Life in the Woodlands

A 150,000-square-foot “lifestyle expansion” — that already includes commitments from Barnes & Noble and The Storehouse — has been announced for The Woodlands Mall (Woodlands, Texas) by its developer, General Growth Properties (Chicago).

The expansion, scheduled to open in the fall of 2003, will include four restaurants and a roster of retailers and will be situated within an entertainment-oriented open-air setting the developers describe as capturing “the natural ambiance of The Woodlands.” The Woodlands is a 27,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston with a population of more than 67,000.

The developer says that preliminary agreements have been signed with The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Barnes & Noble and The Storehouse. Negotiations are reportedly underway with Ann Taylor Loft, Brio Tuscan Grille, Crate & Barrel, Harold Powell, The Palm, Panera Bread – The Corner Bakery, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Williams-Sonoma and Z Gallerie.

The new shops and restaurants will be built on two levels off the mall's south main entrance, also know as the “carousel entrance.” The addition has been described as “a sanctuary of sparkling water features, soft woods, smooth rock, ambient lighting, lush landscaping and shaded walkways.” It will connect to the mall at both levels, providing covered access from the existing mall to a coveted collection of new women's fashion and home furnishings stores. Escalators will connect the new addition to the mall's existing food court. It will also connect the mall to The Woodlands Waterway, a river walk-themed development currently under construction.