Pointe a City Beautiful landscaping award in 2018.
Wright’s efforts are now focused on maintaining a tenant mix that supports the community and keeps businesses healthy and profitable. Occupancy at Cross Pointe has been 90% or higher for the last seven years.
“The way you buck the trend that has moved to online use is you get operators who provide a personal touch and service that makes life better — like Learning Express, Old Bag of Nails and Bellbrook Chocolates,” Wright said.
Boosalis Baking and Cafe was recently named “Best Coffee Shop in Ohio” by USA Today.
Freedom Family Chiropractic, which started its business at Cross Pointe 2013, recently expanded to a space twice the size in the center.
Department store Marshalls and Fortis College remain the center’s anchors while Earth Fare efforts a repurpose use. Earth Fare has continued leasing space at Cross Pointe since the company’s corporate office shut down all Southern Ohio stores in 2016.
Wright says he is in talks with two potential tenants for the former Outback Steakhouse property, which sits at a prime location adjacent to the Cross Pointe Connection to the Allure properties. He anticipates a new tenant will be operating out of the space within the next six months.
“Cross Pointe stays vibrant in this era of Brick and Mortar problems because we have unique, eclectic users that come together in a center that is kept up nicely by local owners in order to stay competitive,” he added.
Wright says he hopes to recruit several new uses to Cross Pointe in the future like a sit-down breakfast spot, a pizza shop and a small market or upscale convenience store.