Swiss destination has been long-accustomed to hosting kings After over 150 years of elegantly cruising at the top Moritz – the world's original ski resort – is finally starting to move with the times olde-world nirvana of grand epicurea and vertiginous pleasure where fur coats dominated local mufti and guests were expected to dress in black tie for dinner (in hotels that have been around since the Victorian era) suddenly feels young again Yes, the heavenly Engadin destination once boasted Switzerland's first electric lights (1878) and some of the Alps' maverick electrically powered ski lifts (1935). It's also been long-accustomed to hosting kings, writers, aristocrats, stars and tsars as its guests – Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Shah of Iran Roger Moore and Brigitte Bardot were all very happy to keep St Stuffiness and dress codes are out – art galleries popup dining and experimental cocktails are in There's even a new hotel – incredibly Built in 1906 by Swiss architect Nicolaus Hartmann (whose work is still present all across the Grisons canton from Davos and Klosters and Arosa to Flims and Pontresina) the original La Margna hotel was intended as a companion construction to Hartmann's Gare de St and the starting point of the Rhaetian Railway The building has a prime position on Via Serlas the main drag that winds upwards in a snow-dusted Rodeo Drive of luxury consumerism – Miu Miu and at least 15 shops where you can still buy fur Yet it went unoccupied for a decade until it was saved from dereliction by the Grace Hotels group From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox Hartmann's five-star hostelry is re-established as one of the town's finest and most happening locations – no gothic regulations or rigorous dress codes here vaulted ceilings and Engadin craftsmanship aesthetic remains by Divercity Architects in collaboration with designer Carole Topin Contemporary artworks by Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst sit aside furniture by Molteni&C and Pierre Frey carpeting monolith granite and Moleanos limestone in the new wing extension Moritz and the namesake Piz da la Margna in the distance are uninterrupted and spectacular from every window (although the panoramic vista from the Sainte Claire-designed spa's hot tub just squeaks top billing) bucking the tradition of many local hotels that close for the spring "Wealthy people begin to crave experience over consumerism – and St Moritz is certainly a highly elevated experience" The hotel's party piece is the N/5 cocktail lounge with its seven-metre-long Carrara marble bar and a stage for live performances Mixologist confections are served from a menu masquerading as a pack of tarot cards; choose from "The Hanged Man" and "The Devil" Après-ski diners can go from the Piz Corvatsch slopes straight to Stüvetta Moritz – a cosy elevated street-food cabin that does a mean rösti and deer carpaccio with a truffle dressing the house pour is neither German nor Swiss wine but – Gott im Himmel – posh English fizz from Sussex-based vineyard Gusbourne tech-bro types in their 30s are coming to St was proud to have the highest percentage of non-skiing visitors and pedestrian-accessible lifts anywhere in the Alps a younger clientele and new thinking are in evidence all over town had been keen to attract the next generation of free-spending Moritzers with techno music festivals and a gourmet food week in the summer Techno superstars Camelphat and Lilly Palmer headline St Moritz's bi-annual Sunice festival in April flown over to the hotel as the marque's special guests after each having spent upwards of €25K on a single bottle of single malt at some point during the year Moritz for seven or eight years now," says Borwick "And every year my impression is that the money's getting younger Moritz snow polo (its white playing field is visible from the bar) is now one of those must-attend "Wealthy people often have enough watches and houses – they begin to crave experience over consumerism," he says Moritz is certainly a highly elevated experience." A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Simon Mills is Life & Times Editor of The Blend America's largest mall owner plans to hand over the keys to one of its signature Philadelphia locations giving up on finding ways to pay off the $290M in securitized debt tied to the property The mall, located just west of Interstate 95 in northeast Philadelphia off Woodhaven Road, has had its debt maturity extended at least twice, Jonathan Ramel, vice president at Morningstar Credit Cash flow and vacancy issues have beset the mall for years which fell into receivership in 2012 after occupancy dipped down below 82% Greenwich Capital first originated the loan for the property in 2007 In addition to cash flow and vacancy issues that have beset the mall for years two anchor tenant leases are set to expire this year AMC Theatres' 68K SF deal will expire by the end of the year “That is going to have a residual effect if those leases aren't renewed or extended,” Ramel said when it went through its first iteration and it lost some big tenants Once the keys are handed over and another appraisal is set the new deed holder will have to decide on whether to try to help the mall recover or sell it altogether The $290M debt was split from two A notes into the current $120M A1 note as well as a $80M A2 note The notes’ due date for repayment was extended in 2019 and again in 2020 amid the pandemic Philadelphia Mills was appraised at $370M in April 2007 after Simon took ownership of the mall via its acquisition of Mills Corp the city assessed the property’s value at $101M Last year, Philadelphia Mills brought in $19.5M in revenue, a 15% drop from nearly $23M in 2022, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported Simon has consistently made interest payments on the A notes through June and owed a $259M balance on the Philadelphia Mills property The company left Philadelphia Mills out of its annual report to shareholders in February Simon representatives didn't respond to requests for comment Ramel said that despite retail's overall recovery as an asset class malls that aren't considered in the upper echelon are still at risk of falling into distress “It’s come to a time where tier-two and tier-three malls recover and then fall back down,” Ramel said which is one of the top malls in the country and they're just going to look at this and say that this mall is not a core asset anymore.” You are subscribed to the Bisnow Philadelphia Newsletter or click here to copy link to clipboard We will email you a link to reset your password Upcoming regulations in the European Union require us to show this pop-up and ask you to agree to keep using Bisnow.com We want to take 15 seconds to tell you what's going on: Vans West End in London ramps up its skateboarding credentials with a design by Andrea Caputo Studio The connections between architectural form and skateboarding go back to the beginnings of the sport – modernist ideals brutalist aesthetics and adapted materials all contributing to a more radical in the basement areas beneath London’s Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall that architect Norman Engleback’s application of smooth connected concrete zones and ramped walls of a decade earlier first encouraged a skating community that continues to thrive today Engleback’s Undercroft is even recreated in the Tony Hawk Pro Skating 4 video game skateboarding’s London architecture adventure makes another radical progression with a new Vans West End store that merges retail and community space thanks to a monumental Designed by Milan-based architecture firm Andrea Caputo Studio and constructed from a steel frame and a single block of travertine stone the multi-transition ramp is an extended half-pipe configuration running the entire length of the Oxford Street store It comprises a quarter with pool coping at one end before ending on a ceiling-scraping vertical The mini indoor park’s fully mobile and interchangeable travertine modules can be deployed for seating and merchandise display for Vans’ cult footwear and accessories when not in use for skating Green epoxy injected into the stone’s veins and natural faults and polished on site creates colour and provides extra grip for skaters’ wheels ‘The epoxy creates a new conversation with the Vans brand and makes a direct connection with the skaters themselves.’ Designed with the collaborative input of the Vans skate team – including Martino Cattaneo Willow Voges Fernandes and Jordan Thackeray – the ramp will be the beating heart of the store demos and open skate sessions by the Vans team and local skate schools For Vans’ retail displays and art exhibitions their fronts given a carved appearance via a process that echoes the grinding effect of riding skateboard trucks (the metal parts) on ramps The Lovenskate collective’s series of decks and posters is currently on show The store’s industrial concrete floor and exposed-duct ceiling echo the brutalism and industrial style of Engleback’s Queen Elizabeth Hall we wanted to generate a tension between neutrality and functionality so we took an anti-design approach,’ says Caputo ‘We did what we needed to do but we didn’t over-do or over-design.’ ‘Integrity and progression were key to the project's success,’ adds Andreas Olsson vice president and general manager of Vans EMEA ‘Skateboarding is the Vans DNA and it was really important to build something real and credible that is 100 per cent authentic for the best skaters in London Hijacking traditional materials and adding epoxy means insane speed and new opportunities for grinding.’ transitions and even wallies (wall rides),’ says Vans skater Helena Long ‘The travertine is insane – the type of material I remember going on skate treasure hunts for escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox Cheryl's Girls Aloud bandmates and James Corden also joined the late singer's family at the service Cheryl, members of One Direction and Simon Cowell were among those in attendance at Liam Payne’s funeral today (November 20), just over a month after the singer died, aged 31 The private service took place in the town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire near the village of Chalfont St Giles where Payne lived Cheryl, who shares seven-year-old son Bear with Payne, was alongside the star’s former One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson while Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy was present too Also among the mourners were Simon Cowell, One Direction’s former label boss who played a role in putting them together on The X Factor in 2010, and his fiancée Lauren Silverman, Cheryl’s Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, Adrian Chiles, James Corden CREDIT: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images Payne’s coffin arrived at St Mary’s Church on a white horse-drawn hearse featuring floral tributes spelling the words ‘son’ and ‘daddy,’ with other floral tributes including one in the shape of bowling pins and a ball a reference to one of Payne’s favourite activities four pallbearers carried the coffin from the church While a small grouping of locals gathered outside the church fans generally stayed away from the ceremony Pallbearers carry the coffin of Liam Payne out of St Mary’s church following his funeral service A floral tribute at Payne’s funeral service Payne died on October 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel room in Buenos Aires with an autopsy confirming that the singer had suffered internal and external bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries In a statement following his death, his family said: “We are heartbroken Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind and other famous faces shared tributes of their own on social media “Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7 year old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.” A post shared by Cheryl (@cherylofficial) “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17 year old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know that you were my friend and that I loved.” A post shared by @harrystyles A post shared by Zayn Malik (@zayn) “I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.” A post shared by Niall Horan (@niallhoran) A post shared by Louis Tomlinson (@louist91) The surviving One Direction members issued a joint statement too, writing: “We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever In an obituary, NME described Payne as a “One Direction star who helped spark a pop phenomenon,” adding: “Admirable candour and a constant desire to push forward are only part of his legacy who is survived by family including his son Bear played a pivotal role in making One Direction a worldwide phenomenon who turned a generation of young people into pop fans As