Angela’s Lab | Fashion Square’s Upcoming Glam-ovation

When I first moved to the Valley of the Sun from the Seattle area 20 years ago, there was no Nordstrom. No Starbucks. To a born and raised Seattleite, this was distressing. Particularly the no Starbucks situation. Thankfully, within a year the first Starbucks opened not far from our house and Nordstrom at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Whew. Fast forward to today and Fashion Square has changed dramatically over the last two decades, turning into a major luxury shopping destination. And, big news, the mall is undergoing a major makeover! Or glam-ovation as I’m calling it.

I had the pleasure of attending a “soft hat” media tour at Scottsdale Fashion Square yesterday to kick off the unveiling of a series of renovations happening over the next year. Check out the cute media invite they sent out with a fedora! Love it.

Inside and out, the mall is getting an luxurious refresh, from new lighting, tile and column treatments to two-story boutiques, seating vignettes and resort-style restrooms near Dillard’s. The mall currently boasts over 200 shops and restaurants, including 40 exclusive luxury brand boutiques the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Jimmy Choo, so they have a good reason to invest in the property. I’m excited to share with you the highlights of what I learned. Coming soon, I’ll have more info about which stores and restaurants will be joining the mix too.

Nadine Bubeck of Mama B. Designs and I posing with our cute “media” fedoras.

Phase 1 involves the creation of a grand palm-tree-lined promenade leading up to a new, dramatic two-story entrance to the mall (see rendering below) on the Goldwater Boulevard side of the complex. The entrance will feature flagship luxury stores on either side with external entrances — I can’t wait to find out who.

The promenade itself will feature high-profile restaurants (yet to be announced – maybe a new Sam Fox concept I’m guessing??) with patio dining and a dedicated valet. Should be fabulous and I see glam grand openings in the future!

Inside the mall, the elevator and escalators down by Neiman Marcus will be taken out to open things up, and new ones will be installed closer to Dillard’s. The result should be a lighter and brighter wing.

Rendering photos provided by Scottsdale Fashion Square/Macerich.

Construction on these projects will begin this September, but management promises that the shopping experience will not be impacted as most of the work will take place at night. Phase 1 is just the beginning as there are additional renovation phases still in the planning stages. The center is looking to add mixed-use elements as well, including high-end residential units, office space, and a hotel. Wow! I will keep you updated as luxury retailer and restaurant openings are announced in the coming months.

xo
Angela