The key to making the former Independence Mall building and property into a successful redevelopment is making it an attractive and diverse destination for a range of audiences, according to Eric Dinenberg, executive vice president of development, construction and operations for Rouse Properties.

“The mall business … it’s changing. What’s not changing about the business is the land it sits on,” Dinenberg said.

Dinenberg spoke publicly for the first time about the project, which has been renamed The Collection at Independence, during a sold-out luncheon at the 2018 WilmingtonBiz Conference and Expo on Thursday at the Wilmington Convention Center.

Prior to his current role with Rouse Properties, Dinenberg served as the company’s executive director of development and construction, responsible for overseeing all development, redevelopment, construction and design activities across its portfolio.

He joined Rouse Properties in 2013 from Vornado Realty Trust, where he managed a portfolio of development and redevelopment projects, including repositioning the Bergen Mall into The Outlets at Bergen Town Center in Paramus, New Jersey.

Dinenberg said the firm has developed similar sites in Vermont and California. What attracted Rouse Properties to the Independence Mall property in Wilmington was the community, he said.

Independence Mall also had “all the fundamentals we’re looking for in terms of a great property,” Dinenberg said.

Rouse Properties has previously described plans for The Collection at Independence as a “sweeping redevelopment” of the more than 1-million-square-foot mall building at the corner of Independence Boulevard and Oleander Drive.

"No offense to the word, 'mall' -- but the word 'mall' has a connotation now that people have an image of the four walls and the roof and the four department stores. And it's an image that really isn't reality anymore,” he said.

Dinenberg said the firm wants the center to be able to compete with e-commerce by providing the means to attract people to the property through developing the site into a variety of uses, including retail, office, residential and recreational.

"We want to give you options. We want you to be able to experience the shopping center, The Collection at Independence, however you want to experience that. Maybe that's inside the mall. Maybe that's sitting outside and reading a book and not doing any shopping. Maybe it's living there ... Whatever it is, we want to be your destination for that. And I think our plans reflect that," he said.

The attraction Rouse Properties is looking to develop is a “multi-dimensional experience” at The Collection at Independence that offers convenience, accessibility, enjoyment and relevant tenants and uses, he said.

The company purchased more than half of Independence Mall last year in transactions that were valued at more than $54 million.

That included the Sears space, which company officials had announced in mid-March would be demolished to make way for new construction. Firm officials have said that the new construction will include space for high-volume retailers and will add outparcel space and residential units.

In addition to adding technological and aesthetic upgrades throughout the common areas, a portion of the center’s interior in the Sears wing will be removed to allow for the construction of a restaurant streetscape that will house multiple upscale dining and retail options and combine indoor-outdoor elements. The removal will also allow for exterior-facing retail entrances, officials previously said.

The developer plans to transform the interior and exterior of the building. Addition of a hotel and medical office building, and the incorporation of green space for a village feel, are also part of the plan for an area near JC Penney.

The firm is working on obtaining permits with the city of Wilmington to move its vision for the property forward.  Dinenberg said he hopes to begin construction on the property later this year.

Dinenberg said tenants of the property have been in the works since the idea for the development started. 

"Tenants are the lifeblood of the project in that we want to make sure they are relevant to you," Dinenberg said. 

"We want regional and local tenants at the shopping center. We think that's a major component of any successful property," Dinenberg said. 

Dinenberg said that the firm is going to be "pretty aggressive" with its construction timeline, with hopes to start some of the work by the end of the year. The project is likely to be developed in several phases, but The Collection at Independence will not be completely shut down at any point during the construction process.

There is a lot to be developed, he said. In a rough estimate, Dinenberg said, "It's reasonable to believe that come 2020-21, we will have a fully phased operating project.

"We are flying on our plans. We are already working with the city. We're already interviewing and getting to know the contractors," Dinenberg said. "So I think we'll have some announcements pretty soon on leasing and who the new tenants may be. So I think you are going to see things move pretty quickly."