Live, Work, Play: The Vision for Merrick Park

For 22 years, The Shops at Merrick Park have anchored the Gables

A place to shop, live, and work: that’s the vision the City of Coral Gables had in the late ‘90s for what has now become the Shops at Merrick Park.

The open-air retail center, known as “Village at Merrick Park” until 2019, officially opened in 2002. Over the past two decades, it has evolved into a well-rounded destination far beyond a typical shopping mall, featuring fine dining, entertainment, fitness, offices, residences, and, of course, myriad high-end shopping options.

While its vision has remained the same since opening, Carlos Limontes, senior general manager of the Shops, says that in recent years the mall’s strategy has been to better cater to what he calls the Gables’ aesthetics. “I think consistency is just a core part of Coral Gables,” says Limontes, who is a Gables native. “Coral Gables has a simple elegance that’s not in your face. There’s a classic established look, and we follow that consistently across the board. We intentionally mimic that because we want folks to understand that Shops at Merrick Park is Coral Gables.”

“Coral Gables has a simple elegance that’s not in your face. There’s a classic established look, and we follow that consistently across the board…”

Coral Gables has become one of the most affluent communities in the country and is now home to the second most expensive zip code in Florida, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Naturally, there has been a push to expand the Shops’ retail portfolio.

“Our strategy is now elevating what we have,” says Limontes. “We’ve evolved to the point where we have really good merchandising plans, and post-COVID [we’ve] seen a lot of development on our property. Fifteen stores have opened in the last two years; we’ve relocated 10 stores, which is great for a store to have a new design and feel; and eight stores are under construction right now.”

Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom are the Shops’ two anchor stores, which speak to Coral Gables’ customers across all demographics and socio-economic backgrounds. Under the management of Brookfield Properties, the Shops’ luxury portfolio now includes brands like CH Carolina Herrera, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and 120% Lino.

“The store in Merrick Park was [our] first retail outlet in the United States,” says Jolanda Marini, CEO of 120% Lino, which took up residence in the Shops over 10 years ago. “It’s like a historic store for us. We were embraced from the beginning.” Of the shop’s typical customers, she says, “The store gets a mix of people but a lot of them are from South America. They love [linen], they know the material, but they don’t see it in their countries in the variety of colors, prints, and styles that we have. Merrick Park is definitely an international mall.”

With the development of the property and its surroundings, the demographic at The Shops has become even more diverse. Limontes says that along with the usual families, he has noticed an influx of younger shoppers thanks to the proximity of Coral Gables High School and the University of Miami. While those shoppers may not be visiting Gucci, they are regulars at brands like Lululemon, Alo Yoga, and Vuori. “We’ve seen a lot of emerging brands that choose us because we’re proven and have a wide range of audiences,” says Limontes. “It might be the proximity to the University of Miami or just the fact that we’re in a warm climate and people are into health and fitness, but we’ve seen a lot of success, for example, in the athleisure market.”

On the health and fitness end SoulCycle and Equinox have done particularly well, while home goods and furniture retailers like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn have also excelled. Overall, the property has over 700,000-square-feet of retail space with over 90 retailers.

“I’ve also noticed a desire to elevate dining,” says Limontes. “I think that’s driven a lot by our focus on luxury. All our partners want that elevated dining experience and Perry’s [Steakhouse & Grille] has proven to be phenomenal. That’s what folks want.” Restaurants at The Shops at Merrick Park run the gamut from fast-casual C’est Bon to in-store restaurants like Bazille at Nordstrom or Mariposa at Neiman Marcus to high-end dining like Perry’s or SeaGrill (which is currently in the process of combining with Villagio).

To appeal to even more consumers, the mall also welcomed a luxury movie theater at the tail end of 2016. The Landmark theater offers only seven screens, but includes a bar, reclining leather seats, and a full food menu. There are also specialty shops like Tumi, Tempur-Pedic, Sephora, and even a Gymboree. And now, every Sunday, there’s a farmers’ market as well.

At its core, the charm of this open-air center is that while it offers luxury shopping, it also provides a sense of Coral Gables community. “There are people that have been going to these stores for years,” says Limontes. “It’s part of why people are attracted to Merrick Park.”


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