As Southridge Mall continues to undergo renovations, The Macerich Co., which owns and manages the property, announced today that the mall will add five new retailers between this holiday season and spring of 2013.

New retailers include Foot Locker, which will open this holiday season; vitamin and supplement store GNC, which will open in early 2013; clothing store rue 21, which will open this holiday season; Shoe Carnival, which will open in spring 2013; and T-Mobile, which will open this holiday season.  

Macerich demolished 296,000 square feet of mall space earlier this year to make room for new retailers, entertainment offerings and open-air storefronts. A pedestrian plaza with outdoor seating outside Younkers is also in the works.

Des Moines Area Community College will turn 64,000 square feet of the former JC Penney building into its Career Academy and Learning Center. The facility will offer high-level vocational training for high school students and also house the college’s Success Center, which offers GED and English language learning programs.

The Iowa Soccer Association is obtaining funding for a 90,000 square-foot athletic facility in the former Montgomery Ward space. Designed to be a statewide venue for competitive and recreational soccer and other sports, the facility would be Iowa’s only full-size indoor soccer field.

Future redevelopment plans include adding additional housing south of the current mall to serve students, athletes and seniors, as well as adding space for free-standing retail, commercial businesses and restaurants.