Inspiration for the Generation Y theme is GlendaleGalleria, aregional mall in California that in Juneopened a GenerationY-oriented retail district calledThe Zone. It features suchretailers HotTopic, Cat Walk, Van's and Juxtapose, as well as "EStation," a place for kids to hang out and "Channel Z," a networkof interactive video screens that alsohave teenage-orientedprogramming. So far, Southdalehas signed a shoe retailer calledJourneys Shoes, butis not ready to announce other retailers forthisarea.

"We felt we need to be re-energized," Cummins says.Generation Yis comprised of some 60 million Americansborn between 1979 and1994, says Annette Bethers,senior marketing director of GlendaleGalleria, the1.47 million sf mall that is managed byDonahueSchriber. Market research showed that theseshoppers on average eachspend from $2,700 to $3,000 ayear and rated going to GlendaleGalleria as one oftheir favorite pastimes.

Southdale has spend much of the last few yearsclearing outspace, and some tenants, inanticipation of adding a movie theateras well asattracting new retailers like Abercrombie &Fitch(113,000 sf), American Eagle (6,000 sf), andChildren's Place(4,000 sf), all of whom recently haveopened stores there. As aresult, about 20% of the mall's 1.26 million sf area areavailablefor lease (the mall has an additional 450,000sf devoted to commonarea, shipping docks,and so on). That's why mall officials havemade ittheir goal to sign 34 new stores next year, especiallysincethey are now going to put the movie theater andrestaurants in abrand-new wing.