Under the redevelopment, Nordstrom will occupy part of the existing Burdines building and become a mall anchor. The new store--the company's third in greater Palm Beach County--is set to open in spring 2006. The store will enable the company to serve more Palm Beach-area customers, according to Geevy Thomas, executive vice president and regional manager for the southern states region for Nordstrom. "We've heard from many customers that they love shopping at the Gardens because the mall offers so much," Thomas says in a statement. "We want to be where our customers want us to be."

Federated Department Stores Inc. is consolidating its Burdines and Macy's stores into a larger Burdines-Macy's store, a merchandising strategy. The Burdines-Macy's store is to expand in the former Macy's building. The 90,000 sf will allow the store to add furniture and home furnishings. Plans call for the mall's existing Burdines store to close.

In further mall growth, Saks Fifth Avenue plans to expand its store by 35,000 sf of luxury retail space, as Fred Wilson, chairman and CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises, acknowledges the growth in the Palm Beach Gardens market.

The mall is also planning to add Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Tommy Bahama. Recent mall additions include Anthropologie, Brio Tuscan Grille and PF Chang's China Bistro.

Nathan Forbes, a partner in the Forbes Co. of Southfield, MI, the mall's owner, says the mall has seen great demand for luxury products in the last several years, and Forbes is committed to bringing to the mall retailers that offer such products. The Gardens, located at 3101 PGA Blvd. a mile east of Interstate 95, opened in 1988. Forbes could not be reached for mall redevelopment costs.

The Forbes Co. owns and develops upscale regional shopping centers. In Florida, the company owns and manages two other luxury retail properties: Waterside Shops at Pelican Bay in Naples and the Mall at Millenia in Orlando.

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