Downtown retail promising to be bigger and better than before 9/11.

Though the final design for retail space at the new World Trade Center is still being drafted, the combination of the pre-9/11 mall's lucrative history and new residential developments nearby are sparking significant interest among brokers.

"Downtown is already on its way to revitalizing," said Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, retail leasing and sales division with Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

"Retail will just help provide it with some extra energy. Retail fills a niche a hole that has been left, and will insure that downtown will keep growing for the next ten or fifteen years."

The retail area designated for the new mall is slightly larger than the 427,000 s/f Westfield Shoppingtown World Trade Center mall, created by Westfield America Inc. which contained over 75 stores spread out along the single floor of the Concourse demolished on September 11, 2001.

The new retail center is shaped differently than Westfield. A 200,000 s/f space dedicated to retail will tunnel through the transportation hub and pedestrian corridor in all directions that passengers drift from subways, ferries and PATH trains. A further 375,000 s/f of retail space will run between towers three and four and be distributed on five tiers, two underground and three above ground.

The design has been drafted by the project's architects, Sir Norman Foster, Fumihiko Maki and Richard Rogers along with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.

The locations where retail will be concentrated were chosen to maximize on the amount of people passing through downtown, according to Scott Coleman, spokesperson for the Port Authority. The transportation hub will have a daily flow of over 250,000 people. Towers 3 and 4 are closest to Wall Street and sport hot office locations expected to fill quickly.

Brokers will be contacted to solicit retailers pending the finalization of plans between the Port Authority and Silverstein Properties expected mid September, Coleman said.

Westfield--the company that held a 99-year lease when the World Trade Center buildings were demolished on September 11, 2001--will be given an opportunity to make the first offer on the space although Port Authority officials are not required to accept that offer.

Many brokers have dreamed up plans about the best way of improving upon the past of the Westfield Shoppingtown World Trade Center mall--which at its peak sported such high end stores as Godiva, Sephora and Tourneau, and was ranked among the highest sales producing malls in the United States with total sales exceeding $900 psf.

"I would almost replicate what was in the old World Trade Center concourse because that was extremely successful--but in addition to that I would mix in some type of unique retail store that would be a destination because it is not available uptown or midtown--something like Nordstrom for example," said Alyne Model, executive managing director with Murray Hill Properties. She also believes entertainment specialty stores that can bring in tourists like Build a Bear workshops would be an exciting addition to the retail base.

The plethora of residential properties built and converted since 9/11 is also a boon for retailers. "Now there is that extra component. Downtown can go from five days to seven days, stores will have more buying power now, hours can be extended so there is more shopping," added Consolo who said she forsees some sort of a great food hall reminiscent of Harods in England.

Consolo also sees tourists as a substantial means for upping the ante on retail. She notes that stores with proven track records in the old mall like Godiva should be sought after again. Additionally a men's clothing store, some accessory stores, and a mainstream apparel store, such as Ann Taylor would be good elements to throw into the mix, she said.

"It has been a long time coming, but we all welcome new shopping downtown. It is the last frontier in a city that needs some exciting retail."