NORWICHTOWN COMMONS CELEBRATES NEW BEGINNING

Less than two years ago, the joint venture team of Winstanley Enterprises and Surrey Equities acquired the historic Norwichtown Mall with a vision of rejuvenating the shopping center into thriving retail space.

Recently the development team gathered with business, political and community leaders at a public event to celebrate the official Grand Opening of Norwichtown Commons.

State Senator Cathy Osten, State Representative Kevin Ryan, Mayor Peter Nystrom, City Manager Alan Bergren and several members of the City Council headlined a group of dignitaries joining Winstanley Enterprises and Surrey Equities to celebrate this official milestone. The group recognized the community effort that was put forward to make the project a success, and also showcased the retailers that call Norwichtown Commons home.

The development team broke ground on Norwichtown Commons in May of 2012, and has reconfigured the historic mall into an open air retail complex of approximately 160,000 SF. The former mall now features improved parking and visibility.

Norwichtown Commons currently features Stop & Shop, Dress Barn, Lucky House restaurant Fancy Nails, Hair Cuttery, Petsense, Dollar Tree and Big Lots.  Soon to open will be Planet Fitness and Yogurt City, while a few retail spaces remain available for lease. 

“We could not be more proud to see the vision that we had nearly two years ago transformed into reality here today,” said Adam Winstanley, a Principal of Winstanley Enterprises. “The support from the community and elected officials that both we and our retailers have received has been overwhelming, and it truly is rewarding to see that community spirit on display here today as we celebrate.” 

The event featured an official ribbon cutting ceremony, as well as a time capsule dedication which included items from each retailer as well as proclamations from local officials, past news coverage of the development and daily newspapers, as well as items from business and community leaders. The capsule will be buried at a later date and unearthed in 20 years on June 27, 2033.

“We especially applaud the retailers who have chosen Norwich as your home for years to come,” said Edward Silvera, president and principal of Surrey Equities.  “This community has fond memories of the Norwichtown Mall, and now has the chance to create future memories here at Norwichtown Commons.”

All of the retailers participated in the event. Several retailers, such as Stop & Shop and Dress Barn have had great success at the location through the years and are excited to see the area rejuvenated with new neighbors.  Other retailers have either recently opened their doors or will soon celebrate their own grand openings.

"Stop & Shop congratulates all of our partners on the grand opening of Norwichtown Commons. We first joined the Norwich community in 1966 and are proud to help celebrate this latest milestone in the city's history," said Jay Mathieu, store manager of Stop & Shop. The event was hosted inside of Stop & Shop.

Robert Mills of the Norwich Community Development Corporation expressed his excitement on Norwichtown Commons becoming an asset to the City of Norwich. “It is sure to develop into a community focal point that citizens will be proud of for decades to come,” Mills said.  

Proclamations were presented by State Senator Cathy Osten on behalf of the State of Connecticut and by Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom and the City Council who proclaimed June 27, 2013 “Norwichtown Commons Day” in the City of Norwich.

ABOUT DEVELOPMENT TEAM:

Winstanley Enterprises, LLC. currently owns and operates 43 buildings totaling approximately 5.5 million square feet throughout New England. Since the early 1990s, Winstanley has acquired in excess of 80 properties exceeding 10 million square feet of real estate throughout the eastern United States. The portfolio currently consists of a wide variety of commercial properties, including industrial/warehouse, R&D, office, Biotech, and retail.

Winstanley has completed several successful CT projects including the development of the Elmwood Plaza in West Hartford.  The joint venture of Winstanley and Surrey also recently purchased and will be redeveloping the historic Rhode Island Mall in Warwick.  

Surrey Equities, LLC. is a real estate investment and management firm. Surrey Equities’ mission is to acquire value-added investment opportunities throughout the eastern half of the United States and create a tailored strategy to achieve goals. In conjunction with their affiliate firm, Silvera Asset Group, LLC, Surry Equities own over 1,500,000 square feet. Their portfolios consist of retail, office and flex properties.