Southern California * The Block at Orange, a 600,000 sq. ft. open-air retail/entertainment center is now open in the City of Orange. The project, which debuted in November, was developed by The Mills Corp., Arlington, Va. Mills also manages the property, which is owned by Mills and Atlanta-based Kan Am. The center's tenant mix, made up of 70% entertainment and 30% retail, includes as anchors a 30-screen AMC Theatres, Borders, Dave & Buster's, Saks Fifth Avenue's Off 5th outlet, and Virgin Megastore.
* A third phase of development is under way at Irvine Spectrum Center, an entertainment/retail center in Irvine. Locally based, The Irvine Co. serves as both owner and developer of the project, which is managed by Minneapolis-based Madison Marquette Retail Services. The center currentlyhas 500,000 sq. ft. of GLA, but the new expansion will increase that figure to n early 1 million sq. ft. The new construction will maintain the center's Spanish architectural theme. Although no new tenants have been announced, the new space will feature large-venue, lifestyle retailers in a flagship format to complement the entertainment and dining focus of the first two phases, according to company officials. The expansion is estimated to be completed in the spring of 2001. The existing tenants include an Edwards 21 Theatres and IMAX 3D Theatre, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Dave & Buster's, The Crazy Horse, The Improv, and Brookstone.
* San Luis Obispo Marketplace, a planned 510,000 sq. ft. power/lifestyle center, is in the planning stages for San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo Marketplace Associates LLC, Glendora, Calif., is the owner, developer and manager of the center. Projected to open in the spring of 2002, the property will be anchored by a 123,000 sq. ft. Target and a 135,000 sq. ft. Lowe's Home Improvement Center.
* In Los Angeles, owner, developer, and manager La Brea LLC, Glendora, Calif., is developing an 11,200 sq. ft. neighborhood center on La Brea Avenue. The project, which will be completed by June 2000, will include Blockbuster Video, Radio Shack and Krispy Kreme Donuts.
* A $5.8 million renovation has been completed at Montebello Town Center, a 664,425 sq. ft. regional mall in Montebello. Completed last November, the renovation was coordinated by the center's management firm, Newport Beach, Calif.-based Donahue Schriber, for the owner of the property, Hartford, Conn.-based AETNA Life Insurance Co. The renovation included all new flooring materials, a new paint scheme, a redeveloped food court, updated mall entrances, landscaping and lighting upgrades. The center is anchored by Robinsons-May as well as JCPenney and Mervyn's.
* Los Angeles-based Sonnenblick-Del Rio Development Inc. is the owner/developer/manager of Flair Plaza, a 125,000 sq. ft. power center planned for a site along Interstate 10 in El Monte. The center will include four 30,000 sq. ft. anchor stores in addition to two restaurant pads. The center is scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2001.
* Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises Inc. is developing The Promenade in Temecula, a 766,500 sq. ft. regional mall located on a 120-acre site in Temecula, south of Los Angeles. Forest City is also the owner and manager of the center, which is scheduled to open in late October 1999. The mall will be anchored by Sears, JCPenney, Robinsons-May, and a 15-screen Edwards Theatres. Additionally, the center will include 100 specialty retail stores, 19 restaurants and an entertainment plaza. The property is within a 20-minute drive of 340,000 residents of the Inland Empire.
In November, Forest City's 20,000 sq. ft. expansion of Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale, northeast of Los Angeles, is scheduled to be completed. The center is adding the first Dillard's in southern California as well as additional retail space. The mall currently has approximately 1 million sq. ft. of GLA. The center's other anchors include Gottschalks, Harris Department Store, JCPenney, Mervyn's and Sears.
* Pointe Anaheim, a 650,000 sq. ft. lifestyle/retail/ entertainment center, is being planned for a site off I-5 in Anaheim. The center will be owned by the Phoenix, Ariz.-based WAM Development Group, which is also the lead developer on the $500 million project. Co-developers include Excel Legacy Corp., San Diego; DDRM Hospitality LLC, Anaheim, Calif.; and Anaheim Center for Entertainment, Irvine, Calif. The center will feature 565,000 sq. ft. of retail, restaurant and entertainment space, including a 4,600-seat live theater complex. The names of anchors or major tenants have not as yet been announced. The project also will feature three new hotels with a total of 1,050 rooms. The site, considered one of the best retail locations in southern California by many retail observers , is located directly across from Disneyland and the new Disney California Adventure park. The site also is located only one block east of the newly expanded Anaheim Convention Center. More than 20 million visitors are anticipated at the new Disney theme park once it opens in 2001. Pointe Anaheim is scheduled to open in the summer of 2002.
* The renovation work will be completed in November on Puente Hills Mall in City of Industry. The property is owned, developed and managed by The Krausz Cos. Inc., South San Francisco. The redevelopment, which began in 1996, converted one of the center's anchor pads into a 20-screen AMC Theatre and divided another pad into space for three other tenants: Linens 'N Things, Burlington Coat Factory and Spectrum Club. Other changes at the mall include a new center court, redesigned mall entrances and more than 260,000 sq. ft. of new tenant space. Among other anchors at the now 1.1 million sq. ft. mall are Sears and Robinsons-May.
* GMS Realty LLC, Carlsbad, Calif., recently completed redevelopment of The Quad at Whittier, a 467,588 sq. ft. community shopping center in Whittier. GMS Realty is the owner, manager and developer of the project. The redevelopment entailed the rehabilitation of an existing building to house a new 87,463 sq. ft. Burlington Coat Factory and the demolition of a 16,758 sq. ft. shop space to improve site lines and provide more convenient parking.
Other anchors at the center include Ralphs, Rite Aid, Ross, T. J. Maxx, Staples and Orchard Supply Warehouse.
GMS has also redeveloped two other California centers in the past year. At The Marketplace at San Ramon, a 188,941 sq. ft. center in San Ramon, the company razed a 29,897 sq. ft. grocery space and replaced it with a 58,663 sq. ft. Nob Hill Foods grocery store. Other aspects of the project included a refurbished center court, a new sign program, the relocation of shop tenants and the addition of Longs Drugs as an anchor. In Fullerton, GMS demolished 5,500 sq. ft of pad buildings and added 3,636 sq. ft. of multi-tenant space and 2,164 sq. ft. of fast food pad buildings at Sunrise Village Shopping Center. Starbucks Coffee, Papa John's Pizza, Sunrise Optical and Del Taco will occupy new spaces at the 111,627 sq. ft. center.
* Vista, Calif.-based Pan Pacific Retail Properties has added new paint, awnings and other enhancements to its 149,107 sq. ft. Marina Village Shopping Center in Huntington Beach. The work on the center was completed in June. Anchors for the property include Vons, Sav-On Drugs and Bank of America.
* Creating a town center for Rancho Mirage is the idea behind The River at Rancho Mirage. The 218,000 sq. ft. lifestyle and entertainment center, to be owned, managed and developed by Los Angeles-based J.H. Snyder Co., uses a significant water element to serve as "the river" that runs through and links the project. Edwards Theatres anchors the center with a stadium-seating multiplex theater with a seating capacity of 3,600. Two 25,000 sq. ft. spaces, one for music and book retailers and another for restaurants, have been incorporated into the center design along with 100,000 sq. ft. of specialty retail space. The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2000.
J.H. Snyder Co. is also working on two other retail developments in the region. The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center is a 250,000 sq. ft. lifestyle, retail and entertainment center under construction on a site along the San Diego Freeway in Westchester. The Promenade will feature an 18-screen Edwards Theatres with a 3-D IMAX theater, Nordstrom Rack and Borders as well as restaurants and specialty retailers. The center is set for a fall 2000 opening.
West Hollywood Gateway is another J.H. Snyder Co. project. Located in West Hollywood, the center will include 200,000 sq. ft. of retail and 70,000 sq. ft. of office space. The retail portion will feature a 60,000 sq. ft. stadium-seating theater, and 140,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurants. The project is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2001.
