Commons Expected to Open on Schedule

All that earth moving, concrete pouring and foundation hammering at the Commons at Calabasas Park Centre seems to be paying off.

After extending construction hours at the retail hub in June, city officials announced this week that the Commons shopping center will open on schedule in early November, in time for the holidays.

Construction workers have been putting in 14-hour days since early summer to build the center, letting up only on Sundays--when they worked nine hours. The complex is being developed by Caruso Affiliated Holdings.

Packed with restaurants, clothing stores, a grocery store and a six-screen movie theater, the 200,000-square-foot spread is envisioned by planners as the centerpiece of Calabasas. Almost all of the space has been leased to tenants, including national chains such as Barnes & Noble, Rite-Aid and Starbucks, said Mark Persico, the Calabasas planning and building services director.

Dappled with bronze sculptures, fountains, benches and trees, the Commons aims to evoke the atmosphere of a European village. Some of the highlights are a 60-foot redwood tree and four limestone sculptures. said Carmen Perri, Caruso’s executive vice president of development.