befits a star who rose to fame in the social media era memes and memories that will be cherished for many years to come.” The world’s defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what’s new and what’s next since 1952 Help Account Gail Simone and Kevin Eastman are headlining Rebellion’s panels at San Diego Comic Con this year – just part of its presence at the massive US comics show The publisher of the legendary 2000 AD returns to the greatest comics and culture show on Earth with high-profile guests Celebrating 35 years since the debut of his groundbreaking industry-changing work on Celtic-lore fantasy series Sláine: The Horned God Simon Bisley will be Rebellion’s guest of honour at San Diego Comic Con And Bisley will join Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator Kevin Eastman for an unmissable panel as they discuss the swords and legacy of one of comics’ most rock’n’roll anthologies To celebrate the release of her revival of the classic horror series for young women the game-changing Gail Simone (Birds of Prey Red Sonja) will be signing copies of the brand new Misty anthology as well as joining Simon Bisley on the official 2000 AD panel and heading up a panel focusing on the twin worlds of horror and romance comics Rebellion and 2000 AD will once again be at the heart of the San Diego show floor This year’s show-exclusive edition is the complete Rogue Trooper: Blighty Valley and features a stunning brand new cover by artist Francesco Francavilla (The Black Beetle Batman) in a hardcover collection from Garth Ennis (The Boys Preacher) and Patrick Goddard (Battle Action Judge Dredd) featuring 2000 AD’s legendary blue-skinned Genetic Infantryman This edition will be exclusively available at Booth #2121 at San Diego Comic Con and for 2000 AD subscribers to purchase direct through the 2000 AD webshop from 1 July The stunning 35th anniversary edition of Pat Mills and Simon Bisley’s The Horned God will be available from the Rebellion booth in both over-sized paperback and breathtaking three-volume slipcase editions over-sized collection features art scanned from the original archive film and printed at a size closely matching Bisley’s original artwork – giving readers the opportunity to see the greatest Sláine epic in unparalleled detail There will also be limited copies of Misty the classic horror series for young women revived in a brand new 48-page anthology featuring megastar writer Gail Simone alongside Carola Borelli (The Deadliest Bouquet Aly Fell (A Trick of the Light) and Marianna Ignazzi (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Letty Wilson (Owl People) with a spectacularly spooky cover from Eisner-winning artist Tula Lotay (Barnstormers) The booth will have free collectible tote bags featuring the Judge Dredd art of Robin Smith free poster tubes sporting an iconic Judge Dredd cover by Brian Bolland and free copies of Rebellion’s huge range of comic book titles Comics fans shouldn’t miss this year’s three incredible Rebellion panels Heavy Metal Comics With Simon Bisley & Kevin Eastman Make some noise for comics’ rock ‘n’ roll superstars – Simon Bisley and Kevin Eastman – as they discuss the swords and legacy of one of comics history’s most beloved Roxy and Misty: Horror and Romance Collide Gail Simone heads up a fantastic panel of creators and critics to explore the worlds of 2000 AD‘s incredible new genre anthologies Misty and Roxy: from reviving classic scares to kickstarting spicy stories of love and intrigue 2000 AD: The Galaxy’s Greatest Panel Comics superstars Simon Bisley and Gail Simone headline a panel of top talent to talk about the powerhouse of comics and its new and classic comics: from horror and romance to war and fantasy Featuring exclusive announcements from across Rebellion’s exciting comics range And to make sure that fans unable to attend don’t succumb to FOMO the Rebellion webshop will also be celebrating San Diego Comic Con with exclusive Sláine: The Horned God T-shirts featuring Simon Bisley’s unmistakable art in fresh new designs So stay tuned for dates and times for our fantastic schedule of panels and signings – with so much going on for San Diego Comic Con it truly will be an unmissable and Thrill-powered year Rebellion/2000 AD will be at Booth #2121 in the main show hall at San Diego Comic Con from Previews Night on 24 July until close on Sunday 28 July Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every week Sign up for access to 100s of pages of free digital comics the new Courchevel restaurant inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s muse is playfully elevated by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s pop art branding he’s known for his ongoing collaboration with entrepreneur Gilles Malafosse and chef Benoit Dargère on Loulou finding a ski-in/ski-out destination at the Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges Courchevel de Castelbajac's cute illustrations adorning everything from the menu to the sugar pots Even the restaurant’s signature amuse-bouche – a warming pre-lunch clear broth – is served in a Castelbajac-designed bottle that nods to Ricard’s classic glass receptacles of the 1970s ‘My brother [Gilles Malafosse] had known Jean-Charles’ designs for over 20 years,’ says Claire Malafosse, artistic director of the Loulou group. After seeing de Castelbajac’s distinctive angel characters on the walls of Paris’ Gare du Nord and Société de Géographie Gilles asked the artist to create a logo for Loulou its appearance changing for each of the restaurant’s various locations Mediterranean Loulou at Ramatuelle is a sun seeker with sunglasses made of lemon halves Signature dishes on executive chef Benoit Dargère’s menu are similarly classic The Malafosses and the Hôtel Barrière Les Neiges wanted to create a terrace with a dazzling view and the atmosphere of ‘a family chalet’ somewhere between the Rocky Mountains and the Dolomites and commissioned Paris-based interior architect Corinne Sachot to decorate the new Loulou Creating a narrative around the Loulou character ‘and her new mountain home’ Sachot designed a vast curtain separating the restaurant from the hotel – behind it while textiles – in tartan checks and variations of the mountains’ fiery red geraniums and poppies Alpine currants and strawberries – are by Jules et Jim and Galerie Michele Aragon of Paris ‘Loulou’s furniture tells a story,’ explains Sachot Loulou becomes a warm and cosy fairy tale of flowers and fruits.’ The fantasy continues downstairs in the reception’s kilim-upholstered lounge where a roaring and playful Hellmouth fireplace in the style of 16th-century Italian Renaissance painter Giulio Romano IMPLODED STOCKS Brick & Mortar Meltdown Simon Property Group [SPG] whose mall count has been shrinking for a over a decade is planning to walk away from another mall to add to the series of malls it sent back to lenders since before the pandemic the 1.7 million square-foot Philadelphia Mills outlet mall Simon Property’s brand name – “A Simon Center” – has already been removed from the mall entrance according to locals talking about it on Reddit according to the Philadelphia Business Journal The lenders are holders of Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) The debt has been in and out of special servicing even before the pandemic When Simon bought the property in 2007 as part of this acquisition of Mills Corp the property was appraised at $370 million The City of Philadelphia has recently assessed the property value at $101 million But when the original mortgage of $278 million was securitized in 2007 buyers of the CMBS felt pretty good about the $278 million loan being backed by $370 million in collateral Simon is now in talks with the special servicer to hand over the mall to let the CMBS holders worry about the losses and what to do with the mall Leases of two of the anchor tenants at Philadelphia Mills expire this year: Burlington Coat Factory’s in August (129,000 square feet), and AMC Theaters’ by the end of 2024 (68,000 square feet). AMC has been in a years-long battle to survive by hook or crook the movie theater meltdown Marshalls’ lease (70,000 square feet) will expire If those leases aren’t renewed or extended, “That is going to have a residual effect,” Jonathan Ramel, VP at Morningstar Credit, told Bisnow The original 2007 mortgage matured in 2019 but was extended for a year; it then was extended again in 2020 during the pandemic But Simon paid interest through June on a $200 million portion of the loan There are also a B1 note ($54 million) and a B2 note ($36 million) The CMBS delinquency rate for mortgages backed by mall properties rose to 6.4% in June as the balance of delinquent loans rose by $525 million including four mall loans with balances of over $100 million each This likely doesn’t yet include the $200 million in Simon loans because the interest was current through June Simon walked away from malls across the US since before the pandemic, including Independence Center near Kansas City, Missouri, which in 2019 generated what was then the largest loss ever for mall CMBS holders Simon has also sold malls, including to the public. Since 2012, it has shed 122 shopping centers of all types, or 38% of all its shopping centers, going from 317 shopping centers in its annual report for 2012 to just 195 in its Q1 2024 Supplement Enjoy reading WOLF STREET and want to support it Enter your email address to receive notifications of new articles by email Tags: Email to a friend I remember reading something in the 90’s that the US had almost twice as much retail real estate per capita as the rest of the world I knew there was trouble coming when my parents (in their early 80’s at the time were buying most things online) I predict we will still have a lot of pain ahead in the retail sector In the last ten years I have just been to a mall once (I had an appointment to get a new iPhone battery installed for free under warranty at an Apple store) There needs to be a lot of investor pain here it needs to happen to all of these investors who’ve bought homes to rent & driven up prices No one should have any sympathy for these people I sympathize with the citizens of Barcelona protesting against all of the AirBnB especially when you consider the growing wealth gap that investment properties cause We are nearing a major tipping point in terms of insurance & property taxes If the hurricane season is as bad as what it’s expected to be we may be looking at large swaths of the SE coastline being unaffordable in terms of insurance over the next 2-3 years I hope your problems spill over into residential housing by next year I see supply of residential RE has gotten MUCH better in the past few weeks but what I’m really seeing is more supply I’m cheap and I’m talking the $200-250k bracket but I look at both houses and condos and I do look over wide swaths of the country where these listings exist in the first place (ie not HCOL cities or California) and I’m aware the plural of *anecdote* is not *data* because of the consequences of mal investment or not paying attention “Free” money and regs kill the concept and create large pools of “fools” who then bellyache when they get that big haircut it looks like we have just started to exit an unprecedented run of “good times” and now dealing with the resulting “bad businessmen” Wolf’s list of imploded stocks seems to illustrate the point Investment properties aren’t any more responsible for the wealth gap than any other asset class They contribute to the lack of affordable housing in some areas so you need to advocate for government intervention in that regard but real estate investors should not be vilified any more than stock market investors and if they make a bad investment then eventually it will come home to roost You can’t just “get out” of a real estate investment as easily as most other assets Now you’ve gotta get a little further off the beaten path but it’s still there… They’re at the dollar stores and Wal-Mart super centers How can this loan be considered current when SPG is only paying interest on $200 million of the total $278 million Did the A1 & A2 notes agree to interest only and the B1 & B2 notes agree to roll interest into principal(or forgive all interest) If so the extend and pretend makes the CMBS delinquency rate look to be a questionable statistic Also I didn’t know the special servicer could discriminate as to terms among the various tranches…thoughts anyone The mortgage is cut into four different pieces SPG paid interest on the two A notes through June and the A notes ($200 million) would therefore still have been current in June I couldn’t get any info on the status of the B notes If SPG stopped making payments on them earlier they would already be part of the June delinquency rate here is another more local CMBS story to sink your teeth into: the Parkmerced complex in MRCD 2019-PARK