Very soon, residents may be able to say goodbye to the Westfield Plaza Camino Real and hello to Westfield Carlsbad.
The long-awaited renovation of the City of Carlsbad's first major shopping destination is finally at hand, and it includes a new name.
The center will receive new floors, lighting, ceilings, handrails, signs, parking lot lights, and landscaping that will give the center an airier, more modern look. It will also have new offerings, including a dining area with a mix of new sit down and fast food restaurants, a 12-screen state-of-the-art movie theater and a gym that includes an indoor lap pool and a rooftop basketball court.
Jerry Engen, Senior Vice President of Development for Westfield in San Diego, said the goal is to create a community gathering place, a "community hub" that will bring all of the services that people want under one roof.
That, Engen said, is the trend in shopping centers, which these days include grocery stores, pharmacies, gyms, dry cleaners and other services that allow people to "cross-shop" and get all of their shopping, entertainment and dining opportunities in one place.
"We're going to make it a center the Carlsbad community will be proud to call its own," Engen said.
The Carlsbad Planning Commission will hold a hearing at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5 to consider a request to approve Westfield's plans for the development and the environmental impact document associated with the construction. The proposal would then go before the full City Council.
The renovation will also bring new retail opportunities to the center, add jobs (both during construction and upon completion of the project) and bring a substantial new revenue for Carlsbad's general fund, said Ted Owen, president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
"We support economic development, and as a long-standing member of the Chamber, we have encouraged Westfield to pursue this remodel," Owen said. "It is great to see movement on that front and fully support this project and we urge people to attend the upcoming hearings to voice their support of this project."
Westfield officials recently made a presentation to Chamber board members about their plans.
Matt Leonard, who was at the presentation, said afterward that the project should be supported.
"After the largest downturn since the Great Depression, who would stop a business from spending money to invest into their business?" he asked. "The public needs confidence that the economy is getting better. When they see Westfield making major capital improvements, it would bolster the confidence within our community. Why would someone prevent someone else from spending money in this environment?"
According to City of Carlsbad spokeswoman Kristina Ray, Plaza Camino Real is one of the top five "Geo Areas" where most of the city's sales tax revenue is generated. Individually, two of Westfield Plaza Camino Real's stores are among the to sales tax generators in Carlsbad. Macy's is in the top 20 and Sears is in the top 25.
Plaza Camino Real opened in 1969. Ten years later, under the ownership of May Centers and Bartman Trust, it expanded by adding three department stores. Westfield came into the picture in 1994, purchasing a 40 percent stake in the center. At that time, Bartman owned 60 percent of the center, and rejected multiple attempts to renovate the center citing a lack of money, according to Westfield.
Westfield bought out its partner in 2006, and proposed to renovate the center in 2006, however the global economic crisis forced it to put those plans on hold. During this time, from 2008 to 2012, Westfield completed new market studies and redesigned the project so that it could jump on the renovation when the economy recovered, Engen said.
Concept drawings of the proposal show lighter colors, a food court, a gym with a basketball court, a new movie theater and other amenities. Together, these conceptual drawing paint a more modern feel for the 44-year-old center.
PUBLIC HEARING
The planning commission will discuss Westfield's plans at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5 in the
City Council chambers, located at
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.
The long-awaited renovation of the City of Carlsbad's first major shopping destination is finally at hand, and it includes a new name.
The center will receive new floors, lighting, ceilings, handrails, signs, parking lot lights, and landscaping that will give the center an airier, more modern look. It will also have new offerings, including a dining area with a mix of new sit down and fast food restaurants, a 12-screen state-of-the-art movie theater and a gym that includes an indoor lap pool and a rooftop basketball court.
Jerry Engen, Senior Vice President of Development for Westfield in San Diego, said the goal is to create a community gathering place, a "community hub" that will bring all of the services that people want under one roof.
That, Engen said, is the trend in shopping centers, which these days include grocery stores, pharmacies, gyms, dry cleaners and other services that allow people to "cross-shop" and get all of their shopping, entertainment and dining opportunities in one place.
"We're going to make it a center the Carlsbad community will be proud to call its own," Engen said.
The Carlsbad Planning Commission will hold a hearing at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5 to consider a request to approve Westfield's plans for the development and the environmental impact document associated with the construction. The proposal would then go before the full City Council.
The renovation will also bring new retail opportunities to the center, add jobs (both during construction and upon completion of the project) and bring a substantial new revenue for Carlsbad's general fund, said Ted Owen, president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
"We support economic development, and as a long-standing member of the Chamber, we have encouraged Westfield to pursue this remodel," Owen said. "It is great to see movement on that front and fully support this project and we urge people to attend the upcoming hearings to voice their support of this project."
Westfield officials recently made a presentation to Chamber board members about their plans.
Matt Leonard, who was at the presentation, said afterward that the project should be supported.
"After the largest downturn since the Great Depression, who would stop a business from spending money to invest into their business?" he asked. "The public needs confidence that the economy is getting better. When they see Westfield making major capital improvements, it would bolster the confidence within our community. Why would someone prevent someone else from spending money in this environment?"
According to City of Carlsbad spokeswoman Kristina Ray, Plaza Camino Real is one of the top five "Geo Areas" where most of the city's sales tax revenue is generated. Individually, two of Westfield Plaza Camino Real's stores are among the to sales tax generators in Carlsbad. Macy's is in the top 20 and Sears is in the top 25.
Plaza Camino Real opened in 1969. Ten years later, under the ownership of May Centers and Bartman Trust, it expanded by adding three department stores. Westfield came into the picture in 1994, purchasing a 40 percent stake in the center. At that time, Bartman owned 60 percent of the center, and rejected multiple attempts to renovate the center citing a lack of money, according to Westfield.
Westfield bought out its partner in 2006, and proposed to renovate the center in 2006, however the global economic crisis forced it to put those plans on hold. During this time, from 2008 to 2012, Westfield completed new market studies and redesigned the project so that it could jump on the renovation when the economy recovered, Engen said.
Concept drawings of the proposal show lighter colors, a food court, a gym with a basketball court, a new movie theater and other amenities. Together, these conceptual drawing paint a more modern feel for the 44-year-old center.
PUBLIC HEARING
The planning commission will discuss Westfield's plans at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5 in the
City Council chambers, located at
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.