The Return of the Retail Market

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The economy has hit us all hard. That’s no secret. But there are some hopeful signs. For those of us in the construction industry, we have seen an uptick in growth in the retail market, specifically in geographically dense areas. Renovations and tenant work is on the rise; the remodeling of existing shopping centers and free-standing stores is popular once again. With the growth in retail renovations come the age-old conundrum of how to deal with occupied shopping centers, working around the clock to complete the jobs as quickly as possible and impacting day-to-day operations as little as necessary.

TW has some exciting projects in the pipeline. We see improvements in the economy ahead and are working off hours to accommodate busy centers with high traffic volumes.

• At the Lyon Village ShoppingCenter, located in Arlington, VA, we are adding new intricatedetails to a very old center. Meanwhile, the center is fully occupied and creates high traffic throughout the day. TW is completing the demolition and upgrade of 585 LF of existing facades on the entire shopping center—including Giant Food, CVS and other smaller retailers.

• Pike Plaza on Route 355 in Rockville, MD is a 400 LF facade renovation, including new roof shingles, new trim, paint and metal panel soffit.

• Jared Jewelers, located in Rockville, MD, a new 6,400 SF pad building, will include finished interiors.

• Kings Crossing Shopping Center in Alexandria, VA is a three-part renovation. Work includes expanding the space of the existing tenant, renovating the building face, and repairing major areas of the site, such as the addition of new asphalt paving and sight lighting. The site’s plan lead to a new “urban prototype” Wal-Mart store, featuring a smaller footprint and incorporating green building practices. The new store will house Wal-Mart’s grocery concept but has a reduced department store.

• Sterling Plaza in Sterling, VA 1,500 LF of facade including demolition, landscaping, children’s play area and awnings.

• Big Lots in Parkville Crossing is a renovation of an existing Jeepers into a Big Lots. Work includes new interior fitup and face lift to the façade of the building.