Simon exec: New luxury center overdue in Fort Worth
People who still think of Fort Worth as the poor, cow-town stepchild of Dallas make a big mistake, according to the Simon Property Group executive who led the development of The Shops at Clearfork, the mall giant’s new center there.
“That’s not how the current residents like to think about it. Fort Worth’s a sophisticated city,” said Senior VP of Development Kathy Shields.
Built in partnership with Cassco Development, the 500,000-sq.-ft. retail center is anchored by Neiman Marcus and filled with a luxury lineup that includes Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Tory Burch, and ZGallerie.
Also on board at Clearfork, which opened last month, are new-age retailers such as Tesla Motors and Mizzen+Main and a stable of trendy eateries the likes of Cru Food and Wine Bar, Luna Grill, Malai Kitchen, and Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar.
“There are plenty of shopping centers in Fort Worth, but when residents were looking for luxury, they had to make the trek to Dallas,” Shields said. “This center was overdue in Fort Worth.”
Two office buildings totaling 120,000-sq.-ft. rise above The Shops promise to provide it with daytime traffic, and such mixed-use elements are likely to be a hallmark of new Simon centers going forward.
“In any new retail project we would take on, we would certainly seriously evaluate putting in office and residential,” she said.
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“That’s not how the current residents like to think about it. Fort Worth’s a sophisticated city,” said Senior VP of Development Kathy Shields.
Built in partnership with Cassco Development, the 500,000-sq.-ft. retail center is anchored by Neiman Marcus and filled with a luxury lineup that includes Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Tory Burch, and ZGallerie.
Also on board at Clearfork, which opened last month, are new-age retailers such as Tesla Motors and Mizzen+Main and a stable of trendy eateries the likes of Cru Food and Wine Bar, Luna Grill, Malai Kitchen, and Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar.
“There are plenty of shopping centers in Fort Worth, but when residents were looking for luxury, they had to make the trek to Dallas,” Shields said. “This center was overdue in Fort Worth.”
Two office buildings totaling 120,000-sq.-ft. rise above The Shops promise to provide it with daytime traffic, and such mixed-use elements are likely to be a hallmark of new Simon centers going forward.
“In any new retail project we would take on, we would certainly seriously evaluate putting in office and residential,” she said.
Connect with me on LinkedIn | Follow me on Twitter