HOUSTON – Simon, the global retail real estate company, has announced a $30 million renovation of Houston Galleria’s luxury wing as part of $250 million re-do of the landmark mixed-use project.
Complementing the previously announced construction of a new, state-of-the-art flagship Saks store, the addition of 110,000 square feet of new retail space and the creation of a 14,000 square foot, architecturally appealing, free standing retail building. In total, Simon is investing $250 million at the Galleria, which was developed by Gerald Hines over 40 years ago.
A comprehensive renovation of The Galleria will commence this Spring. Customers can expect major interior enhancements with a new color palette of black and white. Common area flooring will be upgraded using white marble with dramatic, polished black granite accents. The food court will be transformed with upgraded tile, lighting, furniture and a more compelling offering of good choices.
The Galleria recently broke ground on a free standing, high-concept space spanning 14,000 square feet along Westheimer Road. As The Galleria’s sole free standing retail structure, the unique location will be connected to the property via a covered walkway. The design is by JPRA Architecture and the contractor/architect of record is Beck.
Four new luxury tenants join a list of more than 80 retailers that can only be found at The Galleria. In 2015 The Webster, La Perla and Tod’s will open, with Celine opening a store in 2016.
- The Webster – The Webster has quickly established itself at the forefront of luxury fashion through the vision and direction of Laure Heriard Dubreuil, a veteran of Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent. The new Galleria store will mark the brand’s first location outside of Florida and will open in November in the free standing building fronting Westheimer Road.
- La Perla – An Italian women’s clothing company specializing in the finest lingerie. The Galleria store will be La Perla’s first store in Texas and will be located on street level near Neiman Marcus upon opening this spring.
- Tod’s – Known for handmade shoes and luxury leather goods, Tod’s will be located on street level near Neiman Marcus and will open this summer.
- Celine – French ready-to-wear and leather goods luxury brand slated to open their first boutique in Texas at The Galleria in 2016.
Redevelopment at The Galleria is well underway with the construction of the new Saks Fifth Avenue. In spring of 2016, Saks Fifth Avenue will relocate to a new, 200,000 square foot flagship store, which is under construction adjacent to their current location.
Once the new Saks store is open, Simon will convert the existing Saks store into a new multi-level mall extension with 111,000-square feet of retail space housing 35 stores or restaurants. The new extension will be anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue on one end and Neiman Marcus at the other.
“This project will provide the unprecedented luxury shopping experience that the Houston market craves, with high-profile brands, unique restaurant choices and premiere amenities,” said David Simon, CEO of Simon. “The new flagship Saks Fifth Avenue will be the cornerstone of this high-end retail opportunity and will continue to anchor The Galleria in an even more impactful way.”
More than 30 million visitors each year seek the dynamic, comprehensive, fine shopping environment uniquely offered by The Galleria, Texas’ largest shopping center and fourth largest domain nationally. Spanning 2.4 million square feet of space, housing 400 stores and restaurants, two high-rise hotels, and three office towers, The Galleria is a popular retail and tourist destination with approximately one-third of the shoppers from other nations.