Proposed expansion of The Promenade unveiled to city

By: NICOLE SACK - Staff Writer | Tuesday, February 13, 2007 11:37 PM PST ∞

TEMECULA ---- Plans for the 126,000-square-foot expansion of The Promenade mall were unveiled Tuesday before the City Council to familiarize residents with the project ---- as well as to make sure the developers are on track with the vision of the city.

"Tonight's presentation was for the benefit of the citizens," Temecula Mayor Chuck Washington said. "But before this item goes to the planning commission, we wanted to make sure the developer was aware of any concerns the council had."

The Temecula Planning Commission is scheduled to review the expansion project Feb. 21. The project would then return to the City Council for final approval in March. No action was taken at the public hearing Tuesday.

If the project is completed as planned, the size of The Promenade mall would total nearly 1.2 million square feet.

Forest City Enterprises, a Cleveland-based mall owner, is the developer of the project. Kenneth Lee, Forest City's vice president for West Coast developments, said he hopes the expansion is completed in time for the 2008 Christmas shopping season. While he said the price tag of the expansion would be in the "multimillion dollar" range, he could not release a specific figure.

"We appreciate the feedback so we know we're going in the right direction," Lee said of the presentation to the council. "This is the time to do it right and we want to do it now."

The proposed expansion would branch off from the main part of the mall between the Macy's department store and the free-standing Edwards Cinema building. There would a "Main Street" constructed with two-story shops on both sides of a two-way road that would extend from the mall building south to the drive circling the mall.

"It creates more openness," said Washington of the Main Street effect. "I think closed malls are a thing of the past. What the (developer) is trying to create is that small town feel with an upscale nature."

Connecting the expansion with the existing indoor mall was a concern for City Councilwoman Maryann Edwards.

"How are you going to pull the mall in with the rest of it?" Edwards asked the developers after the meeting. "I'm not saying it can't be done, but that will be key."

The proposed expansion would be built on land used for mall parking. To accommodate the displaced parking areas, two new garages would be built, including one five stories tall with 943 parking spots.

Raymond Johnson of Temecula, who spoke at the public hearing, said that, while the expansion appeared to be a good idea, there were potential problems including traffic flow and the behemoth parking structure that would tower over the buildings on the main street.

"The major difference between the 'Main streets' that most people identify with and this 'Main Street', is that they don't have a five-story parking structure behind it," Johnson said. "It really seems out of scale."

Public Works Director Bill Hughes said the city's engineering and traffic departments will review the traffic circulation of the mall and the potential effects of the expansion.

-- Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.

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Debbie wrote on Feb 14, 2007 7:25 AM:Please, please, please put a limit on how much developing you do in this wonderful city of Temecula! We love the "small town" feel and it is slowly disappearing. Too many homes and business's are starting to block the view of the beautiful mountains that surround us and drew us here in the first place. Please consider this as you pour over your blueprints. Sincerely, Temecula lover!

You're kidding right? wrote on Feb 14, 2007 8:17 AM:Five story parking lot? Does the mall really need to be expanded? You have shops opening and closing within months but it needs more? Look at the restaurants in front of the theater, or should I say lack of. I guess the planning commission doesn't understand the word "no" when developers ask to build.

Thomas wrote on Feb 14, 2007 1:50 PM:I was watching the city council meeting last night and they went over the plans for the expansion and it looks great. The parking structure is to accomidate for the parking they are ripping out for the project. The developer also commented on the the previous writers comment, that there are vacancies by the theater and that the cout yard is going to be redone to attract more people to lower the vacancies. Its going to be an out door shopping area and the developer is Forest City development. If you dont know who they are, they also own the Victoria Gardens mall in Rancho Cucamonga, which is a great looking mall. This project will most likely look something similar to this but on a smaller scale. The project is only one storey and the parking structure is five so its not going to be taller than the mall or block any views. The only concern I would have is traffic circulation around the mall road, but it looks like a good idea overall.

traffic wrote on Feb 14, 2007 7:04 PM:how about another on/off ramp at overland. a mall for over 200,000 people needs more than 1 on/off ramp from the backed up freeway.

temecula resident wrote on Feb 14, 2007 8:25 PM:Only at the Promenade Mall can one go shopping in Southern California and really find nothing worth buying. Maybe the city council should work to build an industry in the area that isn't retail.

Life Long Resident wrote on Feb 14, 2007 8:49 PM:Hey! Just an idea.... BUT, what if we stopped adding more congestion to an already overloaded situation and maybe, just MAYBE, bring that "open air mall" concept, up the freeway about 3 miles?? Hey!! Murrieta has a piece of property that would fit the bill! And it has numerous on/off ramps from TWO freeways, to handle the traffic. And then the load could be spread over a larger area, as opposed to craming it all into the one location.... Yes, I'm referring to the Golden Triangle!!! The spot that Donahue and Scribner were going to build the ORIGINAL mall on, before Temecula got the whole ball of yarn, back in the late 1980's/early 90's.

to traffic wrote on Feb 15, 2007 11:59 PM:Caltrans won't allow another ramp in Temecula. They've given the city a rural designation so there can be a ramp every two miles only. The city is working to get caltrans to change its mind. But Caltrans answers to no one.

Nancy wrote on Apr 15, 2007 8:54 AM:I agree with "Life Long Resident" up the freeway about 3 miles in Murrietta would be ideal. I live about a 1 mile from the Promenade and to get to the freeway up Winchester which is only 3-5 miles away takes about 20 minutes because of the mall traffic going into the mall circle...we don't need more congestion. Another "Victoria Gardens" type of mall would be ideal either east on 79..or north on the 15 towards Murrieta. Let's keep the Old Town feel here!

nat wrote on Sep 1, 2008 11:11 PM:chicos?
cold water creek?
williams sonoma?
don't get me wrong i love living in temecula but we need to put at least one decent shop for the young adults.... if we don't the promende will be just another dos lagos...which in no offense to any of you reading this....is an oasis for 40 and up... i mean come on that mall is sooo boring couldn't we put a diesel, zara or forever 21??

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