and MRCD 2019-PRKC Rarer story of San Fran multifamily having issues with substantial land development rights on the line as well Appears MF CMBS delinquency is trending upwards also how many people are really spending money zt the mall we go to the mall often as it has a play areas and ac (temps are in the 100s with jo relief) Only real expense is getting the kids ice cream This seems like a similar pattern for some of the other regular parents Costs for everything are up and our pay does not keep pace I think most people spend quite a bit at the mall if they do go The problem is that mall is expensive and when disposable income shrinks due to higher inflation Another problem for the mall is that people can and will “browse” but instead of a sale it will result in “I can get these cheaper online” There’s even a term for that; showrooming Weak offspring are tossed under Darwin’s bus — and business models are evolving faster and faster — if you fall behind you die these mall structures are like mines that are essentially decommissioned or capped oil wells that are unproductive — and of course all these developers are their own worst enemies because they overbuild capacity and continually rely on the perpetual motion machine of building obsolete structures The added dynamic is time and demographic trends — generational technology shifts that generate more efficiencies this is also a story about “AI” — because groups of investors chase cash and they engineer new mines — find ways to exploit and extract revenue from some activity — but at the heart of this is the tsunami of cash that ends up chasing each others consumers It’s a pie that gets cut into too many thin slices Too many malls trying to sell the same stuff to too few people it’s backward inflation— there’s no shortage but instead everyone hoping to extract something unique from the same place and pretend there’s scarcity — that’s the key metric in chasing cash — scarcity adds value Mall developers do not have scarcity and their underwhelming spaces have no future value One thing CRE and the oil industry have in common: they have no discipline they will oversupply the market and crash prices Our once ‘bankrupt soon’ huge mall was repurposed 15 years ago just before it went under It now houses all the boats and RVs that cannot be parked in the new condo parking lots or new subdivisions that new wealthy blow ins live in those people who sold up and fled cities like Toronto and Vancouver and reset on Vancouver Island It also provides a place for the homeless to camp behind A while ago I saw a guy showering up at a tap by the only remaining mall grocery store The situation; wealthy newcomers needing toy storage meet up with the displaced and addicted homeless but it seems to me that defaulting on such a large debt would adversely impact the credit worthiness of SPG How would they ever find a bank or group of investors willing to give them money ever again What bank/investor group is going to be the chump who hands over millions to Simon the next time they need financing He bankrupted many times and yet was always able to get financing after those bankruptcies which is somewhat common and why people use llcs If a deal goes bad like you have a store lease in a mall but the owner keeps raising the rent and won’t let you expand to make those payments you drain the llc of most of the money and let it go bk which breaks the lease Happened to a friend’s dad whom had a pet store at a mall If it is a “no-recourse” loan the mortgaged property is the sole collateral for the loan and the lender can’t go after SPG’s other assets Both the lender and the borrower understand the consequences should the collateral not be as valuable as the loan is there nothing wrong with the repeated phrase “walking away from debts” for context it would be very helpful to see what percentage of total retail sales are from e-commerce FYI: “walking away from debts” was used only ONCE in the article namely in the headline (there were two “walk/walked away from malls” – “malls” not “debts” – in the text of the article) All you have to do is click on the link I gave you in the ecommerce paragraph of the article and you would have found an article rich in info and data about the growth of ecommerce and the decline of non-ecommerce retail and all this is from the article you refused to click on because you were afraid of the vicious data https://wolfstreet.com/2024/05/17/ecommerce-still-hot-rest-of-retail-stagnates-walmart-us-ecommerce-sales-22-credits-convenience-for-success-with-higher-income-people/ The share of ecommerce sales rose to 15.9% the highest since the lockdown miracle of Q2 2020 as ecommerce continues to eat an ever-bigger slice of the retail pie: The rest of retail trade sales without ecommerce has close-to-stagnated for nearly two years sales rose only 0.3% year-over-year to $1.53 trillion we’re going to get to Walmart – the second largest ecommerce retailer in the US but far behind Amazon – which reported earnings yesterday Ecommerce sales at Walmart US soared by 22% And here are sales at brick-and-mortar department stores. … This illustrates an aspect of the phenomenon we have come to call Brick-and-Mortar Meltdown since 2016: Part of retail has been sheltered from ecommerce attacks It always amazes me that the working class is so asleep at the switch there isn’t a revolt on this issue alone They’re in the way of modernizing the way we buy new cars They probably solved a problem when they were first passed back in the day Simon is a very greedy company that is getting what it deserves Simon is one of the very best managed companies and is very profitable The ‘very profitable’ comment is true and is exactly why businesses in malls are failing and shutting down at unprecedented rates as Simon bilks its lessees for all they got and more then they close down and simply go out of business That’s not ‘well-managed.’ Morningstar rates spg as exceptional management they should go out of business or go elsewhere You’re trying to demonize something because… it’s in business and trying to make a profit then the market should respond by not accepting the terms Regulations are needed to protect the capitalist system – it isn’t the enemy of capitalism and eventually will be overthrown or beheaded They were as concerned about the solvency and ability for a tenant to do well and prosper as much as they were about making a profit Her company is the same; they want to screen tenants who won’t make ends meet and still make a profit If they demand inordinate amounts for rent Demonizing is just trying to off-load your anger or frustration I’m not sure that was demonizing and you seem to be confusing property managers on a micro and macro level Local managers might be concerned about their tenants ability to survive those stores will still close because the rent is too high Simon has been criticized by industry insiders for decades and they have no scruples- as Wolf has proven with these jingle mail articles This allows them to remain profitable and it isn’t their fault fools agreed to terms which benefited Simon I’m more partial to thinking demonizing is a moral judgment and it’s so easy to demonize a morally bankrupt company like SPG Ever since banks were no longer required to hold a portion of their loans I agree completely – banks should be forced to eat their own cooking and keep a significant proportion of the loans they issue it would require more skin in the game for banks they would call out the unethical actions of their colleagues Under capitalism aren’t companies supposed to be greedy They are literally designed to make money for their owners I think companies should be looking to make the most money they legally can for their owners However I also believe companies should be well regulated to temper the problems that come from companies only focused on the bottom line capitalism is more about expanding consumer choices than it is about greed Those who invent better choices for consumers are “rewarded” by their customers with revenues Talented managers are allowed to convert those revenues to personal profit The best regulation comes in the form of incentives for self regulation progressive corporate tax rates would increase competition and reduce aggregation I’d rather have that than a bloated ineffective anti trust agency that has to go to three levels of the court system and be continually outgunned When a group of companies all agree to sell their goods for a certain price When a group of workers all agree to sell their labor for a certain price that’s unionization and is celebrated …and when a group of bankers and economists collude to effect the price of credit (i.e I see no difference between a union trying to maximize it members pay and a company trying to maximize their owners bottom line I misunderstood your reply to SCBD about “greed,” I think It’ll be interesting to see how the recent Chevron Deference ruling effects the regulatory plumbing in the US (including regulation of the US banking function) It seems to open the door for legal challenges to the innumerable regulations on the books in every industry Competition is the primary regulator in Capitalism—not shake down Government agencies Monopolies need regulation when necessary-utilities ex Obviously folks will be chary about malls but re: Simon there is no recourse in most large RE mortgages Note the big spin off was not by Simon to the public but to an outfit: Washington Prime Group Simon Property Group is responsible only to the shareholders of SPG If it thinks an asset is likely to decline in value long- term its duty to ITS shareholders is to move on Wolf: We went to malls so that we could see and obtain the product immediately in a relaxing atmosphere there was the Sears catalog with “good best” that the Sears buyers truly discerned were actually that and the product would arrive relatively rapidly from the warehouse (today’s “fulfillment center” though staffed with the same warehouse workers (lol) I see no improvement other than an electronic catalog and somevlimited buyer pre-screening services although some vendors do list what is popular What is going to happen is people will spend all their money on mostly food transportation (actual vehicle not just fuel) and shelter with no discretionary left for e-commerce anyway; then they will go back to the paper catalogs as “wish lists “ “…with no discretionary left for e-commerce anyway;” A lot of these malls have ‘timed-out on the structural integrity of the reinforced concrete . 50 years of hard cycling like that has it’s toll along with the inevitable microcracking and it was made with a ‘calculated lifetime’ that should be part of the approved record. Of course one could reduce the structure down to a single floor with a new roof. I feel there is going to be so great opportunities in the mall space for discretionary buyers Obviously not at the valuations of their current loans but buyers with deep pockets can get some great deals I am not saying that the areas will continue to be used as shopping malls but for most of them the land does have some value as they are often in great locations Maybe they get converted to office space or residential Someone will figure out a way to unlock the value of a great location and they will make a killing buying these malls at depressed prices There are two types of malls I do see succeeding going forward The first is a mall filled with stores where service is just as important if not more important than the product they sell phone stores or high end watch/jewelry/clothing stores In these cases people go there for the service or it is a product that can’t be easily sold online The second type of mall is the entertainment mall and other forms of entertainment (casinos? These are places that will provide an all in one night out for couples or groups of friends go to a club and then hit a bar afterwards etc they provide a synergy among having all of the entertainment for the night out in one area Obviously this would not include all current malls There are too many and some are not in the right areas Those will be repurposed into something else I just feel there is going to be lots of opportunity here for someone to pick up some great assets at cheap prices if they are willing to look upon them as more than just “shopping malls” Malls have huge parking lots and are cheap to bulldoze such as a grocery store plus some smaller stores but it’s a slow process that can take years which is just a fraction of the collateral value or land value minus cost to remove the building Unless the shopping center had a gas station on it most of which is parking lots with nearly nothing on it But taking down an office tower in the middle of downtown that’s expensive for a small plot of land All urban land that is being redeveloped has something on it Old gas stations are complicated