The Wilder Companies, the management company for Garden City Center, has announced plans to expand, reconfigure and redevelop the shopping center.

We are excited about the upcoming changes to the shopping center and want to share the good news with you!

Why is Garden City Center changing?

• We have to change with the times to meet the demands of 21st Century retailers and shoppers.
• Many of the regional and national retailers with big box stores have either gone out of business or are no longer building such large stores. Today’s expanding retailers are looking for different sizes than the large format stores.
• The changes will allow a long waiting list of retailers, who’ve always wanted to be here, to open new stores at Garden City Center.

What are we going to do?

• The biggest change shoppers will see is the expansion of our iconic Village-theme throughout the entire shopping center.
• The first step starts this spring. We are building a new 20,000 square foot building in the parking area next to Papa Razzi that will accommodate two soon-to-be announced national retailers. This is the beginning of the transformation of what was known as The Commons.
• The empty big box stores in the Commons will be reconfigured into multi-sized specialty store spaces.
• The Gazebo area will become a central focal point, rather than the end of The Village.
• We will add new restaurant space, and create better vehicle and pedestrian links to the Whole Foods Market section of Garden City Center. The overall goal is to ultimately unite the entire center.

When does it all begin?

• The Phase I permitting process for construction of the new building is underway. We anticipate construction will begin in late Spring 2012 and it will be turned over to retailers by late 2012.
• At the same time, we will begin work on the Gazebo area and begin to reconfigure parking areas.
• Phase II permitting will begin this year. The conversion of the large format stores in the Commons area is expected to be complete in 2013.

What other exciting changes can we expect?

• Soma Intimates and Edible Arrangements will open in early 2012.
• Ann Taylor will open in July 2012.
• Williams Sonoma will expand into the space previously occupied by Eddie Bauer.
• As our long-term retailers extend their leases, many will be remodeling including Providence Diamond Co., Applebees’, Hallmark, Starbucks and Yankee Candle.

Will Garden City still have concerts and other events?

• Absolutely! Although it will be redesigned, the Gazebo area will be able to accommodate our many special events held throughout the year within the same amount of open space.