Brookfield Properties officially opened its Manhattan West mixed-use district in New York City this week. The eight acres center on a 2.5-acre urban pedestrian plaza fronted by emerging brands and health and wellness retail, as well as loads of restaurants, some with outdoor terraces overlooking the plaza.

Opening in early fall are Eastern Mediterranean-themed Zou Zou’s, Asian-themed Hidden Leaf and Ci Siamo, the newest restaurant from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. Chef Hillary Sterling will offer an Italian-inflected menu centered on live-fire cooking for Ci Siamo. Meyer also will bring his Daily Provisions concept to Manhattan West to serve as an all-day kitchen. Arriving this month, Citizens New York will provide an elevated quick-service culinary market with such vendors as Umami Burger, Krispy Rice, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, Sa’Moto, El Pollo Verde and Plant Nation. And SBE will provide two restaurants: Katsuya by Chef Katsuya Uechi and Casa Dani by three-star Michelin Chef Dani Garcia.

Other tenants include specialty coffee shop and cafe Black Fox Coffee; Life Wine & Spirits; New Stand, a newsstand reimagined for the modern consumer; an NHL store featuring a seasonal ice rink; Peachy skincare and anti-wrinkle treatment studio; Peloton; athleisure retailer Public Rec; Italian eyewear label OPR; men’s clothing store Rothmans; Reset by Therabody wellness center; a Starbucks with a to-go window; and Whole Foods. “Our goal was to attract engaging brands with experiential concepts to create unique experiences for visitors and residents of the neighborhood while leveraging an untapped demand for new health and wellness-centric storefronts in the city,” said Brookfield senior vice president of retail leasing Jason Maurer.

Meanwhile the 140-seat Midnight Theatre will open this fall, featuring magic, music, comedy and more. Manhattan West also is home to Pendry’s first New York City hotel, which opened last month with 164 luxury guest rooms.

Manhattan West has nearly 6 million square feet of office, as well as luxury residences, and provides urban and suburban travel connections via the nearby new Moynihan Train Hall serving Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road and the nearby 7, A, C and E subway lines.

It’s also near Madison Square Garden and the High Line, and Arts Brookfield will enliven its own plaza year-round with public art and events.

4 development dispatches

Syracuse, New York: A $37 million redevelopment will transform the long-vacant former Sibley’s downtown into City Center — a mix of offices, retail and 24 residential units — including a restaurant and brewery. Local contractor Hayner Hoyt is working on the project and will move into the four-level former department store.

Evanston, Illinois: GW Properties plans to bring 12 retailers and restaurants to downtown by subdividing and leasing out vacant spaces in Church Street Plaza, a three-building commercial development it recently acquired. Tenants will include a rock climbing venue, restaurants and service retail. The project also will bring the city’s former Cinemark theater back to life in a smaller space under new management.

Fayetteville, Arkansas: DCM Group is plotting to convert a former Hooters restaurant into a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use development with apartments and retail. The building has remained vacant since Hooters closed in 2013. The project would include 169 apartment units, a 6,000-square-foot retail center, amenities and parking.

Conroe, Texas: Marcel Boulevard, a mixed-use complex from developer Marcel is nearing completion. Next to Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, it includes 68,160 square feet of retail and restaurants and 32,400 square feet of office, plus event and entertainment areas. The first tenants — including Voodoo Grille and Perfect Round, a family-friendly sports bar with four golf simulation bays — expect to open in early 2022. Other tenants include Thrive Day Spa, Atelier salon and Strategic Mind Games, a venue offering tabletop battle games and board games. Marcel Boulevard is the second retail development in the master-planned Grand Central Park, a 2,046-acre community by Johnson Development Corp. The first is 336 Marketplace, anchored by Kroger Marketplace, HomeGoods, Marshalls and Dick’s Sporting Goods.