because you have to pay for remediation of the contaminated soil beneath it you cannot even give away the land of an old gas station that’s not such a huge problem because you have to dig down deep for the foundations and the parking garage anyway and that takes care of part of the costs of soil remediation The value of the land is negotiated between buyer and seller Near me they have bulldozed many malls and underutilized strip malls to build five story apartments with retail on main level I’m not convinced the retail does that well in these new complexes The ones that have parking offer crowded ramps with tight spaces to navigate I imagine these retail businesses could be hit hard “Costco is 10x less stressful.” Costco is THE most stressful place I go to The stress of crossing the city by car coming and going the family outings that clog up the areas where they give free samples aisles you cannot get through because people have nothing better to do with their lives than clogging up aisles just like I get a root canal when I have to I’ve been a member for 34 years straight Still a member but only for a few specific items and dread my once a month visit they’re pestering me almost daily with email ads I think they’re going to kill their goose that laid its golden eggs I get my usual picks online with free COSTCO delivery “I get my usual picks online with free COSTCO delivery” The delivery is “free” but their online prices are higher than their in-store prices I just think that mall land is more valuable than people realize because usually malls are in great locations and are huge It is really hard to find large tracts of land in great locations I think there is still some “community meeting place” value to mall areas people still like having large open spaces where they can walk and enjoy themselves I just feel like there is potential to spaces like that so someone will figure out a way to exploit that but there is too much potential there and someone will make a killing although this is a niche: sales tax arbitrage My local mall is right on the NH side of the MA/NH border; MA has 6.25% sales tax and NH has no sales tax Guess which state most of the license plates in this mall are from… I am a very unsophisticated investor and I enjoy these articles and posts that give me more insight on how things work Simon Property Group (SPG) stock is up over 20% in the past year and could do well if interest rates fall State Street and BlackRock combined hold about 31% of the stock with the Central Bank of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund Norges Bank having 5% It has been said that large index stock funds like Vanguard’s cause inertia and provide stock price stability to the markets over all and I suspect this also applies to asset classes like REITs and CRE and even individual stocks I also suspect that firms like SPG are well diversified I see that SPG has a deal to help BP create EV charging stations (BP plus) I appreciate your continued coverage of the ongoing “Mallpocalypse” Wolf Readers may find it instructive where the echoes of it may play out in the current CRE crisis not least with regard to just how long the “extend and pretend” process can go on before it’s fully resolved dow has now rallied 27% since the end of october based on rate cuts that haven’t even happened yet the same rate cuts are being priced in over and over again gold and everything else is now priced for zirp or even nirp if the central banks consider it in their mandate to rein in speculation Here’s a great example of how a public mall is being transformed into a place for wealthy investors — pretty sad really how these social centers are morphing into antisocial icons Kushner Companies is tearing down the vacant JCPenney and Lord & Taylor to make room for 1,000 luxury apartments Officials said Thursday they were working to make sure Eatontown residents get the first opportunities to live in the new apartments.” I think this is definitely a trend — supercharged by online dystopian social engagement and polarized communities that will focus future investments into more narrow projects how these social centers are morphing into antisocial icons.” These investors are replacing a zombie mall with 1,000 new housing units You people complain about a housing shortage and you people complain when investors fund the construction of new housing units An overabundance of new housing supply is exactly what is needed to bring/keep prices/rents down Who else do you think is going to fund construction of new multifamily housing you put up a lot of money up front and hope for some kind of return through yield or sales years later Sometimes this fails and the project goes bust and you lose your money And sometimes it succeeds and you make some money The main thing is to fund construction of new housing units I see there’s fairly decent balance in NJ for developing both fair housing opportunities and luxury Abandoned malls are ripe for redevelopment and good for communities I was just ruminating about their social function “The Mount Laurel Doctrine refers to a series of landmark state Supreme Court decisions that outlawed exclusionary zoning practices and required all towns in New Jersey to provide their fair share of the region’s affordable housing.” Lower income people rent in older cheaper apartment buildings that might have been promoted as “luxury apartments” many decades ago (1970s garden apartment complex with pool Lower income people generally don’t buy $100,000 new trucks They buy a $20-year old truck that’ll do the job I have not been in a mall in at least ten years They could all disappear as far as I am concerned I get my daily dose of shopping at my neighborhood H‑E‑B the greatest grocery store in the country What’s in any way special about a HEB They’re a low-end grocery store that only has locations in Texas HEB has good selection and quality at affordable prices This just goes to show how little you know about H‑E‑B They also have 79 stores in northern Mexico No grocery store in the country has a more devoted following Simon has essentially picked their best performing assets and committed all their attention/capital to them If you’re a mall on their “give back to the lender” list you have typically already been neglected from a leasing and capital improvements aspect for years San Jose & Silicon Valley +67%; San Francisco metro +43% (highest April since at least 2016) Active Listings compared to April 2019: Jacksonville +23% The cashflow of Customs and Excise Taxes has nearly doubled in two months The millions of immigrants that arrived in 2021-2024 finally get picked up in the data for labor force and total employment Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: The company is adding to its presence in the metro Nashville area one of the fastest-growing cities in the US The company said that it has purchased a large site at the intersection of I-65 and I-840 in Thompson’s Station which once again has been named one of the fastest-growing cities in the US Construction of the luxury shopping and lifestyle centre is expected to begin in 2026 Initial plans call for up of 75 “best-in-class” retailers with the potential to add residential options “We look forward to bringing our distinctive luxury outlet shopping experience to metro Nashville an area we know well and have long served,” said Gary Duncan Simon’s President of Premium Outlets and The Mills “It’s one of our country’s most dynamic and fastest growing markets.” Simon said it expects the centre to draw residents and tourists from around the state and region The company is collaborating on the project with Nashville-based Adventurous Journeys (“AJ”) Capital Partners known for its work in hospitality and real estate development Simon currently operates Opry Mills and The Mall at Green Hills in the Nashville metro The company reports that Opry Mills – the region’s largest outlet mall at 1.2 million square feet – draws customers from all 50 states and features than 200 stores and 20 restaurants Simon operates The Mall at Green Hills through a joint venture with Taubman Realty Group “This project represents a significant investment in our town and has the potential to enhance local amenities create jobs and strengthen our economy,” said Thompson’s Station Mayor Brian Stover “We look forward to working with the developers to ensure this project is a tremendous success.” Contact us: info@rli.uk.com 2012 at 2:30 pm CTThere have been whispers about it for a couple months now but it's finally been announced to the public president and CEO of Asset Services for the company Louis Outlet Mall more accurately reflects the mall's roster of stores and entertainment venues The name change appeared on the property's Facebook page the first week in September still management was mum about any sort of sale Simon Property Group (Simon) acquired St Louis Outlet Mall through a merger with the Mills Corp With the announcement of the new management Woodmont also said it's leasing the property; however it doesn't appear Simon is still the owner Simon representatives would not comment on the sale Louis Premium Outlets project in Chesterfield When Patch reached out to Woodmont about its plans for St Meno said the company has no plans to purchase the property "The ownership of the property transferred at the end of August and we manage/lease the property for the new owner," he said Although Meno would not say who purchased the property he did say the new ownership name "is a special purpose entity that was established to own the property.” Meno said his company has goals for the 1.2 million-square-foot center that opened in 2003 "Our plans are to increase the occupancy and the value of the property by building upon the existing merchandising mix that is currently represented at the property," he said It  has typical outlet stores but also has a skate park Louis Blues use as their practice facility Mall signage is being changed to note the new name which also will be used in advertising this holiday season Ross Dress for Less will open its new store at the St Louis Outlet Mall during the first part of 2013 Woodmont, based in Fort Worth TX operates more than 16 million square feet of enclosed regional malls outlet centers and open-air shopping centers nationwide Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Lifestyle Sign up for the best picks from our travel I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Nowhere is the stark contrast between caners and trainers more obvious than on the Ibiza Town to San Antonio road at dawn on a Tuesday in August This is chucking- out time for Sven Väth's Cocoon slot at Amnesia which for many of the island's clubbers is the definitive Ibiza night out: toxic shamelessly hedonistic and famous for carrying on well into the next day I know this because pre-viously I have partied with Sven and co until sunrise I weave my way around pie-eyed staggerers as I push on into the hills on my bike leaving the main road behind for the climb up to Sant Mateu and Santa Agnes How did I make the transition from inveterate rock'n'roller to semi-obsessive rouleur The ravages of booze and nocturnal toxins have wreaked long-term damage and I've realised that the time has come to change my ways but due to my champagne-lifestyle commitments (I used to be a party columnist on this magazine and it still says 'Simon Mills Social Editor' on the GQ masthead) I would go for months without swinging my leg over a crossbar I would stare forlornly at my bike feeling guilty; wine glass in hand halfway up a short climb on the Richmond Park circuit cycled off to meet a couple of pals and quickly discovered that I couldn't keep up with my top-end bike and expensively minimal clobber I'd become that most awful of yuppie clichés - an all-the-gear I decided to make a profound lifestyle change dealing with the most important issue first: a new bike Spending £3,000 on a new frame would prove to everyone I was serious 'I see this sort of thing happening so much,' says Professor Greg Whyte the fitness guru who helped David Walliams achieve his incredible Thames swim 'I'll meet 40-year-old guys who've spent years abusing their bodies and who want to make a dramatic change.' Most often that change will be effected on a bike Powering up the muscles and strengthening the heart has helped road cycling attract more forty-something ex-clubbers than The Priory The media have even given us a nickname: MAMILs - middle-aged men in Lycra It's less impacting on the joints than running more thrilling than yoga and more dignified than aerobics MAMILs first become attracted to cycling because of the gear The clothes might look comical and unflattering to the uninitiated but quality cycling kit tends to be niche Men who once thrilled to Kraftwerk and Italian piano house get a thing for cycling gear because it reminds them