Piers going in at Pier Park

Date: 8/8/2008

Construction Update - City Pier at Pier Park

Posted August 7, 2008 @ 7:05 pm by Jason Koertge,

Moving along as scheduled, the city pier at Pier Park is still set to open spring 2009. With the main platform going on now and pilings being driven as they move out into the water, the pier is definitely beginning to take shape.

Construction is “top-down” construction, meaning there will be no barge with a crane in the water driving piles. The crane will “crawl” across the top of the piles that it puts in in order to put the next series of piles. I thought this was pretty cool, as it allows them to continue work even if they have rough seas. Delays will be less likely.

The final design will be around 1,500 feet long and 26 feet off the water. The super-structure design will be different then the last design and should better survive a hurricane or other severe weather. The platform on top of the piles that will be the walkway will not actually be attached to the piles, rather just resting on top of them. Each platform weighs about 600 lbs and will have a setting that will keep them in place, but if significant force should put pressure on them (i.e. hurricane force winds, storm surge, or very rough seas), they can become displaced or even come off completely. This minimizes the damage to the piles (the expensive part) and preserves the overall super-structure.

This all sounds good in theory, but does it actually work? The short answer, yes, it does. Baskerville Donovan has built this design before, and has had the opportunity to see the results of their design after a hurricane. When Ivan hit Gulf Shores as a category 3 Hurricane in September 2004. The Pensacola Pier (designed and constructed by Baskerville Donovan) sustained only $45,000 in damage. The Dan Russell Pier, 100 miles away sustained over $1 million in damage.

The county pier still has yet to begin, I’ll have more information on that soon, but I think it has to do with the EPA and turtle season. Stay tuned.

Pier Park Opens More Commercial Retailers

Date: 6/18/2008

Pier Park Opens More Retailers in June!

Posted June 18, 2008 @ 12:00 pm by Jason Koertge, Filed under: Pier Park

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG), the country’s largest owner, developer and manager of high-quality retail real estate, will celebrate more than 15 exciting retailer and restaurant openings this June at Pier Park, the 900,000-square-foot retail and entertainment lifestyle center located on 93 acres that covers land from Front Beach Road (at the City Pier) to the heavily traveled Highway 98 (Back Beach Road).

New specialty shops scheduled to debut include the following:

Ann Taylor Loft
As Seen On TV & More
Bellies N’ Babies
Chico’s
Cost Cutters
Counts-Oakes Realty
Footprints Coastal Decor
Hana Japan
Maurices
Peace Frogs
Popcorn Kingdom
Reggae J’s Island Grill
Regions Bank
Rocky’s South Philly Cheesesteaks
Shimmering Seas
Tran Fashion

Check after the break for a full list of open retailers.

The new stores will join over 80 stores already open at Pier Park. Additionally, the following anchors are open at Pier Park: Dillard’s, JCPenney, Target, The Grand 16 Theatres, Borders, Margaritaville, Old Navy and Ron Jon Surf Shop.

These additions make Pier Park home to a mix of over 100 retailers, with approximately half making their first appearance in this vibrant market. These stores combine the best in shopping, dining and entertainment – all situated across the street from some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Pier Park is a regional attraction, drawing residents and tourists from Florida’s Panhandle and beyond.

Ann Taylor Loft, through 483 store locations, competes in the “upper moderate” priced category. Ann Taylor Loft collections are designed for value conscious women with a more relaxed lifestyle both at work and at home.

As Seen On TV & More offers “As Seen On TV” products and other non-televised specialty items. As Seen On TV & More is committed to bringing customers the best “As Seen On TV” products at the fairest price.

In September 2005, Bellies N’ Babies opened its doors for the first time in downtown Danville, California and has been growing ever since. Bellies N’ Babies offers a great selection of affordable maternity fashions, products for moms-to-be and for kids as well.

Chico’s began in 1983 by Marvin and Helene Gralnick on Sanibel Island, Florida. Chico’s is a specialty retailer of private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates, complementary accessories, and other non-clothing gift items.

Cost Cutters is dedicated to providing customers with convenient hair care services, by professional stylists who care about customer needs. Cost Cutters offers a relaxed hair care experience with no appointments and no hassles. A perfect choice for busy, value-conscious families and men, Cost Cutters offers a range of styles at a price easy-to-afford.

Counts-Oakes Realty has a wide selection of condos or resort condos, beach houses, town-homes or cottages for your beach vacation in Panama City Beach, Inlet Beach, Seagrove Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, and Seacrest Beach. You can count on Counts-Oakes Realty to find the perfect vacation rental.

Since 1983, Footprints Coastal Decor has been outfitting homes and condos along the Florida Emerald Coast with unique coastal accent items, fun beach decor, pottery, and decorative sea shells. They also have a wide selection of coastal gifts at excellent prices.

