Three Generations of Whitman Family Keep Bal Harbour Shops Profitable

Bal Harbour Shops Timeline

1957 - The Whitman family purchases the 16 acre commercial tract in the Village of Bal Harbour from Robert Graham family

1965 - Stanley Whitman opens Florida's first exclusive high-fashion shopping center on the site of a former World War II army barracks. The first tenants included Martha Phillips boutique, FAO Schwarz, Lilly Dache, and Abercrombie & Fitch

1971 - Neiman Marcus opens its first specialty store at Bal Harbour Shops, NM's first venture outside its native Texas. The 60,000-square-foot store was an immediate success and a third floor of retail was added the following year

1974 - Randy Whitman joins Bal Harbour Shops overseeing leasing and daily operations

1976 - Saks Fifth Avenue becomes Bal Harbour Shops second anchor making BHS the only shopping center in the U.S. to have those two as anchors

1977 - Gucci opened its first mall store at Bal Harbour Shops

1983 - Bal Harbour Shops adds a second level of stores

2002 - The Women's Wear Daily List is published with the top 15 most productive shopping centers in the U.S., ranking Bal Harbour Shops No. 1, based on sales per square foot of $1,350

2003- Matthew Whitman Lazenby joins family business as the director of leasing

2012 - International Council of Shopping Centers names Bal Harbour Shops the "world's most productive" as ranked by sales per square foot

2012 - Bal Harbour Shops signs an option agreement with nearby Church by the Sea to acquire the land on which the church sits, build a new 50,000-square-foot eco-friendly church, and use the church land to add 200,000-square-feet of retail space

*Bal Harbour Shops was the first mall location for Cartier, Bulgari, Harry Winston and Lanvin and the first venture outside of New York City for Louis Vuitton, Prada, Versace, Sergio Rossi, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana and Roger Vivier.

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