Hamilton Place Mall announces redevelopment plans

November 12, 2018

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – After 30 years at Hamilton Place, Sears is shutting down.

And, coming in the two-story department store will be retail on the bottom and a Dave & Busters on top.

A move some shoppers think will be good for the mall.

“I think it’s going to bring a lot of folks in and I don’t think that Chattanooga has a place like Dave and Busters around. So I think it will be cool,” Ben Bressler said.

The announcement of the transition also comes with plans to build a 145-room boutique hotel and office space next to the Cheesecake Factory.

CBL properties hopes the redevelopment will cater to what customers want.

Hamilton Place Spokesperson Stacey Keating said it’s a trend in the retail industry that’s actually shifting away from retail.

“Customers are demanding more experimental type uses, so more dining, more entertainment, and the addition of Cheesecake Factory, now Dave and Busters really answers that demand and we think it’s going to be a huge traffic driver for the Hamilton Place area,” Keating said.

Many have blamed several brick-and-mortar store closures in the U.S. in recent years on the popularity of online retailers.

But, Keating said she feels that narrative is a little over blown.

“I think that you can see evidence of the importance of brick-and-mortar retail in the fact that there are so many online retailers that are now opening stores. They’ve realized that they can only reach a certain sales plateau with an online platform and they really need a physical location so consumers can interact with their brand, they can build brand loyalty and people also like that instant gratification that comes along with shopping at brick-and-mortar retail,” Keating said.

As for the Sears, it’s one many stores across the U.S. getting ready to close down as the company filed for bankruptcy.

In the meantime, the stores are having liquidation sales.

The Cheesecake Factory is set to open in December.

Construction on the latest plans are to start in the Spring of 2019.