Shoe, clothing stores to join Sansom Common

Steve Madden Shoes and Ma Jolie, a women's clothing store, will likely join the current list of stores in the soon-to-be-completed Sansom Common retail complex this fall, according to Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official. While negotiations are still in progress, the deals should be completed shortly, Lussenhop said. A third retailer -- probably a gift shop or similar novelty shop -- will join the shoe store and clothing store to complete the complex's retail mix, Lussenhop said. The three stores will be on the ground floor near the corner of 37th and Walnut streets. While the University originally planned to lease the remaining space to just two stores, Penn real estate officials said they decided there was enough room to create three retail spaces. "We have always tried to be opportunistic about utilizing the space we have available to tailor it to market demand," Lussenhop said. According to Kathy Sawin, director of leasing for a consultant group working with Penn on the retail section of Sansom Common, there are enough doors and floor space -- about 7,000 square feet remaining -- to accommodate three stores, so adding a third store made sense. "More is always better when it comes to retail because you're after a critical mass," Sawin said. Ma Jolie will occupy the most space -- covering 3,500 square feet -- while Steve Madden will take up 1,500 square feet and the third store will cover 2,000 square feet. Unlike other Sansom Common occupants which are chains such as Xando, Barnes & Noble bookstore and Urban Outfitters, Ma Jolie is an independent operator with only one current store, located in Manayunk. Ma Jolie co-owner Nickie Boston said she is excited that the store has been chosen to complement the national retailers in the complex. "Basically, we're pleased that they've recruited an independent retailer like us into what could have been a suburban mall mix," Boston said. Officials from Steve Madden did not return calls for comment. "They're both very unique opportunities that fit into the campus retail mix nicely," said John Greenwood, a top official with Trammell Crow Co., the Dallas-based company that manages University real estate holdings. Greenwood added that Ma Jolie will help to "more effectively cover the spectrum of alternatives for women's apparel" available on campus. All construction on the $120 million complex is scheduled to be done by the end of 1999, about two years after it began. By late summer, the 250-room Inn at Penn and Grand's Bar and Grill will open for business. A second restaurant -- to be operated by renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr -- is set to open later in the year. The current Sansom Common retail tenants -- which include Xando, Urban Outfitters, Eastern Mountain Sports and Parfumerie Douglas -- have all enjoyed success, University and company officials have said, with Xando and Urban Outfitters in excess of their initial projections.

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