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BOTTICELLI IS LATEST LUXE BRAND TO TRY PHOENIX

By Molly Knight

Renowned Italian footwear designer Roberto Botticelli’s luxurious boots were surely made for walking. But were they made for navigating the rugged American Southwest? Perhaps so, because the shopping terrain has been upgraded, and the population continues to boom, observers say.

Botticelli is set to open its first boutique in the U.S., at Biltmore Fashion Park, in Phoenix, this month. Botticelli currently operates 23 boutiques worldwide. The opening of the Phoenix unit coincides with the introduction of the company’s golf shoes and accessories, sources say. “Our shoppers told us this is what they wanted,” said Mary Boyd, senior leasing manager for Westcor, the Phoenix-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Macerich that owns and manages Biltmore Fashion Park. “As we go forward bringing luxury brands into Biltmore Fashion Park, we will continue to look for unique, upscale tenants.”

According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Maricopa County, Ariz., of which Phoenix is the county seat, gained 696,000 residents between 2000 and 2006, the largest population growth of the country’s 3,141 counties. At the time of the report, the county had 3.8 million residents, making it the No. 4 county in the U.S. in population terms. The area is ripe for retail, sources say.

Last year Biltmore Fashion Park underwent a $30 million renovation, and one-third of the center’s 610,000 square feet of retail is being re-tenanted. In the summer of 2006, the center won the right to build up 25 feet higher than local municipalities had previously allowed. Officials say future plans for the center include a hotel and condominiums. “A mixed-use property really excites luxury tenants,” said David Scholl, Westcor’s senior vice president of development. “We’re excited about the possibilities with this outstanding space.”

In addition to the Botticelli store, center officials confirm that Arizona’s first Calypso fashion store will open there in December. “We will look to put smaller, home-grown stores like Calypso and Intermix that aren’t really looking to go into a 2 million-square-foot mall into Biltmore,” said Scholl. “The larger global mega-brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton will go into the sister project at Scottsdale Fashion Square.”

Biltmore and the Westcor-owned, 2 million-square-foot, indoor Scottsdale Fashion Square form what Scholl calls the “Camelback Road luxury corridor.” “Scottsdale will have Barneys New York, and Biltmore will have Barneys Co-Op,” said Scholl. “If this were New York City, think of Scottsdale as Fifth Avenue, and Biltmore as the meat-packing district.” Construction on Barneys New York is slated to begin at Scottsdale Fashion Square this fall.