Hana Japan is fine dining that’s transformed into a novel, fun experience. The beautifully designed interiors feature Teppan Tables crowned with pagoda tops that seat a group of guests around a large hibachi grille. Talented chefs twirl their knives and display the freshest ingredients that are prepared to your taste, at your table. Hana Japan Steakhouse offers a delectable choice of steak, chicken and seafood, plus a variety of cocktails and full bar service.

Maurices was founded in 1931 by E. Maurice Lebovitz. For seven decades, Maurices has stayed true to high-standard fashion, value and great customer service. Offering sizes 1-24, styles are inspired by the girl in everyone, in every size.

Peace Frogs is a friendly, peace-filled shop that carries a wide variety of Peace Frogs items including tee-shirts, key chains, stickers, lounge wear, hats, and mouse pads.
Popcorn Kingdom offers the highest quality popcorn popped in-store daily using only the finest of ingredients. Experience a wide assortment of over 30 flavors from top selling caramel, to fabulous fruit flavors! Popcorn Kingdom offers a wide variety of gift boxes and tins for special occasions and popcorn by the bag that ranges in size from individual sizes, to family sizes, as well as a 20 gallon party size bag that is perfect for large gatherings.
Reggae J’s Island Grill, owned by Southern Restaurant Group (SRG), features seafood with a Caribbean flair. Reggae J’s Island Grill is located on Front Beach Road and has directs views of the Gulf of Mexico.

Regions Bank is a full-service institution with a full range of financial products and services in the areas of trust, asset management, mortgage banking, securities brokerage and insurance, in addition to traditional banking products and services.

Rocky’s South Philly Cheesesteaks brings Pier Park shoppers a traditional steak sandwich which Philadelphians have been enjoying for many years; the management is actually moving to Panama City from Philadelphia to serve shoppers the authentic hoagies. In addition to courtyard seating, the shop has 10 seats, as well as, counters where customers can stand to enjoy their sandwiches, reminiscent of standing on the streets of South Philadelphia.

Shimmering Seas, formerly Sea of Silver, offers jewelry and gifts, specializing in exotic jewelry creations. Shoppers can find a variety of elegant sterling, gold, pearls, diamonds and much more.

Tran Fashion is a retail clothing store specializing in unique clothing and accessories for women and juniors. Tran Fashion focuses on unique styles of sportswear, tops, dresses, pants, jeans, prom dress and full assortment of fashion apparel. Their mission is to understand customers’ needs and provide quality clothing and customer service at a reasonable price.

Store currently open include the following:

Anchors
Borders
Dillard’s
JCPenney
Margaritaville
Old Navy
Ron Jon Surf Shop
Target
The Grand 16 Theatres

Specialty Shops
A.M. Cafe Accessories On The Boardwalk
Aeropostale
Alltel Wireless
American Eagle Outfitters
Ann Taylor Loft
As Seen On TV & More
Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House
Bath & Body Works
Beach Scene
BeBo’z
Blender Clothing, a fusion boutique
Bootleg Barbeque
Buffalo Wild Wings
Caché
Camille’s Sidewalk Café
Candy Maker
Carlyle & Co.
Claire’s
Coldwater Creek
Del Sol
Emerald Coast Photography
Fish Tales
Five Guys Famous Hamburgers & Fries
GameStop
GNC
Guglielmo’s Italian Restaurant
Hofbrau Beer Garden
Hollister Co.
Specialty Shops Continued…
Jake at the Beach (Life is Good)
Jos. A. Bank
Justice
Kay Jewelers
Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream
Lane Bryant/Cacique
LongHorn Steakhouse
Marble Slab Creamery
Massage Envy
Merle Norman Cosmetics Studio
Mermaid Trading Co.
Motherhood Maternity
New York & Company
No Regrets Stationery and Gifts
PacSun
Panera Bread
Payless ShoesSource
Perfumania
Quizno’s Sub
Rack Room Shoes
Red Brick Pizza
Smoothie King
Solace Day Spa & Salon
Southern Waters Outfitters
Starbucks
Sunglass Hut
Sunglass World
Sunsights by Solstice
Tatoe Tots
The Walking Company
Tilly’s
Tootsies Orchid Lounge
Trader Tom’s
Ulta Beauty
Unique Boutique by Irene & Co.
Verizon
Victoria’s Secret
Yankee Candle
Zales

