Center openings Orange, Calif. -- The Block at Orange, an 811,000 sq. ft. outdoor entertainment/retail center that reflects well-known city blocks such as Times Square in New York and Pier 39 in San Francisco opened last month in Orange. With 70% of the center's square footage dedicated to entertainment and 30% to retail, it is anchored by AMC 30 Theatre, Dave & Buster's, GameWorks, Graham Central Station, Borders Books and Music, Hilo Hattie - The Store of Hawaii, L.A. Fitness, Off 5th - Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Vans Skate Park and Virgin Megastore. The $165 million center is a development of The Mills Corp., Arlington, Va., and Kan Am, a Munich, Germany-based investment advisory company. The Block at Orange is the first of a new brand of centers to be rolled out nationwide by Mills.
Major tenant happenings Tamarac, Fla. -- Old Time Pottery, a home decor superstore based in Murfreesboro, Tenn., opened in October at Sunshine Plaza in Tamarac. The addition of the 100,000 sq. ft. store is the first step in a phased remerchandising plan for the center, which will take place during the next few years. Sunshine Plaza is owned and managed by Southfield, Mich.-based Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust.
New developments Hollywood -- Not a shovel was in sight at the groundbreaking ceremony for Hollywood & Highland, a development in Hollywood by San Diego-based TrizecHahn Development Corp. The ceremony, hosted by Quincy Jones, featured movie stars, musical productions, giant video screens, a 22-story banner drop, confetti cannons and a high school marching band. The project, expected to be completed in fall 2000, will include 640,000 sq. ft. of clubs, television broadcast facilities and studio venues alongside a collection of retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Billed as the cornerstone for a Hollywood renaissance expected to bring new economic growth to the city, the $385 million project is being built at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, just beneath the well-known "Hollywood" sign in the nearby hills. The development includes a live broadcast theater that will be home for the Academy Awards beginning in March 2001, and it will be adjacent to the historic Mann's Chinese Theatre that is being renovated. The project also sits atop a Metro Red Line station that will connect Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles, Universal Studios and North Hollywood.
Salt Lake City -- Los Angeles-based KFR Properties and Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises plan to develop Grand Salt Lake Mall, a value-oriented shopping and entertainment center in Salt Lake City. The 1 million-plus sq. ft. retail project, which will be located 1.5 miles west of the Salt Lake City International Airport, is expected to get under way in spring 2000 with completion planned for fall 2001. It will include 12 to 18 major stores and between 200 and 225 specialty stores, restaurants and food court tenants.
The mall is the major component of a 500-acre, mixed-used project that also will include high-tech parks, light industrial buildings, offices, R&D projects, restaurants and shops, plus other airport-oriented businesses. Cleveland-based KA Inc. is the project architect.
Oceanside, Calif. -- San Diego-based LandGrant Development recently received approval to build a 62,000 sq. ft. entertainment center in the heart of Oceanside. OceanView Entertainment Center will be anchored by a 16-plex CinemaStar Theater that features George Lucas THX stereo surround sound and stadium seating, among other amenities. A highlight of the 8.6-acre complex is the panoramic ocean view from the observation and dining deck, which will feature several eating establishments. Scheduled to open in summer 1999, the project is expected to boost area redevelopment efforts.
Everett, Mass. -- Ground recently was broken for Gateway Center, a $60 million project in Everett being developed by Cleveland-based Developers Diversified Realty Corp. and Miami-based Rosen Associates Development. Encompassing more than 88 acres, the complex has two parts: Gateway Shopping Center, a 650,000 sq. ft. power center; and Gateway Park, a 23.5-acre public park and recreation area on the banks of the Mystic and Malden rivers. The retail center, opening by spring 2000, will include Target, Home Depot, Shaw's Supermarket, Michaels, OfficeMax, PetsMart, Cinemark movie complex and Claim Jumpers restaurant. The waterfront park will feature a bicycle path, pedestrian walkway, open lawn areas for picnicking, and sitting areas. Gateway Center is a brownfield development project being built on a former Monsanto site.
