CITYWALK AIMS FOR LONGER STROLL; EXPANSION TO NEARLY DOUBLE SITES.Byline: Dave McNary Staff Writer Universal CityWalk Universal CityWalk is a part of Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan originating from Universal's first park, Universal Studios Hollywood. is on track to complete its ambitious expansion in April, adding 34 tenants as the flashy entertainment district seeks to bolster its status as a key tourist destination A tourist destination is a city, town or other area the economy of which is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions or visitor attractions and possibly some "tourist traps". for Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . ``The trick with CityWalk is to keep it fresh and over-the-top,'' said Larry Kurzweil, president and chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. of the entire Universal Studios Hollywood complex, during an interview Tuesday. ``We're not looking to be mainstream.'' The expansion, announced a year ago, will boost the area by more than 90,000 square feet and nearly double the number of individual CityWalk sites to more than 70 at the eclectic, 6-year-old promenade just outside the amusement park amusement park, a commercially operated park offering various forms of entertainment, such as arcade games, carousels, roller coasters, and performers, as well as food, drink, and souvenirs. grounds. ``People love CityWalk, so we're giving them a lot more of it,'' Kurzweil said. New attractions will include an Imax 3-D theater, a food court with a handful of chains opening their first quick-service outlets, 10 retail outlets designed to offer ``best in category'' inventory, four restaurants, two nightclubs, ``rock n' roll bowling'' and virtual-reality NASCAR racing The NASCAR Racing series of video games, developed by Papyrus, started in 1994 and ended with the release of NASCAR Racing 2003 Season in 2003. Later NASCAR games were released by Electronic Arts, who took over the official sport license. . The new space is 100 percent leased. The revamp will boost the profile of two areas, especially during evening hours - the eastern end, currently dominated by Loews Cineplex 18-screen theater and the Hard Rock Cafe Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of casual dining restaurants. It was founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, and their first Hard Rock Cafe opened near Hyde Park Corner in London, in a former Rolls Royce car dealerships showroom close to Hyde Park, where in 1979 they began to , which will gain the food court, retail and dining outlets; and the second level of the Fountain Court, anchored by B.B. King Blues Club and Daily Grill, which will gain a dance club, beer garden and dueling piano bar. ``When people come out of the theater, they'll have a lot more options than what's now available,'' Kurzweil said. With the new venues taking shape, Kurzweil noted, the expansion already carries the same eclectic feel of the existing CityWalk by mixing offbeat off·beat n. Music An unaccented beat in a measure. adj. Slang Not conforming to an ordinary type or pattern; unconventional: offbeat humor. spending opportunities amid a jumble of colors and textures. ``We're trying very much for a seamless transition,'' Kurzweil said. ``We have a lot of back-and-forth talks about issues like the colors of tile and concrete, along with the signage, which we want to be over-the-top.'' CityWalk's growth comes amid unexpectedly strong business generated by its core attraction - offering the feel of a theme park for only the $7 parking fee. Officials estimate CityWalk attracts 3.95 million tourists annually along with 6.05 million locals with an average visit of 3.2 hours. Although doubts persisted when CityWalk opened in 1993, the idea has become one of the most popular concepts among commercial retail planners. The site - employing some of rival Walt Disney Co.'s most successful theme-park strategies - blends dining, entertainment, live performers and offbeat retail outlets in an idealized i·de·al·ize v. i·de·al·ized, i·de·al·iz·ing, i·de·al·iz·es v.tr. 1. To regard as ideal. 2. To make or envision as ideal. v.intr. 1. environment lacking traffic and crime. Peter Chernack, president of Burbank-based theme-park design specialist Metavision, said CityWalk took advantage of already operating a trio of attractions - the theme park, the Universal Amphitheater and the movie complex - to convince customers to stay longer and spend more money. ``CityWalk has helped to redefine the whole idea of a manufactured urban entertainment district,'' Chernack noted. ``They've created one of the early benchmarks of what's known as place-making, where you have a very citylike experience where everything is within walking distance. You're seeing it replicated on an international basis.'' Seagram Co., which bought Universal in 1995, liked the idea so much that it opened a second CityWalk last year adjacent to Universal Studios in Florida and plans to build a third next to Universal's upcoming theme park in Osaka, Japan. Disney has opened similar retail-entertainment districts at its massive Walt Disney World Noun 1. Walt Disney World - a large amusement park established in 1971 to the southwest of Orlando Orlando - a city in central Florida; site of Walt Disney World complex in Florida and recently announced plans for a Downtown Disney development sandwiched between its new California Adventure theme park and Disneyland. Kurzweil said the basic idea has been to create a haven-and-hangout alternative to a shopping mall. ``We would never want to be thought of as a mall,'' he added. ``What we're looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. is a best-in-category approach.'' WHAT'S NEW Key changes and additions under construction at Universal Studios' CityWalk: An Imax 3-D theater is being added to the Loews Cineplex 18-screen complex, the nation's second most-attended theater. The facility's interior and marquee will be revamped with a Universal Studios theme. Quick-service CityFood Court across from the theater with Jerry's Deli, Versailles, Gaucho Grill, Rubio's Baja Grill, Pit Fire Pizza, Tommy's and Panda Express. ``One-of-a-kind'' retail outlets including Sketchers, Harley-Davidson, Quicksilver quicksilver: see mercury. (1) (QuickSilver Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA, www.qstech.com) A mobile communications company that specializes in a reconfigurable logic chip for cellphones and PDAs. See adaptive computing. , Wound & Wound Toy, Laundry Matt's, Retro Rad, Awesome Atoms, Cirque Du Bijou, Vans and Atomic Garage. Redesign of the central court's upper level, to be renamed CityLoft with additions of Karl Strauss Microbrewery mi·cro·brew·er·y n. pl. mi·cro·brew·er·ies A small brewery, generally producing fewer than 10,000 barrels of beer and ale a year and frequently selling its products on the premises. Also called boutique brewery, brewpub. and Beer Garden, La Copa dance nightclub, Shanghai and Mein restaurant and Howl at the Moon Saloon. Daily Grill and B.B. King's remain. Other new restaurants will include Buca di Beppo Buca di Beppo is an American restaurant chain specializing in immigrant Southern Italian food. The name roughly translates as "Joe's Basement" (Beppo is slang for Joe in Southern Italy and Buca means basement (literally it means "hole") in Italian). and Cafe Tu Tu Tango, designed to mimic an artist's loft in Barcelona. The sushi restaurant will be expanded and renamed Wasabi. New entertainment sites will include Jillian's Hi-Life Bowling, billed as a ``multi-media rock n' roll bowling experience,'' and NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Silicon Motor Speedway with virtual reality attractions. Creation of an area at the northeast corner for live events and ice skating. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box, map PHOTO (1 -- color) Construction dominates the east end of the Universal CityWalk, where plans envision a food court and expanded retail options. (2 -- color) Universal Studios boss Larry Kurzweil surveys the project, reflected in the doors of the Hard Rock. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer BOX: What's new (see text) MAP: Universal Studios CityWalk |
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