Interactive First-to-Market Experience Wonderspaces to Join Fashion District
Two dozen new retail, experiential and dining tenants announced – to join the already dynamic line-up of concepts coming to downtown Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA – July 30, 2019 – Fashion District Philadelphia, (“The District”) a joint venture partnership between PREIT and Macerich, announces that Wonderspaces, a unique and new-to-region immersive art experience, along with two dozen new tenants will join the dynamic tenant roster as the project launches in September. Wonderspaces reinforces the property’s diverse blend of entertainment and art, and will complement the project’s dynamic tenant mix and community programming across style, dining, entertainment, and arts & culture uses.
Wonderspaces partners with artists from around the world to present art shows that everyone can enjoy as a place to connect with friends and family. After receiving over two hundred fifty thousand visitors in its previous shows in San Diego and Scottsdale, Wonderspaces will open its first Philadelphia show, Point of View, in December 2019.
Our new home at The District marks our first permanent location in the center of a metropolitan area. We believe taking art to non-traditional places is a key part of inviting new audiences. And exploring how we can make art more accessible is core to our mission and values.
The District was designed to combine a local Philly flair with a thoughtfully curated collection of first-to-market tenants and unique concepts. This new-to-market experiential tenant, combined with our unique art installations, will deliver an engaging atmosphere for Fashion District visitors – transcending beyond a retail and dining center to offer a comprehensive destination that celebrates art and community in Philadelphia, ensuring that the District will be an engaging, fun, and accessible place for all.
The addition of Wonderspaces builds on Fashion District’s existing $1 million in commissioned artwork in partnership with the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority’s Percent for Art project. The artwork can be found in nine exhibit locations throughout The District, featuring masterpieces from local and international artists across disciplines. The diverse collection of artwork will range from large-scale 2-D and 3-D sculptures, graphic drawings and photography, to several contemporary murals.
The District will offer an array of unique and dynamic concepts for shopping, dining, socializing and playing. Previously announced tenants include City Winery, a culinary and cultural wine experience offering fine dining, classes, concerts, and private events; a third floor entertainment zone that includes AMC Theatres and Round 1; Market Eats, a grab-and-go market accessible to SEPTA’s Jefferson Station; and several in-demand retail brands including Nike, H&M, Samsonite, Sunglass Hut, Columbia, Levi’s, ULTA Beauty, and others – joining Burlington and Century 21 Department Store.
In addition to these offerings and experiences, Fashion District’s newly announced tenants include:
Fashion: The expansive retail roster will showcase a mix of apparel, entertainment and lifestyle offerings at a variety of price points – elevating the accessibility and mass appeal of the destination. Newly signed tenants include:
- Pandora
- American Eagle/Aerie
- Express Factory
- Hollister
- Journeys
- Aeropostale
- Justice
- Will’s EyeWear
- Bella Shoes
- Eddie Bauer
- American Shaman
- Gamestop
- Samsonite
- Sunglass Hut
- Spencer’s
- T-Mobile
- Guess Factory
- Skechers
- Zumiez
Fun & Film: Wonderspaces joins the entertainment attractions that include third level anchors, Round 1, AMC Movie Theater, along with City Winery.
Food: Joining locally-loved Chickie’s and Pete’s and Tiffany’s Bakery, Fashion District will offer a mix of local and national specialty, quick-serve offerings:
- Big Gay Ice Cream
- Rolling Cow
- Auntie Anne’s
- Beef Jerky Outlet
- Dunkin Donuts
- Philly Pretzel Factory
The District launches on September 19, 2019 – followed by a yearlong series of new additions later in 2019 and in 2020. The new-to-market openings continue in November 2019, when several entertainment tenants – including AMC Theatres and Round One – open their experiential offerings to the public. Wonderspaces is expected to follow shortly thereafter in December. Tickets for Point of View at Wonderspaces Philadelphia will go on sale on wonderspaces.com in September. Wonderspaces is currently hiring for multiple roles on its Philadelphia team.
About Fashion District Philadelphia
Fashion District Philadelphia is the first robust retail and entertainment offering of its kind in Downtown Philadelphia. Spanning three city blocks, The District will feature over 800,000 square feet of dynamic offerings including flagship, traditional full price, off-price and branded outlet retail, experiential dining and entertainment, along with public art and evolving cultural events. With a prime location in Center City, The District is just steps away from Philadelphia’s historic district and connected to Reading Terminal, the Pennsylvania Convention Center and SEPTA’s Jefferson station – a convenient, transit-oriented location offering accessibility for millions of Philadelphia residents, commuters and visitors. Additional information is available at www.fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About PREIT
PREIT (NYSE:PEI) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns and manages quality properties in compelling markets. PREIT’s robust portfolio of carefully curated retail and lifestyle offerings mixed with destination dining and entertainment experiences are located primarily in the densely populated eastern U.S. with concentrations in the mid-Atlantic’s top MSAs. Since 2012, the company has driven a transformation guided by an emphasis on portfolio quality and balance sheet strength driven by disciplined capital expenditures. Additional information is available at www.preit.com or on Twitter or LinkedIn.
About Macerich
Macerich (NYSE:MAC), an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States.
Macerich currently owns 51 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interests in 47 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country’s most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence on the West Coast, Arizona, Chicago and the Metro New York to Washington, DC corridor. A recognized leader in sustainability, Macerich has earned NAREIT’s prestigious “Leader in the Light” award every year from 2014-2018. For the fourth straight year in 2018 Macerich achieved the #1 GRESB ranking in the North American Retail Sector, among many other environmental accomplishments. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company’s website at www.Macerich.com
Media Contact:
Brownstein Group on behalf of Fashion District Philadelphia
FDP@brownsteingroup.com
215-735-3470