South Rt. 13 experiencing a growth 'renaissance'

Glenn Ains sat in his car in the BB&T parking lot, trying to photograph his new food court pavilion across the street.

He was after a clean shot of the building, with no passing vehicles obstructing the view. He waited hours.

It didn't happen.

"I had offers on the table" for a vacant space in the pavilion "and I sat at the brand new BB&T, trying to get a picture of my property without traffic. Somebody showed me a traffic study of the area. No wonder I couldn't get a picture without cars. The Dogwood intersection was highest for pedestrians and bicycles and the next block at College and Route 13 was No. 1 for vehicles."

It is no surprise that traffic is heavy along the commercial-heavy southern end of Route 13, or South Salisbury Boulevard in the vicinity of Salisbury University. It was the major commercial hub along the boulevard for years, until similar growth on the northern end of the bustling street gave consumers options around The Centre at Salisbury mall.

Now, commercial interest on the southern end shows, with at least eight commercial spaces within a few blocks currently readying to open in the coming weeks or months. New attractions, like Ains' 1400 South pavilion of mostly eateries clustered in an indoor tropical enclave, are trendy and modern and attractive to university students and other consumers looking for a unique twist.

"Ever since this place opened, I've noticed businesses opening in Sea Gull Square and off Route 13," said Mason Olinde of Fruitland, a recent graduate of James M. Bennett High School. He was referring to the pavilion, opened just more than a year ago. "It is a magnet. Other than in Ocean City, there's nothing like this. It's kind of nice."

The commercial strip is a huge attraction to teenagers at nearby James M. Bennett High School and its sports teams, with a mixture of pricey and affordable restaurants that offer something for everybody, Olinde said.

Bryce Keen of Salisbury, also a recent Bennett graduate, credits university growth for the uptick in businesses along the stretch. 

"As the campus grew, I saw Five Guys and other fast food places just like I see in other places popping up," said Keen, who is entering SU as a student this fall. "High-schoolers like these places, too. Right after class we would meet at Cook Out and the other places. It was cheaper, too, if you just want a milkshake or a burger."

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As important, new restaurants and architectural styles resemble those in trendy urban centers like Baltimore, Washington and elsewhere, said Olinde, who leaves soon for college in Florida. He and Keen dined on food from Wingin' It, an eatery in the pavilion.

Olinde credits Sea Gull Square, a community of trendy eateries below SU dormitory spaces in front of the campus, as a draw.

Among newest attractions coming to the south end is a multi-unit commercial center in the 1300 block of the boulevard that was once home to a McDonald's restaurant, Pizza Hut and a 7-Eleven convenience store. Commercial realtor Joe Schneider is the listing real estate agent for the property that is owned by developer Christos Adamopoulos. The center is expected to open soon for potential businesses, said James Mund of Icon Construction.

"I'm not sure what will go in here, but it will be a nice new building and definitely better than the old buildings that were here," said Mund. A company crew was there Wednesday painting the structure in maroon, gold (SU colors) and brown.

Also, Royal Farms Store Number 5 on Snow Hill Road at Beaglin Park Drive recently won approval by the Wicomico County Board of License Commissioners to transfer its alcohol beverage license to a new location to be built along the south end of the boulevard, according to a spokeswoman for the commissioners.

The Snow Hill Road store could not be reached by phone and information about the new location was not immediately available.

A TCBY Frozen Yogurt shop will open next to the Thirsty's South convenience store in the 1000 block of the boulevard across from the CVS pharmacy at the intersection of West College Avenue. The yogurt shop is relocating from Dogwood Drive to a more visible location, said Brian Davidson, a spokesman for owner Khurshid Ahmed, who was not available to comment.

"Like I told my son yesterday: 'Our little Salisbury is growing up," said Davidson, who was doing construction work at the yogurt shop this week. The shop is expected to open in about two or three weeks, he said.

Ahmed also owns the Thirsty's property, and by moving in the yogurt shop, he would not have to pay rent, Davidson said.

"There's a lot to offer on the south end," Davidson said. 

The 1400 South pavilion also is expanding, Ains said. A DeliWorks sub and hoagie shop opens by the end of July, Ains said. Adding the sub shop at the pavilion of eateries and a beer pub practically fills the facility, he said.

"I have a total of four restaurants in the pavillion, plus Hopper's Tap House, which is serving crabs and shrimp and snow crabs," he said. "People still love the businesses up north but they still want something on the south end."

The boulevard has come a long way and changed complexion since it opened as a major thoroughfare more than eight decades ago, said Eli Modlin, deputy chief of staff and director of government and community relations at Salisbury University. Places like Pizza Hut and Wendy's have been added to the list of businesses that have left in recent years.

"Many businesses have come and gone from Route 13 since the road was built in 1934, in part, on land that was once a section of the Salisbury University campus," said Modlin, adding that some businesses along the strip and elsewhere were opened by operators with ties to the university.

"The university is always happy to see growth in the area, and our students often enjoy more options, new services and more employment opportunities," he said. "Several area businesses, including those near campus, were founded by entrepreneurs with university connections."

Closures of longtime businesses, like the recent folding of a Wendy's restaurant along the stretch, shouldn't hurt new progress, Ains said.

"In five years, you'll see it looks different than now," he said. "It would have improved so much more than it is now. For every business closing, there are two stepping in to want their spot."

Growth along the boulevard around the campus, in the downtown and elsewhere in town, comes as SU and the city of Salisbury work to entice university graduates to settle in the area. That initiative, leaders say, should add to the population of professional people and entrepreneurs.

Modlin points to a "Buy a Home, Build a Business" initiative between SU and the city of Salisbury, designed to "give graduates an incentive to stay in or return to the area."

"And many have," he said.

"SU also is playing a role in downtown redevelopment with the Gallery Building and its future Center for Entrepreneurship," he said, referring to a growth area on the trendy Plaza downtown.

"Whether it's downtown revitalization or growth in other areas of the city, SU is grateful to be part of Maryland's Coastal College Town," Modlin said. "Salisbury is a city on the move, and the university is excited and proud to be a partner in that development."

Ains hadn't planned to become the operator of a business in the pavilion, until he realized the overwhelming interest by prospective business people.

"As I worked to sell the property, I ended up selling to myself, and I had no intention to become a business owner," said Ains, a ReMax real estate broker. "The south end of Salisbury could be undergoing what you consider a renaissance.

"We are not just improving property," he also said. "This is a new age of entrepreneurs on the south end."

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