AURELIUS - It might just be a dream, but it's store-specific.
The Cameron Group LLC, the Fingerlakes Mall's management company, has posted on the Internet a lease plan for the 400,000-square-foot mall that proposes the addition of major tenants such as Victoria's Secret, American Eagle, Motherhood Maternity, Chuck E. Cheese and five other national retailers and eateries.
And across Routes 5 and 20, at the management company's proposed Fingerlakes Crossing "power center" strip mall, a site plan indicates dedicated space for Kohl's and Target department stores and The Home Depot, all long-rumored to be coming to the area.
The lease and site plans are posted on the Cameron Group's Web site and are meant as a marketing tool to attract those stores, or ones like them, said Larry Adler, a Cameron partner.
"I can't overstress the word 'proposed,'" he said about the information. "It's what we use to go around to retailers. These are tenants we hope to bring. It's not an accurate site or lease plan. It's what we're suggesting should go there. We're not representing or saying those stores are coming. It's our dream plan."
But sometimes, dreams come true. The mall's lease plan - dated September 2004 - indicates Pac-Sun, a clothing store that caters to teenagers, is proposed for space near Olympia Sports in the J.C. Penney wing.
That store will open sometime in May in that space, the mall has announced.
Adler said the mall has seen a lot of success since Bass Pro Shops opened in June.
"Traffic is back at the mall," he said. "We want to take it to the next level."
The mall's market provides a demand for additional national retailers and offers them a location that will serve a great geographic area.
A majority of those who shop at Bass Pro Shops travel from as far as 60 miles away, according to Cameron's research.
Adler was not aware the store-specific information was posted on the Web site, and would see that it was removed because he did not want to mislead anyone or misrepresent what stores were actually coming to the mall or to Fingerlakes Crossing.
Gina Speno, the mall's general manager, could not be reached for comment.
Tim Bridenbecker, owner of The Riverbend coffee and gift shop in the mall, understands the information on Cameron's Web site is a wish list.
"I can say the plans they do have in play, the retailers they are trying to attract, are going to make the mall an even greater place," he said. "I think in another year, with what they're trying to do, the mall will be an entirely different place. It will be fantastic."
Local Realtor John Bouck, familiar with commercial real estate practices, said the Cameron Group's lease plan is a common tool that all mall management companies use.
"They always do it," he said. "If you're a clothing retailer, they'll tell you they have an Old Navy coming, or where they're going to put one of your competitors. They show you plans so you will make a decision."
On the Cameron's Web site for the mall, there are changing images of Bass Pro, the new food court, Steve & Barry's and a drawing that shows a proposed design for the mall entrance next to Bass Pro.
Featured in that image is an outdoor cafe under a sign for Panera Bread, a national bakery/cafe chain based in St. Louis.
Julie Somers, a spokeswoman for Panera Bread, said it's flattering the Cameron Group would use a colorful artist's rendering of her company's storefront in mall promotional material.
But it doesn't mean Panera Bread is coming to the mall.
"It's a dream plan for the mall, and that's nice," she said. "But this is very preliminary; we don't have any plans right now. We've looking at a lot of places, and we have looked in (the Auburn) area. We're hoping to serve the community, but we don't know where that will be."
None of the other enterprises identified in the mall lease plan, or in the site plan for Fingerlakes Crossing, would say whether or not they were coming either.
A spokeswoman for Christopher & Banks, a woman's clothing chain, said the company does not confirm new locations until they are finalized.
Representatives of Target, Kohl's and the Home Depot could not be reached for comment Thursday. Previously, representatives from the three retailers have said there were no plans to locate stores in the Auburn area.
However, before Fingerlakes Crossing can proceed with any development, the Cameron Group must resolve issues it has with the Aurelius planning and town boards, and with the state Department of Transportation.
Town Supervisor Ed Ide said the developers are still going through the site plan review process.
There had been disagreement between Cameron and town officials regarding setbacks and buffer zones, as well as traffic flow. There has been discussion about requiring the developers to construct an access road through the property, although the site plan shows no such road.
Adler called all of the issues in question manageable and expressed confidence they would be resolved.
Ide agreed that was a good characterization of where things stood.
