James Schlesinger, President and CEO
James Schlesinger, President and CEO, started the Schlesinger Companies, the predecessor of Talisman Companies, with the redevelopment of two old, defunct department stores located in Southfield and Roseville, Michigan, converting them into the first power centers in the U.S. In 1986, in a similar fashion, Mr. Schlesinger reinvented the old Midway Mall, a 690,000 square foot dying regional mall, into the vibrant and well known Mall of the Americas, the first Hispanic oriented value mall in the U.S. Talisman was formed in 1994, under the leadership of James Schlesinger, continuing the imaginative repositioning prowess of defunct malls by its predecessor, Schlesinger Companies, rebuilding and remarketing centers such as Roswell Town Center, Towson Marketplace and most recently, Miracle Marketplace.
The conversion of a failing regional mall, Cutler Ridge Mall, now Southland Mall, in 2202, into a highly successful hybrid mall has brought kudos from the shopping center industry. The mall was sold in 2005 for an exceptional project. Mr. Schlesinger then created Talisman's newest division, Fashion Outlets re-tenanting and remarketing of its Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, and Santa Fe Centers and the enormous increase in income and the concomitant increase in equity value stand out in the U.S. outlet mall industry. The wide and varied successes of Talisman speak to a depth unlike any retail development company of its size in the U.S. This depth speaks well to future development especially in these troubling times.
On November 2, 2006, Mr. Schlesinger created a new kind of company. Combining the well received Talisman Companies, ("Talisman") with Arthur Weiner Enterprises, ("AWE"), the resulting venture represents a company with a long history in the art of development and redevelopment, an innovative outlet center division, and AWE's strong tenant and developer representation in the shopping center industry. Additionally, AWE Talisman's state-of-the-art marketing and tourism division has received numerous awards and acclamation for its innovation, model for the shopping center industry. Combining all of this with hands on operational and construction expertise, there has emerged a full service innovative development and leasing company.
Additionally, AWE Talisman's state-of-the-art marketing and tourism division has received numerous awards and acclamation for its innovation, model for the shopping center industry. Combining all of this with hands on operational and construction expertise, there has emerged a full service innovative development and leasing company.
Fashion Outlets, the visionary outlet division of AWE Talisman, is the focus of AWE Talisman. Fashion Outlets combines innovative architectural and design with marketing programs unlike anyone else in the outlet industry. The redevelopment and remarketing of Fashion Outlets in Las Vegas, Niagara, and Santa Fe Outlet Centers reflects the careful planning of Mr. Schlesinger and AWE Talisman team.
AWE Talisman originally purchased Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls at the end of 2005 for $60 million dollars and was at $250.00 per square foot. In July 2011 the center was purchased by Macerich for 200 million dollars and the center is performing at $650.00 per square foot. AWE Talisman will maintain the management and leasing for Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls.
AWE Talisman, through its extensive contacts in the luxury retail industry spanning over three decades, has created a pipeline of tenants and manufacturers. These companies understand that AWE Talisman strives for mutually beneficial lease transactions. Once a tenant does take occupancy, tenants know that a highly efficient and caring operational arm assures them of a friendly shopping environment. Our tenants appreciate that we firmly believe the ultimate answer to a successful relationship does not rest in the four corners of a lease, but rather in a give and take. Resourcefulness, fairness, responding to tenant's needs in a positive manner, are the guiding principles of the AWE Talisman approach to tenant relationships.