Easton Town Center

Easton Town Center is an outdoor lifestyle center and mixed-use retail destination in northeast Columbus, Ohio. It opened in 1999 as a deliberately different alternative to the conventional enclosed shopping mall. Instead of presenting itself as a single building organized around interior corridors, Easton was planned as a self-contained town, using a grid of streets, civic-style squares, fountains, storefront parking and buildings designed to evoke American towns and cities of the early to mid-twentieth century. The result combines the functions of a shopping center, entertainment district, dining destination and public gathering place. The project originated in connection with Les Wexner, founder and longtime leader of Limited Brands, whose nearby business interests helped shape the development concept. The Georgetown Company and Steiner + Associates co-developed the center. The project was also associated with investor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rather than build a traditional indoor mall, the developers chose an open-air format in response to changing consumer and demographic patterns in the late 1990s. Easton became one of the early prominent examples of the lifestyle-center model, which sought to combine retail, restaurants and entertainment with a more walkable, urban-feeling environment. The first phase, known as the South District, opened in the summer of 1999. A second phase, the Fashion District, opened in 2001. The center is anchored by Macy's, which replaced the former Lazarus identity, and Nordstrom. Across its districts, Easton has accommodated roughly 300 additional retail, dining and service businesses, ranging from national brands to restaurants and specialty operators. Its offerings have included department stores, fashion retailers, home-furnishings businesses, service providers, kiosks, food outlets and entertainment venues. Easton's physical design is central to its brand. The South District includes a town square used for outdoor concerts, seasonal programming and holiday events, as well as an interactive fountain and the Easton Express outdoor train. The North District features a large circular fountain and Nordstrom. The Station Building contains indoor retail and food-service space together with an AMC cinema complex. The destination also uses a combination of surface parking, covered parking and parking garages, including the South Garage added during the center's expansion. The property has expanded beyond its original retail districts. Crate & Barrel opened at Easton in 2004, while Easton Gateway was completed in late 2015. Easton Gateway added approximately 500,000 square feet and broadened the project with more service-oriented tenants and additional retail and dining. Costco was among the first tenants to open in the new district. In 2018, the Station Building underwent renovations that updated its floors, walls and services. Later that year, construction began on a broader mixed-use expansion reported at approximately $500 million, with plans for a hotel, apartments, retail and office space. Announced components included an Aloft hotel, Pins Mechanical and an R.H. Gallery flagship-format store. Easton is reported to attract more than 30 million visitors annually, making it one of the most prominent retail and entertainment destinations in the Columbus region. The center is leased and managed by Steiner & Associates, while the wider Easton area has been described as a partnership involving Limited Brands and The Georgetown Company. Its long-term development planning has contemplated a denser urban district with residential and office buildings, including structures of substantially greater height than the surrounding development. As an operating brand, Easton Town Center therefore represents not only a collection of stores but also a planned destination whose identity rests on place-making, open-air design, events and a broad mix of commercial uses.

Easton Town Center developed from a late-1990s effort associated with Les Wexner and the business environment surrounding Limited Brands in Columbus, Ohio. The site was part of a much larger planned development of approximately 1,300 acres, with the retail component occupying about 90 acres and providing approximately 1.8 million square feet of retail space. The Georgetown Company and Steiner + Associates co-developed the project, with design work for the broader development attributed to M+A Architects. Arnold Schwarzenegger was also identified as an investor. The developers selected an outdoor lifestyle-center format instead of a conventional enclosed mall. This decision reflected changing retail patterns and an interest in creating a destination that felt more like a town than a single-purpose shopping building. Easton's plan used streets in a grid-like arrangement, a continuous loop, public squares, fountains, varied building sizes and shared-wall storefronts. Metered storefront parking and a combination of surface, covered and garage parking were incorporated into the environment. These features were unusual in combination for a major American retail project at the time and helped establish Easton as an early example of the lifestyle-center format. The South District opened in the summer of 1999. It formed the initial public-facing core and included a town square, event areas, an interactive fountain and the Easton Express train. The center's first major anchors included Lazarus and Nordstrom; Lazarus later became part of the Macy's brand. A second phase, called the Fashion District, opened in fall 2001 and expanded the retail mix. The first Hollister Co. store opened at Easton in 2000, giving the center an early connection to a major youth-fashion concept. The property continued to add tenants and infrastructure. Crate & Barrel opened a location in 2004, and the South Garage was built to increase parking capacity. The Station Building provided the center's principal indoor component, combining shops, food-service businesses and a large AMC cinema complex. The North District added Nordstrom and a prominent circular fountain, while the overall center continued to operate as a collection of connected districts rather than a conventional enclosed mall. The next substantial phase was Easton Gateway, completed in late 2015. The district added approximately 500,000 square feet and extended the development's tenant base beyond traditional retail into services and other mixed-use functions. Costco was the first tenant reported to open there in October 2015. The expansion reinforced Easton's role as a regional destination rather than simply a local shopping center. In 2018, the Station Building received interior renovations, including updated flooring, walls and services; the work concluded in June. Later that year, construction began on a larger expansion reported at approximately $500 million. The planned program included a hotel, apartments, retail and office space, with announced tenants or components including an Aloft hotel, Pins Mechanical and an R.H. Gallery flagship-format store. These plans reflected an evolution from an open-air retail center toward a more comprehensive mixed-use district. The Easton area has also been described as having longer-term plans for significantly denser development, potentially including thousands of residential units, substantial office space and buildings reaching as high as 40 stories. The proposal would create an urban center distinct from the original low-rise lifestyle-center model. The available reference material does not establish the final status or complete execution of those longer-term plans. Easton Town Center is leased and managed by Steiner & Associates. Its broader ownership and development structure has been described as a partnership involving Limited Brands and The Georgetown Company, although the available material does not provide a current detailed ownership breakdown. The center remains active and is reported to receive more than 30 million visitors per year. Its enduring identity is based on combining national retail anchors, restaurants, services, entertainment, public spaces and recurring events in a designed environment that resembles a functioning town.

