Center openings Tempe, Ariz., and Grapevine, Texas -- Arizona Mills and Grapevine Mills, both superregional, value-oriented malls that feature approximately 200 stores and restaurants including 15 to 18 anchor/major stores, recently celebrated their grand openings in Tempe and Grapevine, respectively.
Arizona Mills is a 1.2 million sq. ft. development of The Mills Corp., Arlington, Va., Indianapolis-based Simon DeBartolo Group Inc. and Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Taubman Realty Group. Some of the major tenants in the project include manufacturers' outlets such as Mikasa Home Store, retail outlets such as Off 5th-Saks Fifth Avenue, Virgin Megastore, value-oriented retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory and family entertainment components such as Rainforest Cafe, GameWorks and Harkins Theatres.
Grapevine Mills is a 1.5 million sq. ft. project of Mills, Simon DeBartolo and Kan Am, a Munich, Germany-based investment advisory company. It features similar tenant types as well as The American Wilderness Experience, which is a nature-based entertainment/education attraction where visitors can walk through various environments and encounter live animals, scents, plants and climates. (See Store Fronts, Shopping Center World, November.)
Major tenant openings Baltimore -- The Rouse Co., Columbia, Md., has reached an agreement to bring Planet Hollywood to Harborplace in Baltimore. Opening this spring, the restaurant will serve as the cornerstone of the waterfront complex's Pratt Street Pavilion, occupying more than 13,000 sq. ft. of space.
To be located on two levels, Planet Hollywood's facade will appear to "burst" from the building with pink and green striped awnings, including a vaulted entrance, flanked by palm trees and a freestanding, illuminated Planet Hollywood promenade sign. Taking into consideration Harborplace's waterfront view, the restaurant also will feature outdoor dining, which is one of the only restaurants in the chain with this amenity.
Nashville, Tenn. -- JCPenney Catalog Outlet Store opened recently at 100 Oaks Mall in Nashville. The 19,000 sq. ft. store features catalog-returned merchandise, discontinued and overstocked items, as well as a full range of merchandise including clothing for the entire family, accessories, shoes, home fashions, housewares, furniture, electronics, sporting goods and home improvement items. Other anchors at the center, which is owned and managed by Memphis-based Belz Enterprises, include Burlington Coat Factory, Off 5th-Saks Fifth Avenue and Reebok. In addition, Regal Theater also is scheduled to open at the mall this month.
Canton, Ohio -- PetsMart (26,040 sq. ft.) and HomePlace (53,000 sq. ft.) have opened at Belden Park Crossings in Canton. The 584,493 sq. ft. power center also includes Target, Dick's Clothing & Sporting Goods, and Service Merchandise. It is owned by Cleveland-based Developers Diversified Corp.
New development Kennesaw, Ga. -- Work is under way on Town Center Commons, a 163,000 sq. ft. shopping center in Kennesaw, a suburb of Atlanta. Galyans and JCPenney Home Store have been named as anchors for the project, and leasing continues for a 25,000 sq. ft. junior anchor and 15,000 sq. ft. of small shop space.
The Town Center Galyans, which will be an 81,000 sq. ft., two-story tenant, will be one of three Galyans stores making their Atlanta market debut. The 43,000 sq. ft. JCPenney Home Store, which represents JCPenney's move into the expanding home fashions market, will be only the second one in the metropolitan Atlanta area.
Completion on the $16 million center, which is a development of the Atlanta office of Charlotte, N.C.-based Faison, is scheduled for this fall. The architectural firm of Atlanta-based Preston Phillips is designing the project, and Atlanta-based Pinkerton & Laws is the general contractor.
Glendale, Calif. -- Construction on Glendale Marketplace, a 160,000 sq. ft. urban entertainment village in Glendale, is on schedule for a March opening. Considered a cornerstone of the city's downtown revitalization effort, the $50 million retail and theater complex is reminiscent of a European shopping village.
The two-story project, which will be 100 percent leased upon opening, will be anchored by a multimedia district that includes the WOW! multimedia store comprised of The Good Guys! and Tower Records, and a Mann Theater multiplex. Other tenants will include Linens 'N Things, Old Navy Clothing Co., and several restaurants, kiosks and streetside activities.
Glendale Marketplace is being developed by Beverly Hills-based Regent Properties in a public-private partnership with the city of Glendale, which is investing $16 million into the project. Much of the city's investment is going toward the construction of a city-owned parking garage.
Renovations Gaithersburg, Md. -- Renovation recently was completed on Firstfield Shopping Center in Gaithersburg, Md. A project of Bethesda, Md.-based First Washington Realty Trust, improvements included new storefront signage, lighting and canopies as well as new paving, landscaping and lighting in the parking lot. The improvements to the center also attracted a number of new tenants, including Starbucks Coffee, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Sprint Spectrum.
Redevelopment Phoenix -- Redevelopment work aimed at transforming 600,000 sq. ft., multi-level Tower Place in central Phoenix into a 450,000 sq. ft., single-story, value-oriented, community shopping center recently began. The $30 million project, which will result in demolishing much of the existing 1960s-era mall, is a joint effort of Newport Beach, Calif.-based Koll Real Estate Group and Lennar Partners Inc., a Miami-based real estate investment company.
Recently purchased by Lennar Partners from Hartford, Conn.-based Connecticut General Life Insurance Co., the existing center was more than 70 percent vacant upon acquisition.
Definitive agreements have been made with Walgreens and Home Depot. The revamped Tower Place also will feature a grocery store, retailers and restaurants, including existing tenants Ice Chalet, Peter Piper Pizza, Payless ShoeSource and RadioShack. In addition, an existing but separately owned Arcadia 8 Harkins Theatre will be integrated into the newly configured project. Completion of the redevelopment is expected this fall.
Expansions Castle Rock, Colo. -- Castle Rock Factory Shops in Castle Rock recently celebrated its five-year anniversary with the opening of a 110,000 sq. ft. expansion, which brings the center's GLA to 480,000 sq. ft. The additional 24 new tenants -- including Banister Shoe Studio, Calvin Klein Outlet Store, Eddie Bauer Outlet, Gap Outlet, Off 5th-Saks Fifth Avenue, Nike Factory Store, Savane and Ultra-The Gold and Diamond Outlet -- brings the total number of merchants in the center to 134.
Castle Rock Factory Shops is an open-air, village-style manufacturers' outlet center and also features an enclosed food court, a children's playground with a train ride and a customer service center. It is a project of Baltimore-based Prime Retail.