"The demographics are very good," concurs KeyPoint Partners vice president of leasing Donald Mace, who is being tapped to oversee the leasing assignment. Known as Enon Street in Beverly, Route 1A also provides direct access to Route 122A and major regional thoroughfare Route 128. The outcome has been a broad mix of tenants filling the space, with occupants including Beverly National Bank, the Dog Spa, Fantastic Sam's, New England Running Co., Not Your Average Joe's and Quiznos. One retailer, River's Edge Trading Co., is a local operation that has fared well enough that the owner is contemplating another store south of Boston, says Mace, who cites the mix of unique stores and well-known national brands for making Commodore Plaza a "vibrant" retail draw.

Commodore Plaza has been further enhanced by the addition to a shadow anchor Stop & Shop on an adjacent property, and Mace relays that the expansion was accompanied by traffic changes, which opened the properties up to other retail offerings nearby, among them a Bertucci's Restaurant, Calico Corners, Rugged Bear and Starbucks. "It has improved the traffic flow nicely," says Mace, who predicts plentiful prospects for nearly 4,000 sf now available at Commodore Plaza. The desire, he explains, is to bring in a use that will complement the existing tenants, with a restaurant among the preferred options. The vacancy is in two pieces, one for 1,300 sf and the other 2,750 sf.

A veteran New England retail leasing specialist, Mace previously helped to fill the space when Commodore Plaza was originally built, just over five years ago, and he says the occupancy has remained high. A new cosmetics store is doing build out on a previously vacant unit, he notes, praising the upkeep of the property for its heretofore success. Commodore Plaza was developed by Enon Street LLC. Its principals are restaurateurs who operate the well-known Continental Restaurant on Route One in Saugus, also on Boston's North Shore.