Culture shock for new mall manager

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Linda Wardell's last job was as general manager of The Pier Shops at Caesars, a shopping mall on Atlantic City's historic boardwalk built on a 900 foot pier over the Atlantic Ocean.

Today, she's general manager of City Creek Center, a shopping center being built in downtown Salt Lake City set to open next year.

The two malls, and the regional cultures that surround them, couldn't be more different.

Taubman Centers Inc., which owns and operates more than two dozen shopping centers across the country, in early January named Wardell to oversee its latest shopping mall development after her four-year stint in New Jersey. She will be responsible for retailer relations, marketing, tourism, sponsorship and community outreach.

"My goal is to exceed everyone's expectations and to make City Creek Center a world-class, memorable experience for families, tourists and anyone who visits," Wardell said.

Both the Atlantic City and Salt Lake City malls offer the latest in shopping center design. But The Pier Shops is connected to a Caesars hotel and casino, while City Creek Center sits amid a massive mixed-use project being developed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- which frowns on gambling. Alcohol flows freely in The Pier Shops restaurants; City Creek is in a state that has some of the most restrictive (and many say quirky) alcohol laws in the country, although they have eased considerably in just the past two years.

Those challenges notwithstanding, Wardell knows what it's like to launch a shopping mall; she was hired to manage The Pier Shops during the final phase of construction. Here, she assumed her position more than a year before City Creek Center is set to open for business.

Before managing The Pier Shops, Wardell spent nine years with Glimcher Realty Trust, where she opened two new shopping centers and served as vice president of marketing.

Wardell said she's looking forward to launching City Creek Center, which although different than The Pier Shops, is no less flashy. With its retractable roofs, waterfalls and a stream running through the property, City Creek Center has plenty of pizazz, she explained.

"It's like starting a new company," Wardell said of the process of moving toward City Creek Center's grand opening. "I've been fortunate to be able to be part of building and opening some amazing projects."