SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has opened a 500,000-square-foot expansion of Westfield Valley Fair, the French developer’s $1.1 billion retail destination in San Jose.
The retail center is part of a redevelopment project that replaced two 1950s-era shopping centers. The project now encompasses 2.2 million square feet in total, with more restaurant and store openings planned for 2021.
A three-level flagship Bloomingdale’s luxury apparel department store anchors the new expansion, alongside other apparel retailers including Anthropologie, Club Monaco, Fabletics, Indochino, Jimmy Choo, John Varvatos, Longchamp, Rodd and Gunn, Urban Outfitters, UNTUCKit and Zadig & Voltaire.
“We envisioned Westfield Valley Fair as a place where prestigious luxury brands, digitally native start-up retailers, and best-in-class dining and entertainment all come together to create a true lifestyle destination and the perfect place to shop, dine and play,” says Larry Green, executive vice president of development at URW.
The developer recently partnered with the San José Museum of Art to curate and commission artwork for the property, starting with an outdoor sculpture at the new grand entrance on Stevens Creek Boulevard, which will be unveiled this fall.
Entertainment offerings include the recently opened ShowPlace ICON Theatre and the soon-to-open PLAYlive Nation social gaming lounge.
Future additions to the retail center this year and into 2021 include Eataly, a large-format Italian marketplace, as well as a flagship Apple store and a new Gucci location. Boutique jeweler Bvlgari and upscale footwear retailer Cole Haan GRANDSHØP will both open later this month, along with South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster and Chinese lingerie retailer Neiwai.
More than 25 new dining tenants are slated to open over the next two years, including Mastro’s Steakhouse, Bamboo Sushi, iChina, King’s Fish House, Salt & Straw and Shake Shack. Additional eateries in the center’s Asian Food Collection will include Onigilly, Rooster & Rice, The Miss Noodle Shop, Uncle Tetsu and Vietnoms.
The Digital District, a collection of brick-and-mortar storefronts dedicated to formerly online-only retailers, will open in the same time period. Individual store openings will be announced on the Westfield website.
— Alex Patton