Jodie McLean, president of Edens, the owner and developer of Mosaic, called the mapping concerns a “huge issue” and said the company has spent “endless hours” working with mapping authorities to fix navigational problems.
When you finally get there, you’ll find Mosaic to be a retailing hybrid, borrowing elements from town centers, strip malls and small-town shopping. The anchors are Target and Last Call Studio by Neiman Marcus, the luxury store’s spinoff offering lower-priced designer clothes, handbags and shoes. Mixed in are small boutiques whose owners were courted to open branches in Mosaic, including South Moon Under casual clothing, Amethyst jewelry, Bellacara beauty products and Lou Lou accessories.
“The consumers here are well educated and well traveled,” says McLean, whose company is also the developer of Union Market in Northeast Washington, offering artisanal food. “We wanted a place reflective of all of those things.”
A major player in Mosaic is the Angelika Film Center & Cafe chain, known for cushy stadium seating and cutting-edge flicks. Yes, you can drink martinis while watching “Skyfall.” It offers a Crybaby Matinee (children younger than 5 are free) and Baby Boomer Thursday (the over-55 set gets a $7 flick and free popcorn with purchase of a fountain drink).
Kelly Khlopin, manager of the Ginger women’s clothing and accessories boutique, calls Mosaic “an alternative to Tysons and Reston.” Ginger also has locations in Bethesda and Winter Park, Fla.
If you don’t want to try to navigate your way out of there after dinner, there is even a 148-room hotel, the Hyatt House, with a large lounge area equipped with a pool table.
What is it?
Mosaic is a mixed-use development nestled in traffic- and crane-filled suburbia. Townhouses and apartments will be completed later this year. About half the stores and restaurants are open, including Mom’s Organic Market
MediterraFish seafood market and Freshbikes.
Retail Highlights
Timothy Paul: Carpets Bedding Home: It took a lot of persuading to get the husband-wife team of Timothy and Mia Worrell, who 10 years ago were retail pioneers in Logan Circle, to open in Merrifield. “We are city people,” Mia Worrell says.
But they came around and brought their upscale global wares: hand-knotted area rugs from Nepal, Morocco and Turkey, priced from $150 to $10,000; sofas with sizes to fit both McMansions and narrow townhouses, from $3,000 to $5,000; and pillows sewn from handblocked fabrics and vintage saris for $100 to $200. This store, which offers custom design services, has more space than the couple’s two D.C. locations combined. “We like the fact that the store is outside, so it feels less suburban,” says Worrell.
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