The city of Fort Collins has broken ground on a long anticipated $300 million redevelopment of Foothills Mall.
鈥淓verywhere I go I hear from people saying, 鈥楶lease do something for the mall.鈥� That鈥檚 been the last 10 years,鈥� said Fort Collins City Manager Darin Atteberry. 鈥淚 am delighted that today that we can say there鈥檚 a lot happening.鈥�
Over the last decade, the city has struggled to revitalize the 1970s Foothills Mall, considering five proposals and three ownership models. The redevelopment plan will include a retail space that鈥檚 half open air and half indoors.
Fort Collins Mayor Karen Weitkunat praised the infrastructure commitments the city has made to the development. Plans include a new Youth Center and an underpass to connect Foothills Mall to the Mason Street corridor 鈥� where .
鈥淚ncluded in this project are things that make Fort Collins better,鈥� she said.
It鈥檚 part of a $53 million incentive package the city offered to mall owner Alberta Development Partners.
鈥淭hese are important to our community and the second piece of that is that it stimulates the activity in this area,鈥� Weitkunat said.
City officials report that net taxable sales are more than half what they were compared to one decade ago. Looking around the mall grounds Wednesday, there was a slow trickle of traffic near the Sear鈥檚 entrance. Some shops are staying open during the renovation. Others like LensCrafters are closing for a year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not as busy as it used to be, but it will be soon,鈥� said Kerri Petruso, manager of LensCrafters. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just excited that it鈥檚 finally happening. We鈥檙e jazzed about this.鈥�
Foothills mall groundbreaking
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Around the corner an excavator started tearing down a wall at the space that used to be occupied by Mervyn鈥檚.
鈥淓very building comes down here except for the Macy鈥檚 and part of the interior corridor of the mall,鈥� said Don Provost with mall owner Alberta Development Partners. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see a lot of demolition and you鈥檒l see the new buildings coming back up.鈥�
Provost said his company is a couple of months away from announcing which tenants it鈥檚 signed to be part of the redeveloped mall.
So will a town known for microbrews have a microbrewery at its new mall?
鈥淵ou鈥檒l see a lot of restaurants serving beer,鈥� said Provost. 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking a few concepts that may do on-site brewpubs.鈥�
The mall redesign and tenants will come together to offer a unique sense of place and environment. Provost said that鈥檚 important as brick and mortar stores are increasingly competing with online retailers.
鈥淚 think that ultimately you have to provide a different experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd if you can provide a difference experience, people will come out for that.鈥�
