Garden City Center is about to get a new look thanks to a multi-million dollar expansion and redevelopment project spearheaded by management company The Wilder Companies.

“The ownership is very, very committed to this property. This is a very exciting time at Garden City Center,” said Thomas Wilder, principal of The Wilder Companies.

Playing off the shopping center’s slogan, Mayor Allan Fung said, “There really is something exciting in the air here today.”

It comes as no surprise that the mayor supports further expansion at Garden City. Last year alone, the center paid $2.3 million in taxes to the City of Cranston.

“They’re at the heart of the City of Cranston, and we are honored to have them here in our wonderful city,” he said, applauding The Wilder Companies for their continued commitment to Cranston and for creating “a new face of Garden City, one that will really leave a lasting imprint on our city and our state.”

Wilder did not have a specific number, but said he anticipates that the improvements could significantly increase the amount of taxes paid to the city.

“This should improve the value and, ultimately, the tax base,” he said.

The first phase of the project, which will cost between $6 million and $8 million, aims to expand the “village” portion of the shopping center that begins with the gazebo and extends back to Garden City Drive. The other half of the shopping center is known as “The Commons” and is characterized by larger box stores. The gazebo, instead of serving as an end cap, will be the centerpiece of the property under the new plan. Wilder hopes this will re-function the gazebo area for use “on a daily basis,” rather than just for special events.

“Our goal is to essentially connect the village with the balance of the center,” Wilder said.

“The extension of the village will create a strong vehicular and pedestrian connection across the entire center,” added Wilder’s partner, Andrew LaGrega, another principal at The Wilder Companies.

At the center of this plan is the addition of a new, 20,000-square-foot building that will house two “premier national retailers,” though Wilder would not release any names at a press conference Monday.

“We’re not quite ready to announce yet, but the retailers are committed,” he said, adding, “The retailers are new to the area.”

In 2011, Anthropologie, Destination Maternity, Pinkberry and Ten Thousand Villages moved in, and opening dates for Soma-Intimates and Edible Arrangements are fast approaching. In July, Ann Taylor will open its second Rhode Island store at the center. At the same time, existing stores will undergo major interior and exterior renovations, including Mel & Me, Starbucks, Providence Diamond Company, Hallmark and Yankee Candle.

Construction on Phase 1 would start as early as this spring and would be delivered to retailers in time for a holiday opening in 2012. The Wilder Companies are currently working with the city to navigate the planning process. They had their first site plan review last week and will see the Planning Board again sometime in February. Fung said he is working with management to expedite the process, recognizing their “aggressive timetable” to implement changes. Wilder does not foresee any problems.

“We’re not impacting additional traffic; it’s a fairly straightforward site plan review,” he said.

The second phase of the project will redefine the Commons by breaking the large box stores into smaller spaces of 3,000 to 10,000 square feet. Wilder said there is a demand for such space by specialty retailers. He added that the closing of the larger tenants, such as Border’s, Circuit City and Bed, Bath and Beyond, was not a reflection on business at the center or at that specific portion of the shopping complex.

“The demise of those chains really had nothing to do with Garden City,” he said.

Williams-Sonoma is in the process of moving from a 3,500-square-foot space to a larger 5,500-square-foot space, and Wilder said there is already a waiting list for the former space.

“We see those unoccupied areas as opportunities,” Wilder said.

The third and final phase of the project, as outlined now, will include the addition of new restaurants and improve the traffic between the core center and the Whole Foods Market building. Entrances to Garden City will likewise be improved, going back to The Wilder Companies’ goals of defining the shopping center and giving it a specific identity to shoppers. That, Wilder said, has been part of their mission all along and has been accomplished slowly but surely with smaller changes, like façade work and revamped signage.

He calls this expansion project “the tipping point” for Garden City. Wilder anticipates that the second and third phases of the project will require “tens of millions of dollars” worth of investment.

Despite a still sluggish economy, Garden City and Wilder Companies officials believe now is the time to expand. The center has a proven record of success, and holiday sales were up this year 5 percent from last December.

“Garden City Center has been a very successful center for over seven decades,” said Joe Koechel, general manager of Garden City Center.

For more information visit www.gardencitycenter.com or www.wilderco.com.