All updates from the month of August 2007 are listed below.

Some assorted MetroWest retail updates, and a side note
Written by Justin on August 18, 2007 at 11:19PM

• With the mall set to open in just weeks, an increase of news updates have come through about exactly what the project will entail. But first, on a personal note: in several days, I will be moving out of the area and going halfway across the country. That being said, I have no intention of closing the site, largely as a result of the colossal amounts of feedback and inquiries that I have received in the past few months. News updates will continue to appear on this page, but there will be some minor changes. Coverage of the Natick Collection expansion's grand opening will be a bit limited; while I will certainly cover what I can, I won't be able to share any of my own pictures nor will I be able grab content from the MWDN that does not make it into the newspaper's website. Yet despite the fact that I will be away most of the time, I will continue to spend some time in the area, during which periods I will grab as much visual content as I can so that you won't really know that I am not just a mile or two from the heart of everything.
• With that out of the way, here's the news:
• The mall's website lists the current store lineup for the expansion as A.T. Cross, Allen Edmonds, Anthropologie, Apple, Au Bon Pain, Bag n Baggage, Bare Escentuals, BCBG, Betsey Johnson, Bose, Brighton Collectibles, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Clark's, Coach, Finale Dessert Company, Fire & Ice, Fossil, Fruits and Passion, Gucci, Hanna Andersson, J. Crew, Jacadi, Johnston & Murphy, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, Lacoste, Levi's, L'Occitane, Louis Vuitton, Lucky Jeans, lululemon, Madewell, Marciano, Martin & Osa, Melt, Metropark, Metropolitan Bar & Grill, Michael Kors, NaHoKu, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Oakley, Origins, PUMA, Rockport, Ruehl, Sel de la Terre, Shabby Chic, Solstice, STIL, Stuart Weitzman, Teavana, The Art of Shaving, The North Face, Thomas Pink, Tiffany, Tommy Bahama, Tourneau, Vera Bradley and Zara. There are several stores clearly missing from that list, including the Legal Sea Foods concept, Tiffany & Co., and the new Ralph Lauren concept. Could this be a list of stores that will open with the mall in September? We'll find out soon enough.
• In other mall news, the Natick Collection website was recently revamped, replacing the loud Flash presentation with the names of new stores and the date "09-07-07". And all around the mall, new signage is being installed. New signs stating "Parking" were installed in place of the old large graphical "A" and "C" signs. New signage, featuring an urbane white font on black backing with red accents are being installed all over the property. In front, construction of the future Cheesecake Factory has resulted in the closing off of almost the entire area between Lord & Taylor and Macy's. And all around the property, new entry signs with large "n" symbols have been implimented, the largest appearing at the end of Flutie Pass at the new rotary. Pictures of this new imaging will be added shortly.
  
• One Framingham/Natick Retail reader sent along the link to a YouTube video featuring a media tour of the new Nordstrom store at the Natick Collection. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCw3-ZbIh4E&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emetrowestdailynews%2Ecom%2Fmultimedia%2Fx809749436.
• It was mentioned in the MWDN several weeks back, but Panara Bread will be opening a second location in the Framingham/Natick area. This one will be located at the 9/27 Plaza (located, not surprisingly, at the intersection of Rte. 9 and Rte. 27 in Natick), in the former home of Hollywood Video.