Southgate Mall renovations begin

Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 9:13 a.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 5:51 p.m.

An initial phase, under way this week, will include installing new travertine tile, upgraded furnishings, fresh landscaping and new fountains and lighting.

The facelift is the preface for a larger revamp that will transform the mall into more of a lifestyle center, with outdoor dining and other entertainment.

Westfield, which unveiled plans for renovation in May, intends to start the bulk of the work at the mall that will be renamed "Westfield Siesta Key" next year.

In addition to the renovation, Australia-based owner Westfield Group will add 46,000 square feet of space in a parking lot facing Tamiami Trail, creating an outdoor "street-like" feel with stone cobbled walkways and open-area, covered paths.

While Westfield won't reveal details or new retailers until sometime in 2014, the renovation is the first phase in a "multi-million dollar investment" in the property, said Sam Davidson, a Westfield district marketing director for Florida.

"It's Westfield's philosophy to continually invest and reinvest in our properties," Davidson said. "The plan for Westfield Southgate is the perfect model of that commitment.

"We're taking a very strong shopping center and adding new elements and energy to enhance its appeal for Gulf coast residents, the many domestic and international visitors as well as for our retail partners that cater to these shoppers," Davidson added. "Retailer interest in this project remains very high."

The renovation comes less than a year before Southgate is slated to lose blue-chip anchor Saks Fifth Avenue and other merchants to the Mall at University Center, a nearly 900,000-square-foot enclosed retail hub slated to open in October that has captured the region's retail buzz in recent months.

That $315 million mall, also to be anchored by Macy's and Dillard's department stores, may entice other current Southgate merchants to University Parkway and Interstate 75.

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Southgate Mall renovations begin