Simon Property Group Inc. and Park Place Entertainment Corporation, parent company of Caesars Palace, have announced plans for the Phase III expansion of The Forum Shops at Caesars.

The 200,000-sq.-ft. (18,580 sq m), three-level expansion will extend from the existing Phase I structure to the Las Vegas Strip, adding an array of upscale specialty retail tenants and several new restaurants. A new grand pedestrian plaza from Las Vegas Boulevard featuring Roman architecture will serve as the exterior focal point from the Strip, punctuating the entrance to the expanded area. Construction on Phase III will begin in the near future with a projected 2004 opening.

In recent weeks, several designer and couture tenants have signed leases to join the existing Forum Shops including Robert Cavalli, Chopard, Dolce & Gabbana, D & G Sport, Furla, MAC Cosmetics, Donald Pliner, Tod’s, Tourneau, Valentino and Louis Vuitton, which will relocate and expand its existing store to be situated adjacent to Valentino and Tod’s.

Park Place’s other mid-Strip resorts include Flamingo, Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas.