Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Adidas attraction set for Strip

A three-story adidas store under construction at the Showcase mall on the Las Vegas Strip is scheduled to open this summer, and the mall's co-developer has more expansion plans for the mall and its Henderson property.

Forest City Enterprises, owner of the Showcase and Galleria at Sunset malls, said the adidas store at the Showcase, between 40,000 and 45,000 square feet, will be the first of its kind in Nevada and is scheduled to open later this summer. Adidas already has a small outlet store at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets.

The adidas store, and plans for an expansion of the Showcase and Galleria at Sunset malls, were detailed during the International Council of Shopping Centers Spring convention, in town this week. Other companies announced plans as well, including The Rouse Co., Territory Inc. and the new Hawaiian Marketplace.

"This will carry everything adidas offers, it will be a full-line adidas store," said Alan Schmiedicker, senior vice president of property management for Cleveland-based Forest City. The Showcase mall is a joint venture with a local group, the Makena Cos.

Adidas officials could not be reached for comment.

Despite setbacks over the years, such as the closures of the All-Star Cafe and the non-retail component of the World of Coca-Cola, the mall is at a prime location on the Strip to attract retailers and shoppers, Schmiedicker said.

Most recently a second floor food court opened at the mall, with access directly from the Strip via an escalator.

"The traffic counts are phenomenal," Schmiedicker said of the center, which is just north of the MGM Grand.

Expansion plans for the mall are for a third phase to be constructed just north of the Coca-Cola retail store. The Denny's now at the site would be torn down and would reopen in the expansion, Schmiedicker said. Exact square footage, designs and a timetable are still being worked out, although a pamphlet for investors details the third phase may be two levels and total 60,000 square feet.

Forest City also plans an 80,000-square-foot expansion of its Galleria at Sunset mall, which is a joint venture with local company Ranch Property Development Inc. (a Dunn family company). That would bring the mall up to 1.8 million square feet, making it the second largest mall in the valley.

The expansion would be at the south side of the mall, facing Sunset Road. Preliminary plans are for the expansion to have an outdoor lifestyle-type feel, while remaining enclosed.

"It will be like an atrium, it will feel real open, with lush landscaping," Vicki Duncan, marketing director for the mall, said.

She said the outdoor feel, while remaining in an enclosed environment, will allow the mall to continue to attract shoppers even during the heat of summer.

Officials hope the addition, which will feature restaurants and women's fashion, will open in late 2006.

The most recent expansion follows an 80,000-square-foot expansion a couple of years ago, which included the opening of Galyans sporting goods store and 12 other stores.

"Since this mall is doing so well now, any addition will only help it grow that much more in the future," Duncan said.

In other ICSC news:

Dillard's and Robinsons-May are both confirmed for the mall, said Bob Rubenkonig, Rouse communications director.

The mall will be partly enclosed and partly outdoors with a streetscape feeling, he said. High-density housing and luxury condominiums will be built to the east of the site.

The Columbia, Md.-based company also continues to work on plans at the Fashion Show mall on the Strip to re-tenant the space left vacant by Lord & Taylor, which pulled out of plans last year to open a store there after a company restructuring.

Plans are to open the 80,000-square-foot store into a north wing, and split the majority of the space up into smaller stores. At the end of the wing would be space for an anchor store. Rubenkonig said the store will be very unique and is not currently in the Las Vegas market.

The center is modeled after the famed International Marketplace in Honolulu. The stores include Tropical Jewelers & Gifts, Shades of Paradise, Wild Flower, Maui-Wowee Gifts and Aloha Las Vegas. The center also includes a food pavilion, which will open later this year.

Other projects touted during the convention were grocery retail centers at Decatur Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road in southwest Las Vegas and at Stufflebeam Avenue and Boulder Highway in the eastern part of the valley. Opening dates were not announced for either project.

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