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“To be able to build a European city has been a dream of mine for five years,” he said. “The lifestyle and social aspects of Europe really attract people to this type of design.”
Area Coun. Scott McKeen said he is pleased to see a bold idea to ignite the area and is hopeful it will focus on providing space for local retailers.
“He has his own vision and he’s taking the risk and so I’m not going to pile on,” he said. “What would be more important than perhaps the sort of design ethics at play is the retail at play. Is it interesting, unique and are there independent shops in there? If it’s a lot of franchises and brands you can find elsewhere, it might be disappointing to people.”
Although the full list of tenants has yet to be finalized, Morgulis said the goal is to stay local with the restaurants, coffee shops, hair salons and retail businesses expected to fill the plaza. A cannabis store is also confirmed for the building.
Some of the prospective tenants backed out amid the COVID-19 pandemic over uncertainty of their future and the pandemic also forced a delay in opening plans, Morgulis said.
Now the first spaces are set to open by the fall with all retailers and elements of Europe in place by next spring.
