CITY OKS SUPER WAL-MART REVITALIZATION TO BOOST VALLEY CENTER.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer LANCASTER - A vacant former Costco store and Lancaster's west side Wal-Mart will make way for a new Super Wal-Mart covering more than five acres in a shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into revitalization re·vi·tal·ize tr.v. re·vi·tal·ized, re·vi·tal·iz·ing, re·vi·tal·iz·es To impart new life or vigor to: plans to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods; tried to revitalize a flagging economy. plan approved by city planners. Despite objections from grocery workers and others who say the giant new Wal-Mart store will hurt other businesses, the revitalization plan was approved Monday night to remake re·make tr.v. re·made , re·mak·ing, re·makes To make again or anew. n. 1. The act of remaking. 2. Something in remade form, especially a new version of an earlier movie or song. a shopping center that is the city's largest but which has lost three major tenants in three years. ``It's been a blighted blight n. 1. a. Any of numerous plant diseases resulting in sudden conspicuous wilting and dying of affected parts, especially young, growing tissues. b. area for quite a while. This is going to give a boost to the economy of that area,'' commission chairman Ron Smith Ron Smith may refer to:
In the works for five years, and aided by about $2.3 million in city funds, the renovation essentially replaces three big buildings - a former Costco, a former House2Home and the present Wal-Mart - and some smaller stores with one giant building - the Super Wal-Mart - and some smaller stores. The 218,490-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter will be built where the vacant 125,000-square-foot former Costco store stands. The 104,000-square-foot House2Home building was demolished de·mol·ish tr.v. de·mol·ished, de·mol·ish·ing, de·mol·ish·es 1. To tear down completely; raze. 2. To do away with completely; put an end to. 3. last year to make way for a new 99 Cent Only store under construction. Four smaller stores will be built where the present 116,000-square-foot Wal-Mart stands, and another four shops or restaurants will stand by themselves. The renovation will actually decrease slightly the store space in that area of the center, from 383,000 square feet - about 9 1/2 acres of floor space - to 362,000 square feet. Built between 1989 and 1991, the center also contains a 12-screen Cinemark movie theater, Marshall's and Michael's stores, restaurants and a Food4Less supermarket. Those parts of the center aren't slated for renovation. The shopping center makeover, expected to cost up to $25 million and aided by $2.3 million from the city, is being conducted in phases: The first is building a new 99 Cents Only store on the cleared House2Home site. Once 99 Cents Only moves into its new store, the old 99 Cents Only store and the vacant former Costco building will be demolished to be replaced by the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Once the Wal-Mart Supercenter is open, the current Wal-Mart building will be torn down and turned into smaller stores. Pads along Valley Central Way will be built to accommodate either smaller stores or restaurants. Valley Central has lost three major tenants since 2002. The Costco building has been vacant since Costco relocated re·lo·cate v. re·lo·cat·ed, re·lo·cat·ing, re·lo·cates v.tr. To move to or establish in a new place: relocated the business. v.intr. in 2003 to Avenue L near the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. ; Circuit City moved to Palmdale the same year and the House2Home store closed in 2002 when the corporation went out of business. Last year, the City Council approved an incentive package for the makeover work, agreeing to turn over ownership of the former Costco building, provide $500,000 for remodeling remodeling /re·mod·el·ing/ (re-mod´el-ing) reorganization or renovation of an old structure. bone remodeling work, and offer $1.8 million to be paid over several years at a rate of one-half of the sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. increase generated by the new development. The made-over center is expected to generate $500,000 annually in increased sales tax revenue for the city, officials said. Developers Diversified Realty realty n. a short form of "real estate." (See: real estate) REALTY. An abstract of real, as distinguished from personalty. Realty relates to lands and tenements, rents or other hereditaments. Vide Real Property. acquired the shopping center in September 2000 from Pacific Burnham as part of a $355 million deal for 15 shopping centers. Other owners include Prudential Real Estate Investment and Conventry Real Estate Partners. The transaction did not include the old Costco building, which had been acquired separately by the city as part of an effort to relocate re·lo·cate v. re·lo·cat·ed, re·lo·cat·ing, re·lo·cates v.tr. To move to or establish in a new place: relocated the business. v.intr. the giant wholesale retailer into a larger building and keep it in Lancaster. That effort created its own controversy, first when 99 Cent Only officials objected to their store being moved, then when city officials decided to use Lancaster City Park land for part of a new site. CAPTION(S): photo, map Photo: Construction work progresses on the new 99 Cents Only store. When it's opened, the old store and a vacant Costco building will be demolished to be replaced by a new Wal-Mart Supercenter. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer Map: Shopping center renovation |
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