Macerich Signs Bloomingdale's for Retooled Mall

The decision by Macy's Inc., to introduce Bloomingdale's at Santa Monica Place "reflects the interests of the community," according to Randy Brant, EVP of real estate for Macerich. He says that the decision to locate the Bloomingdale's at the repositioned mall shows that the parent company "listened to local shoppers, who consistently voiced their interest in a different, more fashion-forward shopping experience at Santa Monica Place."

The new Santa Monica Place location brings Bloomingdale's closer to customers west of the 405 Freeway, a barrier that—as Macerich points out in its statement about the Bloomingdale's decision—often "keeps freeway-weary shoppers in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood and other Westside communities at home rather than at the stores." The Macy's at Santa Monica Place will close in February to make room for the Bloomingdale's.

[IMGCAP(2)]Santa Monica Place is a 1980s-era enclosed shopping center that Macerich is converting into a three-level, open-air retail venue that will include a signature rooftop dining deck. Macerich announced last month that it had signed Nordstrom Inc. to open a 122,000-sf, three-level store in 2010 at Santa Monica Place, which is scheduled for its reopening in the fall of 2009. Nordstrom said that one of its reasons for locating in the redesigned shopping center is that many of the Seattle-based retailer's customers already live or work near Santa Monica Place.