* January 2000 is the scheduled groundbreaking for The Hollywood Orange Building, a 48,482 sq. ft. project to be built in Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard. The property will be owned, managed and developed by Steve Ullman of Hollywood and Larry Worchell of Los Angeles. The project will include 30,855 sq. ft. of retail, however no tenants have yet been announced. The design, by RoTo Architects, Hollywood, in association with the John Ash Group, Los Angeles, is said to be completely contemporary and will celebrate everything that is Hollywood.
* The Macerich Co., Santa Monica, Calif., is anticipating a March 2000 opening of Pacific View Ventura, a 1.1 million sq. ft., newly renovated mall project in Ventura. Formerly Buenaventura Mall, the center has been expanded by 436,000 sq. ft. with the addition of a second level. Robinsons-May and Sears are new anchors at the center, while Macy's is expanding its existing store. Meanwhile, JCPenney is relocating to another location at the mall. Wherever possible, tenants have remained open during the renovation. More than 80% of store space was already committed in August. New tenants include Abercrombie & Fitch, AnnTaylor Loft, Bath & Body Works, The Disney Store, and Footlocker. Other tenants include Gap, Limited Too, Old Navy, Victoria's Secret and Sam Goody's.
* Phoenix, Ariz.-based Vestar Development Co. has opened Long Beach Towne Center, a 1 million sq. ft. regional power center in the heart of Long Beach. The upscale, open-air project is anchored by a 26-screen Edwards Theatre, Linens 'N Things, Barnes & Noble, Ross Dress For Less, Michaels, Staples, Sport Chalet, Old Navy, Lowe's and Sam's Club. Another Vestar Development project is the redevelopment of Glendale Fashion Center in Glendale, which will be completed in May 2000. The appearance of the 34-year-old center has been enhanced with sidewalk cafes and restaurants and an updated facade design. The center's tenant mix will include newcomers Nordstrom Rack, Barnes & Noble, Strouds, Ross Dress For Less, Michaels and Staples. Vestar Property Management manages both centers.
* In June, Atlanta-based Cousins Properties Inc. began construction on Mira Mesa Market Center, a 480,000 sq. ft., two-level shopping center off I-15 in the San Diego suburb of Mira Mesa. The Spanish comtemporary design features arches, exposed wood rafters and Spanish clay-tile roofs. Home Depot, Edwards Theatres and Albertson's grocery store are anchors at the center along with Barnes & Noble, Just For Feet, Longs Drugs, Ross Dress For Less and Zany Brainy also in the mix. The $53 million center is scheduled to open in spring 2000.
In November 1999, Cousins will open The Avenue of the Peninsula, a 367,000 sq. ft. redevelopment project in Rolling Hills Estates, outside Los Angeles. The center, formerly called The Shops at Palos Verdes, now has a higher-end tenant mix, including Saks Fifth Avenue, AnnTaylor and Banana Republic, as well as Gap, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Talbots, Victoria's Secret and Williams-Sonoma.
* The Macerich Co., Los Angeles, is renovating Westside Pavilion, a 750,000 sq. ft. regional mall in Los Angeles. The multi-million dollar project will include enhanced amenities as well as updated lighting, graphics and improvements to the parking structure and security. In addition to a new concierge/security office, The Macerich Co. is installing 100 security cameras in the parking decks that will be monitored 24 hours a day on 33 monitors in the security office. Macerich also is analyzing the possibility of re-marketing part of the center with local retailers. The center is anchored by Nordstrom and Robinsons-May.
* Just off the Pacific Coast Highway in the upscale community of Corona Del Mar, The Irvine Co., Irvine has developed the 100,000 sq. ft. Corona Del Mar Plaza. Located at the center of the town's business and shopping district, it is anchored by Bristol Farms grocery, Zany Brainy and several trendy restaurants and cafes. The center, which opened in November 1998, is characterized by higher-end amenities including lush landscaping that features olive trees in the parking lot.
