The recent outdoor expansion at Baybrook Mall is Phase 1 of a plan to add 555,000 square feet to the shopping center.[/caption]

Baybrook Mall celebrated the opening of a 285,000-square-foot outdoor expansion with a ribbon cutting Nov. 18. The additional shopping and dining options complete Phase 1 of a 555,000-square-foot expansion, according to officials.

“I’d like to welcome everybody to the new Baybrook Mall,” General Manager Jeff Gionnette said at the ceremony.

While many tenants—such as Dave & Buster’s and Z Gallerie—opened Nov. 18, all are expected to open by early 2016, according to mall officials. Additional tenants include Bar Louie, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, Kendra Scott, Lovesac, Star Cinema Grill and Yard House among others.

“With the first part of expansion open, shoppers have even more top-name options, not just for shopping, but we’ve also added new options for dining and entertainment,”  Gionnette said.

In addition to 30 retailers and 10 restaurants or entertainment venues, the expansion includes a lawn and seating area in front of a 22-foot-by-12-foot digital screen and a 30-foot-by-13-foot stage. The venue—which can also be seen from various restaurant patios—will be used for community gatherings, officials said.

“These features will help enhance the mall, and [it] shows our customers that we’re committed to putting them in the center of the very best of shopping, dining and entertainment in this area,” Gionnette said.

Phase 2 of the expansion will be completed in late 2016, officials said. The additional 270,000 square feet will include big-box tenants, restaurants and entertainment venues. Gionnette said the anchor tenants will be announced in the coming months.

Bob Mitchell, president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, said the expansion will enhance the region by providing jobs and tax dollars. More importantly, he said, the new high-end options and venue add to a high quality of life in the Bay Area.

“I think it’s become pretty apparent to a lot of people that the quality of life in this region is very important,” Mitchell said. “People come here because of the retail, they move here because of the jobs, [and] they move here because of the education systems that we have. People congregate around those types of opportunities. In today’s world, quality of life is very, very important to people.”

Baybrook Mall opened in 1978 and last underwent expansion in 1984, Gionnette said. Construction began on Phase 1 of the latest additions in summer 2014. Mitchell said the success of the mall has been key in the development of the Bay Area.

“Baybrook Mall is the prime driver of the quality of life,” he said. “It’s had a tremendous impact on this entire region for many, many years. As the Baybrook Mall grows, so does the community.”