This is not your grandmother’s mall
-Joe Coradino, CEO of Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PEI).
He was referring to Fashion District, a ~$420M redevelopment of The Gallery in downtown Philadelphia project - 50/50 JV between PEI and Macerich (MAC) - which opened on 19 September 2019. PEI is a Philly-based company and Fashion District is in their own backyard. It is their biggest project, with sentimental value as PEI acquired the first piece of what is now Fashion District sixteen years ago.
Crowds were building. Officials gathered. The ribbon was