Plaza Frontenac

Plaza Frontenac is an upscale enclosed shopping center in Frontenac, an affluent suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. The two-level property opened in 1974 and was developed to serve high-income communities in and around the western and central parts of the metropolitan area, including Ladue, Frontenac, Town and Country, Kirkwood, Clarkson Valley, Chesterfield and Creve Coeur. It is located near the intersection of Interstate 64 and South Lindbergh Boulevard, approximately 12 miles from downtown St. Louis. The center was conceived as a luxury-oriented alternative to more conventional suburban malls. Its original design used Colonial-inspired architectural elements, fountains, wood flooring and prominent staircases. From its opening, the property was differentiated by two high-end department-store anchors: Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. In 2011, it was one of only nine shopping centers in the United States reported to have both department stores as anchors. The anchor combination helped establish Plaza Frontenac as a destination for designer apparel, jewelry, beauty, home furnishings and other premium merchandise. The mall occupies land that was historically associated with the Bridlespur Hunt Club and surrounding horse trails and stables. The Desloge family acquired much of the property in the 1940s. Development rights eventually passed to Capitol Land Company, a St. Louis real-estate development firm associated with George Capps and Herbert Wotka. The company developed the shopping center for nearby affluent suburbs rather than for a broad mass-market customer base. A major repositioning took place in 1994 after competition intensified from the St. Louis Galleria, which had opened in 1984 and expanded in 1992. Architects Michael Mindlin and David Suttle of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum helped create a new merchandising and design strategy. The renovation introduced updated landscaping, hardwood floors, paint, fixtures, LED lighting, custom carpets, imported European furniture, lounge areas, a grand piano for live music and upgraded restrooms. The center also broadened its mix to include day-spa services, an art cinema, white-tablecloth restaurants and home-goods retailers. The objective was to preserve the property’s affluent customer base while making the environment more attractive to younger and more diverse shoppers. By 2010, the property was owned by Davis Street Landing Company and had added two outparcel restaurants. The expansion brought the center to approximately 482,843 square feet and about 40 tenants. In September 2011, Davis Street Properties sold Plaza Frontenac to a joint venture of General Growth Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. At that time, the property was reported to be 96 percent leased beyond its anchor stores, with average sales of approximately $500 per square foot, above the national average cited in the contemporaneous report. During the 2010s, the tenant mix increasingly combined established luxury labels with national contemporary brands. Reported additions included Tory Burch, David Yurman, Vineyard Vines, Forever Flawless and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, while the Louis Vuitton store was renovated and expanded. GGP reported that tenant sales reached $564 per square foot in 2013. The center also experienced a gradual replacement of some local businesses by national chains, reflecting broader changes in the American shopping-center sector. As of 2025, Plaza Frontenac remains a regional luxury-shopping destination. Its retailers include brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Eileen Fisher, J.Crew, Lululemon, Alo Yoga, Golden Goose, Omega, Tiffany & Co., Tumi, Tory Burch, Vineyard Vines and Williams Sonoma, alongside its Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus anchors. Dining options range from casual restaurants to fine dining, and the property includes Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema, a six-screen theater known for independent and limited-release films. In March 2026, Saks Global announced plans to close the Plaza Frontenac Saks Fifth Avenue store as part of a nationwide cost-reduction program; the reported announcement also included closures at three Neiman Marcus locations nationwide.

The site of Plaza Frontenac was historically dominated by oak woodland and land associated with the Bridlespur Hunt Club, founded by August A. Busch Sr. in 1927. Horse trails connected the area with nearby stables and hunt-club properties. The Desloge family acquired the land in the 1940s. Although development rights were initially sold to a physicians’ group interested in medical buildings, those rights later passed to Capitol Land Company, a local real-estate developer founded by George Capps and Herbert Wotka. Capitol Land Company developed Plaza Frontenac as a luxury-oriented suburban shopping center. The project was designed for affluent residents of Frontenac, Ladue, Town and Country, Kirkwood and surrounding communities. Its Colonial-inspired architecture included fountains, wood flooring and large staircases. Neiman Marcus joined the project during its national expansion, while Saks Fifth Avenue relocated its St. Louis store from the Central West End to the new suburban center. Plaza Frontenac opened in 1974 with the two retailers as its principal anchors. The property underwent a substantial renovation in 1994. The work responded partly to competition from the St. Louis Galleria, which had opened in 1984 and expanded in 1992. Michael Mindlin and David Suttle of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum developed a design and merchandising approach that combined luxury retail with hospitality and cultural uses. The improvements included new interior and exterior landscaping, hardwood floors, updated paint and fixtures, LED lighting, custom carpets, European furniture, soft-seating areas, a grand piano and upgraded women’s restrooms and lounges. The tenant strategy added a day spa, art cinema, restaurants and home-furnishing uses. Cardwell’s at the Plaza was among the restaurants associated with this repositioning. Mindlin and Suttle later continued their planning and design work through Suttle Mindlin, and the Urban Land Institute cited the renovation as an influential example of mall design. By 2010, Davis Street Landing Company owned the center. Despite difficult national conditions for shopping malls, the owner added two restaurant outparcels. The property then measured about 482,843 square feet and contained approximately 40 tenants. In September 2011, Davis Street Properties sold the center to a joint venture of General Growth Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Contemporary reporting described Plaza Frontenac as 96 percent leased beyond the department-store anchors and cited average sales of about $500 per square foot. During the early and middle 2010s, Plaza Frontenac’s tenant strategy increasingly incorporated national chains alongside luxury houses and local businesses. Some local retailers were replaced by brands such as Madewell and Athleta. In 2014, the center added or promoted Forever Flawless, Tory Burch, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, David Yurman and Vineyard Vines, including the latter’s first Missouri store. Louis Vuitton expanded and renovated its location. GGP reported tenant sales of $564 per square foot for 2013. The current property combines luxury department stores, designer boutiques, apparel retailers, jewelry and watch brands, home-goods stores, beauty services, restaurants and entertainment. Its cinema supports the center’s positioning as more than a conventional mall by showing independent and limited-release films. In 2026, Saks Global announced a nationwide store-closure program that included the Saks Fifth Avenue location at Plaza Frontenac, creating a significant change for one of the center’s original anchor tenants.

• 2026

  Saks Fifth Avenue closure announced

  [1]Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org

  Saks Global announces that the Saks Fifth Avenue store at Plaza Frontenac will close as part of a nationwide cost-reduction program.

• 2014

  Additional luxury brands arrive

  [1]Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org

  The center adds several premium and contemporary retailers and expands the Louis Vuitton store.

• 2011

  Ownership transferred to GGP and CPPIB venture

  [1]Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org

  Davis Street Properties sells Plaza Frontenac to a joint venture of General Growth Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

• 2010

  Restaurant outparcels added

  [1]Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org

  Davis Street Landing Company adds two outparcel restaurants, bringing the center to approximately 482,843 square feet and about 40 tenants.

• 1994

  Major repositioning and renovation

  [1]Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org

  A comprehensive renovation updates the architecture, landscaping, lighting, flooring, furnishings and services while broadening the property’s restaurant, cultural and home-goods offering.

• 1974

  Plaza Frontenac opens

  [1]Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org

  The upscale enclosed shopping center opens in Frontenac with Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue as its anchor department stores.

An upscale regional shopping center focused on luxury department stores, designer brands, premium services, dining and cultural entertainment.

• Luxury department store · 1974

  Saks Fifth Avenue

  One of Plaza Frontenac’s original anchor tenants, Saks Fifth Avenue provided designer apparel, accessories, beauty products and other luxury merchandise. In 2026, Saks Global announced that the Plaza Frontenac location would close as part of a nationwide cost-reduction plan.

• Luxury department store · 1974

  Neiman Marcus

  Neiman Marcus has anchored Plaza Frontenac since the center opened and supplies high-end apparel, accessories, beauty products, jewelry and home-related merchandise. Its presence is central to the property’s long-standing luxury positioning.

• Luxury specialty retail

  Designer and luxury boutiques

  Plaza Frontenac’s specialty-retail mix includes international and national luxury brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, David Yurman, Tiffany & Co., Omega, Tory Burch, Coach, Golden Goose and Tumi. These stores extend the center’s offer beyond department-store anchors into designer fashion, jewelry, watches, accessories and travel goods.

• Cinema and entertainment

  Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema

  A six-screen cinema located at the shopping center that frequently presents independent and limited-release films. The theater contributes a cultural and entertainment component to Plaza Frontenac’s upscale retail and dining environment.

• Restaurants and hospitality

  Dining and restaurant offering

  The property includes restaurants in both the enclosed center and surrounding outparcels. Reported examples include Canyon Cafe, Flower Child, BRIO! Tuscan Grille, BrickTop’s, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and the Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus, covering casual dining, Italian food, steakhouse service and department-store dining.

• 2026

  Closure of the Saks Fifth Avenue anchor announcedStrategy

  Background

  Saks Global announced a nationwide effort to reduce costs and concentrate on more profitable store locations.

  Action taken

  The company included the Saks Fifth Avenue store at Plaza Frontenac among 12 Saks closures and three Neiman Marcus closures.

  Aftermath

  The announcement places one of Plaza Frontenac’s original anchor stores on a closure path, although the provided material does not specify the final closing date or any replacement tenant.

  Source

• 2011

  Sale to a GGP and CPPIB joint ventureM&A

  Background

  Davis Street Properties sold the shopping center after a period in which Plaza Frontenac maintained high occupancy and strong sales productivity.

  Action taken

  General Growth Properties and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired the property through a joint venture.

  Aftermath

  The transaction placed the center under institutional ownership and supported continued investment in national and luxury tenants.

  Source

• 1994

  Repositioning Plaza Frontenac as a luxury lifestyle destinationStrategy

  Background

  The center faced stronger competition from the nearby St. Louis Galleria and needed to protect its affluent customer base while attracting younger and more diverse shoppers.

  Action taken

  The owners commissioned a comprehensive redesign and merchandising strategy that added upgraded finishes, hospitality features, restaurants, cultural programming, beauty services and home-goods retailers.

  Aftermath

  The renovation was recognized as an influential mall-design project and reinforced Plaza Frontenac’s differentiated luxury and lifestyle positioning.

  Source

1. 1Plaza Frontenacen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Plaza Frontenac official websiteplazafrontenac.com