SCOTTSDALE, AZ – If you drive along the 101 Freeway in Scottsdale, you cannot miss the 60-foot tall concrete tilt walls standing upright just north of Via De Ventura. Anchored by one of the largest, most technologically advanced indoor aquariums to be constructed in the United States, OdySea in the Desert has now released its first wave of retailers committed to the developers ultimate vision of combining retail, entertainment, music, food and drinks.

Once a mix of undeveloped farmland and open desert, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community has been transformed into a thriving multi-purpose entertainment district which combines shopping and entertainment opportunities suitable for a variety of different uses including OdySea Aquarium. In recent years, the stretch of land along Loop 101 between Indian Bend and Shea has become home to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball Spring Training Complex, Top Golf at Riverwalk, Talking Stick Resort and Casino, Butterfly Wonderland and now OdySea in the Desert.

OdySea in the Desert is a 35-acre, multi-level, quarter billion dollar mixed use retail entertainment complex. The development features a 200,000 square foot state of the art aquarium, 77,000-square-feet of retail shops and restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot Butterfly Wonderland, a 180’ tall sky wheel, a 78’ indoor sky-diving facility and a 4-acre flagship water based attraction described by project officials as the Aquatic Oasis.

The Shops at OdySea in the Desert offer retail and restaurant suites ranging from 1,000 to 6,500-square-feet and will host innovative concepts from some of the world’s top restaurateurs and retail brands. The first floor will cater to retailers offering fun, hands-on interactive shopping, while the main level will house an array of unique, high-energy restaurants for visitors seeking an extraordinary culinary experience. Locally-based real estate company, ORION Investment Real Estate, has been working in tandem with the developer over the past several months to complete the leasing of the project.

Adam Lopez, ORION’s Vice President of Leasing noted, “Opening a retail shop or restaurant at The Shops at OdySea in the Desert is a once in a life time opportunity! We are thrilled to be announcing our first wave of retailers committed to the project and equally excited to announce many more to come!” In addition to high-end Seafood, Steakhouse, and Asian concepts, the project will also house family-friendly staples like Johnny Rockets and an old fashioned Ice Cream Parlor.

“We are focused on completing the developer’s vision of creating a fun and unique dining experience designed to attract everyone’s palate. We are rounding out a restaurant line-up that will have a cuisine type from everywhere in the world. A condensed EPCOT Center is the vision!,” says ORION President, Ari Spiro. The latest restaurant tenant to commit to the project is Humble Pie. “We had numerous interested pizza restaurants, but Humble Pie was a great addition as their lively, hip and high-end image, yet family-friendly is what this project embodies,” continued Spiro.

ORION has been promoting the project for only the past 4 months and has attained lease commitments for over 50% of the project with an additional 32% in pre-lease negotiations. “We are really excited to see our leasing and marketing strategy take flight. In a very short time frame, we have signed interactive retail concepts, such as an Arizona General Store and Trading Post who offers products unique to Arizona, an indoor carnival carousel, a glass shop where they will be blowing glass on site, an interactive candy store, an indoor ice bar and playground featuring Rita’s Frozen Ice, a high-end jeweler and a create-your-own custom toy store. It is all about creating an experience!”

The Shops at OdySea in the Desert represent the changing face of retail, blending entertainment and the shopping experience. “Top Retail brands have been evolving. They are looking for ways to create a more dynamic, entertaining atmosphere in order to get their customers interested in their product,” says Lopez. “The Shops at OdySea in the Desert is at the nucleus of this one-of-a-kind entertainment project in the heart of the Entertainment District in Arizona,” continues Spiro.

Though leasing up quickly, ORION says they are particularly interested in attracting operators in the sports bar/grills, barbecue, Mexican food, vegetarian/vegan and coffee categories. Lopez concludes, “The time is now…we anticipate commitments for the final phase of leasing within the next couple of months.”

For leasing opportunities, please contact Adam Lopez with ORION Investment Real Estate at (480) 656-1632.

Scottsdale, AZ – OdySea in the Desert is a 35-acre, multi-million-dollar entertainment complex located at the 101 Freeway and Via de Ventura. The landmark development is already home to Butterfly Wonderland, OdySea Mirror Maze and minutes from Talking Stick Resort, Salt River Fields and Top Golf.

OdySea Aquarium, An Oceanic Adventure, will be the largest aquarium in the Southwest. The 200,000-square-foot aquarium will be home to some of the most fascinating creatures that live in the sea, and will be presented in a totally unique format that combines education, entertainment, and hands-on encounters that will surely create the most memorable experiences for visitors of all ages. Every year several million people are projected to visit the aquarium and its neighboring attractions and take part in an interactive shopping experience like no other at The Shops at OdySea in the Desert.

The Shops at OdySea in the Desert, scheduled to open in July 2016, will offer approximately 75,000-square-feet of retail shops and restaurant space, visible from a 360 degree panoramic view from inside a landscaped courtyard with multiple water features. Suites ranging from 1,000 to 6,500-square-feet will host innovative concepts from some of the world’s top restaurateurs and retail brands. The first floor will cater to retailers offering fun, hands-on interactive shopping while the main level will house an array of unique, high-energy restaurants for visitors seeking an extraordinary culinary experience.

“This is a once in a generation-type of leasing opportunity for a retailer or restaurateur. Typically in this market if a retailer or restaurant misses a leasing opportunity in a traditional shopping plaza, there will always be another one around corner. However, if a prospective tenant misses this exclusive opportunity then it could be decades before a project of this magnitude or impact emerges.” says Ari Spiro, President of ORION Investment Real Estate.

Adam Lopez, ORION’s Vice President of Leasing noted, “We’re excited to partner with this visionary development team and help provide a dynamic tenant mix to complement the entertainment experience for the millions of annual visitors.”

To learn more Lopez can be contacted (480) 656-1632.