Description

Philadelphia Shopping Center is one location where businesses and offices can really shine! Located right on heavily traveled US Route 11 and attracting customers from nearby Fort Drum and Watertown, New York, this shopping center offers great space versatility, high traffic, and quality construction.

Philadelphia Area Data:

                            Philadelphia          Fort Drum      Jefferson County

Land Area              .9 sq. mi.            25.3 sq. mi.          1272 sq. mi

Population (2010)     1,252                 12,955                 116,229

Change Since 2000    -17.6%              6.9%                     4%

This location has excellent access to residential neighborhoods and great visibility from several directions. South Main turns into New York State Route 11 just outside the Village of Philadelphia, and is the main route bringing commuters to Fort Drum, Wheeler Sack Army Airfield, Watertown, and smaller towns like Evans Mills and Calcium. This route also leads to the area’s closest highway, Interstate 81. With all the traffic driving past this shopping center – the only one available for miles – any new business is guaranteed acknowledgement as soon as it opens its doors.

Also contributing to the success of this location is its close proximity to the area’s school district. Indian River High School is 0.4 miles away – an easy walking distance – and serves a 284 square-mile area, including the neighboring Fort Drum. The expansion of Fort Drum in the 1980s brought an estimated 10,000 soldiers and their families to the area. The school district was also forced to expand to meet the large increase in enrollment, and as a result the district spent more than $95 million in improvements and construction during the years of 1988 to 2002. Currently 66% of the district’s students are from a military background, and the total enrollment is approximately 4,200 students, with about 675 staff members.

As mentioned, Fort Drum has had a powerful impact on the area, affecting the population, economy, and environment on an increasing basis. It is currently the largest employer in Northern New York. According to the 2008 Fort Drum Economic Impact Statement, there are reportedly 18,700 permanently stationed, along with 16,900 (and growing) family members and 4,000 civilian staff members. The high number of residents associated with nearby Fort Drum help keep Philadelphia Shopping Center busy, offering the community all the various daily necessities and services the plaza is so well known for.

The area is surrounded by national forests – Coyote Flats State Forest, Pulpit Rock State Forest, Onjebonge State Forest, to name a few – and several popular nearby lakes lie to north, east, and Lake Ontario only about 30 miles to the west. Philadelphia Shopping Center is so close to urban, suburban, and rural areas as well as undeveloped wilderness, and it has the advantage of being centrally located to all of it.

A new business at the plaza will enjoy close proximity to the United State Post Office, a long-term tenant of Philadelphia Shopping Center. Just a few of the current and former tenants leasing space here at Philadelphia Shopping Center include Dollar general, JWreck Subs, and a dentist office.

Building Features:

• Single-story retail strip center featuring approximately 19,000 square feet
• Built in 1988
• Highly visible 5-acre site
• Spaces range in size from 1500 to 2000 square feet
• Well maintained brick building
• High profile signage at street and at entrances
• Glass storefronts
• Ample parking lot with easy access to all stores
• Close proximity to area school, Village of Philadelphia, Watertown, and Fort Drum
• Fiber Optics technology and separately metered utilities available to all tenants

As was previously mentioned, Fort Drum is a major influence on the local economy and success of its nearby businesses. Their presence within and commitment to the community is just as strong, and some of the private organizations associated with Fort Drum include:

• Fort Drum’s Family, Morale, and Recreation support
• 10th Mountain Division
• Army Aviation Association of America
• Boy Scout Troop 26

This retail location has an advantage that others don’t – access to urban areas, wilderness, and all the varying land uses in between, as well as the types of consumers associated with them. Let’s face it – this is one heck of a shopping center!