Decoration Destination

EAST COUNTY — While no one was looking, 30 workers emptied 15 bucket trucks full of holiday decorations and turned University Parkway into a flash of colorful lights during the first week of November.
As inconspicuously as possible, workers wrapped trees and buildings along the bustling commercial corridor with bulbs and banners.

Three years ago, Benderson Development President Randy Benderson decided he wanted to make University Parkway a holiday destination.

His company manages 1.5 million square feet of commercial property along University Parkway — shopping centers lined up one after another west of Interstate 75 and east of Whitfield Avenue.

“We want to keep with the magic of the holidays and make the decorations just kind of appear out of nowhere,” said Mark Chait, executive director of leasing for Benderson’s Southeast region. “We wish elves could come in and make it happen, but they don’t. Our workers make it happen fast.”

The decorations, which Benderson installs outside all of its properties along University Parkway, bring a buzz to its shopping centers.

“We’ve always had holiday decorations on our properties in the Interstate 75 corridor,” Chait said. “But, three years ago, Randy Benderson said this would be greater than ever. This would be a concept — a coordinated package that would make this the place people wanted to be during the holiday season.”

This year’s decorations were rolled out over a five-day span at The District at University Town Center (anchored by Best Buy and Super Target), The Market at UTC (Fresh Market, Kohl’s), The Shoppes at UTC (Nordstrom Rack, Marshall’s), The Square at UTC (Home Depot, Staples) and Tourist Center Drive at UTC (Ruby Tuesday, World of Beer).

Jerry Bouche, a property manager for Benderson, coordinates the multi-pronged effort.

Every night after work, he drives the properties, looking for broken bulbs, torn banners and fallen structures.

“We want to make sure the centers are pedestrian-friendly,” Bouche said. “Can people get in and out without disturbance?”

Before the lights go up, a 30-man crew — contractors Benderson hires — dives into a storage warehouse on Florida’s east coast that houses the decorations during the off-season.

They stuff the decorations into 15 bucket trucks. Each year, the bulbs and wires and banners are rehabilitated. Broken ones are fixed and repainted.

“We never want anything to look tired and old,” Chait said. “We want to preserve the freshness of it.”
The contractors come up with designs and themes.

The concept of the prominent rowing scene fronting Nordstrom Rack along University Parkway evolved before Nathan Benderson Park even knew it would be hosting the 2017 World Rowing Championships.
It has been there the last three years, Bouche said.

Bouche approves all renderings, new design pitches and the competence of each bulb and banner — piece by piece — before they go up.

Crews work on the main drive lanes to each center — the entrances visible from University Parkway — first, before stores open or late at night.

The bulbs power up 15 minutes before sunset, monitored by photo sensors and coordinated to time with the ignition of parking lot lights.

Benderson strategically installs the decorations well in advance of Black Friday, building anticipation for the biggest shopping day of the year.

The decorations come down after New Year’s.

Chait says Benderson does not measure the economic impact of the decorations.

“You couldn’t attribute a store’s sales increasing during the holidays to our decorations even if you tried,” Chait said.

Individual merchants do not have input on the decorations, but they don’t complain.

They embrace the change of pace.

Benderson boasts retail space across Florida and all the way to New York, and it generally decorates each property for the holidays.

But it makes a special effort to light up the night on University Parkway near its home.

“Sometimes, people catch me out during my inspections and say, ‘Where’d you get this decoration?’”

Bouche said. “‘How can I buy it?’ You talk to people and they say it really enhances the entire area. You can’t say that anywhere else.”

BY THE NUMBERS
1.5 million - square feet of commercial space Benderson owns on University Parkway and lines with holiday decorations

15 - number of bucket trucks that transport the decorations from a warehouse to the shopping centers

30 - number of workers who install the decorations during five days in the first week of November

15 - The lights ignite 15 minutes before sunset every day

Contact Josh Siegel at [email protected].