Macy’s expands, renovations to be completed by September

The expansion and renovation of the Guam Macy’s store is almost complete. The fourth expansion since its opening in 2001 added 45,000 square feet, bringing the total to 200,000 square feet. The second level of the expansion area opened on May 9, and the first level opened on June 12, Phillip M. Schrage, senior vice president of group operations and leasing for Goodwind Development Corp. and Grandview Development LLC, says.

The expansion reallocated the space for each department, increasing capacity for additional product offerings. The home and luggage departments relocated to the men’s and children’s building, and women’s ready-to-wear moved upstairs, allowing for expanded cosmetics, accessories, jewelry, handbags and shoe departments.

“[Macy’s now] has the largest men’s department on Guam, at around 54,000 to 55,000 square feet,” Schrage says. The first level was 34,600 square feet previously and is now 57,100 square feet to include the men’s department and the luggage department.

The second level houses the children’s and home departments at a total of 57,100 square feet. The store added for the first time a maternity section next to the children’s department.

The women’s department is still under renovation but is expected to be completed before the end of summer. Finish Line shoes will be given more space supported by technical expertise and the handbags section will see more from top brands including Michael Kors and Coach, says Deena Nichols, district vice president for Guam and Hawaii, which comprises 11 Macy’s department stores and three specialty stores.

The Plaza Shopping Center welcomes renovations and new tenants

The Plaza Shopping Center continues to see upgrades and additions to its tenant mix.

DKSH Guam Inc. celebrated its grand re-opening of the Caronel Rolex Center on Oct. 2 at The Plaza in Tumon. The boutique on the first floor of the shopping center was newly decorated and the latest Rolex collection was unveiled at the party.

Chamorrita Swimwear, an online bikini collection since 2014, opened a boutique in the shopping center on Feb. 14. The line and shop are designed and operated by Sandrine Cruz Stewart. The 500-square-foot store employs seven.

Gemkell Group held a grand opening of the first and exclusive accessories shop of Proenza Schouler on May 19. The 53-square-foot boutique is next to the Caronel Rolex Center.

A second IHOP opened Aug. 16 at The Plaza, to serve the tourist market. The 3,000-square-foot facility seats approximately 158 guests and is managed by General Manager Jennifer Castro Lloyd.

The Tumon shopping center carries 85 stores total, of which 19 are luxury brands, 30 are specialty shops and 29 are dining and entertainment establishments, according to the shopping center’s website.

SM Store moves inside Agana Shopping Center, two tenants to occupy former space

The anchor tenant of Agana Shopping Center, the SM Store, announced on March 31 that it would be moving to a smaller space in the shopping center. The former location closed its doors on April 18 and is in the process of moving into a newly renovated space that occupies the entire wing under the theater.

The former space will be split in two, and discussions with potential tenants are ongoing, says Charles T. McJohn II, marketing and leasing manager of Agana Shopping Center.

The company is also occupying a smaller space across the center court where customers can make SM bill payments as well as remittance and bill payments with Banco de Oro, or BDO Unibank Inc., a bank based in the Philippines that is under SM Investments Corp., a member of the same group as The SM Store.

The SM Store opened in Agana Shopping Center on Nov. 17, 2006, with 50 employees. A number of employees were laid off with the closure of the retail location, Marketing Supervisor Aline Frances B. Mendoza says, though she did not provide an exact number. SM Investments Corp., a conglomerate with major investments in retail, banking and property in the Philippines, also owns and operates the Agana Shopping Center.

Gemkell to open shopping center in Saipan

Gemkell Group is building a new shopping center in Saipan, called The Arc, scheduled to open early next year. The building will be in Garapan, on Route 30 beside T Galleria Saipan by DFS. Negotiations with several brands are ongoing for the six boutique spaces spread across two floors totaling around 10,000 square feet.

“We’re definitely looking at brands that cater to Korean and Chinese tourists,” says M. Beth Chandler, general manager of Gemkell Saipan. “But we want the local residents to come and shop with us as well.”

An exclusive Calvin Klein store at Garapan Square in Saipan is also scheduled to open in September. The building is leased from a Japanese company and is undergoing construction contracted with GPPC Inc. A full line of merchandise, both men’s and women’s, will be available in the 2,000-square-foot store space.

The Gemkell group of companies, majority owned by Tan Holdings since September 2014, operates eight boutiques in Guam — Balenciaga, Chloé, Alfred Dunhill, Givenchy, Lacoste, Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler.

Second Ross to open in Micronesia Mall

The second Ross Dress for Less in Guam is under construction and expected to open in a couple of months at the Micronesia Mall in the space under the Micronesia Mall Stadium Theatres. Construction is almost finished and the space was due to be turned over to Ross Stores Inc. in August. The tenant may take a month or two to furnish and prepare the space for operations, says Phillip M. Schrage, senior vice president of group operations and leasing for Grandview Development LLC and Goodwind Development Corp., which does business as Micronesia Mall. The mall is doing the initial space preparations.

A building permit was filed with the Department of Public Works on April 12 by Isagani B. Baluyut, a general contractor whose past construction projects in Guam include Forever 21, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Applebee’s, Chuck E. Cheese’s, Ruby Tuesday and California Pizza Kitchen. The permit indicates a square footage of 27,000 and a project cost of $1.3 million.

The Ross store located at the Guam Premier Outlets was about 33,000 square feet when it opened on Oct. 7, 2000, and is now 42,000 square feet following its expansion in 2009.

Sorensen seeks retail tenants for Acanta Mall

Sorensen Media Group is scheduled to move to its new headquarters in the Acanta Mall in Tumon around November. The whole complex is leased by Sorensen on a 20-year master lease, says Rex Sorensen, chairman and CEO of Sorensen. Takagi & Associates is the owner of the mall and purchased it for $4.4 million in December 2009.

The mall has 28,382 square feet of leasable area, and leasing of an additional lot will take parking to a total of 180 spaces. The mall has about 60% occupancy, and Sorensen says the company is looking for one restaurant and a specialty retail boutique among openings.

Tenants at the mall include Triple Shot Coffee House, Pearl BBQ Steak and Lobster and Baker’s World, as well as boutique stores such as Sea Shell Pink and Bambino Collections. Jay’s Salon, Linden Rent a Car, a tutoring service, Pacific Island Holidays LLC, a division of Kloppenburg Enterprises Inc. and the Core BBQ Garden & Bar are also housed at Acanta Mall.

Renovation is ongoing, which includes the addition of an automatic transfer panel to generator and painting. Wayne Wixon & Associates is providing electrical work, and the contractor is Jason Xing of Xing Construction, Sorensen says.