When you think of malls, you usually don’t expect them to be in New York City, as most famous shops just have their own boutique or flagship store in the Big Apple. Usually, the only places that come to mind if you think off malls in the city are the shops at Columbus Circle or Manhattan Mall. Now, a mall is coming back to New York City, this time in downtown.
With the tragedy of the September 11th attacks it was almost impractical to imagine a downtown New York City like the one we all had envisioned before the attacks. It would never be the same to millions. Now 15 years later, downtown New York City has finally taken shape again and is now taking a big step in making a new image for itself by reopening the Westfield World Trade Center Mall. The mall will officially be opening on Tuesday.
The new center will offer 113 stores, even though most won’t be open on Tuesday. Roughly about 60 will be open for business on Tuesday. Some famous tenants will include H&M, Lacoste, Under Armour, Victoria’s Secret, and Apple to name a few. The 365,00 square feet of retail space is completely leased and is ready to take it’s shape again.
Construction began back in 2014, with a $1.4 billion investment in redevelopment. Originally, shops were expected to open up last year. Not only are famous American labels expected to have stores in the mall, but also international luxury labels as well. Such as Smythson, a luxury store based out of London. The company will be opening up a store in the mall with hopes of raising awareness for its brand.
Workers and residents living and commuting out of Downtown Manhattan are expected to have an impact on the mall, as well as tourism. Although less than what it has working and living in downtown Manhattan in 2001, it still has a good enough population, and the highest ever since 9/11, to make the mall a hit and give downtown New York City even more life than it already has coming. This comes soon after the opening of Freedom Tower, and the 9/11 museum, which will boost the popularity of the mall and give even more hope to the bright future downtown Manhattan is making.
Featured Image via Wikimedia
