Florida Guide > Shopping
The Loop shopping complex
The Loop is Orlando’s newest open air shopping complex and it's now almost fully open with the final few shops just completing their fitting. The 440,000- square foot retail centre recently opened its doors to shoppers just before Christmas 2005 giving them a first taste of the new shopping experience The Loop promised to provide. It is located at the intersection of John Young Parkway and Osceola Parkway, The Loop is a destination site that combines retail, dining and entertainment into an open air, pedestrian friendly environment that will integrate wide sidewalks, street lamps, benches and has a distinctive streetscape design.
Most of the shopping centre’s stores are now open for business, including Pier 1 Imports, Ross, Vitamin World, Petco, HairMasters and Bed Bath & Beyond. There are more openings scheduled to take place over the next couple of months. The Loop hopes to captures the growing demand in this part of the market. When completed, which should be by early March 2006, The Loop will be home to more than 40 businesses in this rapidly growing region near the Orange and Osceola county borders. The completed complex will include several familiar restaurants and a 16-screen Regal Cinemas theatre. Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Chili’s are already serving customers who have not had anywhere local for convenient dining. December saw the opening of an additional eight businesses including Kay Jewellers, Ben & Jerry’s, Sports Authority, Old Navy, and Dress Barn.
Things have gone so well up to this point that plans are already being finalized for an expansion project, Loop West, adjacent to The Loop retail site and facing on to Osceola Parkway. The Wilder Companies are moving forward on plans to purchase a 40-acre parcel of land, and intend to add up to 400,000 square feet of retail space to the property. Loop West will try to offer a complementary mix of shopping and dining options which add to the diversity of venues already open. All this extra choice can only be good for the shopper once Loop West is opened which is scheduled for late 2007.
The Loop is home to favourites such as American Eagle Outfitters, PacSun, and Kohl’s which is a large department type store. To complement the retail shops The Loop will soon offer several more dining places such as Panera Bread, Chipotle, Barney’s Coffee & Tea, Wendy’s and Johnny Rockets. Michaels, the arts and craft store company, had one of its best openings ever when it opened at The Loop. People were lined up outside the door to get inside and if you have never been in one of their store this alone would make the trip worth while.
The Loop has also attracted a retail store that has had no presence in the region before. Justice is a specialty clothes shop catering to girls 7 to 14 years old and should now be opened. The Loop also will be home to an After Hours Formal Wear store, which will be one of the last to open along with Avon, the company known for selling makeup and other items by catalogue, which will now open a retail store as well.
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