The identities of the 100 signed tenants had been revealed at yesterday's hard-hat tour of the sprawling retail complex situated on the northwest corner of the Dallas North Tollway and West Park Boulevard in Plano. The 70% of committed retail space puts the mall developer ahead of schedule, according to general manager Craig Perry, a Taubman veteran who had overseen its successful Short Hills, NJ project.

The Shops at Willow Bend's freshly appointed management team also includes Edward Ritenour as marketing director and James A. Clough III as facilities director, both of Dallas. Taubman's David Weinert is overseeing leasing. Before it's all done, Perry says there will be a dozen employees in place to oversee the mall's day-to-day operations.

The five-anchor retail center is Taubman's first venture into Texas. And, it's also the first Texas location for retailers Armani Collezioni, Bruno Magli, Bisou Bisou, Charles Jourdan Paris, Chiasso, Diesel, Hugo/Hugo Boss, Kabana, Lalique, Nicole Miller, Stuart Weitzman and Swarovski. Equally impressive are the anchors: 150,000-sf Neiman Marcus, 140,000-sf Lord & Taylor, 250,000-sf Foley's, 250,000-sf Dillard's and 130,000-sf Saks Fifth Avenue, which trails the grand opening by nearly three years and will push the mall to 1.5 million sf. To put the project into perspective, there is 567,592 sf of leasable tenant space, which is large enough to accommodate 284 single-family homes, according to Taubman calculations. More tenants will be announced in the spring and summer.