Hourly prize giveaways, a live Jefferson statue, a 1966 Ford Mustang Grand Prize and a laser light show were only some of the attractions at this weekend's grand Reopening of Charlottesville's Fashion Square Mall.
Merchants Sam Goody, Zales Jewelers, KB Toys, Ritz Camera and Victoria's Secret each moved to new renovated locations in the mall. Fashion Square also added the stores Abercrombie & Fitch, J. Crew, Eddie Bauer and Kay Jewelers.
The renovation added a new porcelain floor, bistro-style seating in areas with eateries, a children's play area and lounge-style seating throughout the mall.
Misty Parsons, Fashion Square Mall Marketing Director, said Simon Property Group, which owns the mall, considered community needs while planning the renovation, which totaled approximately $8.5 million.
"The bistro seating and the play area were things that people have been suggesting," Parsons said. "J. Crew and Abercrombie were stores people were asking for, especially U.Va. students."
Central Court and other mall areas received dome-like skylights and other Jeffersonian-themed architectural touches, which Parsons said were intentional.
"The architecture team was from Cooper Carry in Atlanta, and a couple of people on the team went to U.Va. and another one was a Charlottesville resident," she said. "They visited Monticello and U.Va before starting the remodeling. Simon Malls didn't want to make a cookie-cutter renovation and they wanted the renovation to fit the community."
Renovators transformed the area outside J.C. Penney into a Jefferson-themed children's play area with what mall officials called "soft play elements." Ruckersville resident Johnnie Starc, who was supervising her 3-year-old daughter Jamie in the play area, said it was a good addition to the mall and the community.
"There really isn't anywhere to take your kids to play for free unless you go out to Pantops," Starc said. "I was worried at first because it looks kind of dangerous here, but the floor is a lot softer than it looks, almost like a trampoline."
Charlottesville resident Dan Perez said he and his wife had come to the mall reopening to let their 18-month-old daughter Lily "blow off steam" at the new play area.
"It's nice that it is sort of Virginia oriented," Perez said. "The community really needed it."
The renovation occurred in phases and lasted almost a year.
"It started with the renovation to the Center Court area last year but the official kickoff was in January," Parsons said.
Residents and merchants were patient and excited about the ongoing renovations, she added.
"We really didn't have any complaints during the renovation," Parsons said. "The mall was 22 years old last March, and people loved the renovation and the merchants were thrilled as well."
Special North Pole visitor Santa Claus, who was visiting with area children, said the renovation was an improvement for the mall.
"The renovation made a real difference, and I hope the public takes care of the mall and makes it their own," Claus said.
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