The Avenue, Upgraded

A trip to The Avenue Viera is rarely a quick one. With 84 retail, food and organization tenants covering 600,000 square feet on 62 acres, The Avenue offers food, drink, community events and of course —  a lot of shopping. Its convenient location near Interstate 95 makes it a popular spot for Space Coast locals and tourists alike.

Even with its expanse of offerings, The Avenue is undergoing renovations intended to bring in even more customers — and encourage them to stay for awhile.

This summer, construction on two open areas for visitors was in full effect and painting of the entire facade will continue through the end of 2019.

Among the two most recent additions is a pop jet fountain, or splash pad area, that includes shaded, covered seating, a bathroom and changing room accessible from the outside, a game area for kids and a fire pit. The fountain is in front of the AMC Avenue 16 movie theater.

“By including a pop jet fountain, we’re inviting more families to relax and spend their day with us. We love that we’re an amenity to Brevard families and are constantly looking for new ways to cater to our growing community,” marketing coordinator Michelle Bujold said.

The Central Park area located in the center of The Avenue near Panera Bread and Pizza Gallery is undergoing some upgrades, too. The changes include soft seating around the perimeter, additional seating and raised platforms for events.

“These new and improved areas will give us the flexibility to build upon our events and property activation to give the guests more opportunities to experience the new Avenue,” General manager Kevin Cedik said.

Cedik assumed the role of general manager at The Avenue in early May, arriving in Viera from Cincinnati with his family. He has more than 20 years of experience in the shopping center industry.

“He brings a very customer-focused outlook to The Avenue and is really looking to upgrade the customer experience,” Bujold said. “Our theme for the year is definitely growth. We’re fortunate to be growing upon a great foundation here at The Avenue and to be a part of a quickly growing area.”

That growth, and The Avenue’s rising reputation as a destination shopping center, are a few of the reasons that Lauren and Alex Flores opened up their Bold Cup Coffee shop there in November of 2017. The married couple did not want a run-of-the-mill coffee shop where people picked up their drinks and left. They envisioned a spot where entire families could enjoy a beverage together and not feel rushed.

Specifically, Bold Cup Coffee offers a “kids coffee” on its menu, board games at every table and live music on Friday nights.

“The Avenue is the hub of Viera. It brings residents together to experience shopping, food, entertainment and wonderful community events. It’s why we knew it was a great location for us,” Lauren Flores said.

The walking friendly atmosphere and opportunities for more than just shopping is what drew Yvonne Raley to The Avenue when she opened Nicole Maree Bridal there in February of this year. The business is in the former LA Bridal spot and has been renovated and rebranded with new inventory and samples.

The boutique experience of the bridal shop blends well with The Avenue’s innovative layout and vision, Raley said.

“The Avenue Viera is a relaxing, fun shopping experience. There are great restaurants, small boutiques, big-name retail stores and even a movie theater,” Raley said. “It offers something for the entire family when it comes to exploring and making memories.”

The new features are also a perk for shoppers who are looking forward to spending more time at one of their favorite Brevard locations.

Lisa Arnott of Viera lives within walking distance of The Avenue and says the outdoor seating will be something she uses often. With both kids grown and away at college, she says it is nice to walk over with husband, Darren Arnott, and enjoy dining, shopping and other outdoor community events right at The Avenue.

“I’m excited about the outdoor couches. It’s just nice to have somewhere nearby to spend some time,” Lisa Arnott said.

Rachel Beatty of Suntree plans to take her 2-year-old daughter Olivia to the pop jet fountain feature. She says it is just one more reason to visit The Avenue, a place she already likes to take her daughter to shop and eat.

“It feels like these additions will be very family friendly and since we’re in Florida, we’ll be able to use them year-round,” Beatty said.

As for what comes next at The Avenue Viera, management says that enhancing its community-driven offerings will remain the priority. The addition of the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel just adjacent to The Avenue perimeter and shopper traffic from the newly-opened Space Coast USSSA facility are already driving an uptick in visitors who shop, dine and spend time enjoying the grounds of The Avenue, management said.

“Our focus will be ensuring that every guest has the best possible experience when visiting The Avenue. We will do this by continuing to build upon our current retail mix, providing multiple dining options, entertainment venues and provide to- notch quality special events for the entire community to experience,” Cedik said.

The Avenue Viera - By the Numbers

84 tenants

600,000 square feet

62 acres

22 restaurants or food specialty shops

12 shoe stores

3 fitness centers

1 art gallery

1 chamber of commerce

1 movie theater

1 trampoline park (Set to open end of 2018)

Check out this article in our DIGITAL MAGAZINE.