of their original Balearic jaunts and harks back to Weller during his Cappuccino Kid days They are delighted to discover that you can easily splurge £700 on an outfit by Rapha The Rapha range is beautifully made and logo-free It's worn by the pros but also offers collaborations with Paul Smith and Timothy Everest remembers the first time he clocked the carefully art-directed photography of the Rapha website four and half years ago 'It was like the time I saw the Sex Pistols at The Screen on the Green and swore I'd never wear flares again Here was a new tribe and I knew that I had to be part of it Within minutes I was buying clothes from this supercool English company The bikes themselves are even pricier and more alluring You'll be shelling out upwards of £3,000 for a decent Forget about that naff Harley-Davidson Fat Boy The ultimate midlife-crisis machine is now a super-light Pinarello or a Colnago after the thrill of the big purchase wears off it becomes evident that cycling is one of the few sports that a man can enjoy well into later life yuppie aesthete it is the perfect way of offsetting one's toxic footprint maintaining an indulgence/achievement balance Oasis announce two extra Wembley shows for reunion tour Investigation launched after blaze rips through flats in Catford block Crossings continue day after 12 migrants die in Channel tragedy Save £20 per person on autumn and Christmas days out by steam the pituitary gland releases great whooshing quantities of endorphins chemicals that can produce overall feelings of euphoria weightlifting (or golf) and the more you cycle Take a ride around Richmond Park on a Sunday morning and you'll see dozens of expensively clad MAMILs Through the tint of my £200 Oakley sunglasses I often recognise the haggard faces of men whom I have previously seen only through the bottom of a cocktail glass My own circle of cycling partners is typical of this demographic a VIP room maître d' and several members of the original Groucho Club committee is prone to making comparisons between the spandex of rock stardom and the Lycra of cycling He idolises the (now dead) shaven-headed Marco Pantani an Italian rock-starish climber of the 1990s known as il Pirata (the Pirate) who once tore off an earring during a big ascent throwing it to the ground to lighten his load drugs are never very far away from this sport 'I quickly realised it was tougher than rock'n'roll Mid-ride coffee breaks are full of compliments on each other's weight loss and new kit We will swap stories of 100-mile jaunts to the Chilterns the 21km climb up France's Col de Mont Ventoux the grit of L'Etape du Tour (an amateur stage of the Tour de France) the perils of the strada bianchi on the annual L'Eroica in Italy's Chianti region as a group - a gang of over-pampered rock'n'rouleurs The phenomenon of the caner/trainer is nothing new Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton have both ordered custom bikes from Condor Cycles in Clerkenwell Cycling also counts members of The Stone Roses and Jesus Jones in its ranks finding early popularity in countries known for fine wines carousing has played an important role in cycling ever since it became popular in the Victorian era Before stage 14 of the 1964 Tour de France French cycling legend Jacques Anquetil stayed up all night Soon Anquetil was over four minutes behind the pack But his team director had a plan; he half-filled one of the struggling athlete's water bottles with a reviving dose of champagne catching the peloton and going on to win the Tour captain of the Great Britain team that masterminded Mark Cavendish's victory at this year's World Championships in Copenhagen Millar is a three-times yellow-jersey winner at the Tour de France who came second in the recent Tour of Beijing just days after his wife gave birth to his first son He also has something of a reputation for good times His autobiography Racing Through the Dark is a roller-coaster ride of punishing races doping scandals and hog-whimperingly big nights out He name-drops not just Lance Armstrong but also DJ Erick Morillo describes the zigzagging 20 per cent climb of Alpe d'Huez on one page and thrills to the delights of Paris's Les Bains Douches nightclub the next worldly and articulate gentleman sportsman who wants to win in life as well as on the road cycling now takes up more of my time than carousing ever did A simple Sunday ride can last six or seven hours the achy aftermath is blissfully euphoric instead of painful and shameful my 12-year-old daughter thinks I look embarrassing in my Lycra but cycling gets me out of the house and this time round my wife loves it she'll be happy to see me off on an amateur ride with 20 other cyclists We've signed up to pound the Tarmac shoulder to shoulder with David Millar doing a 100-mile-plus route from London to Somerset It will be a little bit gruelling but also and we'll be ending up at that cane/train mecca Moët in our water bottles for the return leg VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' It is early morning in the rich and rural north of Ibiza and we are gathered under the instruction of a lithe and charming stranger horses whinny and grasses rustle in a soundtrack of shared “Cover your right nostril and inhale with the left sharp sniffs.” We sniff again and a sense of clarity an almost tangible connection with our surroundings hell and Hublot watches that is modern Ibiza the documentary-maker Zara McDermott has gone straight to the island’s figurehead the proprietor of the San Antonio day-drinking pool party club O Beach as he greets the Instagrammer and former Love Island star copious sleeve ink and a Persil-white Phil Foden haircut gifting McDermott a tour of O Beach’s private areas I’m expecting this particular part of BBC3’s new documentary Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island to grant viewers an all-access look at the VIP area where Lineker and his hard-working team have entertained everyone from Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 (CAIS3), £46, from niod.com Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, £30, from niod.com Fractionated Eye-Contour Concentrate (FECC), £50, from niod.com NIOD’s science-led products are designed to enhance skin’s natural powers of recovery using the power of collagen-boosting copper peptides science-led beauty brand NIOD understands that the skin is an intelligent organ sensitive to the slightest touch and capable of fast and precise self-healing with pre-installed mechanisms that guide remarkable repair and regeneration the ageing process causes a decline in the synthesis of collagen and elastin resulting in structural and operational changes This materialises in the emergence of wrinkles it needs a little help to maintain optimum functionality as the years progress Driven by this deep understanding of skin biology NIOD’s products are formulated to enhance the natural functions of the skin NIOD stands for ‘Non Invasive Options in Dermal Science’ and its in-laboratory experts are dedicated to exploring novel approaches to skin optimisation and the complex challenges of ageing skin the researchers sought to gain a deeper understanding of how copper peptides (GHK-Cu) which are known for their antioxidant effects Their studies went on to demonstrate an increase in collagen levels in human dermal fibroblast cells (which contribute to the formation of connective tissue) when skin is treated with GHK-Cu underlining the integral role of this peptide in maintaining skin firmness and reducing the appearance of wrinkles is designed to offer sustained skin hydration thanks to 15 hyaluronic compounds with a peptide-based delivery system to amplify its hydrating benefits The serum packs 72% active technologies into its formula protecting against environmental stressors a ‘hydration seal’ that can be applied after serums to supplement the skin’s natural barriers to water loss This helps to promote a plumper (and younger) looking complexion Simon became the owner of Philadelphia Mills when it acquired Mills Corporation in 2007 The Northeast Philadelphia shopping mall was built in 1989 and it was renamed to Philadelphia Mills in 2014 co-originator of the Sloane Ranger and a decades-spanning chronicler of the Kensington and Chelsea scene Say it’s not true!” he screams when the bad news is delivered over the phone established in the 1960s and peaking during the Eighties and Nineties — a daily hot fuss of big-hair and shoulder-padded Chanel action — appears to be yet another victim of the pandemic the owners announced that its door will open no more to the push of a Cartier Juste Un Clou-banded wrist and that the very last platter of its famous crudités con bagna You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site Obituaries Pennsylvania19060DE: (302) 792-8485PA: (610) 485-6200 paganofh@gmail.com The newly updated Cove Kitchen is conceived as a modular hub of creation and conviviality For 90 years the Boffi atelier in Italy’s province of Monza and Brianza has been revolutionising the concepts of cooking and living In its collaborations with key Italian designers from Luigi Massoni to Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni Boffi’s insightful approach to design technology and artistic direction has launched products of visionary scale and groundbreaking function Now Boffi has announced its latest collaborative project – a monobloc kitchen island that multi-tasks as a workstation Boffi’s Cove Kitchen is borne of an original concept first developed by Zaha Hadid Design back in 2017 Now further developed and finessed for a 2024 iteration the kitchen’s emblematic silhouette has evolved so that the entire side of the island is covered Panels with rounded edges and perimeters hug each end of the island craftsmanship and integrity of Italian design,’ explains the Zaha Hadid Design team ‘The new idea of Cove Kitchen evolves from the intrinsic logic of the previous original design while offering the flexibility of a modular system This new iteration is supported laterally by two panels with rounded edges covering the entire side of the island.’ the Cove Kitchen is made in Italy at the company’s 25,000 sq ft factory in the furniture district of Brianza Time-honoured processes such as the famous glossy lacquer Polyester finish are complemented by cutting-edge techniques developed in strong continuity with the territory and local traditions Heritage and innovation coexist across the company’s collections while production is highly customisable and excellence is a given Every member has his favourite Groucho Club anecdote For the writer and broadcaster Robert Elms a member since the Dean Street establishment first opened almost 40 years ago it was the time he set the club record for a single binge-drinking session (from lunchtime to 3am) The bar bill reveals some 78 bottles of Beck’s lager For the Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher it is probably a toss-up between the night he went after the football player Paul Gascoigne with a fire extinguisher and the occasion on which he saw fit to reap carnage in the snooker room cue ball-shaped indentations in the wall plaster (Naturally he was banned for life for these nationally reported misdemeanours.) Middle aged people in England are the loneliest in Europe They are also more likely to suffer from the effects of isolation than previous generations were say the researchers from Arizona State University Comparing the experience of today’s 45 to 65-year-olds with those aged between 65 and 96 they found that the younger baby boomers and Generation X Here’s what Times writers have to say about their own experiences You are very much on your own with loneliness medicated or talked out of you through therapy Boston firefighters and other first responders are shown at the scene of the nine-alarm fire that tore through several homes on a densely packed Old Morton Street near Lower Mills on Sat. The cause of the fire remains under investigation A fire that started in a vacant 5,264-square-foot multi-unit house on Old Morton Street in the late afternoon last Saturday spread to seven neighboring buildings near Lower Mills as the sun began to set to the residential block in Mattapan close to the Dorchester line with the fire already blazing through the building The Boston Fire Department struck a ninth alarm around 5:30 p.m firefighters were working through the buildings at the scene but Boston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transported nine people to local hospitals “Everything is relatively minor,” an EMS dispatcher said minor smoke [inhalation].” All are expected to recover The American Red Cross initially estimated that more than 18 families might be affected by the fire but later lowered the number to 7 families “Red Cross volunteers will be reaching out to the affected residents to assess their needs as