Renovations Create Better Visual at The Gardens on El Paseo

Changes unite luxury shopping center to customers' benefit

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The Gardens on El Paseo has a more open look where shoppers can visually see the variety of stores in Palm Desert.
Courtesy of "The Wolf of Wall Street" on Facebook

 

With the renovations to The Gardens on El Paseo, Robert Taubman hopes you no longer feel lost at Palm Desert’s luxury outdoor shopping mall.

Taubman, CEO, president and chairman of Taubman Centers, which two years ago purchased The Gardens on El Paseo, has brought customer orientation to the forefront.

“Our singular goal was really to open up the center, make it much more customer friendly, and create that sense of orientation at all times so the customer knows where they are,” Taubman said in a recent interview. “With more transparency, you have the ability to see a whole group of stores at one time.”

A part-time resident of Rancho Mirage, Taubman’s desert connection stretches back more than 20 years ago when his Mom lived here. He succeeded his father, A. Alfred Taubman, who started the family-named company in 1950 in suburban Detroit, and now Taubman Centers has a significant presence in the retail properties market.

He spoke about the recent renovations with Palm Springs Life. For more, view the video.

What were some of the challenges to the renovation?

“The vegetation that had grown up had become far too mature, and it was now blocking vision, creating these tunnels, and these areas or pockets of where you really had no sense of orientation. All of this area was obstructed and there really was no way to cross from one side to the other on an easy basis. There was some sort of a meandering walkway, but it was in the mud when it rained around here occasionally. We found a way to bring the two centers, unite them and make them one.”

What did your father emphasize that was passed onto you?

“Quality is something that lasts a long time, and the customer really does understand the difference. I think what we have done here is not only reduce threshold resistance, but also do it in a quality manner. We want the landscape to be lush and wonderful. We also want it to work for the retailer and the shopper. They all have to work in harmony and balance.”

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VIDEO: Hear from Robert Taubman, CEO of Taubman Centers, on the renovations to The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert.