Real Estate Development Public Relations
Our real estate development public relations experience is second-to-none. Few public relations firms nationwide have our level of understanding, nurture closer relationships with key members of the real estate trade media, or can boast a broader range of real estate development clientele. From architects to lenders to developers to designers to consultants...Identity Marketing & Public Relations specializes in the complete spectrum of real estate development public relations.

An example of our real estate publicity expertise follows, an article in a recent issue of Shopping Centers Today:

Project to enhance Nashville area's retail options

Continental Real Estate

The land beneath The Streets of Indian Lake has a family history going back more than 200 years. Now some of that land will serve multiple families as the site of a lifestyle center to serve a growing satellite city northeast of Nashville, Tenn.

The Hendersonville, Tenn., lifestyle center, being developed by Columbus, Ohio-based Continental Real Estate, will serve as the downtown for the Indian Lakes Village master-planned community being created by locally based HALO Properties. Amassing the 335 acres needed for the overall project was a bit easier than one might think: One 126-acre parcel was purchased from the Chenault family, who received it from the Continental Army as a Revolutionary War grant. The land has been handed down through the generations ever since.

"It's been sitting there a long time," said Brett Robinson, a vice president of development at Continental. Ewing Chenault, one of two brothers who have inherited the family legacy, sold his portion to HALO for estate planning purposes, said Danny Hale, a managing partner of HALO.

In addition, HALO acquired another 40 acres that the Chenaults had sold to another family, the Mirs, themselves landowners in the area for more than a century.

"We have two long histories of ownership," Hale noted.

The master-planned community will include 2.5 million square feet of class-A office space, an additional 450,000 square feet of retail besides the Streets, and 968 housing units, including multifamily housing and town houses.

The 428,000-square-foot Streets of Indian Lake will sit on 50 acres at Indian Lake and Vietnam Veterans boulevards. The Main Street-style center will be anchored by a 70,000-square-foot Barnes & Noble.

The need for the project is a testament to the expansion of the Nashville market overall. Because of a nearby lake, "this has been an area where people had second homes," Robinson said. "Now it's becoming more than just a bedroom community for Nashville."

There is little competition nearby; the Mall at Green Hills is 20 miles southwest of the Streets, and CoolSprings Galleria is 30 miles from the site. Indeed, many retailers with stores at both malls were looking for a third site in the market.

"This is the obvious location," Robinson said.

Specialty tenants include Bombay Co., Chico's and Talbots. At press time Robinson was in discussion with Aveda, up-and-coming gift chain Francesca's and J. Jill. Restaurants will be part of the mix too. Continental is also looking at home furnishings chains, and is trying to add a local flavor.

"Nashville has great locals, great restaurants and great boutiques," Robinson said.

At press time, Continental was finalizing the center's architectural theme. The project consists of a Main Street leading to the cinema, with restaurants located on outparcels nearby. A large plaza in front of the theater will form a gathering point and a location for events like concerts for this new and expanding community.

"There is so much home growth up here," aided by the extension of Vietnam Veterans Boulevard to the site, Robinson said. More than 15,000 homes are scheduled to be built within 10 minutes of Indian Lakes Village over the next eight years.

Last year the average household income in the five-mile radius was $76,839. Nearly 54,000 additional people work in the area, providing a daytime market.

Construction will begin in the middle or latter part of this year for a fall 2007 opening.