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The new owner of The Shops at Riverwoods has embarked on a makeover aimed at improving the entertainment and pedestrian appeal of the 12-year-old Provo lifestyle mall.
"We are doing things to drive traffic, to keep it fresh, to keep the center relevant. It's an exciting and fun project," said Jeremy Blickenstaff, manager of Tigriswoods LLC, which bought The Shops last fall.
Blickenstaff was reluctant to say how much the private equity fund is investing in the makeover, which began a couple of weeks ago and should be largely finished in mid-July.
He also declined to reveal what Provo-based Tigriswoods paid to buy the mall from Bank of America, which had foreclosed on The Shops when the previous owner failed to keep up with its loan payments.
A slew of upgrades is under way, said Anne Cummings-Anderson, public relations agent for the mall. Shoppers can expect pedestrian-only cobblestone streets, fire pits, a fountain, lots of places to sit, and an outdoor stage that will present local and out-of-town musicians.
"It will be a much more hip and modern version of its former self," Cummings-Anderson said.
Also in the works is a 50,000-square-foot entertainment center aimed at families and college-age students, as well as younger people. The still-unnamed center will open later this year in the former Copeland Sports space. Features include a surfing machine, golf course simulator, a carousel and an ice cream parlor.
A large reception center is set to open next month. Blickenstaff expects the center to be a popular wedding and corporate event venue. A demonstration kitchen could attract cooking classes. There will be space for music recitals, too.
Blickenstaff is also a co-owner of Blickenstaff's, a toy and candy store that opened May 15 in the former Buckle clothing store space.
"It's got a vintage, throw-back feel, in terms of décor. We feel we did a very nice job in our layout. We've got (toy) products that appeal to kids of all ages," he said.
Another tenant, Called to Surf, will open Saturday. Modeled after Southern California surf shacks, the clothing store will carry a mix of national and local brands.
The existing tenants also are a mingling of national and local names. Bath & Body Works, Borders, Joseph A. Bank Clothiers and Talbots are some of the numerous national retailers at The Shops. Soel, an apparel shop, and It's Yoga are among the locally owned businesses.
The entertainment and conference centers, as well as a couple of unsigned restaurants, are being developed by the mall owner, Blickenstaff said.
"As the (private equity) fund took the property (over), we looked at some of the niche businesses that we felt were lacking, and so we decided to take those on internally," he said.