CONTACT: Rigo Leal
Public Information Specialist
City of Westminster
303-430-2400, ext. 2007
Westminster Mall to Unveil $10 Million Remodel
70's Mall ready for a new generation of shoppers
JANUARY 16, 2001 - The $10 million renovation of Westminster Mall will be officially unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. in the mall's center court.
Highlights of the face-lift include:
Renovated Mall entrances with new facades, doors and illuminated entry signs
New skylights throughout the Mall's interior providing more natural light for a brighter and more appealing atmosphere
Renovated center court area complete with new windows, new lighting, new carpet, glass railing. The very popular hot air balloons still hover above the water feature
New interior landscaping in planters with elaborate tile work
New seating areas
Remodeling of the Food Court area to take place during 2001
The Mall, originally constructed in 1977, was given a new, fresh, and contemporary look because of a unique public-private partnership between The Westminster Mall Company and the City of Westminster. Westminster contributed $7.5 million and the Mall Company provided $2.5 million for the $10 million remodeling cost.
Westminster Mall has defied the average 20-year lifespan of malls - a phenomenon we have all witnessed in the Denver area with the demise of Lakeside Mall, Cinderella City Mall, Northglenn Mall and the economic trouble at Villa Italia Mall and Crossroads Mall.
In fact, 1999 was a record-setting sales year at Westminster Mall.
Many predicted the demise of Westminster Mall with the recent opening of FlatIrons Crossing in Broomfield, but if the Christmas shopping season was any indication, Westminster Mall has a bright future, according to Westminster Mall General Manager Kenton Anderson.
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Despite a Mall corridor that was disrupted by construction workers for much of the summer and fall, and the opening of FlatIrons, sales at Westminster Mall remained strong," Anderson said.
"Westminster Mall will continue to be a major player in the north area's marketplace," Westminster City Manager Bill Christopher predicted. "It serves a niche that that other retail outlets don't serve."
The Mall plans to hold a five-day grand re-opening celebration beginning on Jan.18 and running through Jan. 22. The official ribbon-cutting celebration will be held on Jan. 19 hosted by MIX 100 Radio personality Dom Testa. Welcoming remarks will be made by Westminster Mayor Nancy Heil and other dignitaries, and festivities include a performance by an a cappella group from Westminster High School. Shoppers also will have chances to win one of several $1,000 Mall shopping sprees during the week.
The Westminster Mall Company also has announced plans to remodel the Food Court area on the north end of the Mall near Mervyn's. The Food Court was left out of the original plan due to budget constraints, but is now back on the drawing board.
KA. Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio architecture firm with extensive experience in the remodeling of regional mall was responsible for the design. Tom Martin Construction Company of Kansas City, Kansas was the general contractor. Martin is the same company that built the original Mall in 1977, and Tom's son Steve was the construction manager in charge of the renovation.
Westminster Mall is one of the largest Malls in the Denver metro area and is the economic catalyst for 4.4 million square feet of surrounding retail space in the Westminster City Center area. Its 1.5 million square feet of space is second in size behind Park Meadows' 1.64 million square feet. FlatIron Crossing also leases 1.5 million square feet.
The Mall is located at 5430 W. 88th Ave., on U.S. 36 at the Sheridan Boulevard exit.
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August 10, 1999 - Westminster Mall, one of the largest malls in the Denver metro area and the economic impetus for 4.4 million square feet of surrounding retail space, is about to undergo a major remodeling. The announcement comes from City of Westminster and Westminster Mall Company officials, after an agreement to joint venture on the project was approved by the Westminster City Council at last night's Council meeting.
"Westminster is committed to maintaining its foothold in the northwest retail market," said Bill Christopher, Westminster City Manager. "In order to do this, aggressive reinvestment in a large economic engine like the Westminster Mall is warranted."
The remodeling agreement calls for the City of Westminster to contribute $7.5 million and the Westminster Mall Company to provide $2.5 million for the total $10 million remodeling cost.
The two parties have retained the Cleveland, Ohio architecture firm of KA Inc., a firm with extensive experience in the remodeling of regional malls. Tom Martin Construction Company of Kansas City, Kansas is the general contractor. Preliminary architectural concepts call for dramatic and large scale upgrades to the Mall's entrances, redesign of interior common areas in the mall, and an upgraded food court and center court.
"We're not changing our focus in terms of Westminster Mall continuing its position as a family mall where people feel comfortable," Christopher said. "This is still the mall that fulfills the needs of people in the north metropolitan area. We are well-positioned as the mass market mall, with a strong core of six anchors and specialty stores. The remodel will make it a very fun and architecturally contemporary place to fulfill those needs. We expect it to be very appealing to families."
Sherman Dreiseszun, general partner for the Westminster Mall Company, points out that this reinvestment comes at a time when Westminster Mall is thriving, with retails sales continuing to increase. "We invite our patrons to watch the evolution of the mall," Dreiseszun said. He added that the evolution does not include plans to re-tenant the mall and the mall will remain open throughout construction.
The remodeling project is slated for completion by July 2000, ahead of the planned opening for the Flatirons Crossing in Broomfield.
"Our timing is obviously not coincidental," says Christopher. "We are responding, in part, to the competition presented by the Flatirons project. Competition in retail in a rapidly growing metro area is always a factor, but then that same competition also brings a critical mass of shoppers to the U.S. 36 corridor. This remodeling is part of a master plan to keep this area economically viable and the shopping district for the north area."
Westminster officials cite other large, family-oriented malls like Southwest Plaza and Southglenn Mall, as examples of mainstream malls that have successfully co-existed when competition like Park Meadows Mall emerged.
The vitality of the Westminster Center area has been nurtured since the mall was built in the mid-1970s. The early 1980s saw the evolution of the Westminster Center master plan, including the major expansion of the Westminster Mall which happened in 1986. The City of Westminster responded to the growth in retail by investing in roadway infrastructure. In recent years, the City has been constructing in phases the voter- approved traffic improvements on the north and south sides of the Westminster Mall. Additionally, a plan for enhancements to the streetscape, including decorative street lighting and banners, has been designed by the well known Boulder firm of Communication Arts and paid for by the City of Westminster.
Privately, Westminster Mall anchor stores have invested over $7.7 million in remodels and upgrades, a trend that is also vigorously pursued by individual tenants as well, some of whom have remodeled three times in the past ten years in order to keep their stores new and fresh.
The $7.5 million expense for the Westminster Mall remodel is viewed as a "reinvestment" of sales tax dollars, according to Christopher. The project is being coupled with the funding for the Harlan Street Flyover project, which together will cost $16.9 million and will be financed by the sale of Certificates of Participation.
Currently, sales tax generated at the Westminster Mall accounts for 23% of all sales tax collections. "The success or decline of the Westminster Mall has a direct influence on ancillary retail," said Christopher. " As the Westminster Mall goes, so goes the City of Westminster."
