Settlers' Green turns 20 [02/09/2008]

Barsamian: 'We knew it would work and it has'

Saturday marks a local retailing milestone as Settlers' Green Outlet Village celebrates its 20th anniversary.We always thought that the valley could support it, developer Robert Barsamian, of OVP Management Inc. of Newton, Mass., said this week on the eve of the celebration. He said while it took a lot of work to convince retailers that a shopping complex in the White Mountains would be able to draw enough customers to sustain their outlet stores, they have succeeded. We knew the potential was there for it to grow and that once we reached a certain size, it would work and it has."I think we are able to say we have the quality of retailers to compete with any retail center in the United States not the biggest, but we have grown, and certainly we have the quality, said Barsamian. It was on Feb. 12, 1988 that Settlers' Green opened on the site of what had previously been the White Mountain Airport (and years before that, a horse racing track). Originally, the master plan for the project called for a collection of specialty stores, a hotel and 200 condominiums, situated near a nine-hole golf course.The golf course plans were scrapped after the downturn in the condo market in the early 1990s, and so were the plans for 200 condos. What started out as a complex of 10 specialty stores totaling 80,000 square feet, condos and a hotel is now a retail complex of 60 stores measuring 245,000 square feet, according to general manager Dot Seybold.She estimated that Settlers' Green Outlet Village was developed at a cost of $25 million over the years in terms of construction costs, not market value.What became Plan B has served as a major draw for the region's tourism base. And many of Settlers' Green shoppers visit North Conway Village specialty shops, as well as local restaurants, notes Seybold.Saturday's celebration will feature Valentine's gifts for visitors and more.As we are saying in our print and radio ads, We're having a birthday provided by Coldstone Creamery from Settlers' Crossing but our customers get the gifts, said Seybold.Events are to include a free gift and VIP card to the first 250 customers who stop by the customer service office. A Coldstone Creamery birthday cake will be served there from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Several of the retail complex's 60 member stores will also feature major sales as part of the day-long celebration, Seybold said.She said OVP Management is planning to host a second, larger celebration in July, when the company opens the Settlers' Crossing complex at the site of the former Yield House at the juncture of Route 16 and 302 at the entrance to the North Conway Route 16 strip.We are basically planning to combine the energy of the 20th anniversary with the grand opening at Settlers' Crossing in July the grand opening is subject to construction, but things are proceeding on schedule, said Seybold, noting that among the events slated for the summer celebration is a hosting of a larger-than-usual Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce Chamber After Hours at the new center July 15.The new $8 million Settlers' Crossing now under construction will be anchored by an 18,000-square-foot Eastern Mountain Sports store in the central atrium and a 14,400-square-foot L.L. Bean store in a separate building located at the south end of the property. Settlers' Crossing will be 87,000 square feet in size and will feature approximately 15 stores, including a Starbucks.It will probably be the most exciting project we have done, said Barsamian this week, noting that he soon expects to announce the signings of three major retailers for Settlers' Crossing on the scale of an L.L. Bean or EMS. Seybold was not there at the beginning of Settlers' Green, as she was working for the Jack Frost shop in Jackson Village at the time, but she has been there to witness its evolution over nearly two decades.The biggest change, she said, was to shift the focus away from the original plan as a collection of specialty shops to the emphasis on nationally-known name-brand, high-end outlets beginning after the recession of the early 1990s.Seybold said the original developers hired Barsamian's company to manage the development of the retail shops. Barsamian's family eventually developed the entire property.Then and now, Settlers' Green was anchored by the Banana Republic and Brookstone, both of which are still here and flourishing, said Seybold, but there were a lot of smaller specialty stores when we first opened."She said Settlers' Green has undergone four expansions to date, and envisions phase 5 for the future. But phase 5 plans have not yet been finalized or presented to the Conway Planning Board, as Seybold said the company is focusing on getting Settlers' Crossing completed for now.The company installed a new playground over the past two summers and a new courtyard walkway at a cost of over $1 million. We still have more walkways to do but we will stop for this summer to give our tenants who have been very patient a break from the disruption caused by construction. We will be doing some ongoing roofing, but we will hold off on completing the repaving of the courtyards until next year, said Seybold.She said the playground area now features a new food kiosk and that a second one is to open Memorial Day, operated by Brandli's restaurant.She said the Settlers' Crossing complex in 2009 is scheduled to open a new Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce welcoming center, which will be located in a building at the base of an observation tower.She said several local contractors are at work on the new complex, working with Settlers' Green's project manager Roger Williams, including Whitelaw Construction and Electric; and Gordon T. Burke and Son.Looking back at Settlers' Green's growth over the years, Seybold and Barsamian said shoppers are drawn by the Mount Washington Valley's many resort and scenic amenities including the mix of retail found in the valley, and New Hampshire's no-sales-tax environment.I really think the outlet shopping enhances the retail atmosphere you find in the village the valley has been a great shopping destination for many, many years. In addition to the outlets, you've got the shops in North Conway and Jackson Village, the specialty shops and the antique stores...so it makes the pie bigger, drawing more people here to shop and to visit the local restaurants, said Seybold.She said Settlers' Green has supported marketing efforts by the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce over the years, including the now hugely successful Harvest-to-Holidays fall shopping and dining promotion. Settlers' Green also partners with ski resorts, such as Cranmore, through the use of coupons, and with the Village Trolley.Seybold said summer is still the complex's busiest season, followed by November. The busiest times in winter are weekends and vacation weeks. March has turned into a busy month with Canadian visitors, who are currently enjoying a great exchange rate.In addition to the 100-acre Settlers' Green and 12-acre Settlers' Crossing, Barsamian's company developed the four-acre Staples site on the former Barnaby's lot and the adjacent 18-acre Home Depot site. The company acquired the four-acre former North Conway Athletic Club site and razed the club. It also purchased the 18-acre former White Mountain Drive-in behind the Northway Plaza complex behind the recently opened Christmas Tree Shops and TJ Maxx.We purchased the former drive-in site for its real estate value. We have been getting a lot of inquiries from two or three hotel companies, but really at this point we do not have specific plans. We bought the drive-in and athletic club properties for their real estate value, not because we had specific commercial plans for them, said Barsamian this week.Key to the company's approach, Barsamian and Seybold agree, is that the company seeks quality in whatever it builds.The architecture for Settlers' Green is definitely New England Village in style, with dormers and peaks to the roofs and in the color scheme. We will be doing something a little different across the street, as the EMS store will be very different, with timbers and different layers of yellow pine, and glass, Seybold said, noting that the company uses one of the best architects in the country [Prellwitz and Chilinski of Cambridge, Mass.]. She said the company seeks "name-brand national stores that are great retailers." She added, "We are limited to some degree by our size, as our Nike store at 12,000 square feet is our largest store at Settlers' Green, and the 14,400-square foot L.L. Bean store at Settlers' Crossing will be the largest there."Barsamian said although some oppose growth, commercial growth creates opportunities for the local economy. Some people do not like growth, but with growth you create opportunities for new ventures and new things for the community. Controlled growth is what communities should strive for, said Barsamian.Over the past two decades, OVP Management Inc. has contributed more than $500,000 to community projects, Seybold and Barsamian said, with Barsamian noting his company strongly believes in giving back to the community, whether it be rows of seats for the new Kennett High or projects that benefit the Gibson Center for Senior Services or the North Conway Community Center.For more information about Settlers' Green Outlet Village's 20th anniversary events, call (603) 356-7031 or visit www.settlersgreen.com.