Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1528984
HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 11, 2024 7 DEAL WATCH The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. We design, install, and maintain systems in: Industrial, Manufacturing, Commercial, Higher Education, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical facilities. WE FOCUS ON YOUR FACILITIES— SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS. 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | SHEET METAL | BUILDING AUTOMATION | FACILITIES SERVICES License #'s: E1-0125666 S1-302974 P1-203519 F1-10498 SM1-192 MC-1134 pre-pandemic levels. As a result, the national restaurant company recently renewed its lease in South Windsor for at least another five years, McKerrow said. Since 2021, foot traffic at Evergreen has increased more than 40%, which is the highest increase for any shop- ping center in the Hartford market, according to data from Placer AI. Evergreen Walk has also spurred nearby development — including a 200-unit Cambria Suites hotel and 165-apartment unit Residences at Ever- green Walk apartment complex— that has brought more people to the area. Commercial activity has also increased, with new restaurants and businesses opening nearby, including Starbucks, Chipotle and a Costco. Trendy concepts Matt Halprin, president and chief operating officer of Wethers- field-based New England Retail Properties, said one challenge that lifestyle centers in the Northeast face is seasonality. They tend to thrive during warmer-weather months, but volume "diminishes after the holidays," he said. Tenants like Whole Foods, however, will help drive foot traffic on a year- round basis, and offset the decline of traditional retail anchors. But Halprin cautioned against overreliance on trendy concepts like golf lounges and trampoline parks that are popping up in large retail centers, which he views as unsus- tainable long-term solutions. Instead, he emphasizes the impor- tance of data-driven decision-making and understanding customer behavior to stay relevant in today's competitive retail environment. Golf Lounge 18 opened earlier this year in a 12,000-square-foot indoor space at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Matt Halprin