LITTLETON, Colo. — It’s a $75 million renovation just in time for the holiday shopping season. But this renovation is unique for the southwest suburbs of Denver.
Southwest Plaza is ushering in a new look. Gone are the dark halls and carpet. It’s an open concept with lots of light and plenty of local shops.
“The stale, mall-type thing and the stereotype, this is breaking the mold,” Vincent Chavez said.
He’s one of the many vendors selling goods inside the mall. He specializes in sustainable meats and locally sourced food.
The multimillion-dollar renovation began mid-2014. It’s now almost complete. About 40 percent of the tenants are new, including a time-tested favorite, serving up a slice of holiday cheer.
“On Black Friday, we are actually introducing a new cheesecake, our seasonal cheesecake, the Peppermint Bark,” said Chris Larson, the general manager for the Cheesecake Factory.
And what’s better to go with cheesecake than a cup of hot chocolate while you’re shopping.
“In the summer, I sell lemonade and iced tea, but in the holiday season, like right now, I’m selling hot chocolate and apple cider,” Jack Bonneau said.
He’s just 9 years old but runs his own booth inside the mall. He and 21 other artisans and vendors make up the Holiday Market on the first floor. It’s an indoor bazaar exclusively for local merchants.
“I have shirts to like candles and some lip balms and cards,” Jack said.
Upstairs, you can get even more local flavor with the newly expanded I Heart Denver Store.
“Colorado is not only a great place to live, but it’s also a lifestyle,” owner Samuel Schimek said. “We give 70 percent of sales back to the artist.”
And of course no visit to the mall is complete without time for Santa and the new interactive 4D experience. The three-minute adventure twists and turns to Santa’s Workshop and ends at Santa’s house.
“A very busy year. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I have a brand new house. It’s pretty fancy isn’t it,” Santa said.
Santa’s Adventure is free but it takes about 20 minutes to get through, so the line gets long. To cut the wait time, reserve a space in advance with photos. Tickets start at $40 for the whole family.