• 2023

  American Girl closure announced

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The American Girl store's closure was announced in December, with a planned closing date of February 19, 2024.

• 2018

  Station Building renovation completed

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Renovation of the Station Building concluded in June after updates to interior finishes and services.

• 2018

  Large mixed-use expansion begins

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Construction began on a reported $500 million program involving hotel, apartments, retail and office uses.

• 2015

  Easton Gateway completed

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The newest major district at the time added approximately 500,000 square feet, with Costco among its first openings.

• 2004

  Crate & Barrel location opens

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Crate & Barrel established a location at Easton, adding a major home-furnishings retailer to the tenant mix.

• 2001

  Fashion District opens

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The second major phase, known as the Fashion District, opened in the fall.

• 2000

  First Hollister Co. store opens

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Easton became the location of the first Hollister Co. store.

• 1999

  South District opens

  [1]Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The first phase of Easton Town Center opened in the summer, establishing the outdoor lifestyle-center format and its town-square environment.

A high-traffic, open-air lifestyle and mixed-use destination positioned around town-center design, walkable districts, national retail anchors, dining, entertainment and community-oriented programming.

• Retail real estate · 1999

  Retail districts

  Easton Town Center organizes national and specialty retailers across the South District, Fashion District, North District and Easton Gateway. The tenant base includes department stores, fashion, home furnishings, specialty shops, kiosks and service businesses. The districts use varied building sizes, shared-wall storefronts and outdoor streets to create a town-like retail environment rather than a single enclosed mall.

• Food and beverage · 1999

  Dining and food service

  Restaurants, cafés and food-service operators are integrated throughout Easton's open-air districts and Station Building. Dining is part of the center's broader destination strategy, encouraging visitors to combine shopping with meals, social visits and entertainment.

• Entertainment and placemaking · 1999

  Entertainment and public spaces

  Easton's entertainment offer includes the Station Building's AMC cinema complex, outdoor concerts, holiday events, an interactive fountain and the Easton Express train. Public squares, fountains and event areas give the property a civic and experiential dimension beyond conventional retail.

• Mixed-use retail development · 2015

  Easton Gateway

  Easton Gateway is an expansion district completed in 2015. It added approximately 500,000 square feet and broadened the center's mix with service-oriented tenants, retail and dining. Costco was identified as the first tenant to open in the district.

• Indoor retail and entertainment · 1999

  Station Building

  The Station Building is Easton's principal indoor component. It houses shops and food-service businesses and includes a 30-screen AMC movie theater. The building received renovation work in 2018.

• 2018

  Pursue a major mixed-use expansionStrategy

  Background

  Easton sought to evolve beyond a primarily retail destination by adding hospitality, residential and office components.

  Action taken

  Construction began on a reported $500 million expansion including a hotel, apartments, retail and offices, with announced components such as Aloft, Pins Mechanical and R.H. Gallery.

  Aftermath

  The announcement signaled a shift toward a denser, more comprehensive mixed-use district; the available reference does not establish the final completion status of the full program.

  Reported expansion value. $500 million planned expansion (Announced in late 2018)

  Source

• 2015

  Expand through Easton GatewayStrategy

  Background

  The original districts were extended to accommodate additional commercial uses and a wider tenant mix.

  Action taken

  Easton added Easton Gateway, an approximately 500,000-square-foot district focused partly on service tenants.

  Aftermath

  The expansion increased Easton's scale and reinforced its role as a regional mixed-use destination.

  Source

• 1999

  Adopt an outdoor lifestyle-center formatStrategy

  Background

  The developers pursued an alternative to the conventional enclosed shopping mall in response to late-1990s demographic and retail changes.

  Action taken

  Easton was planned as a self-contained town with open-air streets, public squares, fountains, varied buildings and multiple parking formats.

  Aftermath

  The format made Easton an early prominent lifestyle center and established the place-making model that continues to define its brand.

  Source

1. 1Easton Town Centeren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Easton Town Center official websiteeastontowncenter.com