Branson Landing names general manager

Todd Hiepler was named general manager of Branson Landing, according to a Nov. 28 news release from Urban Retail Properties. He will manage all retail operations for the $420 million, 1.8 million-square-foot, mixed-use development on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront in downtown Branson. The project is leased and managed by Urban Retail Properties.

Hiepler joined Urban Retail Properties Co. in 1996 in Chicago, serving as assistant general manager of the retail site that also houses the company’s headquarters. He also has managed super-regional shopping centers in Chicago, San Francisco and Orange County, Calif. His most recent post prior to joining Branson Landing was as general manager of Westfield Franklin Park in Toledo, Ohio, where he managed a $117 million expansion of the 1.2 million-square-foot shopping center.

Branson Landing is a public-private partnership between the city of Branson and the HCW Development Co. Construction is under way, with plans to open in the spring.

In a separate news release, the Branson Board of Aldermen announced its final approval of an ordinance that selects the 126 street light fixtures that will adorn the streets in Branson Landing. The ordinance was approved at the Board of Aldermen’s Nov. 28 meeting. The design of the lamps is similar to that used in the early 1900s and resembles existing streetlights in downtown Branson. The city will lease the lights for more than 10 years at a total cost of $785,000, with the option of purchasing the lights for $1 at the end of the lease.

Also at the meeting, HCW Development CEO Rick Huffman told the board that construction on Bass Pro Shops will begin in early 2006, with an opening date set for June 16. The 65,000-square-foot Bass Pro store is a key anchor at Branson Landing.

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