McWhinney and Prism Places unveiled preliminary design concepts for Foothills Mall at a community open house on Saturday, April 15. Attendees previewed initial plans for the reimagined mixed-use district and shared feedback and questions with the Foothills team.
Project highlights shared with local residents included options for converting a traditional indoor mall into a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use destination featuring abundant open spaces for communal gatherings, a design palette inspired by nature, and a community-driven approach to enhance how Fort Collins residents live, work, and play.
“We enjoyed connecting with the community on Saturday to share initial design concepts and ideas the project team has been working on for months, behind the scenes,” commented Clyde Wood, vice president of commercial and mixed-use at McWhinney. “This is our first opportunity to show the community how we’ve interpreted what we heard during our outreach over the last year, reconciled with the physical constraints imposed by the existing property and current market conditions. We’re still in the early stages, and the concepts we presented will continue to evolve as we move through the formal entitlement process.”
The redevelopment of Foothills is an incredible opportunity to transform the underperforming mall into a new, thriving, dynamic midtown destination that embodies the DNA of Fort Collins, including rewilded green spaces and integrated amenities such as elevated retail, crafted cuisine, innovative workspaces, and residential offerings, combined with walkable connection points and year-round programming to embrace Colorado outdoors fully.
“It’s abundantly clear the current interior concept for the mall is not working, and if we don’t make a significant change, it will continue to decline,” said Stenn Parton, president at Prism Places. “With that in mind, we are undertaking an adaptive re-use of the mall and reimagining Foothills into a place with purpose, where the experience is rooted in Fort Collins and captures the spirit of adventure prevalent throughout Northern Colorado.”
When complete, the repurposed and reimagined project contemplates ~440,000 square feet of retail and food and beverage — an alchemy of Colorado’s best culinary minds combined with top local, regional, and national brands, including adventure-oriented retailers that will better resonate with the Fort Collins market — and approximately 70,000 square feet of class-A office space.
Finally, up to 750 residential units — a diverse mix of townhome and apartment-living options at various price points, including rental and for sale — are in consideration to offer a live-work-play experience to the broader community. As a result, anticipated future residents will be able to enjoy an upscale space and urban-style recreational amenities while remaining nestled in a neighborhood that evokes small-town charm.
McWhinney and Prism Places have yet to finalize project plans and look forward to continued engagement with the community and local stakeholders prior to beginning a formal entitlement process with the City of Fort Collins.
For more information on property updates and happenings, please visit shopfoothills.com or follow @shopfoothills on Instagram
