Bal Harbour Shops
| Location | Bal Harbour, Florida USA |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°53′18″N 80°07′31″W / 25.88825°N 80.12519°WCoordinates: 25°53′18″N 80°07′31″W / 25.88825°N 80.12519°W |
| Address | 9700 Collins Avenue |
| Opening date | 1965 |
| Developer | Stanley Whitman |
| Management | Whitman Family |
| Owner | Whitman Family |
| Architect | Herbert H. Johnson & Associates |
| No. of stores and services | 100+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 2 |
| Total retail floor area | 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Website | balharbourshops.com |
Bal Harbour Shops is an upscale open-air shopping mall in Bal Harbour, a wealthy suburb of Miami, Florida, known internationally for its collection of luxury retail.[1] Bal Harbour Shops is one of the few remaining family-owned malls in the nation.[2] For a business that is willing to lease, there is a two year waiting list at the mall, which has operated at 100% occupancy for more than two decades.[3]
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[edit] History
The conceptual plan of the open-air shopping center was envisioned by Stanley Whitman on the site of a former United States Army barracks and World War II prisoner of war camp. He abandoned the conventional enclosed air-conditioned mall concept, firing architect Victor Gruen, and hiring the South Florida architectural firm Herbert H. Johnson & Associates. Whitman paid $2 per square foot for the land.[citation needed]
Bal Harbour Shops officially opened in 1965 with its first tenant being toy retailer, FAO Schwarz, which operated a store in the mall until its bankruptcy in 2000. Until the 1970s no upscale fashion brands had boutiques there aside from Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, but Gucci was convinced to open its 5th US store there, after that an influx of major brands opened up including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci and more.
While classified as a mall, the retail center discourages comparisons to traditional malls. There are no enclosed walking paths or kiosks.
[edit] Anchors
[edit] References
- ^ "Bal Harbour Shops - Shopping - Miami - WhereTraveler, WhereTraveller". http://www.wheretraveler.com/classic/us/fl/miami/shopping/CL0000009039.shtml. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
- ^ Brookins, Laurie. "A Family Affair, Bal Harbour Shops founder, Stanley Whitman, has often been compared to the visionary Walt Disney—they both looked at a desolated plot of land and envisioned magic.". http://balharbourshops.com/history.php. Retrieved 23 June 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Burke, Leslie (19 August 2005). "Hotel, theater, spa considered in Bal Harbour". South Florida Business Journal. http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2005/08/22/story1.html. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
[edit] External links
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