Girl Scouts is more than just once-a-year cookie sales, and the organization aims to show people just that with a real estate prototype that brings Girl Scouts into retail and commercial properties year-round.

Its first DreamLab location opened in Denver last month. The space features a Girl Scouts boutique, podcast booth, bouldering wall, outdoor skills area, faux firepit and tent to practice camping skills, and hands-on science, technology, engineering and math center. “We really look at the DreamLab as a whole new way to experience Girl Scouts,” said Girl Scouts USA senior vice president of property strategy Anne Smith.

DreamLab will host programming for girls and families and will create a more visible brand presence for Girl Scouts in local communities. The concept is a needed refresh that gives the organization’s 111 independent councils a space option that can complement its existing network of camps, meeting spaces and program facilities.

“It’s really exciting because it’s a physical experiential retail concept that allows girls to be fully surrounded in the Girl Scouts’ mission and culture and ethos while they are at the site,” said Elizabeth Hart, president of leasing for North America at Newmark. GSUSA worked with Newmark to develop the concept and create a “future vision” for Girl Scout properties to better meet the needs of girls and volunteers. Girl Scouts teaches girls a variety of things across the spectrum of science, technology, art, recreation and leadership. The DreamLab is a solution that brings all of that together, while still having a strong brand that can be present in the community, noted Hart.

A Future Forward Prototype

GSUSA recognizes that girls today have different requirements than when their mothers or grandmothers were Girl Scouts. They want to do more modern, tech-forward things like create videos and build rockets. “We want the DreamLab to really be a place for all girls, not just members, to reach beyond what they can do at school and home in a safe environment where they are comfortable to be themselves,” said Smith.

GSUSA and Newmark have been working for the past few years on the concept, which started with a portfolio assessment of properties and facilities owned and leased by GSUSA and its independent councils. “What we found through this initiative is that many of these service centers tend to be inefficient and lack girl-friendly space to deliver the program,” said Smith. “In a lot of cases, those facilities were inconvenient to our membership and they don’t provide visibility in our communities.”

Collectively, GSUSA and Newmark came up with DreamLab, with three prototypes at 1,500, 2,500 and 5,000 square feet that also vary in layout and functionality. Each council can choose the model that best fits its needs. Themes in the prototypes are a soundproof media and podcast booth, flexible program delivery space and a retail boutique with Girl Scout supplies and merchandise.

In the wake of COVID, a number of councils are rethinking the way they work in terms of administration staff and need for office space. A larger DreamLab space could accommodate a conference room and workstations. GSUSA hopes the DreamLabs will make Girl Scouts more accessible and visible within their communities, which in turn will increase membership and community engagement.

The Real Estate Side

GSUSA is structured as a federated model and the independent councils as individual 501(c)(3) nonprofits. GSUSA provides support and guidance via the design for the prototype and assisting in finding locations, while the individual councils become the responsible parties on the leases.

Newmark assists in site selection by digging into demographic data and proximity to existing members and girls of Girl Scout age within 10- and 20-mile radii of locations, as well as by identifying locations that can better reach underserved communities. Among the important site-selection characteristics are ease of pickup and dropoff and ability to have community outreach. “Because of that, I think retail is a really good fit, although we are not looking exclusively at retail,” added Hart.

The first DreamLab opened in The Exchange at Boulevard One, a retail, restaurant and office redevelopment in Denver’s revitalized Lowry neighborhood. It’s co-owned and developed by Confluent Development and Kelmore Development. Confluent began the project to create a welcoming neighborhood hub, and the DreamLab fits perfectly into that vision, said Confluent senior development director Nick Kitaeff. “Welcoming Girl Scouts to this community represents the continued commitment to enrich The Exchange at Boulevard One project and provide a well-rounded experience for this neighborhood,” he said.

Confluent also expects the DreamLab to drive foot traffic and cross-shopping at nearby stores and businesses. Major tenants include Target and specialty grocer Clark’s Market. Just steps from the DreamLab, people can grab coffee, have lunch, take yoga classes or run essential errands, noted Kitaeff. “Our vision for The Exchange has always been to provide a neighborhood gathering place where community members can enjoy the diversity of services, products and experiences in one location without needing to drive from one destination to the next,” he added.

Although the prototype might not work for every council, GSUSA hopes to generate a larger network of DreamLabs across the country. Two more are scheduled to open this summer: Girl Scouts Louisiana East will open one at Redfish Commons in Gonzales in June, and Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey will open one at The Shoppes at North Brunswick in July. Five other councils are looking for locations.

“Landlords have been very receptive,” said Hart. “It’s a brand that everybody knows, and in general, landlords like to be associated with the mission of this organization.”