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A 46,000-square-foot Dick’s Sporting Goods store will open in summer 2020 as part of Simon Property Group’s redevelopment of the Cape Cod Mall in Hyannis. Image courtesy of Simon Property Group
Cape Cod’s commercial business development has been brisk this summer, with key projects in the pipeline and others coming to fruition, particularly in the town of Barnstable, our largest town and home to the village of Hyannis.
Long known as “the Hub of the Cape,” Hyannis is experiencing a boomlet in redevelopment of existing businesses, including CVS, Citizens Bank, Transatlantic Motors’ Audi dealership, Chick-Fil-A, Wendy’s and others located near the airport rotary and all boasting brand-new buildings. The Staples shopping plaza has proposed development of a 10,000-square-foot drugstore in one building and a 2,000-square-foot Dunkin’ Donuts store plus another 4,000 square feet of retail space. A regulatory agreement application is pending with the town of Barnstable for this site on Iyannough Road.
Perhaps the most extensive project currently underway is the reinvestment in the Simon Property Group mall property on Route 132 in Hyannis. A major reconfiguration at the east end of the Cape Cod Mall is nearing completion. Target Corp. plans to open a new store of approximately 80,000 square feet later this year. In August, the largest U.S.-based full-line sporting goods retailer, Dick’s Sporting Goods, announced it is opening at the mall next summer. This 46,000-square-foot facility will be Dick’s Sporting Goods’ only Cape location.
Directly across the street from the Cape Cod Mall, a major redevelopment has been approved by the town of Barnstable and its Airport Commission with WS Development, in an agreement completed in August. The current Capetown Plaza, owned by the town and in the custody of the abutting airport, will receive a $45 million reinvestment creating a 300,000 square foot “lifestyle center” to be called The Landing at Hyannis. Currently known to many as “the Kmart plaza,” the site may include retail, restaurants, office space, entertainment and hospitality space, service establishments, fitness and medical buildings. Open space, walking paths, a village green and playground are also part of the plans.
Optimizing Tenant Mix on Main Street
Main Street in Hyannis also is stepping up its game. The Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District just commissioned a study on how the area’s retail mix could be positioned within the broader competitive marketplace, and identified what tenants would be an ideal fit for the diversity that embraces the historic town core. The fact that downtown Hyannis boasts a streamlined regulatory process with flexible permitting as a Growth Incentive Zone gives commercial property seekers some unique opportunities on Cape Cod. New offerings like Flashback – a bar and restaurant boasting a selection of two dozen vintage arcade games that can be played for 50 cents – can be found alongside one-of-a-kind shopping experiences curated by local craftspeople and unique, creative owners.
Barnstable development projects also include a proposed tractor supply retailer on an existing vacant lot, a car wash at a former car dealership, the redevelopment of a gas station into a convenience center and two sites approved for or completed as residential units. Completed projects include AMIE Bakery, a state-of-the-art facility in Osterville converted from an abandoned garage, and a medical office building in Hyannis.
Beyond Hyannis’ growth incentive zone, there are additional business-ready sites on Cape Cod. Route 28 in Yarmouth has witnessed the redevelopment of aging motel stock into new housing units at market rates. The South Yarmouth Opportunity Zone provides incentives for investors in an area stretching from Parker’s River to Bass River.
Similarly, Buzzards Bay Village in the town of Bourne is a growth incentive zone, and is preparing to celebrate the opening of the Cape’s second Hampton Inn overlooking the Cape Cod Canal, which will be linked to its bike and pedestrian paths. Infill development for mixed-use growth is welcomed and Bourne’s maximum 120-day permitting process will save developers time and expense. The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, working with the state’s Office of Business Development, is a liaison for developers and property owners in the region.
Wendy Northcross is CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
