Epicenter, the high-profile vertical mixed-use development in Gilbert’s Agritopia neighborhood, is reaching the final stretch toward completion with its retail outlets to begin a rolling series of openings.
The first ground-floor retail tenants could open their doors this month with more coming the rest of the year and into first quarter 2023, developers said.
On a parallel track, the residential tenants began moving into The Tyler, the 320-unit luxury apartments on the three floors above the retail spaces, in late January. The first building to open is one unit from being fully leased with the other buildings soon to open.
Epicenter, being built through a partnership between Johnston & Co. and Dallas-based StreetLights Residential, is meant to be the walkable urban piece to the agriculturally-themed Agritopia development.
The land for the development originally was the Johnstons’ farmland, which Johnston & Co. Founder and President Joe Johnston grew up on and which he has been developing since 2000. Epicenter was always in the plans, and though it was delayed a few years, Johnston said it has turned out better than he originally anticipated.
“In politics and development, they say it’s the art of the possible,” Johnston said. “And so what was possible 20 years ago was a grocery-center anchor with some shops next to it, but we still showed some vertical mixed use even back then. And then what’s possible now, well, you can’t get a grocery store because those are on other corners, but you could not have done this back then. So it’s actually turned out to be in the same spirit of the vision, but it’s the embodiment of what you can do now.”
Retailers on ground floor
The first tenants to open are anticipated to be Barre3, a fitness studio with some curated retail products, and Beer Barn, a craft beer & wine bar celebrating its owners rural root that also has a retail shop featuring craft beer and wine options to go.
The two newest tenants to announce that they have signed leases are The Beauty Boss Co., which specializes in anti-aging through aesthetic injectables and medical-grade facial treatments, and the IVY, which describes itself as a luxury IV lounge where patients can receive intravenous care to aid in health and wellness, recovery, hydration and anti-aging.
William Johnston, Joe’s son and the CEO of Johnston & Co., said the retail tenants are a mix of restaurants, health, fitness and lifestyle retailers that are local. The Johnstons wanted to build a community feel and owners who were passionate about what they do and exceptional at it.
Because of that, several of the retail owners said they had wanted to get a spot in Agritopia even before the Johnstons had unveiled the plans for the development.
The list of retail tenants includes:
Barre3;
The Beauty Boss Co.;
Beer Barn;
Belly Kitchen & Bar, which focuses on Southeast Asian cuisine;
Buck & Rider, the largest restaurant on site, featuring seafood;
Bunky Boutique, which has fashions from local and independent designers;
Gadzooks, the local enchiladas and soup quick-service chain;
Hooligans Barbershop;
The Ivy;
Manor, a sneaker and streetwear boutique;
Matt’s Big Breakfast;
Peixoto Coffee, which brews coffees from the family’s own bean farm in Brazil;
Source, a “relaxed” fast-fine Mediterranean dining establishment;
Spinato’s Pizzeria and Family Kitchen;
The Collective, a fitness and wellness space from Funktional Fitness and Cycle Ave.;
UrbAna, a “celebrations” store that is a boutique of luxury gifts, artisan décor items, party goods, entertaining decorations and designer furnishings;
UnderTow, an exotic cocktail bar that gives patrons an experience of being in the belly of a spice trader’s Clipper ship;
Vintage Home, a furnishing store featuring farmhouse, industrial and boho chic items;
Why I Love Where I Live, meant to cultivate a love of the hometown;
Wylde Hair Salon, a neighborhood spot for color, haircuts, braids, extensions and other hair treatments.
William Johnston noted that a number of tenants signed on during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it may have worked to their advantage as businesses looking for their next ideal location focused on places that had really good demographics.
“We've been working on this for the last eight years,” he said. “What we were looking at for tenant mix back then versus what we actually have today, I think we'd all agree that it's the best mix that we could have envisioned and dreamt for.”
High-end residential space
The Tyler is a high-end spot, with rents that can start at the low $2,000s and top out at $5,000 a month for a three-bedroom.
But the Johnstons said they aimed to differentiate themselves from other apartments with their amenities and other touches like high ceilings and balconies with patios and put it in a package where people did not have to drive to shop, eat, get a cocktail or work out.
Community Manager Noelle Vo said amenities include a pool, a fitness center, outdoor lounge, pet spa, makers garage and a greenhouse in the clubhouse area.
William Johnston said an interior bike storage unit with compressed air available is one of the cooler features, along with package and laundry lockers.
Vo said they are not worried about competitive pressure from other multifamily housing projects in the area.
“This project is unlike any other in the area and the residents can attest to that,” she said. “It has a completely different feel than the average apartment. And it's just the convenience that you have with the retail space right there, the feel of community that we provide here. And it's built with the residents themselves, you really don't compare to anyone else.”
Kristin and Alex Tovar, owners of Why I Love Where I Live, live in Tucson, where they opened their first location, but since they decided to open a space at Epicenter, rented a second space at The Tyler. Kristin Tovar said they have seen what Vo is talking about.
“The community here is incredible,” she said. “I've never seen an apartment complex like this before. We did like a paint-and-sip night on Friday. Our kids got to come. Like, everyone here is hanging out with each other, and it feels like a giant family. So it's just got a different feel. It's special.”
Tom Blodgett Senior News Editor | Gilbert @sp_blodgett
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here