It’s hard to miss the Shoppes at River Ridge. New, larger signage and distinctive stone walls signal to shoppers that they’ve arrived at their destination – a cluster of high-end shops on West Dublin-Granville Road.
The signs aren’t the only things that have changed about the upscale retail strip. The Shoppes at River Ridge has seen increasing success and economic prosperity since Miami-based Mast Capital and Rok Acquisitions took ownership of the center in December 2011.
The Shoppes was built in June 2007, but saw little development.
“(The center) has struggled in the past,” says Camilo Miguel, Jr., CEO of Mast Capital. “It was hard for it, considering … it was in a foreclosure for a really long time.”
Tenants could not be brought in because the center was in foreclosure, and decisions by the bank and the owner further complicated matters, Miguel explains. But now that Mast has taken over, he has high hopes that the center will fulfill its potential.
“There are a lot of good drivers to justify the success of this property,” Miguel says. “We’re excited about it. We’ve gotten a tremendous amount of positive feedback from the community and we’ve done a pretty decent job of taking the certain tenants that we want in there and being patient with the tenants that we want going forward.”
Among the center’s current attractions are retail clothing shops LOFT and Jos. A. Bank, high-end hair and nail salon Polished, and women’s accessories boutiques Audacious and Bliss, as well as Koko FitClub, a tech-savvy gym, which opened in October.
“It’s in the heart of Dublin, so it’s easy access. There are 93,000 people within several miles. There’s a ton of business,” says Brad Root, owner of The Shoppes at River Ridge Koko FitClub.
Three new tenants are opening their doors in time for holiday shopping: Posh! Nail Co., a salon offering more than 40 services; White Dress Boutique, a high-end bridal store; and The Pint Room, an upscale pub serving more than 100 beers.
Bruegger’s Bagels and Montgomery Inn bring a dining component for visitors to enjoy. Montgomery Inn is known nationally as the “ribs king” and overlooks the Scioto River, attracting local families and couples.
Dublin City Council recently cleared the way for the Wendy’s at the intersection of West Dublin-Granville Road and Riverside Drive to move up the hill into an undeveloped lot near the entrance of the Shoppes at River Ridge.
In addition to the merchants and restaurants, Miguel says, visitors are also attracted to the architecture of the center, which is intended to complement buildings in nearby Historic Dublin. A water retention pond and fountains add interest and appeal.
“It’s a beautiful center. Aesthetically, it looks really nice. We’ve been able to improve the signage on the street and put up a new sign, attracting a lot of attention,” Miguel says.
Mast pictures The Shoppes at River Ridge as a smaller, local shopping alternative to other high-end centers in central Ohio.
“You have some good food and beverage options here, LOFT and other fashion tenants as well as beauty, hair care and spa/salons,” Miguel says.
Alex Wallace is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com.
