Franklin Towne Center's Unfulfilled Aspiration

Franklin Towne Center apparently had aspirations of being a town center, a goal that today remains unfulfilled. It was busier when Stop & Shop anchored the center, but the Stein Mart (that replaced only a portion of the Stop & Shop space) never came close to the traffic the supermarket had brought in.

[Update from Oct. 24: The shopping center has become even emptier after Stein Mart closed on Oct. 21. Updating from my original post, perhaps the space that was occupied by Stein Mart, can now be used as a shared-office space, a la WeWork buying the flagship Lord & Taylor store in New York from Hudson's Bay Co.Click for press release. That would be one way to repurpose traditional retail space into a millennial sharing economy enterprise.]


Sabre.life's website lists Ocean State Job Lot as a tenant in the shopping center, but there's no activity that indicates one will be moving in. An Indian restaurant is also planned to open, says one of the other tenants.

   
Empty stores in Franklin Towne Center. The space pictured above was once a shoe store.

Unused Real Estate: Indoors and Out

But could it be a center of activity?  It does distinguish itself by having a large outdoor area, mainly in the form of sidewalks, that are mostly empty. Confectionately Yours restaurant is the only business there that uses the area for outdoor seating, a logical use considering the restaurant has a window for selling ice cream in the summer.

A lot of unused real estate.

Confectionately Yours does make some use of the outdoor space.

None of the three other restaurants at Franklin Towne Center offers outdoor seating.

From a business sense, it's a waste. Surely, there's something that could be done with all that space. Perhaps, small festivals could be held there. I think there had been classic car nights held in the parking lot a few years back. Or a flea market could be held once a season. It would give the center's tenants a chance to set up booths to attract customers, who may be more likely to come back as regular customers. Add to that some live music -- carolers in December, Caribbean music in the summer, country music in the fall, and any kind of music in the spring.

Kiosk Village?

Another option might be outdoor kiosks that could be used three seasons out of the year. Of course, that would require some investment to install outdoor electric outlets, and likely improved lighting.

Here's another thought: How about constructing a small stage and hold open mic nights or afternoons? Make the shopping center an entertainment venue, albeit a small one. It would offer shoppers an experience that they can't get through online shopping--live entertainment.

What if the shopping center renovated, installed solar panels, and billed itself as an environmentally friendly retail center? Maybe add some ramps, a quarter pipe, hand out some waivers, charge admission and turn it into a skate park.

Franklin Towne Center could use a face-lift. Some repair work has started on the sidewalk areas. However, the decorative columns are also starting to fall apart and will need to be fixed.

Some repair work has started.

Still more repair work is needed.

The property is listed for leasing on both Sabre.life and JefferyRealty.com websites. Neither leasing flyer says when the shopping center was originally constructed. It was probably built in the mid- to late-'80s. 

Sadly, even the Halloween store that once occupied one of the spaces there for the months of September and October hasn't come back for the past few years.

For sure, this shopping center requires some creative marketing. It won't be easy. It will require more capital. I'm sure the right marketing/real-estate minds could come up with something unique to the area that could bring some life back to this center. The question is: Could they come up with the capital needed to make real improvements? Maybe it really could grow up to be a real town center. It's either that, or someone will buy it, tear it down and build another strip mall.

Any other suggestions?

"This Stretch of 27" covers business on Route 27 between Finnegan's Lane and Route 518. What's your story? Email me at lkiesche@gmail.com

Liz Kiesche
Liz, a business journalist, formerly worked for Bloomberg News in Princeton and New York.