Kierland Commons

Kierland Commons is a mixed-use lifestyle center in Phoenix, Arizona, near the Scottsdale border and using Scottsdale mailing addresses. The destination combines open-air retail, restaurants, entertainment, services, office space, and residential units in a pedestrian-oriented setting designed around a Main Street-style public realm. It was created as a gathering place for the broader 730-acre Kierland master-planned community, which also includes resort, golf, residential, and other commercial components. Development began in 1995, with Woodbine Development Corporation of Dallas serving as the primary developer. The planning and design team included Design Workshop, which prepared the urban design plan and design guidelines, Communication Arts, which contributed to the project’s identity and communications work, and Nelsen Architects, now known as Nelsen Partners, which developed the building designs. The center was completed in 2000 and is generally recognized as Arizona’s first lifestyle center. Its architectural and landscape approach emphasizes outdoor circulation, storefront-lined streets, public gathering areas, and a neighborhood-scale alternative to the enclosed regional mall format. The retail portion is organized around a central Main Street environment and has included fashion, home furnishings, accessories, specialty retail, dining, and service businesses. The center has been associated with national brands such as Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Coach, Crate & Barrel, Eileen Fisher, J.Crew, Michael Kors, and Tommy Bahama, although tenant rosters can change over time. Barnes & Noble, another former tenant, closed its Kierland Commons location at the end of 2014. The center’s current tenant mix should be verified through its official website because the publicly available historical reference material does not provide a complete current directory. Kierland Commons also contains The Plaza Lofts, a residential component positioned above retail spaces and in an adjoining nine-story tower. The condominium community was developed in two phases and includes loft residences, larger two-bedroom and study layouts, and penthouse units. Residential amenities include controlled-access lobbies, private parking, fitness facilities, community rooms, a heated lap pool, a whirlpool, and an outdoor amenity deck. Signature Properties served as the exclusive residential broker from 2003 through 2013 and continues to provide on-site resale services according to the referenced historical account. Ownership and management have changed over the project’s history. The development was initially associated with Westcor and entered The Macerich Company’s portfolio in 2002. Westcor, a Macerich division, has managed the property, while Woodbine Development Corporation has retained majority ownership according to the cited reference. This ownership and management structure connects the center to Macerich’s broader U.S. portfolio of retail and mixed-use properties without making Kierland Commons a conventional retail chain. The project has received recognition from professional and civic organizations. It was among the winners of the Urban Land Institute’s 2009 Awards for Excellence, selected from projects across the Americas. It also received the Phoenix Valley Forward Association’s 2010 Crescordia Award for Environmental Excellence and a 2004 Honor Award from the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. These recognitions reflect the project’s land-use planning, landscape design, and mixed-use development model. Kierland Commons remains positioned as an upscale, open-air shopping and dining destination serving residents, visitors, resort guests, office users, and the wider Phoenix–Scottsdale market.

