Page 4 - Tigard Monthly - February 2014 Issue

4 TIGARD MONTHLY | Thursday, February 20, 2014

PROFILE

TIGARD MONTHLY

Washington Square turns 40

After nearly a half-century in business, Washington Square has become a powerhouse

across the state, and the nation

Thomas Randall, Washington Square mall’s senior manager and marketing director Rebecca Lesley practically live at the mall. When they do their jobs right, Randall says, nobody even knows they are there.

Story by Geoff Pursinger | Photography by Jaime Valdez

I
f Washington Square mall were a city, Its department stores are some of the city’s largest
Its department stores are some of the
call Senior Property Manager Thomas city’s largest employers, and its five anchor
Randall the mayor.
employers, and its five anchor department stores department stores include the state’s largest,

Randall, a Sherwood resident who include the state’s largest, Nordstrom.
Nordstrom.
took over running the mall’s operations The mall is also one of the top-producing

five months ago, is responsible for
malls for Macerich, its parent company, which
everything that goes on in the mall — from housekeeping. We provide all of those services kid, I didn’t know how it happened, I just knew
operates shopping centers in New York City,
financial performance to leasing out new and deal with everything from a major crisis to
Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
that I liked what I saw when I got there.”
department stores, marketing, security and According to one study, Washington Square filling out paperwork.”
The mall, which celebrates its 40th
cleanliness.
was one of the highest-grossing malls in the It takes a ton of work, Randall said, but when anniversary this month, has been the place to

“In a lot of ways, we deal with the same country per square foot, with sales averaging done right, it should seem effortless.
shop in Tigard since it opened its doors in 1974.
issues that cities have,” he said. “Instead of $716 per foot of space.
“Most people don’t even know that we exist,” Since that time, Washington Square has

police, we have security. Instead of streets, “It’s a very strong shopping center,” Randall
said Randall, sitting in his office off the mall’s become a powerhouse among shopping malls
we have operations. Our parks department is
food court. “When I would come to the mall as a
across the country.
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