Learn who we are and how we serve our community
Meet our leaders, trustees and team
Developing the next generation of talent
Covering the latest news and trends in the marketplaces industry
Check out wide-ranging resources that educate and inspire
Learn about the governmental initiatives we support
Connect with other professionals at a local, regional or national event
Find webinars from industry experts on the latest topics and trends
Grow your skills online, in a class or at an event with expert guidance
Access our Member Directory and connect with colleagues
Get recommended matches for new business partners
Find tools to support your education and professional development
Learn about how to join ICSC and the benefits of membership
Stay connected with ICSC and continue to receive membership benefits
At the 365,000-square-foot Bell Tower open-air center in Fort Myers, Florida, a focus on pets includes those elements, as well as monthly Yappy Hours and an annual Pupchella music festival, said Jennie Zafft, retail services director of marketing for Avison Young, which manages the property. Meanwhile, retailers that welcome pets into their stores let customers know by placing paw print signs in their windows, she added.
Patrons of Fort Myers, Florida’s Bell Tower open-air center take in St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Photo courtesy of Chris Kovaz Photography
“We’re trying to take advantage of the connection between people and their pets by welcoming them to our properties,” Zafft said. “Our tenants have been very positive about the programming. They love seeing dogs on-site.”
Bell Tower’s Pupchella festival, which supports the Gulf Coast Humane Society, includes live music, play space and equipment for dogs, shaded areas and vendors. Image courtesy of Chris Kovaz Photography
Zafft reported it’s not unusual to see cats in backpacks, a la Taylor Swift, and that a shopper once carted her rabbits around in a wagon at another pet-friendly property that Avison Young manages. Still, dogs are the primary beneficiaries of pet-friendly policies. “People know their pets,” she said. “Most cats aren’t necessarily social.”
People’s attention to pets arguably has grown since the pandemic, when homebound workers got dogs for companionship and stress relief. A 2021 ASPCA survey deduced that about 23 million households acquired a dog or cat in roughly the first year of the pandemic. Meanwhile, corporate stay-at-home orders also worked out well for the dogs who already had families, as they had been used to being alone for eight hours a day.
Now that humans are out and about again, their dogs are still by their sides. Twenty-eight percent of owners bring their dogs to pet-friendly retailers, according to pet-sitting and dog-walking network Rover, which released a survey of 1,000 U.S. pet “parents” in April. What’s more, 23% of owners frequently take their dogs on outings and an additional 60% do so occasionally, Rover found.
Open-air centers with common areas, outdoor bars and dining spots, and pet-focused stores are ideal settings for pet-friendly experiences, said JLL’s Norma Garza, senior general manager of LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch in Katy, Texas. The majority of the 412,900-square-foot lifestyle center’s restaurant patios are open to dogs, as are pet-friendly stores like Pucci, a cafe and pet boutique that serves drinks and treats and uses some of its proceeds to support pet rescue organizations. “We pride ourselves on being a dog-friendly shopping center,” Garza said, noting that the pets must be well-behaved and on leashes.
It's not just open-air centers, though. Some enclosed centers have let the dogs in, as well. In 2023, citing the APSCA’s research and long waitlists at dog day cares, Brookfield Properties launched a pet-friendly “pawlicy” at its U.S. malls, including Fashion Show Las Vegas, Park Meadows in suburban Denver and Oakbrook Center in suburban Chicago. Brookfield encourages patrons to post to social media images of its pets at the properties, but the landlord requires leashes and stresses that dogs do their business outdoors.
Still, the doo-doo business is one reason more mall owners, including CBL, doesn’t formally welcome pets inside its properties. “It’s not the greatest thing for a mall when you’re talking about cleanliness and other considerations,” said CBL CEO Stephen Lebovitz. “Then again, when I walk our malls, I see people with pets. People just take their dogs everywhere.”
Mixed-use communities, meanwhile, are prime settings for four-legged friends. Selig Enterprises decided eight years ago, before The Works on Atlanta’s Upper Westside broke ground, that the project would be pet friendly. The developer anticipated that a high number of the project’s apartment renters would have pets, said Selig senior vice president of development Malloy Peterson.
A dog and his people enjoy a band at The Camp, a central park at The Works mixed-use community in Atlanta’s Upper Westside. Photos at top and above courtesy of The Works
The first phase of The Works, a redevelopment of 80 industrial acres, began opening in 2020 and includes 185,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 125,000 square feet of office and 306 apartments. Pets are allowed in groomers and pet-related stores, Peterson observed, and are welcome in common areas and The Camp, a one-acre central park. Virtually all bar and restaurant patios are also pet friendly, she said.
The Works’ annual Pupfest raises funds for the Atlanta Humane Society and features music and dog-oriented vendors. Photo courtesy of The Works
Additionally, Selig brought in Fetch Park, an off-leash-green-space operator that offers memberships for dogs, an Airstream bar called BARk, TVs, live entertainment and Wi-Fi. The Works also runs a monthly Dog of the Month social media campaign that includes a $200 prize package.
A membership to Fetch Park’s social space for dogs doesn’t mandate a game of fetch. This member relaxes at Fetch’s location at The Works. Photo courtesy of The Works
“I don’t see our residents walking around without their dogs,” Peterson said. “It’s like a dog show.”
At Oak, a 43-acre mixed-use community that began opening last fall in Oklahoma City, Veritas Development brought in a pet-friendly apartment complex and hotel, said Stacy Schuch, director of retail activation for the property. She added that some store managers there bring their dogs to work. Oak’s 135,000-square-foot retail and restaurant component includes ample common areas and green space that, coupled with an open-container policy, encourage people to walk or relax with their dogs, she added.
Shoppers and their dogs hang out at Oak, a new mixed-use project in Oklahoma City. Photo courtesy of Shea Alan
“Through our research, we understood that pets were an integral part of the family in our community,” she explained, “but until you really see it, you don’t know what to expect. People are bringing their pets to our farmer’s market and our live events. We just love seeing that.”
MORE FROM C+CT: Florida’s Mixed-Use Wyld Oaks Crowdsourced Dog Park Components
Central to the pet-friendly marketing strategy is raising funds for shelters, which saw an influx of pets as the pandemic waned and inflation rose. Bell Tower donates certain fees collected at its monthly Yappy Hours and annual Pupchella event to the Gulf Coast Humane Society, for example, and an annual Pupfest with live music, dog vendors and other activities at The Works raises funds for the Atlanta Humane Society.
Meanwhile, Oak held a pet night over the holidays in partnership with the Oklahoma Humane Society. That, in turn, sparked a fundraising event in which designers, architects and others will build doghouses that Oak will display for a week and then auction off during the property’s Christmas in July event. Proceeds will benefit the humane society. Organizers set a goal of 12 doghouses, but thanks to heightened interest, they’re expecting around 15, Schuch said. “We’re seeing people asking how they can get involved and our tenants are asking how they can help,” she added. “We’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the results.”
By Joe Gose
Contributor, Commerce + Communities Today
Receive C+CT’s trendspotting, case studies, profiles, Q&As and updates on the people and companies that make up the Marketplaces Industry.
Sign up now