Developer Plans Huge Outdoor Mall Near Disney Project
Filling in a major piece in the emerging Anaheim Resort Area, the developer of a huge entertainment and shopping complex in Orlando, Fla., announced plans Monday for a similar project near Disneyland that will bring about 2,400 jobs to the city.
The outdoor mall, Pointe Anaheim, would be built on a parcel of at least 15 acres including the Melodyland Christian Center, which plans to move, the developers said.
The mall, costing more than $100 million, is planned to open in 2000, the year before Walt Disney Co. opens its second Anaheim theme park, California Adventure, nearby.
The developer, Pointe Orlando Management Co., said negotiations aren’t complete with potential tenants. But the lineup is expected to be similar to that at the Pointe Orlando mall near Disney World.
That open-air facility has an FAO Schwarz toy store, themed restaurants, game parlors, an Imax 3-D theater and such retail outlets as Abercrombie & Fitch and A/X Armani Exchange.
Anaheim city officials cautioned Monday that talks are still in the preliminary stages.
“There’s no guarantees. We haven’t cut any deals with them yet,” City Manager James D. Ruth said. “I guess we’re pretty optimistic about the development opportunities there, but there’s a lot of details that still have to be worked out with the developer.”
The locations near Disney theme parks are no accident. Vacationers love to shop, said Pointe Orlando Management President Chad A. Martin.
He said the new Disney park, plus Anaheim’s redevelopment of the surrounding area and convention center, should attract more out-of-town visitors for longer stays.
“By creating more things to do, everyone prospers. We hope people will say, ‘Let’s not drive to Newport tonight--there’s plenty to do here.’
“Disneyland and Disney World manage year after year after year to do wonderful things. We’re just fortunate enough to have found locations near those people,” Martin said.
A Disneyland spokesman was hesitant about commenting Monday about the proposed development, which would be across the street from the entrance to the park.
“It’s pretty early for us to speculate on something until we know what it is,” Bill Ross said. However, he added: “I think this whole revitalization of the Anaheim resort district brings great benefits to the city and the region.”
The new theme park and Pointe Anaheim complex could deliver a one-two punch to a new mega-mall that the Mills Corp. plans to build less than three miles away in Orange, said Greg Stoffel, a shopping and entertainment center consultant.
“Between what Disney’s doing and if this project comes on line the way they want it to, that will provide some pretty stiff competition for the Mills project,” Stoffel said. “I do think [Pointe Anaheim] could pull from both tourists and residents.”
But the developer could hit some glitches in trying to sign preferred tenants for Pointe Anaheim. Lease agreements contain clauses that prevent identical retail outlets from opening too close to one another, Stoffel said, and some stores proposed for Pointe Anaheim are already operating at MainPlace/Santa Ana.
“The reality is: They may not be able to get the same types of tenants as they have in Pointe Orlando,” Stoffel said. “But it’s still a decent tourist location, so they should be able to get some pretty good tenants.”
Pointe Anaheim will encompass about 650,000 square feet, compared with 450,000 square feet in Orlando, said Martin, the Pointe Orlando Management president.
The site is bordered by Katella Avenue, Clementine Street and Freedman Way in Anaheim. Besides the 15 acres already lined up, the site “is anticipated to grow based on negotiations with local landowners,” Martin said.
He wouldn’t elaborate on the negotiations.
City Manger Ruth said the Anaheim is waiting for the developer to present a development plan. Planning Commission hearings could begin within three months, he said.
Meanwhile, the fate of Melodyland has not been determined, Martin said. The religious group is considering moving to one of several sites, he said.
Built in 1963 as an entertainment complex that featured country acts and later burlesque, it was acquired in 1969 by a church group that used it as a seminary. It occupies 9.54 acres, including a circus tent-shaped theater that seats 3,274.
