New Indoor Playground Opens at Ellsworth Place

New Indoor Playground Opens At Ellsworth Place in Downtown Silver Spring, MD

GBT Realty investing more than $500,000 in ongoing center renovation, upgrades

Swing. Climb. Crawl. Slide. Come play at Ellsworth Place! GBT Realty Corporation, a leading national commercial development and investment company headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., announces the completion of its first major capital improvement project at Ellsworth Place, an urban retail and entertainment center in the heart of Silver Spring, Md. that the firm acquired in 2018. The new, indoor playground encompasses nearly the entire ground level and replaces the original playground located outside of the TJMaxx inline entrance. The $300,000 investment creates a playful, interactive platform that engages children of all ages.

“The new and modern play area, right in the center of top retail stores, adds convenience and fun to the shopping experience,” explains Olivia Dial, vice president, design and property, GBT Realty Corporation. “The Silver Spring community is such a special place that we wanted to do something a little different with this asset renovation. The playground is just the first in many uplifts and upgrades planned over the next 12 to 18 months.” Ellsworth Place spans nearly a city block bordered by Fenton Street, Ellsworth Drive and Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Md.

“We designed this playground to be be a vital component in the organic lives of Silver Springs residents – an integral thread in the fabric of this community,” continues Dial. Built in partnership with Sparks@Play and Landscape Structures, the interactive playground is designed with bright, bold colors among two primary house structures and four secondary activity stations. Active play is encouraged with slides, tunnels and interactive panels as well as places for rest. Wall barriers provide protection from pedestrian traffic with exterior benches for parents and shopping center patrons.

Ellsworth Place officially unveiled the playground on February 20 with government and community officials as well as GBT executives on hand to cut the ribbon. Leaders from Montgomery County government and the Chamber of Commerce spoke to the relevancy and need fulfilled by the playground setting.

The playground is open during Ellsworth Place retail hours: Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday: 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

“Over the last decade, retail centers have had to compete with technology and other cultural distractions to attract – and keep – patrons at traditional shopping location,” continues Dial. “Shopping centers such as Ellsworth Place are being forced to look beyond historical leasing standards to identify new opportunities to maintain and grow their appeal to customers. Entertainment is a huge factor in doing this – and ultimately critical to keeping the vitality of a shopping center on an upward trajectory.” According to trendhunter.com, entertainment is now “a part of a successful retail experience for families with children, and it is becoming more and more crucial for businesses and retail centers to boost activities that are ‘fun and Instagrammable.’”

In addition to the playground, GBT infused another $200,000 in enhancements into the shopping center including new lighting, digital directories and graphic installations.

Ellsworth Place is anchored by Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington and Five Below. Other tenants include Dave & Buster’s, Guitar Center, Foot Locker, Chipotle, MOD Pizza, Not Your Average Joe’s, Ben & Jerry’s and McGinty’s Irish Pub. Branches of TD Bank® and PNC provide convenient banking services at the regional center.

About GBT Realty Corporation

Founded in 1987, GBT Realty Corporation develops virtually all types of retail and mixed-use developments throughout the United States from its headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburban Nashville community. Since inception, GBT has been involved with the development, construction, leasing and management of over $6 billion of real estate totaling 35 million square feet of grocery-anchored, neighborhood and single-tenant retail; regional power centers; and mixed-use developments in 27 states. The team’s combined decades of experience with local, regional and national tenants includes such names as Academy Sports + Outdoors, Target, Hobby Lobby, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Publix Supermarkets, Walgreens, Kroger, Dollar General, Ross Dress for Less, Kohl’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, PetSmart and Old Navy. Currently, the company has over $1 billion of commercial assets totaling five million square feet in the pipeline or under construction by its shopping center, net lease, capital holdings and diversified development divisions. For more information visit gbtrealty.com.

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