In a town full of “stop and go” retail plazas, we created a brand that compelled people to “go and stay.”
Nordblom has developed a 300,000 SF retail and entertainment complex in Burlington, along with over 500 residential units. This new destination was created within Northwest Park, a legacy brand associated with industrial uses. In a town that already had a large mall and numerous plazas and restaurants, shopping and dining wasn’t lacking. But something was missing. Excitement and a real sense of “downtown”.
KHJ was engaged to help Nordblom create a dynamic brand that would stand out, generate a buzz, and get tenants and visitors excited about this impressive new destination.
“Something unusual, unexpected and unforgettable”
To stand out from the generic malls and parking lot plazas, we wanted to evoke a lively boulevard or district. So we named the property after its address – 3rd Ave – a name with the same authentic feel as Bourbon Street or 5th Avenue. Our design gave it a fun urban personality, while our tagline “Let’s go!” positioned it as a go-to destination for shopping, entertainment and socializing, day or night.
We developed a leasing campaign around 3rd Ave’s uniqueness and potential for attracting an affluent audience that was craving a place for fine dining, comingling and upscale shopping. While the client was courting tenants, we began teasing customers – big fun was coming to Burlington. It worked. In Spring 2014, 3rd Ave opened with nearly 100% of its space pre-leased, including the region’s first Wegmans.
We extended our “Let’s go!” theme to a new website that emphasized 3rd Ave’s distinctive offering and environment. It beckoned customers to “Go for something unusual, unexpected and unforgettable”. And they did. In droves. In fact, customers have been going to 3rd Ave so often that plans are underway to add 200,000 more feet of commercial space to the property. We can’t wait to get going on that.
“We had a vision for creating a special kind of destination and from the very beginning, KHJ has been a great partner in bringing the 3rd Ave vision to life with creativity.”