Dick’s Sporting Goods will celebrate its grand opening at the Plaza at Burr Corners in Manchester by Nov. 15, according to property owner Adam Winstanley.
Winstanley, who owns Winstanley Enterprises LLC, said he couldn’t pinpoint a specific grand opening date because renovations are still underway in the space the store will move into. But he said he expected the store to open sometime between Nov. 1 and Nov. 15.
“There’s still a little ways to go,” Winstanley said.
Edward Silvera, a principal of Surrey Equities and part owner of The Plaza at Burr Corners, confirmed in April that Dick’s signed a lease agreement to move from its location in the Shoppes at Buckland Hills mall, which is less than a mile away.
Dick’s is moving to the 55,000-square-foot building previously occupied by Pilgrim Furniture City in the Plaza at Burr Corners, which is at the intersection of Tolland Turnpike and Buckland Street.
Winstanley said the Burr Corners is flourishing and has seen an uptick in leasing activity, so much so that he has had to turn away businesses because the property is 95% leased. Winstanley said Burr Corners’ prosperity signals a larger trend of open-air shopping centers outperforming traditional enclosed ones, especially in the COVID-19 era.
“That’s a blueprint for success going forward,” Winstanley said.
Dick’s move from the Buckland Hills mall will leave two of five anchor store spaces empty. Sears closed its store in the mall this year.
Tenants in the strip shopping center at the intersection of Buckland Road and Tolland Turnpike include At Home, Kobe Asian Bistro, and Dover Saddlery.
