MISSION VIEJO : Panel to Consider Entertainment Mall

Plans for a 250,000-square-foot mall, which would bill itself as the entertainment center of South County, will go before the Planning Commission today.

Called simply “Kaleidoscope,” the mall would feature a 16-screen cinema complex and a range of dining experiences, from food court to gourmet restaurants. The 16-acre site is off Crown Valley Parkway on the northeast side of Interstate 5.

Despite a slumping economy that has hit the retail and mall industry hard, project developers say their project will sell itself by filling a different market niche. “This doesn’t necessarily compete with a mall. This is different,” said Phil Thrain, a principal in Kaleidoscope Partners of Los Angeles. “We’re going to be the entertainment hub of the area.”

Thrain said the retail stores in the mall will be supported by people drawn by the cinema/restaurant complex. “This will draw people interested in going to the theater,” Thrain said. “It’s a commercial and retail entertainment center.”

Officials from the Mission Viejo Mall, which is one block from the proposed complex, said they are studying the proposed mall’s site plans and will attend today’s meeting. They declined to comment on whether the proposed entertainment/shopping complex would harm the mall’s business.

The four-level building would have 250,000 square feet of leasable space. Some underground parking is planned with total parking of 1,627 spaces.

Planning officials said they will be looking closely at issues such as traffic. Crown Valley Parkway is one of the city’s busiest streets, and businesses there are required to contribute to a fee program to support roadway improvements.

Also, commissioners will consider whether the city needs 16 additional movie screens. Two theaters with a total of six screens are within two blocks of the proposed complex. Another five screens are planned in the north end of the city at a shopping plaza on Santa Margarita Parkway.

But Thrain said his firm’s studies show that because of the restaurants the theaters could still be profitable despite the nearby competition. “Our analysis shows that the area is ripe for this kind of setup,” he said. “It depends on what (the cinemas) are offering and the amenities that go with it.”