Community members and Southridge Mall representatives celebrated the completion of its large-scale renovation at a center court ceremony Thursday, and event highlighted by the .
"Southridge has been invested in the Village of Greendale for over 40 years," said Southridge Manager Mary Mokwa at the ceremony. "We have continued to build upon this investment with this renovation. The features of all the improvements were intended to appeal to everyone in our shopping base with special emphasis on family friendly amenities."
Improvements include ceilings, finishes and lighting, renovation of mall's entrances, transformation of new food court, floor carpeting, new tile flooring, new soft seating areas, new play area and trackless train.
"It's been a top priority of these leaders as well as for me to re-energize Southridge not only to secure the value of the mall to Greendale, but to also ensure the long-term economic stability and sustainability of our community," said Greendale President John Hermes.
The renovation process started in December 2010 when the Village of Greendale approved a $16 million TIF district to help the $52 million project. In addition to the aesthetic improvements, more than a dozen new tenants have opened or will open, including the Old Navy store announced Thursday.
The 1.2-million-square-foot mall is considered the largest mall in Wisconsin and the only one in the state that has five anchor stores (Sears, Kohls, Boston Store, Macy's and JCPenney), said Hermes.
"I contend we are only half way done," Hermes said. "That's the exciting part... There's a lot more to come... We're the most exciting mall and most modern mall because of these renovations."
Money collected from TIF districts is being used to pay down debt the village took on in creating the districts. The Southridge Mall TIF district is the second of three in Greendale, which include Boston Store and Berkshire Greendale.
Upcoming Stores/Restaurants:
- Buca Di Beppo
- Longhorn Steakhouse
- Panda Express
- Old Navy
- LOFT
- Chico's
- Journey Kidz
- Walmart
- Chick-Fil-A opening in front of Walmart
Current New Stores/Restaurants:
- Macy's
- H&M
- Bachrach
- Body Central
- Crazy 8
- Justice for Girls
- Teavana
- Tilly's
Store Renovations:
- Boston Store
- Kohls
- Buddy Squirrel
- Rue 21
- Maurice's
- Wet Seal
- Vanity
- Kay Jeweler's
- Buckle
