Macy’s parking deck scheduled to finish by November of this year
Texas Border Business –
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez,
It all started with an invitation by SIMON and La Plaza Mall on March 10, 2016. They were hosting the Mall expansion Media Event. The president of Simon Malls, David Contis attended and gave a full description of what is taking place in this millionaire property development.
I have made this comment on another occasion, and today is a perfect time to put it in writing. This reporter was here when there was no La Plaza Mall and in 1976, when it first opened it had such an impact that it changed the face of McAllen and the entire region. It has been one of the most significant events in the area.
The unbelievable power of attraction of the mall continues, it brings shoppers from the Rio Grande Valley and 250 miles south of Mexico and beyond.
This particular fact is often ignored, or simply not taken into consideration, but purchases produced by Mexican nationals are by far the icing on the cake.
Plans were big, so a lot of work was scheduled, but they first had to demolish the former Sears store, to get underway, the transformative expansion plan for the Mall. The Sears building and property appraised in 2015 at approximately $14.4 million.
And they did it; today construction crews continue under a planned schedule. The work towards a 245,000 square foot expansion wing that will accommodate up to 50 new specialty stores, 4 junior anchors and an exciting dining plaza with six first-to-market restaurants that will be prominently featured facing Interstate 2 with a grand outdoor terrace to enjoy dinner al fresco.
It is important to say that according to Mr. Contis La Plaza generates $400 million in sales. He said, “We’d like to see that rise substantially.”
For that to happen, Simon will also upgrade the interior and exterior of the existing mall with new mall entrances, flooring, LED lighting, skylights, updated restrooms, luxury seating and complete landscaping to enhance the look and feel of the property.
Mr. Contis added, “That means that we pay $33 million a year to the city of McAllen in sales tax. We pay another $4 million in real estate taxes, and there are 2,500 people employed at the mall.”
He is estimating that new expansion should generate at least another 500 jobs. He also said that during the construction period, about 800 construction workers by day work helping them build the property.
“We are part of an economic engine in McAllen and with the power to do that. This new expansion is scheduled to open in fall 2017,” he said.
Everything is already happening at a high pace, the two new parking decks, to be able to accommodate approximately 2,000 vehicles. Construction continues at La Plaza Mall as crews assemble the two-level Macy’s parking structure, adding about 740 spaces to the mall. The garage is expected to open this November ready for Thanksgiving in time for the busy holiday shopping season.
In addition to this activity, a 17,000 square-foot portion of the slab for the new expansion wing is now in place at the mall.
The Macy’s parking structure is just one of the significant enhancements currently underway at La Plaza Mall, as the property undergoes a transformative expansion slated for completion in Fall 2017.
A second two-level parking deck will be built to serve JC Penney, Dillard’s and the mall. This one will begin construction in January 2017 projected to accommodate over 1200 vehicles and is set to open by October 2017.
The City of McAllen had announced that they were pitching in $20 million for the parking decks.
“La Plaza Mall is a highly productive mall and demand for space is significant,” said David Contis, President of Simon’s mall division. “Simon is committed to the McAllen market, and we know that this expansion will bring in highly-sought, high-quality retailers and restaurants unlike anything else available in the area.”
McAllen Mayor Jim Darling said, “La Plaza Mall has been the premier shopping destination for our region even extending into northern Mexico including our friends and neighbors in the City of Monterrey. We are very excited about the new fantastic expansion and the opportunity for greater shopping at La Plaza Mall.”
The fact that The Mall is under major construction, now it lacks for parking spaces. Because of this, the City of McAllen, launched its new complimentary Civic Center Park and Ride service to enhance access to the La Plaza Mall Area. The City of McAllen’s park and ride service features continuous bus service with parking located at the former Civic Center site on South 10th and Expressway 83 for shoppers and employees of the numerous retail centers.
The service is free and will run every 15 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM. Riders are dropped off and picked up at the intersection of Uvalde Street and South Main, as well as along Savannah between Main and Bicentennial. Citizens are encouraged to utilize this Park and Ride service to alleviate congestion and parking issues currently being faced in the area. “Construction in the area has affected congestion as well as parking availability, and we hope this service can make it easier for the public to access that area of town,” said City of McAllen Transit Director Mario Delgado.
The service is for the summer months as well as the coming holiday season.
Mr. Contis stated that over 40 percent of the mall’s customers live outside the Rio Grande Valley and travel from Mexico specifically to shop this mall. “So it’s great to see that the mall will continue to be better.”
He continued, “Simon’s investing $1.5 billion a year in its real estate across the United States, but this is a vital project for us. We are committed to McAllen.” He said, “I think even after we finish while we are moving into the next phase, even after completing the expansion, we are probably making additional investments in this city.”
La Plaza Mall is the premier shopping destination in the Rio Grande Valley and features over 1.2 million square feet of upscale and mainstream retail space with over 150 specialty retailers. It’s built on 61 acres of land. With a trade area population of more than 600 thousand with an average household income of $54,508 Annually.
Mr. Contis told Texas Border Business that when they had the opportunity last year to buy the Sears Store property, they took a significant risk. “It was faith in the city of McAllen that they would work with us because we had to write a check to make the deal quickly, and having a good relationship with the city I suggested to our investment committee that we move forward because I knew that the city would back us up.” He said, “I want to thank everybody from the City of McAllen, and all the local agencies. I do a lot of business in a lot of places. You guys are terrific. I will expect it to be terrific for the next 18 months while we are here.” TBB
Facts about McAllen
McAllen ranks #1 among Texas cities in ACTUAL retail sales per household. (Claritas)
McAllen ranked #1 Safest City in Texas, 7th as in the U.S. (2015 smartasset.com)
Compared to the rest of the country, McAllen’s cost of living is 17.10% Lower than the U.S. average. (Sperling’s Best Places)
Best mid-size city for careers (Forbes, 2015)
McAllen is the largest city in one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Over 16 million travelers visit McAllen, Texas annually for a top-of-the-line shopping experience.
