Anthropologie, more coming to Walt Whitman mall

Walt Whitman Shops plans to add retailers Anthropologie, Free People and Hanna Andersson as the Huntington Station mall undergoes a major face-lift and expansion.

With the renovation under way, the mall's owners Monday released more details about the project. Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group plans to redesign the center's facade and streetscape for a more "pedestrian friendly" environment, boost its retail space by about 72,000 square feet and increase its selection of stores and restaurants, the company said.

Long Island malls have been investing and expanding lately, in part to respond to the growth of online shopping.

The Walt Whitman renovation seeks to enhance the mall's image as a shopping destination. "I think the entire package with the redesign is going to make the project look like a brand new center," said Thomas J. Schneider, executive vice president of Simon Property Group.

The mall's image from Route 110 will be altered by a mix of outward-facing shops, sidewalks, upgraded landscaping and a statue of the center's namesake, poet Walt Whitman, Schneider said.

Interior renovations will include new skylights, accent lighting and soft seating.

The expansion will add 11 stores, and the mall is in discussions with a couple of full-service restaurants, Schneider said.

Anthropologie, a women's clothing chain, will fill an 8,681-square-foot space. Free People, also a women's clothing retailer, will move into a 1,777-square-foot shop, and children's clothing store Hanna Andersson will open a 2,022-square-foot store. Swarovski, the upscale boutique that sells cut crystal, jewelry and home accessories, will have a location in an 800- square-foot space.

Henri Bendel, luxury retailer of accessories, cosmetics and gifts, and Vera Bradley, which sells accessories and handbags, previously acknowledged that they were opening stores at Walt Whitman Shops.