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February 11, 2009
Second Chick-fil-A coming to Fort Collins
Business slated to replace Nate's on College Avenue
By Coloradoan staff
The old Nate's restaurant at the corner of College Avenue and Horsetooth Road will be razed to
make way for a second Chick-fil-A restaurant in Fort Collins.
Chick-fil-A, which has a restaurant at Foothills Mall, will open this year in the Fort Collins Marketplace
as part of the long-term strategy to reposition the shopping center owned by NewMark Merrill and
anchored by Albertsons and Famous Footwear.
NewMark Merrill, which owns 43 shopping centers in Colorado, California and Illinois, bought the
marketplace in 2006 for $9.2 million and has been working to upgrade with fresh landscaping, parking
lot improvements and new signage.
"Chick-fil-A is thrilled and has been searching for a Fort Collins location for almost a decade," said
Allen Ginsborg, managing director and principal of NewMark Mountain States.
"This is the realization of a long-awaited goal for them," he said.
"We had several offers for this Horsetooth and College intersection, which is the second busiest in the
region. We didn't just want to fill the space, but instead waited to find a leading national retailer to
strengthen our existing tenant mix and meet the community's needs. We chose Chick-fil-A because
they offer such broad appeal to all demographics, including CSU students and families."
The restaurant chain reported sales last year of $2.96 billion, up 12 percent from 2007.
"Chick-fil-A's selection of the Fort Collins Marketplace at a time when retailers are closing stores left
and right is a strong affirmation of the strength of our property and the entire College Avenue
corridor," Ginsborg said.
NewMark Merrill has built a reputation for buying, operating and upgrading older shopping centers.
"Owners are anxious and, in some cases, fearful about the health of their centers," Ginsborg said.
"We are getting many more calls from owners who want to tap into our systems, marketing programs,
tenant relationships and financial strength. We've suddenly become very busy," he said.
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090211 BUSINESS/902110317... 2/11 /2009