PHOENIX-One year after launching a massive renovation on the 610,447-sf Biltmore Fashion Park, local owner Westcor today is unveiling the makeover of the 43-year-old center. The project has been on Wescor's drawing board since it bought the property in 2003.
Situated on 36 acres, the renovated Biltmore Fashion Park at 2404 E. Camelback Rd. sports new landscaping and upgraded facades. Its overhangs were pulled down for better storefront exposure. Added to the visual changes is a slowly changing tenant list.
"We really wanted to make a commitment to polish up and commit to tenants," says David Scholl, senior vice president, development with Westcor, a division of Santa Monica, CA-based Macerich Co. He says high-end luxury tenants are the target for the 80%-occupied center.
"The tenants we bring in open a store only every year or so. So rather than committing to a preleasing goal, we wanted to get strong, good quality tenants that may not already be here in the market," Scholl tells GlobeSt.com. New tenants include Calypso Christiane Celle, Vera Bradley, Bella Dimora and Oceanaire, a new restaurant.
But center's renovation isn't the only change. On Nov. 1, Westcor received an official okay from Phoenix City Council to build high-rise towers at the center. Scholl says the towers, which can top out at 165 feet, will have residential, hotel and office space and retail on the ground floors. "What we're doing is adding the towers above the existing footprint," he says.
Scholl says the budget and expansion plan are still being fine-tuned. "The first phase is a couple of towers we'd like to start within the next year," he says. "Right now, we're looking at residential and hotel, but it could turn into residential or office. We'll see what the market tells us."
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