More than 40 new stores open at Pier Park

Date: 5/1/2008

May 1, 2008 - 2:24PM Walton Sun

Sean Boone and Nate Kelly

PANAMA CITY BEACH – The area’s largest outdoor mall just got a little bigger.
On May 1, 43 new stores and restaurants opened at the Simon Property Group’s Pier Park on U.S. Highway 98.
On Wednesday, Simon held a media tour day to promote the expansion of the shopping center and let business representatives from several stores explain what they will be bringing to the table.
“This is something we should all be proud of,” said Simon Vice-President of Community and Lifestyles Division Paul Ajdaharian. “We want Dothan, Destin, Tallahassee and Jacksonville to come to Pier Park – and we think they will.”
Tootsies’ Orchid Lounge out of Nashville, Tenn. is one of the businesses opening this spring that brings a different flare to the shopping and dining complex.
“We’re like the AA team of country music,” said co-owner Steve Smith.
Tootsies’ is a country bar and restaurant, but also holds a music record label.
Later this month, the label will present their first signed musician, John Stone, at the business’s grand opening in Pier Park.
“We’re also trying to get friends down here,” said Stone. “Bret Michaels, Kid Rock and others, hopefully,”
Pier Park encompasses 93-acres and 900,000-square-feet of open-air shopping, dining and entertainment. The Simon Group plans on expanding the center in the near future, but has yet to release a tentative date with those plans.
Simon President of Community and Lifestyles Division Myles Minton said there will ultimately be 130 retail stores and 30 restaurants on the property and explained that the idea of the beach shopping and dining complex is to create a mindset of where to go in the area.
“What are we going to do now?” he asked. “Hopefully Pier Park will be their answer.”

New Restaurants at Pier Park in Panama City Beach

Date: 4/16/2008

More restaurants coming to Pier Park

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4/16/2008
By Daniel Carson Florida Freedom Newspapers

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PANAMA CITY BEACH - It’s not hard to find a place to eat at Pier Park, with new restaurants like Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Hofbrau Beer Garden, and Bootleg Barbeque opening this spring at the Panama City Beach development.

Indianapolis-based developer Simon Property Group on Tuesday announced four more new eateries coming to Pier Park this year, including the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Also coming are Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Baja Café and Guy Harvey’s Island Grill.

Simon also announced beach and resort-wear shop Paradise Found would be opening its doors this spring in Pier Park’s Boardwalk section.

Of the newly announced restaurants, the Olive Garden is scheduled to open in the fall and will be located off Back Beach Road. Owned by Darden Restaurants, the Italian restaurant chain operates 628 location in the United States and Canada, including a State 77 location in Panama City.

Baja Café, with its mix of Cajun, Caribbean, Southwestern and American cuisine, will be located in the Town Center area with a planned summer opening.

Morris said Tootsies was scheduled for a July opening in the Boardwalk section. The restaurant is known as a Nashville, Tenn., mecca for country music artists, and Tootsies’ Web site says early customers included Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Patsy Cline and Mel Tillis.

Guy Harvey’s also will open in the Boardwalk section this fall and will be a combination of restaurant, outdoor boat bar and retail store. It will serve a variety of American foods, with a percentage of all its proceeds going to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which is dedicated to ocean preservation.

There are now more than 40 stores open at Pier Park.

Simon Property Group spokesman Les Morris said Payless Shoes and Zales opened earlier this month. Old Navy, Solace Day Spa & Salon and A.M. Café and Accessories on the Boardwalk were scheduled to open this week.

There may be more restaurant opening announcements in the future, Morris said. Restaurant leasing is important to a property, particularly an outdoor center such as Pier Park, he said.

“I think we’ve seen it with Hofbrau, Margaritaville and Five Guys Burgers & Fries,” Morris said.

He pointed out that Simon’s restaurant leasing department is the only one companywide dedicated to a specific leasing area.

“So we’re talking to restaurants often,” Morris said.

New Pier Park in Panama City Beach is a Hit!

Date: 3/20/2008

(Walton Sun) March 20, 2008 - 9:40AM

Joyce Owen

PANAMA CITY BEACH – One month after the opening of the first stores in Pier Park, crowds continue to visit the shopping complex – and shop.

Bill Hanke of Edwardsville, Ill., was visiting Panama City Beach on March 11 for the first time with friends who have been regulars to the Emerald Coast for years.

Although his friends usually stayed in Destin, “This year they upgraded to a Wyndam timeshare in Panama City Beach,” Hanke said.

“We were driving around and checking things out in the area when we saw this. We came here and loved it. Look at all the shops that are open,” Hanke said. “My wife and her friend are shopping.”

Although Hanke and his friends were among the older visitors that vacation here during the winter, spring breakers have also discovered Pier Park.

Michelle Creighton, 20, from Ontario, was visiting for the first time. The rest of her group, including her friend Kate Shannon, 20, and her mother Kathy Shannon, and Joanne Rutten, also from Ontario, have been to Panama City Beach many times.

Although their favorite place is still the beach, shopping at Pier Park ran a close second.

Kathy Shannon said the men were golfing while they shopped. Everyone carried a bag or two.

As new shops open each week and new restaurants kick off grand opening celebrations, visitors were thrilled to have a new place in Panama City Beach.

“We’ve been coming here for 20 years. First, we came with our kids, now we come with our grandkids,” said Ann Svoboda of Aurora, Ill. “They’ve needed something like this.”

“The opening has been a success,” Simon Property Group executive Les Morris said. “Additional stores will continue to open throughout the spring.”

Pier Park is located on 93 acres .between Front Beach Road and U.S. Highway 98 in Panama City Beach.