City prepares for Cordish to move in on mall

After exercising his option to purchase the Chapel Square Mall from New Haven's Chamber of Commerce on Fri., Jan. 16, Omni Hotel developer David Cordish may commence renovations within 90 days. If Cordish proceeds with these plans, businesses that currently have street access would be allowed to remain open during the renovations, while the inside of the mall would be closed.

JACKIE RUPPERT/YH Omni Hotel developer David Cordish's redevelopment plans will turn the mall's storefronts out onto the street.

Cordish--whose plans were submitted along with a letter of intent--proposes two possible renovation schemes. According to the letter, "Both schemes incorporate our original vision for Chapel Square--namely turning the mall `inside-out'" by giving street access to stores currently only accessible from inside the mall.

The major difference between the two renovation plans is that one of them does not include the Yale Co-op. Despite this fact, Co-op President Harry Berkowitz is confident Cordish will ultimately stand by his store. "There would be no one [Cordish] would rather see in the mall than the Co-op," Berkowitz said. "One of the reasons we have come to this corner is because of the faith we have in Mr. Cordish."

Matthew Nemerson, president of the city's Chamber of Commerce, agreed that the Co-op was important to Cordish, especially since large national department stores are being courted by Long Wharf Mall, which the city plans to build in either 1999 or 2000. "I think [Cordish] realized as [we] did that with the development of the Long Wharf Mall, there weren't too many merchandisers who would be interested in Chapel Square," Nemerson said.

Plans for Long Wharf appear to pose a potential threat to a revamped Chapel Square, but Nemerson claimed that competition between the two malls is unlikely. "The Long Wharf Mall will be a high-end mall anchored by the most famous retail names in the country, such as Nordstrom, Macy's, and Lord and Taylor," he said. "It's going to be a regional mall attracting people from across Connecticut. Chapel Square Mall will appeal to downtown office workers, students, people from downtown switching buses, and to those going to the theater or other entertainment."

Still, according to Nemerson, Cordish expects smaller national chains to be a fundamental element of the revitalized mall. "For the mall to succeed, it's not the plans that are important, but the actual names of the stores leasing the space, and their commitment to that space," Nemerson said.

Cordish's plan puts the mall's smaller stores in jeopardy of being displaced. But Nemerson believes this reality is an inevitable part of Cordish's aim of a more attractive shopping center. He pointed out that businesses could easily relocate to empty storefronts along Church, Crown, and Center Streets and still profit from the success of the new Chapel Square.

"With the success of one area [due to the Omni and the renovated Chapel Square Mall], the value stores across the street would do well in the long run," he said. "You may move things around, but you'd create more activity and make people more comfortable about walking more than four or five blocks into downtown."

Cordish, a Baltimore-based developer, has a history of developing poor urban regions into successful commercial centers. In the '80s, he undertook a similar project in Charleston, SC, transforming an abandoned industrial neighborhood into a booming retail area. Cordish has always maintained that a strong Chapel Square Mall will revive downtown New Haven, and have a ripple effect city-wide.

As renovations begin in the upcoming months, Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo, the Mayor's press secretary, stressed that the city will do its part to make the transitional period a smooth one. "The city is very much a partner [with Cordish] in this," she said. "Mayor DeStefano said that he would work hard to find new locations for any businesses which might be displaced."

With the potential for a downtown business boom and an assurance of the city's support should they be relocated, current Chapel Square Mall store owners share a positive attitude towards the impending renovations. Beau Lucas, manager of the Athlete's Foot, believes the changes will attract more serious clientele. "We'll have less people hanging inside the mall who are obviously not paying customers," he said. Steve Takach, manager of Rite-Aid, said he favors the plan even if it involves shutting down his store for awhile.

Sheela V. Pai contributed to this article.

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