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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 24, 2004 A facelift for Phoenix outlets By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings PHOENIX - With tenant occupancy at 80 percent and talks continuing with Trader Joe's officials, things are looking up at The Shops at Exit 24 shopping complex in Phoenix. Martin Rodriguez of Henris Roofing and Supply sets up bracing to roof a steep section for the face lift of The Shops At Exit 24 in Phoenix. Photo by Andrew Mariman | Ashland Daily Tidings When Alan DeBoer of Ashland and his two business partners, Dave Mills and Duane Wallace, officially purchased the center for $5.9 million in May, obvious changes needed to be made, DeBoer said at the time. Several businesses, including London Fog, Prestige Fragrance and Bugle Boy, had already left and there was a need to remodel the facilities. The mall was half empty. The former outlet center had been on the market for more than a year. The 21-store, 75,000-square-foot center, formerly called the Pacific Northwest Marketplace, is located off of Interstate 5 at Exit 24. Things have changed substantially since May, according to Derek DeBoer, director of operations for the shopping center. "When people found out there were new owners it seemed to spark an interest," he said. "We're filling up and getting interested businesses, both locally and nationally." Trader Joe's DeBoer said one of the most frequent question he gets is if a Trader Joe's will be at the shopping complex. DeBoer said he is in "active conversations" with representatives of the popular Irvine, Calif., based gourmet food chain. He said one of his top goals is to get Trader Joe's or a similar national chain at the mall. "It's looking positive," he said. "We're on the radar with Trader Joe's. ... There seems to be a high demand for it and I always have people asking about it. It would help attract more people into the center." Attracting a national restaurant chain into the complex is also a possibility, De Boer said. He believes a national chain could help attract more people from the freeway. New Businesses Since the property was purchased in May, six new stores opened or are about to. There are now four empty spaces. The new stores include David Michael's Barstools and Dinettes; Toys for the Home, a spa shop; Beauty Biz; and Bug in a Rug. No Bare Pages Scrapbook Company and Oh Baby are about to open soon. Derek DeBoer said one of the first things he did was to start work sprucing up the mall by doing things such as repainting the buildings, improving the sidewalks, parking lot and the landscaping and performing re-roofing work. "To me, before, it wasn't attractive as a customer," he said. "Our standards for our properties are pretty high. We made it look like a new place. It's the first impression on people when they come here." D.J. Bransom, owner of Bug In a Rug, moved his business to the center from Medford in July. He said he has been impressed with the increase of stores and the improvements done. "The place has gotten a real nice facelift," Bransom said. "Business has been going better than we thought it would and sales have been real good. It helps to have more businesses moving in. The pendulum is definitely moving the other way here and it's nice to be a part of that." Ryan and Zoe Lehmann, the husband and wife owners of Zoey's Cafe, have been impressed with the direction of the mall since the change in ownership. The couple, who opened their business in February 2003, said they like the hands-on approach of the DeBoers. They said they frequently see Derek DeBoer or other mall officials, and said they constantly update them on what's happening at the shopping center. With the previous owners, Ryan Lehmann said it felt like "they were kept in the dark," on what was happening at the shopping complex. He said things are quite different now. "They're always keeping us informed and seem very interested in how our business is going," Ryan Lehmann said. "It's nice to have that type of support with your landlord." DeBoer said he's pleased to be getting more local businesses into the shopping center. "I think that's exciting," he said. "I think it's important to support your local economy." Alan DeBoer, also mayor of Ashland, and his partners own four auto dealerships, Cedar Mall in Medford and the Historic Ashland Armory, among other properties. The mall, originally called the Pear Tree Factory Stores, opened in October 1993, by founding partners Bob and Jean Finley and Bert and Peggy Ziessau. In January of 1999, it was sold for $5.2 million to Pacific Northwest Factory Malls Management Corp., affiliated with the Grants Pass-based Foundation of Human Understanding, which sold the property to Alan DeBoer and his investors. 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