The Hamlet shopping center in Dover has a new look, a new store planned in the former 7-Eleven and a new name: The Shoppes at Hamlet.
At the corner of McKee and Walker roads, renovations have improved the appearance and lighting at the shopping center, while creating stores with more affordable leases, according to property owner Paul Pantano.
“We took a larger space and divided it into three brand new suites to attract small businesses,” said Pantano, broker-owner of Pantano Real Estate.
Pantano estimates the shopping center was built in the early 1980s and said it’s still an attractive location at a traffic signal with frontage on two roads, close to residential areas.
“There are benefits to not being on Route 13. People can reach us without having to go out on the highway, but we still have excellent access to major roads,” he said.
Meanwhile, the renovations have made the shopping center more appealing to customers, merchants and potential tenants, Pantano said.
One of the business owners who appreciates the change is Tiffanee Blackwell at Tiffanee & Co. Bakery.
“Growing up in Dover, I remember what the Hamlet looked like, and this is a big improvement,” she said.
The new design attracted her to the location, and she’s happy with the way her store looks.
“We have good walking traffic here. You can’t smell a bakery from the highway. This location is still close to the highway but in the middle of a residential area and schools,” she said.
Blackwell creates custom cakes, along with cupcakes, cookies and other baked treats. Her competitive desire landed her a spot on Food Network’s “Cake Wars” in 2016. While she received compliments from the judges during the show, she didn’t win, something that’s still a little irritating even though she had a lot of fun.
She said her store in the Hamlet is a great showcase for her creations, and she offers cake and cupcake decorating parties that are popular with kids and parents.
Other stores in The Shoppes at Hamlet include Dollar General, Tom’s Bullpen Sports Bar, Roma Pizza, Flowers Education Health and Fitness, Hamlet Wine and Spirits, Great China Restaurant and Look Back Lab which converts VHS tapes, home movies, photo prints and audio recordings to digital formats.
What’s going in the former 7-Eleven?
The former 7-Eleven in the Hamlet along McKee Road will soon be the home of The Nest Play Café.
Owner Ashley Rice is working with Pantano on renovations, planning to open in a few months.
This is the second Nest location. In May, Rice opened her first play café in Middletown in the Cricklewood Grove shopping center at 5350 Summit Bridge Road.
Inspired by the growing number of people working from home, The Nest is a place where kids can play in a safe environment while parents can work at tables or lounge chairs nearby or talk with other parents – and enjoy healthy snacks and drinks.
“When my daughter was younger, our family bounced around a lot, so we didn’t have that stable network of family close by or neighbors we knew,” said Rice. “I thought of this idea and then I started seeing similar businesses opening, mainly in larger cities. Then when I started working remotely, I thought, ‘Let’s open one here.’”
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The menu at The Nest includes wraps, muffins, organic cookies, coffee, tea, water and juices along with toddler-friendly snacks. The store also sells books and educational toys.
Rice plans to offer family game nights and “speed friending” where parents can meet several people in a short time to find out what they have in common.
She said The Shoppes at Hamlet was attractive for her second play café because of the established shopping center with a fresh look, and a parking lot with a relatively easy path from the car to the store.
“Sometimes it’s no easy feat, especially if you have two babies and car seats,” said Rice. “You don’t want to have to worry about lots of traffic or parallel parking and opening your door into the street.”
She also appreciated how Pantano was willing to work with her as she starts her business.
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What’s coming to the former bank?
The only stand-alone building in the shopping center, the former M&T Bank, remains vacant.
“I’ve had a few nibbles, but I haven’t found the right user yet, something that’s compatible with the other stores,” said Pantano. “I say ‘no’ to people almost every week.”
Because the building has a drive-thru lane, a quick-serve restaurant is a possibility, he said, along with a variety of other uses.
Mayor Robin Christiansen said the revitalization at The Shoppes at Hamlet should benefit the city and residents.
“It has economic advantages not only to the owners of the property but increases the opportunity for businesses to offer goods and services convenient to the surrounding neighborhoods,” he said.
Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.