this devastating disaster response unfolds.” On Sunday Boston Fire officials said that 14 people had been displaced A shelter was set up through the weekend at the Boston Centers for Youth & Families Gallivan Community Center in Mattapan for those impacted or displaced by the fire Gusts of wind complicated the firefighting efforts fanning flames and sending sparks to other homes A woman downwind of the flames used her garden hose to suppress embers floating onto her front porch Another woman at the scene watched as flames reached her home of 52 years just next door to 37-39 Old Morton St. according to Ashmont resident Della Costello “Fire Investigators and the Boston Fire Marshal are on scene to determine cause and point of origin,” Boston Fire tweeted at about 8 p.m on Saturday “No exact amount of estimated damage but it will be a multi-million dollar loss.” Given the amount of damage – the original house is charred rubble – the process could stretch on for some time Assessing records put the destroyed 37-39 Old Morton St Neighboring homes are valued between $200,000 and $550,000 for the physical structures Suffolk Registry of Deeds records list Demetris K Construction was permitted in April for first floor demolition An inspectional services violation was issued on May 12 against the owners for starting to build an apartment in the basement without securing a change of occupancy from four to five units who lives on Old Morton Street across the street from the house where the fire started and slept in a hotel on Saturday night said the owner was often at the site working on the property “He was doing what he could to make it a home,” Rosado said “You could tell he was putting a lot of hard work into it It’s hard to see so many neighbors’ lives just their memories destroyed — people who have lived in this neighborhood for years.” Gary Tondorf-Dick has owned the house at 31 Old Morton Street since the 1970s Tondorf-Dick said that smoke alarms had gone off at the house that went up in flames He noted that construction lights were left on and renovations under way with work trucks that were unmarked and workers who weren’t wearing hard-hats As he sorted through charred family relics Tondorf-Dick said it took nine firefighters to fight back the fire that burned down his roof “I just retired — I can’t believe it,” he said I count my blessings — nobody was in this house when the fire came and all this house was rebuildable— most of these houses are not.” The Lower Mills Civic Association has set up a fund to assist neighbors displaced by the fire Donations can be made via the Lower Mills Civic at East Boston Savings Bank in Lower Mills or at a GoFundMe page Simon Rios of WBUR contributed to this report Download this week's Reporter print issue or subscribe today to "Dorchester's Hometown Weekly Newspaper!" Just $50 for 52 Issues in the continental US Download this week's Reporter print issue or subscribe today to "Dorchester's Hometown Weekly Newspaper!" Just $60 for 52 Issues in the continental US TrendingSouth FloridaASawgrass Mills unveils expansion plans for Town Center Sawgrass Malls is getting another huge open-air expansion Town Center at Sawgrass will span 118,000 square feet and host about 25 full-price retailers A new parking deck will accompany the expansion An aerial rendering of the 118,000-square-foot expansion Construction is expected to begin in early 2017 with an estimated completion date of fall 2018 SIGN UPSimon the mall’s owner and a massive multi-national real estate company cited huge demand for full-priced stores from both shoppers and retailers as one reason why it’s building the expansion Town Center is the third open-air expansion for the mall to be announced in recent years it is the first to host full-priced retail stores in Sawgrass Colonnade at Sawgrass, a section with designer outlets, has grown three times since it was first built. Its latest iteration will be complete in 2016. Century 21 Department Store will open there this fall marking the retailer’s debut in Florida and its first foray outside the Northeast will also undergo upgrades during 2016 — Sean Stewart-Muniz ®PAPERCITY ©2025 urban publishers, inc. all rights reserved terms & condition // privacy policy // sitemap The contemporary new interior's neutral palette will replace the former thematic warehouse vibe The food court will be reimagined as a Dining Pavilion In the era of online shopping, it’s not uncommon to see once-busy malls turn into retail ghost towns But while some malls are falling by the wayside others are fighting back with dramatic new visions Katy Mills mall is one such shopping center The popular Houston area shopping destination is getting fine tuned with a three-phase the interior of the mall will be largely unrecognizable the idea is that you’ll see a entirely new mall with Katy Mills’ exterior and signage both having new looks the revamp of the Simon Group mall kicks off next month starting up high with overhead work and going down (the floors will be last) The sections will be remodeled piece by piece “Katy Mills Mall opened in 1999 and became the economic engine of Katy,” Katy mayor Chuck Brawner says it’s still the economic engine.” Katy Mills general manager James Ross agrees “I think being the largest value shopping destination in south Texas will just continue on,” Ross says Ross believes Katy Mills is still a significant economic asset “These significant enhancements are all driven by the community and our loyal shoppers who are our highest priority,” he says “Shoppers demand an experience,” Ross adds The upgrades will span from aesthetic touches to entire area revamps zany 1990s decor and color palette for a polished design composed of contemporary neutrals The emphasis is on “really the brightness of the center,” Ross says. “We’re looking to modernize it with LED lights We’re going to put in fresh neutrals to really brighten it up.” property management Mike Romstad thinks the customers will be pleased by updated elements such as floating ceilings The timeless additions will “take away some of the warehouse framing,” that’s in place now Paint will be freshened up throughout the property and porcelain tiles will replace the ones laid almost 20 years ago “The two areas I’m most excited about are the dining pavilion and the play area,” Ross says “I’ve seen how we upgrade our dining pavilions and it’s really a beautiful feature.” The food court will be redeveloped as a Dining Pavilion with family-style seating The play area will be completely redesigned with customers able to see what’s being worked on “without their flow being interrupted.” The mall’s stores will stay open unless they are undergoing their own renovations There’s no word yet if new stores will be joining the shiny new digs “We’re constantly working on upgrading our tenants,” Romstad says “We kind of like to keep that close to vest and this will be a canvas for that.” Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec won two prestigious Judges' Awards, including the Designers of the Year and Best Domestic Design gongs The Breton brothers are pictured here with Panerai's Philippe De Saint Lager and Wallpaper* Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers Panerai's timeless watches were also on display that night sat atop Living Divani's 'Inari' console table Champagne and clever canapes preceeded a delicious dinner prepared on-site by I'm a Kombo's Bo Lindegaard Inspired by this year's Best Cut winners the menu was a carnivorous feast full of offbeat eats The Best Cuts theme extended to the plate decor From left: architect and United Nude founder (and Best Wedge champion) Rem D Koolhaas with Anne Urbauer (Akris Global communication consultant), Wallpaper* creative director Sarah Douglas, and Best Alliance winner Akris creative director Albert Kriemler Akris' S/S16 womenswear collection, inspired by the work of Sou Fujimoto, was named Best Alliance and featured on the cover of the Design Awards issue Pictured: Akris creative director Albert Kriemler Hermès UK managing director, Bertrand Michaud Bouroullec designs were in abundance, with seats ('Officina' chairs for Magis), entertainment (the 'Serif' TV for Samsung) and plates ('Ovale' crockery for Alessi) all devised by the duo Fondazione Prada was dubbed the Best New Public Building Fondazione Prada's head of programmes Panerai's Philippe De Saint Lager with Best Maximalist Dining designer Hervé van der Straeten  The David Adjaye-designed home of artist Sue Webster hosted the exclusive event David Chipperfield, pictured, won the Best Divine Inspiration accolade thanks to his austere 'Langley' stool and ‘Fayland’ table for e15 Copenhagen's increasingly extroverted and adventurous vibe marked the Danish capital out this year as our Best City Best Delivery champions Flowerbx provided buds and blooms Michael Anastassiades, Linck Keramik and Lingby The heavenly illuminations of Lee Broom, pictured, won him the Best Divine Inspiration award The delightful silverware of Inga Sempé, for Alessi – our Best Cutlery winner – alongside the evening's playful menu (Note sweet and savoury interpretations of the same ingredients for starters and dessert) Best Details champion whose 'Construct Me!' hardware combines functional screws and chirpy hinges Together with designer Ilse Crawford, Sarah Hollywood (pictured) was behind Ikea's 'Sinnerlig' collection, winner of our Best Basics award The wine, provided by Raimón Bilbao Vinos y Viñedos, was served up in Saint-Louis' elegant 'Twist 1586' glasses – a Best Wine & Design medalist places and things that have rocked our world over the last year Inspired by this year's Best Cut winners Bouroullec designs were in abundance, with seats ('Officina' chairs for Magis), entertainment (the 'Serif' TV for Samsung) and plates ('Ovale' crockery for Alessi) all devised by the duo Fondazione Prada was dubbed the Best New Public Building Panerai's Philippe De Saint Lager with Best Maximalist Dining designer Hervé van der Straeten  David Chipperfield, pictured, won the Best Divine Inspiration accolade thanks to his austere 'Langley' stool and ‘Fayland’ table for e15 Best Delivery champions Flowerbx provided buds and blooms The heavenly illuminations of Lee Broom, pictured, won him the Best Divine Inspiration award The delightful silverware of Inga Sempé, for Alessi – our Best Cutlery winner – alongside the evening's playful menu Best Details champion Together with designer Ilse Crawford, Sarah Hollywood (pictured) was behind Ikea's 'Sinnerlig' collection, winner of our Best Basics award The wine, provided by Raimón Bilbao Vinos y Viñedos, was served up in Saint-Louis' elegant 'Twist 1586' glasses – a Best Wine & Design medalist Tesla used to be the car of choice for virtue-signaling Democrats as liberals all over the world are unloading their “Swasticars,” will the Fox News set fill the void a guerrilla advertising campaign for a new car appeared on the back-lit vitrines of bus shelters in East London Wrapped around an image of a man sieg-heiling the caption read: “Goes From 0-1939 in three seconds The late Queen and her corgis disembarking from a private jet at Aberdeen Airport Engadin Airport — the gateway to St Moritz — is one of the most challenging landings for pilots to navigate and is not open to scheduled commercial planes. Suvretta House offer direct runway-to-hotel service Despite the monetary and environmental cost the UK can now claim to be the private jet capital of Europe There’s an old story about a hedge fund manager trying to woo back his doubting fiancée with pledges of a better life and higher times The Mayfair money man tried all sorts of persuasive arbitrage: swanky dinners silly money shoes and bling jewellery before eventually playing his ace card you will never have to turn right on an airplane ever again.’ being politely ushered into the softly spoken bubbles-enhanced environs of the Business Class (or while everyone else turns right into the sorry poorly catered and bolt upright misery of Economy (or Coach to Americans) turning right can actually be the better option Travelling from your Holland Park home in London a driver ferrying you down the A40 for 10 miles you turn right at the Target Roundabout for RAF Northolt Following a short wait and a perfunctory documents check at the gate right up to the stairs of your chosen Cessna Citation or Bombardier plane unless you happen to be the pilot heading for the cockpit into a caramel leather interior where warm almonds This is where you will fly off for a meeting in Milan or Athens Flying private is one of those expensive and environmentally toxic things that you are frightened to try once because you know very well just how much you will like it.. and also exactly how tough it will be going back to reality and to the back of the plane It is — take it from someone who has flown private a dozen or so times and slummed it in cheerless commercial on many hundreds of occasions — an awfully long way down from Lear Jet to Easy Jet But having clearly put its morals and money worries aside and apparently undaunted by Rachel Reeves’ 2024 budget announcing a 50% tax increase on domestic private jet passengers (the high Air Passenger Duty APD rate kicks in next year) the UK can now claim to be the private jet (PJ) capital of Europe According to Greenpeace analysis the number of private jets taking off from the UK increased by a staggering 75% in 2022 and flights out of the UK are up 15% since the pandemic It is estimated that a PJ takes off from a British runway once every six minutes more than anywhere else on the continent — most of them on their way to Nice or Ibiza And it’s not just Londoners jetting off from Northolt super smart Farnborough and glamorous Luton to the Balearics or the Cote d’Azur anymore there are whole tribes of 0.003 percenter private jet-setters in Devon The busiest runway outside London — and the largest privately-owned landing strip in Europe — is Cotswold Airport at Kemble only two metres shorter than the one at Bristol Airport the Kemble airfield is owned by ex-model and former Prince Harry squeeze-turned CEO Suzannah Harvey — so it’s rather handy for HM The King and HRH The Princess Royal Sometimes phone-call to wheels-up can be sorted inside an hour and a half This is how the other half do ‘speedy boarding’ A post shared by Gray Malin (@graymalin) one of the biggest motivations for the countryside’s muddy flyers is that all sizes of dogs (and cats) zoom free and uncaged on PJs (operators like to call this service ‘Furs Class’) to collect a producer’s Oscar for the film of The Boy he took his beloved hound Vincent with him for the ride Lady Carole Bamford of Daylesford empire fame always takes her Shih Tzus And with increasing numbers of Hollywood stars (and their dogs) moving to the Cotswolds Kemble and Oxford Airport are now busier than ever You don’t expect Portia de Rossi and Ellen De Generes Wolf the Maltese-poodle mix and Mabel the standard poodle The convenience of an Oxfordshire to Rome-limo to Learjet bereft of any Gatwick-Wizz Air-baggage check nightmares is also music to the ears of superstar DJ Calvin Harris new resident of a grand North Cotswolds home designed by Ben Pentreath the idea of a DJ demanding a private jet (to travel to a show as part of his contract) would’ve been considered the most outrageous over the top thing,’ says fellow DJ Pete Tong ‘It’s now almost become an industry standard.’ ‘Time,’ says Mayfair jet-broker Steve Versano ‘By flying by corporate jet (and not wasting hours queuing for check-ins and bag drops) an executive can save time and actually multiply his time by weeks and weeks each year He can work harder and be more productive.’ And more horizontal and wetter ‘It is quite possible to do Cotswolds office to Ibiza poolside in under three hours,’ says John Hitchcox resident and owner of The Lakes by YOO development at Lechlade dealmakers and dukes alike have their favoured jet-broker on speed dial are fluently conversant in the vernacular of tail numbers and able to explain exactly why the Pilatus PC-24 is what you need to land on the short and snowy air strip at Gstaad and how the Dassault Falcon 900LX is the greenest PJ in the hangar Engadin Airport — the gateway to St Moritz — is one of the most challenging landings for pilots to navigate and is not open to scheduled commercial planes. Suvretta House offer direct runway-to-hotel service They’ll also keep tabs on the sudden availability of discounted ‘dead legs’ if family wants to fly a home-sick son back to England from Institut Le Rosey for the weekend the Swiss bank of Mum and Dad can shop around on the internet for a vacated cabin going back to the UK from Lausanne Blécherette Airport With an estimated 40,000 flights a month making their return trips with only the pilot on board and just 10% of those available legs ever filled by paying customers there are bargains (around £5,000 from Nice to Northolt in a six seater — a saving of around 40%) to be had through a concierge service or via one’s smartphone apps: JetFlo Simon MillsSimon Mills is a journalist author and brand consultant — and the Bespoke editor at Wallpaper* magazine He began his career on Just Seventeen and Smash Hits before moving on to work as a freelance writer for The Face and i-D He was also the Sunday Times Magazine’s deputy editor Since then he has forged a prolific freelance career specialising in lifestyle features He was a contributing editor at British GQ for 15 years A wardrobe consisting of the perfect balance of colour character and joie de vivre might be hard to achieve in a proper zinger of an autumnal ensemble; pale-blue windowpane-check suit in best Harris tweed polka-dot scarf tied loose and louche around his neck Mr Tucci is unafraid of clashing spots and squares or bold His popping colour choices are zesty and uplifting He pairs silks with wools against cotton poplin and merino with stylish abandon Pinot Noir foulard with a yummy Neapolitan sauce he may go confidently sockless in that easy freewheeling way that only summering Calabrian men can yet age-appropriate clobber has sprezzatura He is dressed for pleasure — yours and ours This joie de mode may be a hard look to pull off at any age (and a very easy one to get wrong) the skies turn grey and the nights draw in exuberance and a carefully managed extrovertism can be an essential tool for winter survival look to the British men who really know how to do winter and have a spring in their step even when there’s a bite in the air: take Jeremy Irons and Jarvis Cocker Ask tailor Jeremy Hackett to name Britain’s most joyfully dressed man and he won’t hesitate: ‘David Hockney who appears as if he couldn’t care less and yet…’ Mixing checks and stripes Mr Hockney’s look manages to appear simultaneously thrown together and immaculate the co-founder of British gentlemen’s outfitter Hackett observes — it is both a work of art and a live-action cartoon Perhaps in a nod to the great artist’s delightful rule-breaking one of Mr Hackett’s recent creations — made bespoke at his Savile Row atelier — was an exercise in modern chalk-striped or checked variation for his latest three-piece I had the tailors run the stripe on the trouser turn-up horizontally at right angles to the leg stripe,’ describes Mr Hackett During its debut London pavement outing — worn with handmade gold cufflinks that celebrate his beloved dog Harry and a rotated-dial Historiques American 1921 Vacheron Constantin driver’s watch — this delightful rule-breaker of a whistle literally stopped traffic two Japanese menswear groupies jumped out of a taxi to take photographs and enquire of the suit’s provenance ‘They particularly wanted to know where I got my turn-ups done.’ ‘It’s difficult,’ reflects Mr Hockney and Mr Hackett’s mutual old friend generation-spanning fashion plate and enthusiastic trouser bottoms turner-upper Nicky Haslam you can’t be too bright and fashionable but you can’t be plain and minimal either whose interiors are known for their bold and sumptuous colour sky blue — and one hard and fast rule He notes: ‘I don’t try to look fashionable I see what the young are wearing and do my own My uniform is now plain denim trousers with a sort of boxy chore jacket then you can wear a bright-yellow T-shirt underneath.’ requires a cranking of the joy factor up to a luminescent 11 ‘When you are trying to communicate to an audience of more than 80,000 you have to make sure that you can be noticed,’ explains Mr Gilchrist primary block colours for their Bigger Bang tour (and many more) but would advise against us civilians — with substantially smaller audiences and probably larger waistlines — trying to copy the Stones’s style Joy in one’s wardrobe by way of colour can be found by visiting the rusty/gingery Oliver Spencer chart or Brunello Cucinelli’s jet-set palette of comfortably off-greys and baby blues rather than the more obvious rainbow spectrum of the children’s television presenter ‘Play with lights and darks,’ he advises do it in your socks and cashmere or merino knits — not your bi-focal frames.’ but immaculate mix of double-breasted Italian suitings in navy blue He adds Continental jouissance with pocket squares and a gold fob chain looping from lapel to buttonhole More life comes from what he calls ‘scarfage’ — a multi-hued tasselled ends to poke out like a flapper skirt purple and salmon,’ the stylist continues ‘Canary yellow is particularly harsh and unflattering against a sallow complexion.’ Red trousers are acceptable (let us pause briefly as Country Life readers everywhere breathe a deep sigh of relief) ‘but stop right there with the colours — a classic navy blazer and plain shirt on top a mustard waistcoat or a pair of lime-green spectacles one Palladian building is beautiful,’ Mr Gilchrist warns ‘A whole Palladian town is a bit much.’ He is right about exercising caution around bright colours Primary tones worn by the older generation are thought to be part of a later-life peacocking process that kicks in when a man stops getting ‘noticed’ The attraction reduction is compensated for via zany spectacle rims fun waistcoats and pink socks (the cast of Antiques Road Trip are big on this) Endorsed by everyone from Sir Terence Conran to artist Yves Klein this happy tone was made famous in the US by New York street photographer Bill Cunningham who cycled the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan aways donned in a traditional bleu de chine chore jacket As worn by French labourers during the 20th century the distinctive cornflower colour of the workwear classic set off Cunningham’s brown eyes and playful smile bringing joy to everyone he stopped to pose for a snap An old French workwear outfit called Le Laboureur has been making excellent blue chore jackets since the 1950s ‘I heartily approve of all that Sloane/antique-dealer chic stuff,’ says perennially fussy dresser and style writer Peter York but I would avoid any item of bright clothing that might be considered an opening gambit a conversation piece or a style that might cast you as “a bit of a character”.’ ‘where they have corduroy trousers in every conceivable colour as well as all elements of the classic British town-and-country wardrobe; tweed jackets every one of these items will show that you belong’ Yet he adds a cautionary note: ‘Worn all together a Panama hat and a pair of “Hot” and “Cold” novelty cufflinks might have the opposite effect razzle-dazzle and eccentricity on more formal occasions — for example social life might become more limited — often only balls and wakes — but that’s no reason to slack off clothes-wise,’ believes Mr Gilchrist so keep your old classic tux and midnight-blue lounge suit at the back of the wardrobe ready for dinner-jacket nights and funerals somewhere between bereavement and bingo is where a gentleman’s trousers should be,’ he concludes Grant  The actor is master of the spring scarf the blue-on-blue-on-blue summer ensemble and the joyous winter waistcoat Baron Foster of Thames Bank Architect of his own wardrobe no one wears pink tailoring and polo necks with quite as much panache Ben de Lisi The former dressmaker to Diana Princess of Wales knows how to mix madras with mature tailoring street styles with Savile Row and sturdy British footwear with all-American seersucker canary-yellow socks and snooker-table-green tailoring come together with a bravura ease wit and confidence for the British designer When you’re the world’s greatest living artist and a work of art yourself Goodwood Revival sort of day for Laura Ashley’s revved-up This article appears in Gentleman's Life section of Country Life's 6 November 2024 issue corduroy is one of the most pleasing materials in a countryman’s wardrobe Country Life columnist Agromenes started turning a field from intensive agriculture to wild flowers four decades ago — a decision which Dennis Severs’ House defies categorisation April/May 2025 It was not that long ago that San Francisco gave control over some of its most desirable undeveloped sites to the national mall developer Mills’ experience in shopping center development was a crucial selling point in the successful 1997 “stadium mall” campaign for the 49ers The company then won a fierce political battle with Chelsea Piers in April 2001 to develop Piers 27-31 along the Embarcadero But the Mills Corp.’s $200 million plan for the Piers like its proposed mall for Bayview-Hunters Point Now the Mills Corp is on economic life-support Will San Francisco learn its lesson and stop relying on national corporations like Mills and Forest City Development for key city projects or will these groups continue to use their lobbying clout to win lucrative contracts over local developers It is hard not to take pleasure in the imminent demise of the