Developer Plans Mall along I-27 in Amarillo, Texas

Nov. 18--An open-air mall slated to open in fall 2007 will be built in Amarillo at Interstate 27 and Hollywood Road.

Trotman Co. Inc., a commercial developer based in Montgomery, Ala., has 100 acres of land at the southeast corner of the intersection under contract as the future home of The Shoppes at Southpointe. The site is directly across Interstate 27 from the Cinemark Hollywood 16 Theatre.

"We have not closed on the land, as a matter of fact. We've just got it under contract," said David Underwood of Trotman. Underwood described The Shoppes at Southpointe as a "lifestyles center," shops situated along a sidewalk-lined thoroughfare with curbside parking. The center will include outdoor cafes and courtyards where shoppers can relax, a company statement said.

Underwood declined to give the estimated value or square footage of the project but said "a typical lifestyles center is anywhere from 300,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet." Eastern Shore Centre, a lifestyles mall in Mobile, Ala., developed by Trotman in 2003, cost $72 million and covers 570,000 square feet.

Underwood declined to name stores the developer is courting or to characterize the type of stores The Shoppes at Southpointe will contain.

"Tenants are interested," Underwood said. "We don't have anything signed, so I don't want to print anything with anybody's (store) name. Our leasing efforts continue on a daily basis. Amarillo definitely is one of our top projects." Trotman President Charlie Trotman said he is not surprised the company has seen interest from top retailers.

"Retailers want precisely what Amarillo has to offer in terms of a stable economy, dynamic growth prospects and an atmosphere that makes businesses feel welcome," he said, citing an Inc. magazine poll ranking Amarillo as the No. 1 city in Texas for doing business and 27th in the nation in the same category.

Trotman Co. began looking at the Amarillo market because of Underwood, an Atlanta native who attended West Texas A&M University on a rodeo scholarship and graduated in 1996. "I said, 'I think I know where there's a site where one of these (lifestyle centers) would work,'" Underwood said. "I came out a year ago last July and started the legwork." Underwood stayed mum on whether the center will include a theater.

"One thing we (Trotman Co.) are about is relationships. I'd rather not talk about a theater because we don't have a theater we're looking at. We would love to see if we could get the existing theater to come to our project," Underwood said, referring to the Hollywood 16 theater at the southwest corner of the intersection of I-27 and Hollywood.

The Amarillo market is an interesting one, Underwood said. "Amarillo has a lot of retail, but it's all scattered," he said in an earlier interview. "But the obvious growth is going southwest."

On Thursday, Underwood said, "Of course, Westgate Mall is a consideration to everything that we do, but at the same time, Westgate Mall is 20-something years old. What we want the people of Amarillo to know is we are excited about this project. We hope to bring the best shopping experience to Amarillo that Amarillo deserves. I mean, there's not a shopping experience in Amarillo, and that's what we hope to bring."

Westgate Mall Manager Brian Giffin could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Westgate Mall, built in 1982, sits on 126 acres with 95 stores.

Charlie Trotman said lifestyle centers are the new trend in shopping. People are responding to the open air marketplace concept, he said, because it provides them not only with great stores, but also a pleasant shopping environment. Other shopping center projects the company has established include neighborhood centers anchored by stores such as Wal-Mart.

"The majority of our developments are in the Southeast," Trotman said. "This is actually our first development in Texas, and we're excited about it."

Trotman has been working the property purchase through Rockrose Group in Amarillo. Brian Shinall, Rockrose commercial broker, could not be reached for comment Thursday.