Dallas -- Dallas-based Hillwood Development Corp. has unveiled its plans for Victory, a 48-acre, mixed-use site surrounding the future sports arena in downtown Dallas. The complex, which will encompass a former industrial tract, is expected to be an engine for continued downtown revitalization with more than 4 million sq. ft. of office space, 1,000 residential units and 600,000 sq. ft. of retail space, all in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The entertainment district will feature open plazas with an 80,000 sq. ft. theater and street-level retail that culminates with the arena. The residential area will include multi-level apartment buildings, as well as apartments located above the retailers. Construction is set to begin after environmental remediation of the site.
Wilmington, Del. -- Ground has been broken on Shipyard Shops, a catalog outlet center in Wilmington. Being built in phases, the first phase will encompass 100,000 sq. ft. and is slated to open in spring 1999. Tenants will include L.L. Bean, Coldwater Creek, Lillian Vernon, Exposures and Smith & Hawken. Traditional retailers Blair, Haband and Samsonite as well as food purveyors Ben & Jerry's and The Coffee Beanery also have committed to the project. When all phases are completed, the center is expected to total 450,000 sq. ft.
The catalog outlet concept is the brainchild of TRI-W Corp., a Nashville, Tenn.-based outlet mall developer. For catalog retailers, the concept is attractive because it affords them an opportunity to clear overstocks and obsolete merchandise in a sales tax-free state.
Shipyard Shops is one of a series of projects being built along the Christina River, known as Riverfront Wilmington. Projects already open include First USA Riverfront Arts Center, Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park and Riverwalk, and Amtrak Consolidated National Operations Center. A Riverwalk extension, an Urban Wildlife Refuge, restaurants and nightclubs also are on tap and will be completed in stages during the next two years.
Ventura, Calif. -- Buenaventura Mall in Ventura will have a new name to match its new, multimillion-dollar look once the shopping center's renovation is completed in 1999. The mall's new identity -- Pacific View -- will be reflected throughout the center, with an emphasis on the nearby beach, the Pacific Ocean and the casual lifestyle of coastal living. The name and identity were created by Boulder, Colo.-based CommArts.
Once the renovation project is completed, the center will be virtually brand-new with two additional anchor stores, Sears and Robinsons-May. They will join Macy's, which will undergo an extensive remodeling, expansion and upgrading, and JCPenney, which is building a new store expected to be completed in March 1999. The center is owned and managed by The Macerich Co., Santa Monica, Calif.
Aurora, Ill. -- The transformation of Fox Valley Center in Aurora has been completed. Chicago-based Urban Shopping Centers Inc., owners of the 23-year-old, 1.5 million sq. ft. regional mall, spent $12 million to update the center during the past year. Among the changes: the use of natural materials, earth tones, indirect lighting, and white ceilings and walls to brighten the interior; a 12'x16' elevator that provides easy access to the center's three levels; new directional information; additional customer conveniences such as ATMs and a family restroom; landscape changes; and new food court furniture. Fox Valley Center is anchored by Sears, JCPenney, Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott.
North Brunswick, N.J. -- Municipal approvals have been obtained for a major renovation of North Village Shopping Center in North Brunswick. Plans call for the complete redevelopment of the center, including a new facade, redesigned parking lot and upgraded landscaping, as well as space reconfiguration to accommodate a new mix of big-box retailers. North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. is the managing, leasing and construction agent for the property.
Montreal, Quebec -- The addition of Indigo Books, Music & Cafe to Place Montreal Trust retail galleria in Montreal marks another step in the center's redevelopment. The 100% Canadian-owned bookstore is the largest tenant in the center, covering an area of more than 30,000 sq. ft. on the street level and second floor. In addition to Indigo Books, Music & Cafe, the galleria has increased its entertainment component with the additions of Planet Hollywood and Athletes World Superstore, including Nike Shop at Athletes World.
First opened in 1988, Place Montreal Trust's retail galleria features almost 100 boutiques, shops and restaurants spread over five levels in 420,000 sq. ft. of space. It is located in the downtown core on Ste. Catherine Street, a busy shopping artery. Montreal-based Ivanhoe Inc. manages the retail complex.