LOVELAND, CO-Retail leasing is so strong at the Marketplace at Centerrain this northern Colorado City that its developer, McWhinney Enterprises, isalready starting the second phase. The second phase will include 240,000 sfof retail space.

Chad McWhinney, principal and CEO of his namesake company, says that 80%of the 240,000 sf already has commitments from tenants, although he's notyet ready to name them. The new retailers will bring the Marketplace to morethan 500,000 sf, "making it the largest contiguous power center in northernColorado," he says.

The center is on US Highway 34 just west of Interstate 25. Existing tenants at theMarketplace include Target, Sportsman's Warehouse, PetSmart, Pier 1 Imports,and eight restaurants and fast food outlets. Last month, Mimi's Café opened in the center, offering home-style American dishes in a French New Orleans-inspired atmosphere.

"The Loveland market would typically get a retailers' smaller prototype,but a majority of the tenants we're talking to are planning largerstores--they're really focusing on serving the entire Northern Coloradoregion from Centerra," McWhinney says. "The success of the existingretailers at the Marketplace has also prompted them to open larger stores."

Retailers in the second phase of the Marketplace will open as early asMarch 2006. The second phase is being built to the west of the existingfirst phase retailers, and will have similar architecture and landscaping.Fall River Drive, the north-south road through the Marketplace, will have apedestrian-oriented design with smaller shops, plaza areas and outdoordining areas.

Major consultants on the Marketplace project include general contracting services by Roche Constructors Inc.; architectural services by MCG Architecture, the architect; and landscape architecture by BHA Design. Northern Engineering is providing civil engineering services. The Shops at Centerra is a joint venture between McWhinney and Poag & McEwen Lifestyle Centers.