COMPANY BACKGROUND

setting industry standards

For more than 30 years, Lehr Jackson and Michael Ewing have conceptualized and developed a variety of urban retail concepts in cities and towns across the U.S. and have restored some of the nation’s most treasured landmarks, including Grand Central Terminal in New York City.  Their creative work and innovative style have influenced nearly every retail development, whether it be mixed use, urban, waterfront, regional mall or community center, that has been built in the last 25 years.

The partners started their careers with The Rouse Company as the team for the 1974-1978 redevelopment of Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston.  Ewing also served as the director of leasing for the development of Harborplace in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor from 1978 to 1980.

With more than 25 years experience, the company is recognized as a foremost authority in retail development trends worldwide.  They have become internationally renowned for landmark urban projects like Union Station in Washington, D.C. and classic regional centers like Suburban Square in Philadelphia.

rejuvenating, restoring, redefining retail

Guided by their underlying belief that there is economic and social value to be found in revitalizing urban properties and redefining the way consumers shop, Williams Jackson Ewing has focused its energy on pioneering cutting edge retail concepts and designs.

The company has pioneered a variety of retail concepts including the use of traditional food markets, entertainment retail and restaurants as project anchors (Grand Central Terminal) and the creation of lifestyle retail in national landmark train stations (Union Station) and in transit-oriented development, as demonstrated at historic Suburban Square, in “mainline” Philadelphia, which was one of the Nation’s first neighborhood shopping centers and is home to the Nation’s first suburban branch department store.

Today, the company is recognized for its expertise in transforming the retail industry with concepts and designs that enable historical, obsolete, unproductive properties to become profitable destinations.

developing destinations that work

Retail merchandising and leasing are the hallmarks of Williams Jackson Ewing.  The company’s philosophy is simple: since each project has a personality of its own, each project should be developed to reflect the spirit of the property and to meet the needs of the community.  Each project is developed from start to finish by creating a vision, then interrelating architecture, design and retail functions to make it a reality.  Their vision for the Grand Central project earned them a 2000 Presidential Design Achievement Award.

creating partnerships

Williams Jackson Ewing operates as developers or in partnership and consulting arrangements with a variety of private and public organizations.

As partners, the company works with developers, universities and public agencies, providing retail leasing and merchandising expertise on projects like Sansom Common in Philadelphia.  The company also develops partnerships to lease, manage and promote retail projects like The Shops at Liberty Place in Philadelphia and Belvedere Square in Baltimore, Maryland.

As consultants, the company has been tapped to work on projects in Russia, China and Japan as well as American destination masterplans such as Times Square, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Central Business District of Washington, DC.