Poughkeepsie shopping center gets a makeover, new towers.

Nine Mall Plaza, a 192,000 square-foot shopping center and a Poughkeepsie, NY landmark since 1965, has reopened following an 18-month physical makeover and leasing campaign by The Hutensky Group which is expected to improve the bottom line as much as it has already enhanced the property's appearance and visibility.

The looks have been dramatically changed, with a uniform new facade that ties together the different architectural styles of the stores, expanded parking and, most conspicuous, the construction of towers at each end of the property that for the first time give Nine Mall Plaza visibility from a distance to approaching cars.

The Hutensky Group, owner and manager of Nine Mall Plaza, invested $1.5 million in partnership with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance to completely upgrade a shopping center, that had been hit hard by the regional recession created when IBM downsized 9,000 employees.

The renovation, accompanied by an expansion and strengthening of the store mix, has already returned Nine Mall Plaza to profitability, said Beth Ann Harney, executive vice president and portfolio manager of The Hutensky Group.

"All our tenants are reporting sales improvements, and we are on track to achieve the 15-20 percent increase in sales that, according to industry figures, is typically experienced by newly remodelled shopping centers," she said.

Before the renovation program started, Nine Mall Plaza, which is anchored by a 52,000 square-foot Super Shop Rite supermarket and 92,500 square-foot Caldor discount store, was otherwise 40 percent vacant, Harney recalled. Since then, The Hutensky Group has attracted other national chains, including Revco, a pharmacy chain occupying 8,750 square feet, and Supercuts, a chain of hair salons, as well as a Mailboxes Etc. outlet, a branch of State Farm Insurance and a number of highly recognized local merchants.

The Hutensky Group also was largely successful in efforts to retain holdover tenants by renegotiating leases and extending terms in return for some concessions, such as commitments to invest in interior improvements.

Nine Mall Plaza should be fully occupied by the start of next year, Harney forecast.

The two new towers bookending the center not only added a striking architectural detail, but also helped The Hutensky Group to negotiate a complicated deal involving needed parking space, a freestanding branch of Hudson Valley Federal Credit union and a storefront that has been the center's least attractive property.

As part of its agreement to renew its lease, the Super Shop Rite was promised additional parking space at Nine Mall Plaza, where overall parking had been somewhat inadequate because of a widening of the road which infringed on space.

Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union occupied a 3,000 square-foot branch near the street and was surrounded by parking. Hudson Valley was persuaded to vacate the building, which would be demolished to add parking slots, and move into an empty store that had always been difficult to lease because it had virtually no visibility.

How did The Hutensky Group negotiate this complex transaction and keep everyone happy? By allowing Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union to use the front side of the tower for its name and logo, with the other side bearing the identification "9" as a logo for the center. At once a challenging location was attractively leased, the credit union's presence was spotlighted and needed parking gained. The towers are also an attention-getter, announcing the presence of Nine Mall Plaza over a wide area.

The Hutensky Group also invested in new roofs for each store; a new corrugated metal facade unifying the roof lines of all stores and tying them together with a red, white and gray color scheme; uniform new signage; and new exterior lighting and landscaping, among other improvements.

Retailers responded to the spruced-up center enthusiastically, moving ahead with their own improvements. Most notably, the Super Shop Rite decided to invest $500,000 in new interior decor, holding its own grand re-opening at the same time Nine Mall Plaza officially showed off its new looks with a red letter day of special events and in-store promotions.