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Baltimore-based Continental Realty Corporation recently found a bright spot with a new kind of service-oriented tenant: <a href="https://www.bigblueswimschool.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=why-this-atlanta-shopping-center-landlord-loves-big-blue-swim-school-as-a-tenant-2716140" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Big Blue Swim School</a>.&nbsp;This Chicago-based brand is the fastest-growing swim school franchise in the country, providing swim lessons to families with children ages three months to 12 years old. Last year, Big Blue took over three contiguous in-line spaces at a center that Continental owns and operates in Johns Creek, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.Big Blue isn’t just helping its occupancy rate for the shopping center, but its opening is boosting traffic to other tenants as well.&nbsp;“Big Blue is drawing the type of family-oriented shopper we typically want to attract to our retail shopping centers,” said Blake Dickinson, Continental’s Director of Commercial Leasing. “And they're doing it by providing an important service for the community,” he added.Service providers are good for landlords because while Amazon may deliver everything from groceries to big-screen televisions, they can’t deliver unique services like swim lessons.&nbsp;“With the evolution of ecommerce, shopping centers are increasingly looking for opportunities to include both retail and service-oriented shopping experiences,” Dickinson said. &nbsp;<h4>Finding the 'Path of Least Resistance'&nbsp;</h4>As shopping center space becomes available, Big Blue says it is ready to make the most of these new opportunities.&nbsp;“We’re seeing space free up and we are identifying spaces and properties we want to pursue,” said Scott Sanders, Big Blue Swim School CEO.&nbsp;Big Blue’s prime targets are traditional retail spaces. &nbsp;“We try to put ourselves in the path of least resistance, where families are already spending their time,” said Sanders. “We don’t want families to go out of their way to find us. Typically, that's going to put us in a retail shopping center or maybe a freestanding building near the retail center.”<h4>Swimming in a Former Outback Steakhouse</h4>In Johns Creek, an Outback Steakhouse had relocated prior to Continental’s acquisition of North Bridges Shopping Center in March 2018. The marketing of that availability lead Continental to discover Big Blue.&nbsp;“From the perspective of a retail landlord, what we're trying to do is build a tenant mix that is symbiotic and have tenants that complement each other and ultimately drive traffic,” Dickinson said. “That’s the way malls work: we’re only as good as our tenant mix.”The swim school needed not only the former Outback space, but the two adjacent spaces as well, for a total of approximately 10,000 square feet.&nbsp;“It was an attractive proposition because it filled three availabilities, and the use was just really compelling,” said Dickinson.When it came time to build out the space, Continental had found a “first-class operator,” Dickinson said. Big Blue’s construction team made them feel comfortable with the process.&nbsp;“You want to know the group you're working with will do the right thing,” said Dickinson. “They have to be credible in terms of the contractors they're using, the engineering, the architecture, and the mechanicals, and Big Blue was ready and willing to work with us on addressing those types of concerns.”&nbsp;<h4>The Right Times in the Right Places</h4>Dickinson says Big Blue Swim School’s hours of operation also make them an ideal tenant.&nbsp;Big Blue’s daytime and early evening hours correspond more closely with other tenants, making it easy for parents to utilize other stores in the center. Whether it’s grocery shopping while the kids take their lessons or taking everyone out for dinner or ice cream afterward, Big Blue provides the collaborative relationship between tenants that appeals to landlords.Those benefits have made Big Blue the new darling of the commercial real estate community.&nbsp;According to Dickinson: “At this point, Big Blue is definitely a name brand we can tout,” he said. “It’s well-received in the community. It’s family-friendly. It’s bringing the right demographic. And it’s a demographic that really everybody is looking to capture.”

Why This Atlanta Shopping Center Landlord Loves Big Blue Swim School as a Tenant 

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Commercial property owners say the brand is filling vacancies and driving desirable traffic. 

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