GARDEN GROVE : Shopping Center Plans Clear City Hurdle
The City Council has approved a code change that will enable a group of Korean business owners to open a tourist-oriented shopping center about two miles from Disneyland.
Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve converting the former Builders Emporium building on Chapman Avenue to an indoor swap meet-style shopping center.
More than 80 privately owned stalls inside the 46,000-square-foot building would sell merchandise imported from Asia and Europe, as well as American-made products.
The center, expected to open in August, also would feature restaurants offering Asian, European and American cuisine.
“This is a modest step,” Councilman Mark Leyes said, “but we’re going after those Disneyland tourists to encourage them to shop here.”
City officials have long considered the development of the business district near Disneyland, in nearby Anaheim, as a key to the economic prosperity of the city.
For years, they have complained that Garden Grove shares in the problems caused by the giant theme park, such as heavy traffic, noise and pollution, but none of the benefits from the tourist trade.
With the proposed expansion of Disneyland, city officials have begun to study just how Garden Grove might benefit from the expansion, including promoting more tourist-oriented businesses.
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