BATH SHOP JOINS CIVIC CENTER RETAIL COMPLEX.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Another major retailer has signed a lease at the Civic Center Plaza being built on Tapo Canyon Road, which is shaping up to be a trendy spot for dining and shopping, city officials announced Friday.

Bed, Bath & Beyond has signed a lease on a 30,000-square-foot store, joining Men's Wearhouse, Regal Cinemas and TGI Fridays in the new shopping center.

Mayor Bill Davis said it has been relatively easy to attract retail and food outlets, primarily because of the center's proximity to the Ronald Reagan Freeway and government offices.

``Being by the Civic Center, the police station, it's a drawing card,'' he said. ``People are going to City Hall all the time, they're going to the DMV office. That makes the center more desirable.''

Pedestrian traffic for the movie theater also was a selling point in attracting retailers, officials said.

Davis said what the city's Office of Economic Development and the developer wanted to bring to the center was stores that had not been available in Simi Valley before.

That's the case with many of the center's tenants, including Quizno's Classic Subs, Juice Stop, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Starbucks Coffee, the Thomas Kinkade Gallery, the Hidden Cottage and Basket and Bows.

The center is now under construction on the corner of Tapo Canyon and Alamo Street. It is expected to open up in phases, beginning in September or October.

Officials hope the center, seen as the next best thing to a shopping mall in the city, becomes a regional draw for shoppers as well as a convenience for local residents.