News
Caruso Affiliated's The Americana at Brand, the Highly Anticipated Luxury Retail and Residential Destination, Debuts with Great Fanfare
GLENDALE, Calif.-(Business Wire)-May 2, 2008 - The Americana at Brand, Caruso Affiliated's new luxury retail and residential village in the heart of downtown Glendale, opened today with a lively grand opening ceremony featuring owner/developer Rick Caruso, Glendale civic leaders and the USC Marching Band. Following a Thursday evening gala and today's dedication ceremony, the 74 retailers and restaurants welcomed their first visitors. With an unparalleled array of exclusive retail and luxury residences, The Americana at Brand is elevating the regional retail experience and offering a new urban lifestyle.
Following a champagne toast, Rick Caruso, Glendale Mayor John Drayman, Councilman Ara Najarian and other government, business and civic leaders officially opened The Americana at Brand with a ride on the center's trolley, which rolled under an outdoor crystal chandelier and through a ribbon stretched across the street, accompanied by the USC Marching Band.
"It is incredibly rewarding to see our vision become reality and to welcome guests to The Americana at Brand," noted Rick Caruso, CEO, Caruso Affiliated. "Today we can enjoy watching our guests shop, dine and explore. Within days we will welcome our first residents moving into The Residences, our 238 premier apartments. And today we launch sales for Excelsior, our 100 luxury condominiums."
Throughout opening day guests will be treated to entertainment on The Green, an almost two-acre central common, with animated fountain shows every half hour, trolley rides around the center and other promotions and entertainment by individual retailers and restaurants.
The $400 million The Americana at Brand is set on 15.5 acres amidst a mature downtown and is interwoven seamlessly into the existing context and street grid of the city. Among its many distinctive features are a monumental 12-foot crystal outdoor chandelier suspended across Caruso Avenue just west of Brand Blvd., a Good Humor truck and soda cycle selling old-fashioned sweet treats.
Gracing the center of The Green is "The Spirit of American Youth," an 18-foot statue covered in 23 carat gold that is a recreation of one that stands at the Omaha Beach Memorial in Normandy, France. A second statue from Omaha Beach, "America," tops the dome of the Excelsior overlooking The Green.
The Americana at Brand is the location of choice in Los Angeles for taste and style makers with an exceptional bevy of shops, boutiques and restaurants: Anthropologie, A/X Armani Exchange, Art of Shaving, Bare Escentuals, Boakos Aveda Lifestyle Salon, Barnes & Noble, Barneys New York CO-OP, BCBG Max Azria, Caffe Primo, Calidora Skin Clinic, Calvin Klein, Chico's, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Cole Haan, CrepeMaker, crewcuts, Custo Barcelona, Divine Boutique, Free People, Frida, Gilly Hicks, Granville Cafe, Guess Footwear, H&M, J. Crew, Jamba Juice, Jewel City Diner, Jody Maroni's, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Katsuya, Kiehl's, Lacoste, Lucky Kid, lululemon athletica, Marciano, Martin + Osa, Michael Stars, Nestle Toll House Cafe, Paperchase, Peek, Aren't You Curious, Peter Alexander, pinkberry, Puma, Richie's Neighborhood Pizzeria, Ruehl, Stuart Weitzman, Sur La Table, The Cheesecake Factory, Tiffany & Co., True Religion, Urban Outfitters, Vera Bradley, XXI and the 18-screen Pacific Theatres cinema.
Located within minutes of Los Feliz, Silverlake, Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles, The Americana at Brand is bound by Brand Boulevard, Central Avenue and Colorado Street. The 900,000-square-foot urban mixed use development features 475,000 square feet of retail, and offers The Residences, 238 luxury apartments, and Excelsior, 100 exceptional condominium homes - residences created with classic Caruso flair, quality and attention to detail.
Caruso Affiliated is known for creating open-air community and regional retail environments that serve as fashionable local gathering places. Caruso's style has become a recognized brand within the retail industry and with California residents and visitors. The success of the company's stylish and elegant outdoor environments has challenged the traditional "mall" concept and set a new standard in the industry. A recognized leader in this trend, Caruso Affiliated's growth is approximately two times that of the largest publicly traded REITs and sales per square foot at Caruso properties are 75 percent higher than the industry average.
The Americana at Brand is Caruso Affiliated's largest retail destination to date and its first to include residences. The company has several others in development including The Shops at Santa Anita in Arcadia, CA., and the company's first luxury destination resort in Montecito, CA, with the recent acquisition of the historic Miramar Hotel. Caruso Affiliated's portfolio of top performing retail centers includes The Grove in Los Angeles, the Waterside in Marina del Rey, The Promenade at Westlake, The Lakes at Thousand Oaks and The Commons at Calabasas.
Search Our News Using Google Search
Can't find what you want? Try using Google:
