FORT LAUDERDALE—As retail heats up in South Florida, some owners are switching up representation. Comras Company is one of the latest winners.

Comras just won the exclusive leasing assignment for The Shops of Pembroke Gardens, a 400,000-square foot, open-air lifestyle center located at 527 SW 145th Terrace in Pembroke Pines. The shopping center spans more than 40 acres at the southeast corner of 1-75 and Pines Boulevard, making it a prime shopping destination for West Broward County.
 
Comras Company director of retail Jeffrey Evans, along with Michael Comras, will oversee the assignment on behalf of the landlord, Duke Realty. Despite the current occupancy of 93%, Evans is applying a long-term strategic approach to future tenancy. The Shops of Pembroke Gardens is home to the Cheesecake Factory, Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, BCBG, Hollister, and Brio.

“While we are striving for full occupancy, our focus is on maintaining the integrity of the property by ensuring a synergistic tenant mix remains,” Evans tells GlobeSt.com. “Currently, we are in talks with several national brands to join The Shops of Pembroke Gardens."

Recently, Evans has noticed national companies that shied away from suburban centers are reconsidering their approach for growth. These retailers are not abandoning their desire to be on Main and Main but recognizing that influential buying sectors have emerged in dense suburban areas with highly accessible outlets, he says.
 
Comras Company has led the creative charge of developing burgeoning retail sectors, such as South Beach’s Historic Lincoln Road and the Collins Avenue Fashion District. The Company continues its progression with its moves into the burgeoning areas of Wynwood, Midtown Miami and the Design District. What is the challenge in Pembroke Pines retail real estate?
 
The challenges are twofold, Evans says. The first challenge is training the public that great shopping can be had without driving excruciating distances. The second is providing the national tenants the pertinent statistics to prove the proper density exists to support brand extension.
 
“Based on the demographics of the area and current availability of shops in West Broward’s traditional mall settings, there remains a void in retailers meeting the demands of middle to upper level retail in this area, as currently consumers commute to Boca or Aventura to find prominent national tenants,” Evans says. “As such, national tenants are realizing that they can create a deeper consumer relationship if they are closer to the density and The Shops of Pembroke Gardens' is keenly located to major arteries which pull from numerous key sectors.”