The inclusion of Kohl's, Target and Home Depot on the site plan came as no real surprise to Ide, he said.
"From the beginning, we heard stores like Target and Home Depot," he said.
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
And across Routes 5 and 20, at the management company's proposed Fingerlakes Crossing "power center" strip mall, a site plan indicates dedicated space for Kohl's and Target department stores and The Home Depot, all long-rumored to be coming to the area.
The lease and site plans are posted on the Cameron Group's Web site and are meant as a marketing tool to attract those stores, or ones like them, said Larry Adler, a Cameron partner.
"I can't overstress the word 'proposed,'" he said about the information. "It's what we use to go around to retailers. These are tenants we hope to bring. It's not an accurate site or lease plan. It's what we're suggesting should go there. We're not representing or saying those stores are coming. It's our dream plan."
But sometimes, dreams come true. The mall's lease plan - dated September 2004 - indicates Pac-Sun, a clothing store that caters to teenagers, is proposed for space near Olympia Sports in the J.C. Penney wing.
That store will open sometime in May in that space, the mall has announced.
Adler said the mall has seen a lot of success since Bass Pro Shops opened in June.
"Traffic is back at the mall," he said. "We want to take it to the next level."
The mall's market provides a demand for additional national retailers and offers them a location that will serve a great geographic area.
A majority of those who shop at Bass Pro Shops travel from as far as 60 miles away, according to Cameron's research.
Adler was not aware the store-specific information was posted on the Web site, and would see that it was removed because he did not want to mislead anyone or misrepresent what stores were actually coming to the mall or to Fingerlakes Crossing.
Gina Speno, the mall's general manager, could not be reached for comment.
Tim Bridenbecker, owner of The Riverbend coffee and gift shop in the mall, understands the information on Cameron's Web site is a wish list.
"I can say the plans they do have in play, the retailers they are trying to attract, are going to make the mall an even greater place," he said. "I think in another year, with what they're trying to do, the mall will be an entirely different place. It will be fantastic."
Local Realtor John Bouck, familiar with commercial real estate practices, said the Cameron Group's lease plan is a common tool that all mall management companies use.
"They always do it," he said. "If you're a clothing retailer, they'll tell you they have an Old Navy coming, or where they're going to put one of your competitors. They show you plans so you will make a decision."
On the Cameron's Web site for the mall, there are changing images of Bass Pro, the new food court, Steve & Barry's and a drawing that shows a proposed design for the mall entrance next to Bass Pro.
Featured in that image is an outdoor cafe under a sign for Panera Bread, a national bakery/cafe chain based in St. Louis.
Julie Somers, a spokeswoman for Panera Bread, said it's flattering the Cameron Group would use a colorful artist's rendering of her company's storefront in mall promotional material.
But it doesn't mean Panera Bread is coming to the mall.
"It's a dream plan for the mall, and that's nice," she said. "But this is very preliminary; we don't have any plans right now. We've looking at a lot of places, and we have looked in (the Auburn) area. We're hoping to serve the community, but we don't know where that will be."
None of the other enterprises identified in the mall lease plan, or in the site plan for Fingerlakes Crossing, would say whether or not they were coming either.
A spokeswoman for Christopher & Banks, a woman's clothing chain, said the company does not confirm new locations until they are finalized.
Representatives of Target, Kohl's and the Home Depot could not be reached for comment Thursday. Previously, representatives from the three retailers have said there were no plans to locate stores in the Auburn area.
However, before Fingerlakes Crossing can proceed with any development, the Cameron Group must resolve issues it has with the Aurelius planning and town boards, and with the state Department of Transportation.
Town Supervisor Ed Ide said the developers are still going through the site plan review process.
There had been disagreement between Cameron and town officials regarding setbacks and buffer zones, as well as traffic flow. There has been discussion about requiring the developers to construct an access road through the property, although the site plan shows no such road.
Adler called all of the issues in question manageable and expressed confidence they would be resolved.
Ide agreed that was a good characterization of where things stood.
The inclusion of Kohl's, Target and Home Depot on the site plan came as no real surprise to Ide, he said.
"From the beginning, we heard stores like Target and Home Depot," he said.
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net