Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Robbie Schlosser of the Magnolia Dixie Jazz Band blows a cornet during Westgate Mall's grand reopening ceremonies last Friday.

Westgate Mall stages grand reopening bash

Owners present $25,000 check to Moreland district

By Cecily Barnes

Westgate Mall has spent the past year renovating more than its storefronts and court yards: The shopping center is also working on its community image.

M&H Realty Partners II L.P., which purchased Westgate in 1995, is taking steps to ensure a cordial relationship with the community. At its grand reopening celebration last Friday, M&H presented the Moreland School District with a $25,000 check, to be shared by the district's nine schools and Moreland's Education Foundation.

"Our theme for the mall is community and family," said Jain Wager, vice president of M&H Property Management. "It's very important to us that it's an integral part of the community, and we felt the best way for us to accomplish that was to form a partnership with the Moreland School District."

In addition to the donation, M&H dedicated an entire corridor to the district. Located on the east wing between the LiL' Things and Home Chef, Moreland's corridor will be decorated with a 10-foot by 23-foot mural and nine 6-foot by 8-foot community boards. Providing visual decor for shoppers, the illuminated-glass boards will display artwork, photos, announcements of upcoming events and whatever else the schools choose to show off.

The large mural, designed by local artist Antonio Castro, will be a compilation of drawings contributed by Moreland students. And, under Castro's direction, some students will even help paint it.

"They're quite wonderful-looking when you go down the corridor," said Jerri Noble, Westgate's assistant property manager.

Moreland administrators couldn't be happier about the mall's relationship with the district.

"We think it's marvelous. They are certainly a tremendous business partner to our school," said Caroline Hastings, administrative assistant to Moreland Superintendent Jim Ritchie. "Since this company has taken over and modernized [Westgate], they've been tremendous partners with our school district. [The old owners] supported us and let us have book fairs, but nothing monetary, and they didn't make overtures to the district like the new owners have."

Originally an open-air mall, Westgate was built in the early 1960s. It was remodeled in 1989, but it wasn't remerchandised. When M&H purchased the mall, they revamped not only its exterior, but also its character.

"We felt the mall wasn't really geared towards the community. And also retailing has changed over the years," Wager said. "We changed the balance of the shops as well as the character."

With 90 percent of its mall space leased, M&H hopes to raise enough revenue to merit contributing to Moreland's schools in the future. But for now, the schools are happy with even a one-time donation.

Some of the new stores at Westgate include Barnes & Noble, HomeChef, Johnny Rockets, LiL' Things, Max's Cafe, Starbucks, and Pearl Vision.