The Lawrenceville Flywheel – A Real-Time Case for Retail Real Estate’s Strength

Through the lens of a single neighborhood shopping center in Lawrenceville, GA, Chris Ressa lays out a compelling story of what’s happening across retail real estate today—and why the industry isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving.

Despite headlines about disruption and store closures, America is undersupplied when it comes to retail space, and demand is surging. In Lawrenceville, post-COVID success triggered a leasing domino effect that brought in over 40,000 SF of new tenants and added nearly $800K in NOI.

Takeaways:

• The power of low supply and high demand and how it’s reshaping site competition
• A behind-the-scenes look at a grocery-anchored center’s three-year transformation
• The diverse, modern tenant mix redefining “normal” retail—think healthcare, beauty, food, and auto alongside legacy brands
• How smart reinvestment and strong market forces create a flywheel of growth
• Why traditional metrics like “retail per capita” miss the mark in today's environment

Chapters

00:00 Retail Real Estate Fundamentals Post-COVID

05:23 The Lawrenceville Case Study: A Retail Success Story

09:28 The Evolution of Retail Tenant Mix