District
North Oaks
In 1989, Wellington Management purchased approximately 20 acres of land in North Oaks for commercial development. Located on the intersection of Highway 96 and Hodgson Road, this well-located property offered an exceptional commercial development opportunity.
There was a small, older grocery store (Zecks) and a liquor store on this site. Wellington worked with the City of North Oaks to develop a master plan that included a substantially expanded retail center and several office and professional buildings. North Oaks Village Center began construction in 1990. This master-planned redevelopment has attracted a number of outstanding retailers, including Taste of Scandinavia bakery, Paninos restaurant, Bruegger's Bagels, Caribou Coffee, Cherokee State Bank and a Walgreens drug store.
Wellington also constructed two office buildings, one for professional medical tenants and the other for real estate and financial tenants. The general and specialty dentists that have occupied Village Center Professional Building since 1991 have created a very successful multi-specialty medical/dental building. The 30,000 SF North Oaks Financial Center has provided a home to Coldwell Banker Realty, Traditions Bank and many other financial/professional tenants for many years.
The entire development includes walking paths, a central pond and fountain feature, attractive building design and customer-friendly outdoor patios and gathering spaces. The success of the retail and service-oriented office components can be partially attributed to North Oaks’ population growth of 65 percent since 1990. Wellington began the development at the outset of this growth and worked to offer tenant financial assistance, which helped to secure a great tenant mix as the property developed.
The end result has been a successful mixed-use development that is distinctive. It successfully avoided the need to be anchored by the customary big box retailer, relying instead on a collection of local businesses that complement the property’s walkable, pedestrian-oriented environment. It is this village character that has attracted and retained tenants for 30 years. Wellington continues to own and manage each property.
20 Acres
