FEATURE STORY
Posted April 2008
Northgate joins the wave of shopping center lifestyle makeovers
The hundreds of thousands of shoppers who frequent Northgate Mall now have an additional 100,000 sq. ft. to explore at one of the nation’s first enclosed regional shopping centers that got its start in 1950.
Northgate owner Simon Property Group contracted Seattle-based Callison to design the lifestyle additions, the most characteristic change in the years’-long transformation. The shopping center boasts new public plazas, restaurants and outdoor retail spaces that run parallel along the west side of the mall, creating a pedestrian-friendly corridor for shopping, dining and social interaction.
“Northgate Mall occupies a strong position in Seattle’s retail history and the time was right for an upgrade,” said Steve Dwoskin, Callison principal. “The new lifestyle center will help the mall maintain its strength in the market and has created an outdoor retail and entertainment destination that improves pedestrian flow and gives the community a place to gather.”
New retailers in the lifestyle expansion include Panera Bread, Barnes & Noble, The Ram Restaurant & Brewery and Starbucks. Upscale Gene Juarez Salon and Spa grew 15 percent to 7,500 sq. ft. Also joining the retail mix was Bluefin Sushi & Seafood, Chipotle Mexican Grill, DSW Shoes, Stanford’s Restaurant and Bar and Ulta Beauty.
The mall continued to grow past its November 2007 revitalization with Massage Envy, a massage clinic that joins 15 other outlets statewide, and Sarku Japan, a restaurant specializing in freshly cooked Japanese cuisine. Coming later this year is Forever 21, a favorite clothing shop for trend-savvy men and women seeking value.
Lifestyle additions have swept the Puget Sound region. Nearly every major mall in the region was conceived with an outdoor shopping component in mind or renewed with a lifestyle-centric upgrade.
The changes came in the form of more outdoor restaurant seating, benches for people watching, extravagant water features and green spaces. Warm and sophisticated lighting, modern surfaces and earth tones inside and out let consumers know that they are welcome to look, linger and lead their everyday lives at these urban villages.
The seismic trend started when major shopping centers and specialized retail architects better understood the increasingly time-crunched lives of mall visitors. In between their hurried trips between work and home, people wanted to make faster, shorter stops at the specialized stores offered by major retail centers. Whether making a quick return or picking up a favorite shirt they spotted on sale over the weekend, speed was increasingly of the essence. Teens and adults alike sought better gathering places where they could partake in common activities. Moreover, these trends seemed to intensify over time, justifying the multi-million dollar investments these renovations necessitate.
By keeping tabs on the changing mindsets of their best present and potential customers, today’s shopping centers have remained relevant and prosperous.