National Entrepreneur Center at Orlando Fashion Square to Celebrate Grand Opening Tuesday May 17 at 9 a.m.

ORLANDO, FLA. – If you think a major regional shopping mall isn’t the first place you’d go for help on launching your new business, think again. On Tuesday, May 17, the National Entrepreneur Center at Orlando Fashion Square Mall on East Colonial Drive near downtown Orlando will celebrate its grand opening starting at 9 a.m.

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, the local leasing agent for Orlando Fashion Square, said the 20,000 square foot National Entrepreneur Center (formerly Disney Entrepreneur Center on Robinson St. downtown) opening at Orlando Fashion Square is one of the most creative ideas he has seen in a long time.

“The nation’s economy is built on small business entrepreneurs, and small business entrepreneurs aren’t usually located in downtown office skyscrapers, they’re in the neighborhoods in the community,” Crossman said.

The opportunity to seek advice and assistance for an entrepreneurial idea at a regional mall is just brilliant, and my hat’s off to the National Entrepreneur Center for thinking outside of the box,” Crossman said.

Crossman said he is optimistic the opening of the National Entrepreneur Center will generate new traffic at Orlando Fashion Square, the Central Florida area’s first regional mall. “Retailing patterns are changing,” Crossman said. “The economy is part of the reason, but there are others — the wave of baby boom retirements, the emergence of online retail sales, and a new generation of young people for whom the recession will mark a major milestone,” he said.

“People are thinking differently about their retail purchases and their retailing habits,” Crossman said. “Retail locations are changing to meet new demands, and the National Entrepreneur Center’s Orlando Fashion Square Mall location is an outstanding example of the trend,” he said.

Leasing agent for the mall, Whitaker Leonhardt said “There are many more opportunities for community groups, business service tenants, and non-profit organizations to lease space at Orlando Fashion Square Mall. The National Entrepreneur Center sets the precedent for the mall to continue to add more community-minded tenants to the mall’s existing retail line up.

About The National Entrepreneur Center

The National Entrepreneur Center is a public/private partnership established in 2003 to support and assist small business development in Central Florida. The center houses a variety of non-profit business support organizations and is funded by Orange County, Walt Disney World Resort, The University of Central Florida, The City of Orlando, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, Regions Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, Banco Popular, The Orlando Magic, Bank First, Orlando Utilities Commission, and Bright House Business Solutions.

Organizations affiliated with the National Entrepreneur Center are: The African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, The UCF Small Business Development Center, The Central Florida Disability Chamber, The National Assn. of Women business Owners, The UCF Business Incubation Program, The British American Chamber of Commerce, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, SCORE, The Urban League of Central Florida, The Black MBA Assn, and the US Dept. of Commerce.

About Orlando Fashion Square/PREIT

Orlando Fashion Square is owned and operated by Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust. Founded in 1960 and one of the first equity REITs in the U.S., PREIT has a primary investment focus on retail shopping malls and power centers. Currently, the company’s retail portfolio is approximately 34 million square feet and consists of 56 properties, including 38 shopping malls, 14 strip and power centers, and four properties under development. The company’s properties are located in 13 states in the eastern half of the United States, primarily in the Mid-Atlantic region. PREIT is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. The company’s Web site can be found at www.preit.com. PREIT is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol PEI.

About Crossman & Company

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Crossman & Company is a commercial real estate brokerage firm that specializes in the retail industry. Currently their portfolio under leasing and/or management exceeds 150 shopping centers throughout the Southeast US. Founded in 1990, Crossman & Company focuses solely on landlord representation and serves clients including Publix, PREIT, and GE. Please visit www.crossmanco.com, or call 407-423-5400 for more information.