Kierland Commons was conceived as the retail and civic gathering component of the larger Kierland master-planned community in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Rather than following the enclosed regional-mall model, the project was planned as an outdoor lifestyle center with a walkable Main Street character. Its design integrates retail storefronts, restaurants, open spaces, residential units, and other mixed-use functions so that the destination could serve both as a shopping venue and as a neighborhood-oriented public place. Construction began in 1995 under the direction of Woodbine Development Corporation, a Dallas-based developer. Design Workshop prepared the urban design plan and design guidelines, while Communication Arts contributed to the project’s communications and identity work. Nelsen Architects, now Nelsen Partners, developed the architectural design. The development was completed in 2000 and became recognized as Arizona’s first lifestyle center, helping establish an open-air, mixed-use format in a market historically associated with enclosed shopping malls and large-scale regional retail. The completed project brought together approximately 600,000 square feet of retail and mixed-use space on a site of roughly 38 acres, according to the historical reference account. Its central streetscape and public areas were intended to create a social environment around shopping and dining rather than simply provide a collection of stores. The destination’s role was reinforced by its proximity to The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Kierland Golf Club, residential neighborhoods, and other elements of the master-planned community. The project’s corporate relationships evolved after opening. Initially associated with Westcor, Kierland Commons became part of The Macerich Company’s portfolio in 2002. Westcor, operating as a Macerich division, has managed the center. The historical account identifies Woodbine Development Corporation as the majority owner, making the property an example of a destination whose ownership and management responsibilities are shared across development and retail-property organizations. The retail mix has included nationally recognized apparel, accessory, home, and lifestyle brands, alongside restaurants and service providers. Historical tenant examples include Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Coach, Crate & Barrel, Eileen Fisher, J.Crew, Michael Kors, and Tommy Bahama. Tenant composition has changed over time, as is typical for a shopping center. Barnes & Noble closed its location at the end of 2014. Residential development expanded the project’s mixed-use character through The Plaza Lofts at Kierland Commons. The residences occupy spaces above the retail district and an adjacent nine-story tower. The first phase was completed in spring 2005 and the second phase in summer 2008. Across the two phases, the community contains 84 residences, including one-bedroom, two-bedroom, study, and penthouse layouts. Its amenities include private parking, controlled-access lobbies, a professional fitness facility, community rooms, a heated lap pool, a whirlpool, and an outdoor amenity deck with seating, fire features, grills, and a water element. Kierland Commons has received several professional awards. In 2004, the Arizona chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects gave the project an Honor Award. The Phoenix Valley Forward Association awarded it a 2010 Crescordia Award for Environmental Excellence. In 2009, the Urban Land Institute selected Kierland Commons as one of its Awards for Excellence winners from a field of projects across the Americas. Together, these distinctions recognize the project’s planning, landscape, environmental, and mixed-use design qualities. The center continues to operate as an open-air retail and mixed-use destination serving the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. Its enduring identity is based on the combination of upscale specialty shopping, restaurants, outdoor public space, and residential uses rather than on a single merchandise category or national retail banner.

• 2014

  Barnes & Noble location closed

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The Barnes & Noble store at the center closed on December 31, 2014.

• 2010

  Crescordia Award for Environmental Excellence

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The Phoenix Valley Forward Association recognized the development with a Crescordia Award for Environmental Excellence.

• 2009

  Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Kierland Commons was selected as one of the Urban Land Institute’s Awards for Excellence winners.

• 2008

  The Plaza Lofts Phase II completed

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The second residential phase, including the adjoining nine-story tower, was completed in summer 2008.

• 2005

  The Plaza Lofts Phase I completed

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The first phase of The Plaza Lofts residential component was completed in spring 2005.

• 2004

  Landscape architecture award

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The Arizona chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects presented Kierland Commons with an Honor Award.

• 2002

  Joined The Macerich Company portfolio

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Kierland Commons became part of The Macerich Company’s portfolio after its earlier association with Westcor.

• 2000

  Kierland Commons completed

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The open-air retail and mixed-use destination was completed and began operating as a Main Street-style lifestyle center.

• 1995

  Construction began

  [1]Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Construction started on the planned mixed-use lifestyle center developed primarily by Woodbine Development Corporation.

An upscale, pedestrian-oriented lifestyle center that combines open-air shopping and dining with residential, office, and community-gathering uses in the Phoenix–Scottsdale market.

• Retail and shopping center · 2000

  Open-air retail district

  The core Kierland Commons offering is an outdoor, Main Street-style retail environment containing specialty apparel, accessories, home furnishings, beauty, services, restaurants, and other lifestyle tenants. The format emphasizes walkability, storefront visibility, outdoor seating, and public gathering spaces rather than enclosed-mall circulation. Historical tenants have included Anthropologie, Banana Republic, Coach, Crate & Barrel, Eileen Fisher, J.Crew, Michael Kors, and Tommy Bahama.

• Restaurants and leisure · 2000

  Dining and entertainment destination

  Restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, and service businesses complement the retail component and support the center’s role as a social destination. Outdoor circulation and shared public areas encourage visitors to combine shopping with meals, meetings, and leisure. The exact restaurant and entertainment roster changes over time and should be checked against the official property directory.

• Residential condominiums · 2005

  The Plaza Lofts at Kierland Commons

  The Plaza Lofts is the residential component of Kierland Commons, with residences above the retail district and in an adjacent nine-story tower. The two-phase community includes one-bedroom, two-bedroom, study, and penthouse layouts. Amenities include private parking, controlled-access lobbies, fitness facilities, community rooms, a heated lap pool, a whirlpool, and a landscaped outdoor amenity deck.

1. 1Kierland Commonsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kierland Commons official websitekierlandcommons.com