What stores could The Summit Lexington lure?
When the developers behind The Summit shopping center in Louisville announced plans earlier this month to build one in Lexington, the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com invited readers to suggest stores they would like to see come to the city.
Developer Bayer Properties has declined to say whether it has signed any tenants yet for the proposed project on the long-undeveloped Fritz Farm at Nicholasville Road and Man o' War Boulevard.
But a look at its three other Summit shopping centers — in Louisville; Birmingham, Ala.; and Reno, Nev. — shows popular chains, including The Cheesecake Factory and Pottery Barn, that have not yet made their way to Lexington.
With plans for 450,000 to 500,000 square feet of retail space, The Summit Lexington could accommodate a number of new entrants to the market.
And it will likely need to. It's situated in the city's retail center where many chains already have a presence. Lexington's perennial retail powerhouse, Fayette Mall, is just down the road, as is The Mall at Lexington Green, which is reinventing itself as a fashion-focused retail center by luring Anthropologie and others.
"Our research indicates there is still an opportunity to bring to Lexington retail that's not otherwise here," David Silverstein, principal of Bayer Properties, told the Herald-Leader as part of the announcement.
Silverstein wouldn't say what is a possibility, but here's a smattering of suggestions from readers on what they would like to see in the shopping center, which is expected to open by fall 2015.
About: Popular outdoors retailer.
Founded: 1972
Headquarters: Springfield, Mo.
Number of locations: 77
Closest locations to Lexington: Cincinnati's Cincinnati Mall and Clarksville, Ind., outside Louisville.
Is it in another Summit? No
About: The creator of the barbecue chicken pizza, this restaurant chain is known for its non-traditional pizzas.
Founded: 1985
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Number of locations: More than 250
Closest location to Lexington: Louisville's Oxmoor Center
Is it in another Summit? Yes. Birmingham.
About: A restaurant best known for its bakery, hence the name. But it's also known for its large portions of primarily American fare. It appears prominently in television's The Big Bang Theory.
Founded: 1978, though the founding family's bakery dates to the late 1940s.
Headquarters: Calabasas Hills, Calif.
Number of locations: 162
Closest locations to Lexington: Louisville's Mall St. Matthews and Cincinnati's Kenwood Towne Centre
Is it in another Summit? Yes. Birmingham.
About: A hip European "fast fashion" retailer known for being able to quickly capitalize on trends because of its design and production techniques.
Founded: 1947
Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
Number of locations: More than 2,800 including 269 in the U.S.
Closest locations to Lexington: Florence Mall in Florence and Cincinnati's Kenwood Towne Centre
Is it in another Summit? No
About: The popular outdoors brand has a number of retail stores around the country that carry its full line of products.
Founded: 1966
Headquarters: San Leandro, Calif.
Number of locations: 61 in the U.S. and Canada
Closest location to Lexington: Outlet store in Monroe, Ohio, north of Cincinnati.
Is it in another Summit? Yes. Birmingham.
About: A home furnishings retailer known for its design prowess with everything from furniture to accessories.
Founded: 1949. The brand was purchased by Williams-Sonoma Inc. in 1986.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Number of locations: 193
Closest locations to Lexington: Louisville's Mall St. Matthews and Cincinnati's Kenwood Towne Centre
Is it in another Summit? Yes. Birmingham and Reno.
About: A luxury home furnishings retailer selling furniture, lighting and accessories. Despite the name, don't come in looking for obscurely sized screws.
Founded: 1979
Headquarters: Corte Madera, Calif.
Number of locations: 73
Closest location to Lexington: Cincinnati's Kenwood Towne Centre
Is it in another Summit? Yes. Birmingham.
This story was originally published February 15, 2013 at 4:28 PM with the headline "What stores could The Summit Lexington lure?."