HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Some changes are coming to the Hutchinson Mall. From now on, the mall will be known as Uptown Hutch. It’s a rebranding that openers RockStep Capital is doing to all of their shopping complexes.
“We had been contemplating changing the name of Hutch Mall for quite a while because the word mall is so out of favor in the last three to five years,” President Andy Weiner said. “That combined with the fact that these properties like Uptown Hutch . . . are transforming themselves into something that is not 100% retail.”
Weiner, whose company has owned the facility since 2014, says the change in philosophy may be paying off because interest in acquiring space at the facility is growing.
“We have two users who will take the entire JCPenney space, and will be open sometime next year,” Weiner said. “The former Goody’s space, we have a national user who has raised their hand for that space. In addition, between the former Goody’s space and the former Dillard’s space we have one, maybe two national users who want to be in that space.”
Weiner says combining all of those prospects could bring as many as 100 new jobs to Hutchinson. RockStep used incentive packages to bring new businesses to the complex when they first opened, including Harbor Freight Tools and Dunham’s Sports. Weiner said other new incentive packages are now available at Uptown Hutch.
“The first phase started about six weeks ago which was free rent and cheap rent for those people who wanted to start a new business and use Uptown Hutch as its new location,” Weiner said. “We started a new program where we are willing to fund up to $2,000 of working capital opening funds to help great new business ideas start in Hutch.”
Weiner says RockStep is taking the opportunity during the pandemic to use the incentives to get business up and going again whether it be new or an existing business relocating. He feels they have the package to make that happen.
“We really believe we have a role in helping young businesses, new businesses open up. And we look forward to working with them over at Uptown Hutch,” Weiner said. “They can be retail, it can be office, it could be storage, it could be E-commerce fulfillment, it could be light manufacturing. And I know we will be the lowest cost provider for commercial space within the entire region.”
Weiner said he will be able to release more information on the spaces spoken for in the next 60 to 90 days.
One retail business recently came back to the Uptown Hutch as Christopher and Banks recently held their grand opening.