The Macerich Co. embraces the desert. San Bernardino County's High Desert is home to the REIT's Mall of Victor Valley, in Victorville, CA, which it has owned for eight years. The mall is one of the top retail draws in the area, nearly 100% leased and going through a facelift that incluces the addition of a new Macy's anchor. Though Macerich owns 63 regional shopping centers across the United States totaling 64 million square feet, and is one of the largest mall owners in the country, Skip Kuhn, the firm's vice president of development, took some time to tell us about what makes this particular asset a standout in the portfolio.

GlobeSt.com: Tell us about your retail assets in the High Desert.

Skip Kuhn: Macerich has owned and managed The Mall of Victor Valley for over eight years. This regional center, today with three major anchors (Sears, JCPenney and Cinemark Theatre) and a new one – Macy’s – arriving next year, is a highly successful property. Across our portfolio, our key properties are always evolving to meet the changing needs of retailers and consumers. Here at Victor Valley, we are renovating all four of the property’s major entrances; we recently completed renovations at the soon-to-open Penney; and we are working toward the opening of our new, full-line Macy’s department store in spring 2013.