Thursday, August 6, 2009

Fiesta Dillards "changing" but not closing

Despite rumors that Dillards at Fiesta Mall was closing completely, the actual news is that the store will be "changing," according to the corporate headquartes. To what? Who knows, but they say it is not going to be a traditional Dillards anymore.

Our guess will be that it will become some sort of outlet store, or perhaps they will convert the bottom floor to some sort of Dillards "light" and lease off the top floor to some other retailer. Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, this is bad news during a time when it seems like the Fiesta District is full of nothing but bad news.

There is still hope for the Fiesta District, but things may get worse before they get better.

3 comments:

Rebecca said...

Per a sales rep I spoke to there on Saturday (I observed that the place was getting a bit sparse), they will be consolidating it to one floor and turning it into a clearance center.

I'm torn - on the one hand, I'm always up for a good deal on higher end stuff, but on the other it is another step toward turning fiesta into a gutter-mall....

Heath Reed said...

Im not surprised. Plus, I think Westcor has done a poor job in reinventing the mall. You talk to the reps and manager, they will paint a wonderful picture they got new floors and a new best buy and dick's in an ugly building. They are also leasing pad sites. Im telling you, Westcor has not invested into this mall like they should. The current model of 70's malls does not work anymore and should be looked at as an indoor outdoor mall mix use destination.

I feel it is only going to get worse before it gets better.

Justin Rhodes said...

I was in there today. While I'd agree that the store has seen better days, and that they need to do something with the upper floor, I would disagree with the statement that the mall's turning into a gutter-mall, or that it's a result of Westcor's doing(or lack thereof)... It was never really an upscale area to begin with, and the whole block is saturated with retail space, which has seen better days as a result of the economy we're in... I'm confident that better tenants will come in once things turn around, but for now we have to take what the market will bear.

In 2006, Westcor "revamped" Metrocenter by putting in new tile, taking out many of the mature trees, and taking out the indoor water fountain... Despite their best intentions, I think those efforts were ultimately counterproductive... It's still in the same transitional neighborhood, but not as charming as it used to be.