Mills Corporation A healthier and bigger fish will soon acquire the company that built outlet malls throughout America and created the notion of “shoppertainment” by including movie theaters and even Ferris wheels next to shopping It was only a decade ago that Mill’s virtues were considered beyond dispute among San Francisco’s political and business leadership During the 1997 campaign for a ballot initiative to build a new stadium for the 49ers and a mall in Bayview-Hunters Point voters were told that Mills was could perform magic in attracting consumers to malls Those skeptical of sustaining a successful mall in a low-income community with little public-transit access were told that Mills had a proven track-record of success and that the company saw the mall as a remarkable business opportunity Buoyed by promises of jobs for Bayview-Hunters Point residents the Mills mall became widely seen as the long overdue economic engine for the community But skeptics questioned whether the mall would ever be built and when the 49ers did not proceed with the stadium Mills escaped its obligation and confirmed people’s doubts about its lack of enthusiasm for the project But Mills had come through for Mayor Willie Brown in helping passage of the stadium-mall initiative He then selected Mills over rival Chelsea Piers to develop a proposed $200 million recreational facility Political heavyweights were on both sides of this fight but Chelsea Piers had built a hugely successful recreational facility on New York City’s Chelsea waterfront and it struck many as odd that the entity with a proven track record lost out to a shopping mall developer Forest City earned a special niche in the pantheon of municipal sweetheart deals when it received $67 million from cash-starved Oakland as an “incentive” to build affordable housing What makes this deal so special is that it was granted by former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown who vetoed an inclusionary housing law prior to leaving office Forest City apparently convinced Brown that developers should not have to provide affordable housing as a condition of development—as occurs in neighboring Berkeley and San Francisco—but that cities should pay the nation’s largest and wealthiest developers to build such units Forest City was given control of the former historic Emporium building on Market Street which it transformed into a mall featuring Bloomingdales Forest City not only tore down part of the historic structure it had legally agreed to preserve but created one of the few buildings that even Chronicle architecture critic John King could not get enthusiastic about Now San Francisco officials want to team Forest City with the Lennar Corp And Forest City is one of four companies competing for the right to build at the Transbay Terminal After San Francisco’s experience with Mills one can only imagine why city officials are ignoring the financial warning signs surrounding Lennar as Lennar continues to be given control of city land due to its deep lobbying bench After reneging on its agreement to build 400 rental units at the Naval Shipyard Lennar still has not started construction on the market-rate units there The official line on their delay is that the Mayor’s Office wants to hold up housing development in case the San Francisco 49ers want the space for a stadium Everyone knows there is not a shred of chance that a 49ers Stadium will be built at the Shipyard but keeping this idea open achieves two important goals it shows that Mayor Newsom is still working to keep the 49ers in San Francisco it creates the fiction that Lennar is not building at the Shipyard due to the stadium rather than expose the fact that Lennar—like Mills—is suffering financial problems and does not want to build on a site it has exclusive control over It’s hard to imagine how local developers and builders could have done a worse job for the city Since they do not have to answer to stockholders demanding high annual profits and do not have anywhere near the administrative costs of nationwide developers local developers do not require such huge profit margins are still building in San Francisco despite the less than booming times During the Agnos years an Israeli developer named Zev Ben –Simon came into town and began proposing projects under the name Taldan Investments After hiring top lobbyists and making sizable campaign donations to politicians I was representing tenants at a building on Van Ness who faced eviction under one of Ben-Simon’s renovation plans In the course of our case I learned from a banker that Ben-Simon was operating a classic pyramid scheme and that he actually had little money My efforts to alert people to this fact proved unsuccessful as he was an “international” developer surrounded by all the accoutrements of success Ben-Simon’s positive image continued until he suddenly left the country one step ahead of the San Francisco District Attorney’s office that was about to prosecute him for real estate fraud San Francisco’s love affair with well-dressed More Posts To leave feedback, go to feedback@beyondchron.org 2012 at 2:25 pm CTIt appears that Simon Property Group may have swapped one outlet mall for another Reports emerged this morning that Hazelwood's outlet mall the property will be managed by The Woodmont Co How is this relevant to Simon's venture in Chesterfield said they had no plans to purchase the property Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. these Swiss hotels will appeal to design and culture fans In partnership with Switzerland Tourism To explore Switzerland’s design cities myriad galleries and museums is to travel the length and breadth of a small but spectacular and remarkably varied country For visitors with an affinity for design culture Swiss hotels – both grand and boutique – are a natural fit of form We made our selection from Switzerland’s Boutique & Design Hotels and Lodgings portfolio which offers a variety of chic city destinations the boutique properties are characterised by individuality A clear and resolute design language is evident across furniture concepts Studio apartment interiors are created by London design firm Tatjana von Stein (formerly Sella Concept) which chose a mix of materials – velvet and marble – for contemporary elegance A Kleinbasel institution for gastronomy, hospitality and conviviality since 1925, the Volkshaus Basel was recently reimagined by local architects Herzog & de Meuron With rooms furnished in 1920s modernist style the hotel’s large suites have terraces and spectacular views Significant contemporary art is in the hotel’s DNA are all popular with local cultural and creative figures alike Volkshaus Basel is just a short walk from the Rhine promenade and the city’s many theatres and museums London-based interior designer Maria Vafiadis furnished the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa with a deftly applied blend of French charm and English understatement The hotel offers 99 stylish rooms and suites a cigar lounge and a Sky Terrace with a panoramic views over Bern’s old city Book a table at Luganodante’s Flamel Bistrot for inspirational modern cuisine made from local produce (Bologna’s Rizoma Architetture has transformed a private rooftop vegetable garden) A conservatory provides an alternative setting for a business meeting go to the Creative Box to play table tennis The hotel’s parking garages are equipped with charging stations for EVs An urban retreat, enveloped by the peace of the Mont-Blanc garden, Geneva’s Hôtel Bristol was renovated in 2021 by local architecture practice TJCA French interior designer Annie Zéau referenced art deco to create themed concepts and colourful A visit to the hotel’s critically acclaimed Côté Square restaurant is highly recommended Find out more about boutique and design hotels and lodgings in Switzerland Prone to Waugh-ish one-liners such as, ‘I’ve just spent an amusing few days in Sierra Leone,’ and, ‘Naomi and I were holed up in these huge Moscow hotel suites with security guards on the door – I wasn’t even allowed to go out and buy my father caviar,’ Annabelle is the Gulfstream of social butterflies, the archetypal everywhere and nowhere babe. She flits between continents, often on a whim, her Rolodex of fabulous friends falling over themselves to provide for her. Here she is with Naomi Campbell, Rosemary Ferguson, David and Lucy Tang, Sophie Dahl, Jay Jopling, Damien Hirst and Jake Chapman in London. Or with John Galliano in Paris. Or partying with Russell Simmons and David Blaine in LA, posing with Tom Ford and Sarah Jessica Parker at the AngloMania Costume Institute Gala in New York, orchestrating a swimming-pool riot at a party in Monaco, lounging at Blenheim or shooting at Orlando Montagu’s country pad. Since splitting from former husband Nat Rothschild back in 1998, Annabelle, 37, has been romantically linked with Eddie ‘Speggy’ Spencer-Churchill, Jefferson Hack, Will Ricker, Kettle Crisps heir Karta Healy and, more recently, an unidentified boy more than a decade younger than herself. At the moment she’s single – and this doesn’t seem to concern her overly. She has always had men jumping through hoops for her. There are dozens of hopeless, terminal Annabelle cases, in London and beyond, who would gladly take a bullet for Ms Neilson if it meant they could spend a few delirious moments locked in her beguiling cross-hairs. Certainly, you come away from a couple of hours in her company having been regaled with her alarming penthouse-and-pavement story, feeling like a bit of a lightweight, as if you haven’t lived, that you should dance that bit closer to the flame every now and then. Dyslexia runs in her family, she tells me. Her dad Max had it too, but became a successful financier. Her grandfather also suffered from it but had a career as a surgeon. Annabelle, meanwhile, still writes backwards sometimes. But she’s coping well with the children’s storybook she’s writing, On the Pond, which presents her stellar set of Primrose Hill friends as various Wind in the Willows-type characters. ‘Thank God for spellcheck, I say.’ ‘The thing was, I didn’t want to be at school… or at home,’ she says. Her mother, Marquesa Elizabetta Campus di Santinelli, suggested the teenager follow her maverick cousin Guy Greville, now the Earl of Warwick (then styled Lord Brooke), to Perth, Australia, where he owned a successful fruit-bottling company. It was here Annabelle’s pedal-to-the-metal vagabond spirit found its first home. She fell in love with dusty Australia, and now has a house there. Annabelle Neilson with Alexander McQueenRichard Young / Rex FeaturesShe also dabbled with modelling after meeting former Tatler fashion director Issy Blow on a shoot for a Smirnoff advertisement in 1994. Impressed by her attitude and modishly gaunt bone structure, Issy took her to meet Alexander McQueen in his East End studio. McQueen, a fashion rookie back then, was struggling to keep his business going. They became firm friends. Annabelle Neilson with Meg Matthews and Naomi CampbellRichard Young/ Rex FeaturesThis was, of course, classic post-divorce Annabelle. She’d met Nat Rothschild – heir to Jacob Rothschild and a family fortune of an estimated £500 million – on a beach in India. They’d dated for a few years before eloping to the Dominican Republic to get married in November 1995, surprising both sets of parents. The bride wore McQueen, of course. The marriage lasted three years. Their relationship was, by all reports, wild and tempestuous, and her settlement is said to have been several million. Exactly how many we’ll never know. I’m far too polite to ask, and Annabelle is far too smart to tell me. ‘Listen,’ she says, fixing me with an intense, forbidding stare.‘You don’t fall in love with a title. You fall in love with a person. And that’s all I’m saying. I’ve never talked about Nat and he’s never talked about me. We made an agreement and we’ve stuck to it. I don’t intend to break that promise now.’ ‘Divorce is like being on drugs, in a way,’ she adds philosophically. ‘You have to stay clean for a year after your marriage has finally ended before you can say that you are really over it. You have to keep your mouth shut for a while before you can go around telling people you are fully recovered.’ Would she marry again? Does she want to have kids? ‘At my age you have to ask yourself, do you want to have a child just for yourself, or do you want to do it because you are in love?’ I think that she’d prefer the latter option. The lucky chap who eventually tames her will have to be made of girders, because Annabelle likes living on the edge. She's a hell of a guy. ‘There’s only one thing that scares me,' she tells you, 'and that’s the dark. I still have to sleep with the light on… Oh, and when I go to the dentist I have to have major anaesthetic – pretty much out cold – even if I’m just having my teeth cleaned.’