[texboy]

Honestly, all I have to say is wow to this one! ...... WOW


New retailers and restaurants announced at The Shops at La Cantera

Tricia Lynn Silva

With just 100 days left before the opening of the first phase of The Shops at La Cantera, General Growth Properties Inc. announced the lineup of new retailers and restaurants that will be coming to the Alamo City.

More than 100 retailers will be officially opening on Friday, Sept. 16, including 25 percent that are brand new to San Antonio.

"We are on schedule to debut an exciting, first-class retail project to San Antonio -- in just 100 days," says John Bucksbaum, chief executive officer of General Growth Properties (NYSE: GGP), a Chicago-based real estate investment trust (REIT). "The merchandising mix and quality of retailers and restaurants make The Shops at La Cantera a wonderfully unique retail destination in San Antonio -- and the nation."

Dillard's, Foley's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom have already announced plans to open stores to anchor the shopping center. Meanwhile, fashion stores such as Betsey Johnson, Hugo Boss, LaCoste, and Tommy Bahama also will be making their local debut courtesy of The Shops -- as well as high-end apparel firm Burberry and jeweler Tiffany & Co.

The Shops at La Cantera will also feature new restaurants and stores by: Aldo, Anthropologie, BCBG/Max Azria, Brooks Brothers, Bravo Cucina Italiana, Club Libby Lu, Kona Grill, Landau, Lilly Pulitzer, L'Occitane, Lucky Brand, Paradise Pen, Puma, Ralph Lauren, Sigrid Olsen, Sole Mio, Sony, Fossil, Stuart Weitzman and Tumi.

And work has already begun on the next phase of The Shops, which will be anchored by the new AMC La Cantera 12 -- a new movie theater to be operated by Kansas City-based AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMEX: AEN).

Phase two will sit on 34 acres of land just east of the first phase of The Shops. In addition to bringing in more destination retail and restaurants, the second phase also will include some office development.

The Shops at La Cantera is a joint development between GGP and locally based USAA Real Estate Co. The project is expected to generate roughly 2,600 full-time jobs. The construction phase alone has generated approximately 1,500 jobs, with about 80 percent of the subcontractors and work force hailing from San Antonio.

The general contractor of The Shops at La Cantera is Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., which is located in Baltimore, Md. Locally based firms Alamo Architects and Pape-Dawson Engineers Inc. are the architect and engineer of record, respectively, for the development.