Downtown at the Gardens targeted for major redesign
Hotel, traffic redesign, apartments, rebranding all part of grand plan.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Plans to create waterfront shops, a boutique hotel and a main street through an outdoor shopping mall off PGA Boulevard are creating a buzz among the restaurant and small business owners there.
Real estate executives said they also want to add Class A office space and a “premier” residential tower to the mix at Downtown at the Gardens if Palm Beach Gardens officials sign off on the plans to be submitted in July for review.
Madison Marquette, the national operating firm handling the redevelopment, wants to enhance the food and drink offerings and is investigating rooftop dining as it seeks to maximize the waterfront location, Senior Vice President Whitney Livingston said in an email.
Making shops face the lake to the east will be a “big plus for visibility,” she said.
Some small business owners said they struggle to attract customers, because people will shop at Whole Foods and leave without realizing there’s much more to see.
The Tea & Spice Exchange, for example, opened at Downtown at the Gardens almost two years ago. This past week, someone wandered into the store who hadn’t realized there were shops and restaurants in the middle, franchise owner John Gekas said.
Gekas said foot traffic is either “hot or cold,” but he expects the redesign will spur an increase and give Downtown at the Gardens an edge over places such as Jupiter’s Harbourside and CityPlace in West Palm Beach.
“I think when they’re done, there’ll be nothing like it around here,” Gekas said.
Whole Foods is planning a renovation of its own this fall to add “food-trend-inspired innovations” and upgrades based on customer feedback, according to spokeswoman Heather McCready. The
high-end supermarket will remain open during the sixmonth makeover.
The Cobb Theatre, another successful anchor, added a bar in the lobby and this past year replaced all its seats with larger loungers. Frank Stryjewski, Cobb Theatres’ chief operating officer, said the chain is very interested in making the location a CinéBistro, offering full-service dining and a full bar in the theater. Company officials have had conversations with the landlord but haven’t reached a deal yet, he said.
Business at Blessed Boutique, a high-end women’s clothing store, has been stronger in the past six months than the preceding four years it’s been open, co-owner Samia Pedalino said. Foot traffic is good now, but redesigning the mall will bring in a lot more customers, she said.
“It’s awesome. It’s going to put this place on the map,” she said. “It’s going to make it the premier shopping center in Palm Beach County.”
Julien Gremaud was already at the end of lease