Northern California * Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises is developing 835 Market Street, a 660,000 sq. ft. international retail/entertainment center in San Francisco scheduled for completion in 2001. Forest City will also own and manage the development. The project involves the renovation of a historic domed building at the site, in collaboration with the City of San Francisco. The five-level project will include a 360,000 sq. ft. Bloomingdale's, which is the largest outside of the New York flagship store, a concourse-level food emporium, a 14-screen stadium-seating cinema, and a 400-room luxury hotel.
* Newport Beach, Calif.-based Donahue Schriber is the developer, owner and manager of Raley's Plaza, a 102,641 sq. ft. neighborhood center in Fairfield, along I-80. The center, completed this spring, is anchored by Raley's and Blockbuster Video.
* The final stages of a $10 million renovation are nearing completion at the 1.2 million sq. ft. Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, a Sacramento suburb. The 28-year-old center, which is owned by the limited partnership of James J. Cordano Associates and Sunrise Mall Associates, is undergoing a facelift that will include a brand new enclosed mall area, the addition of skylights, new walls and flooring. The tenant storefronts have been gradually updated since 1992. The project is slated for completion on Nov. 1, 1999. The mall, which is managed by Sunrise Mall Management, has three major anchors, including Sears, JCPenney and Macy's.
* Green Valley Crossing, an 8,000-sq. ft. community shopping center in Fairfield, will undergo a redevelopment beginning in the first quarter of 2000. The center, anchored by Safeway and Longs Drugs, is owned by Watt/
Fairfield Associates, Santa Monica, Calif. Watt Commercial Properties, Santa Monica, is the developer of the project, which is being done in cooperation with the Fairfield Redevelopment Agency. The work is slated to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2000.
* Vista, Calif.-based Pan Pacific Retail Properties has renovated two of its shopping centers in northern California. Brookvale Shopping Center, a 131,239 sq. ft. neighborhood center in Fremont, added new paint, awnings and improved lighting. The work was completed in August 1999. The center is anchored by Lucky Supermarket and Longs Drugs.
Meanwhile, at Fairmont Shopping Center, a 104,281 sq. ft. neighborhood center in Pacifica, Pan Pacific added new paint, a new monument sign and additional landscaping in March 1999. The center is anchored by Lucky Supermarket and Rite Aid.
* Chicago-based Elkor Properties is redeveloping 60,000 sq. ft. of space within The Fillmore Center, a mixed-use development that includes 1,114 apartment units. The project is contained within the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency's Fillmore Jazz District. The retail portion will be tenanted by restaurants, cafes and nightclubs as well as necessity retailers to serve the project's 2,000 residents. San Francisco-based Epsteen & Associates, the leasing agent, reports the retail portion is scheduled to be completed by the end of 1999.
Meanwhile, Epsteen & Associates is also handling the retenanting of small shop space at Gateway Retail Center, a 182,000 sq. ft. shopping center in Marin City. The property is the newest community center in south Marin County. Owned by San Diego-based Burnham Pacific Properties Inc., the center is anchored by Best Buy and Longs Drugs.
* Walnut Creek, Calif.-based C&H Development is the developer of Lafayette Town Center. The 27,000 sq. ft. project, anchored by a historic building in the City of Lafayette, will include specialty retail and restaurants. The project will service a trade area encompassing three affluent communities: Lafayette, Oringda and Moraga. The project is scheduled to be completed before the end of 1999.
* In October, San Diego-based Burnham Pacific Properties will open its newly renovated Fremont Hub, a 495,000 sq. ft. power/community center in Fremont. Bed, Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble, Zany Brainy and Pier 1 Imports are among the new anchors. Improvements are being made to the common areas, the signage and graphics program, pedestrian walkways and landscaping.
Another Burnham Pacific project is Downtown Pleasant Hill, a 365,000 sq. ft. retail component of a 22-acre mixed-use project. Lucky/Sav-On, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ross Dress for Less and a 16-screen theater will anchor the new development set to open in the summer of 2000.