Economy: Santana Row lands new merchants, including clothing retailer.

Faherty clothing slated to open at the end of the year

SAN JOSE >> Santana Row is gearing up for new tenants — even amid the uncertainties spawned by the coronavirus — and has landed a family-run clothing store, according to an executive with the iconic mixed-use retail center in San Jose.

Faherty, a family-operated clothing store for men and women, has signed a lease to open a store at 334 Santana Row, according to an executive with Federal Realty Investment Trust, the principal owner and developer of the destination retail, restaurant, entertainment, hotel, office, and housing center. Faherty was founded by two brothers from a New Jersey beach town.

“We are super-excited about Faher ty, which is slated to open in early December ,” Collette Navarrette, director of marketing West Coast for Federal Realty, said. “It’s a family-owned clothing line that is sold in over 300 stores.”

Faherty Brand operates 12 stores nationwide under the company’s own name, the retailer’s website shows.

Separately, Santana Row has moved swiftly to replace the Gucci store, which moved across the street to West field Valley Fair and is part of the slew of new retailers opening as a result of the $1.1 billion expansion and revamp of that destination San Jose mall.

Plans on file with San Jose city planners show that a new storefront design is already in the works to prepare the space for a new retailer.

The tenant deals, completed and pending, signals another area of recovery from the business shutdowns ordered by state and local government officials to combat the coronavirus.

“We can’t announce a tenant for that space and other spa ce s yet ,” Navarrette said. “Getting new tenants is exciting news, especially at a time like this.”

Since Santana Row is outdoors, it ’s been able to keep offering in-store shopping for some weeks now. The next major step w ill be the opening of some salons in the center by Sept. 8, she added.

“We have been able to keep the traffic really positive and to keep the momentum really positive,” Navarette said.

Santana Row officials believe the center, being outdoors, could entice both shoppers and merchants during a time when people may have preferences for shopping in an outdoor mall.

“You have more retailers that are looking at environments like Santana Row where they can be outdoors in a top location,” Navarrette said.