Gone are the days when Girl Scout troops were relegated to meeting in either a troop leader’s living room or a multipurpose room within a library, school or church. Beginning this year, the Girl Scouts of the USA has partnered with Newmark to open “DreamLabs” in prime retail centers throughout the country.
These DreamLabs provide a multi-use space for Girl Scouts to engage in skill-building activities through such features as a STEM lab, a bouldering wall, a stage for theatrical performances, a podcast video booth and even a mock campfire area. Space permitting, these DreamLab sites can also offer office space for the administrative council members, meeting rooms that can be rented out for special troop gatherings and a retail boutique area that sells various Girl Scout related items and uniforms. DreamLab locations also host large events such as badge workshops or family fun days.
This type of tenant is appealing to landlords because it not only attracts parent shoppers who want to do errands or grab a bite to eat after dropping their daughters off, but it will also draw in the younger aged females who want to grab a dessert or shop for trinkets after visiting the facility. Although geared to Girl Scouts, DreamLabs will actively engage in involving the greater community whenever possible and will even allow passerby shoppers to step inside and explore the premises in order to promote its organization to a wider audience.
There are now three DreamLab locations: a 4,000-s.f. unit that debuted in March on the ground floor of a mixed-use building in Denver; a 5,000-s.f. unit that was unveiled in a former meat market/delicatessen space near a Cabela’s in Gonzales, La., in August; and most recently, a 3,500-s.f. unit that opened in September in a lifestyle center in North Brunswick, N.J. Expect up to twelve more of these DreamLabs to pop up over the next one to two years, with Newmark currently scouting locations throughout all areas of the country.
Newmark seeks upcoming DreamLab spaces that are between 1,000 and 5,000 s.f., in either highly trafficked grocery-anchored centers or lifestyle centers. The retail center should be in a family-oriented area, with co-tenants such as grocery stores, including Sprouts Farmers Market or Grocery Outlet; restaurants, such as Starbucks or Chipotle; and retailers that provide services to teens and families, such as Brighter Dental or Big Blue Swim School. The site should be in a safe area, be easily accessible, have great visibility, be close to public transportation and ideally be within a diverse community in which a portion of the population lacks access to technology.
