History
A shopping mall had been a part of Summa Corporation's master plan for Summerlin, Nevada, since announcing the community in 1988. The project was once planned as an indoor mall with several department stores.[4] Summa Corporation was rebranded to The Howard Hughes Corporation in 1994. By February 1996, the Howard Hughes Corporation had plans for a 100-acre shopping mall, to be built near Charleston Boulevard and Town Center Drive. The mall was expected to be opened by the end of the 1990s.[5] Later in 1996, the Howard Hughes Corporation became a subsidiary of The Rouse Company. In March 1997, the Howard Hughes Corporation announced that the mall would contain 1000000 sqft and would be opened by 2000. It would include five department stores as anchor tenants. The mall would be developed by The Rouse Company through the Howard Hughes Corporation subsidiary.[6][7]
As of May 1998, the mall was expected to open in spring 2001. The planned Summerlin Town Center project would include the proposed mall as well as office space. Anchor tenants would include Robinsons-May, Lord & Taylor, and Dillard's, while Nordstrom would be a potential anchor tenant.[8] In May 1999, Rouse announced Sears as an additional anchor tenant. The mall, known then as Summerlin Center,[9] was scheduled to open in 2004.[10][11] As of 2001, the Summerlin Town Center Mall was scheduled for completion in spring 2005.[12]
As of 2003, the mall was being planned as part of the proposed Summerlin Town Centre. Rouse intended to begin developing the project in 2004, following the completion of an expansion at the Fashion Show Mall. Construction was not scheduled to begin until at least early 2005, with a first phase expected to open in 2006.[13] By 2004, the mall was scheduled to open in 2006 or 2007.[14] Later in 2004, General Growth Properties (GGP) purchased The Rouse Company and its Howard Hughes subsidiary. The acquisition was a primary reason that the mall's opening was delayed to 2008.
In May 2005, GGP announced that the mall would be named Summerlin Centre. It would be an outdoor mall with up to six anchor tenants.[15] As of October 2005, the mall project was known as The Shops at Summerlin Centre.[16] In May 2006, GGP announced that the mall would feature 1200000 sqft, including four anchor stores. It would be part of the Summerlin Centre project, which GGP planned to begin constructing in spring 2007, for a scheduled grand opening in fall 2008.[17][18][19] Nordstrom was announced as an anchor tenant in March 2007.[20] At the time, GGP was in the early stages of planning the mall. The first phase of The Shops at Summerlin Centre was planned to open in 2009.[4][21]
Construction
Work began on the site in April 2007. By February 2008, construction was ongoing for the mall's underground parking.[23] A construction permit for the mall was issued in April 2008.[24] The following month, Macy's and Dillard's were announced as additional anchor tenants in the mall. Upon its planned opening in October 2009, the mall was expected to feature 100 stores and 10 restaurants.[25]
In August 2008, GGP announced that it would suspend construction of The Shops at Summerlin Centre due to financial problems. The company intended to delay the project by at least 12 months.[26] If GGP had proceeded with the 2009 opening, the mall would be about 70 percent occupied, approximately 23 percent lower than the company's usual mall occupancy rates.[27]
