MALL'S NEW LOOK ATRIUM WINDS UP FIRST-PHASE REDESIGN.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer VALENCIA - Newhall Land officials Wednesday unveiled a new 54-foot glass-enclosed atrium and food court at the Valencia Town Center and celebrated the completion of the mall renovation's first phase. With nearly 600 seats - including kid-size tables and chairs and cozy booths - The Newhall Land and Farming Company The Newhall Land and Farming Company is a land management company based in Valencia, California, United States. The company is responsible for the master community planning of Valencia, as well as the management of farm land elsewhere in the state. hopes the new atrium and cafes will draw hungry shoppers from all over 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, to the 11-year-old mall. ``This is a really thrilling moment for both the mall and Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, ,'' said Gary Cusumano, Newhall Land's chief executive officer. The $20 million face lift, which mall officials hope will be finished in time for the Christmas shopping season, gutted the former Edwards Cinema 10-plex and replaced it with the bright and airy food court. New shops and boutiques will replace the restaurants in the current food court, which is overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. , officials said. Edwards closed the mall theaters after the company declared bankruptcy in 2000, prompting Newhall Land to launch the renovations. Company officials are working to attract high-end shops, like Pottery Barn Pottery Barn is an American-based chain of home furnishing stores with stores in the United States and Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. History and Williams-Sonoma, along with an upscale department store such as Macy's or Nordstrom, said company spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer. Newhall Land and the city of Santa Clarita will split 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. revenue generated by the new shops or businesses that replace lower-end stores in the mall, officials said. ``This is another example of a public-private partnership Public-private partnership (PPP) describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. These schemes are sometimes referred to as PPP or P3. working for the benefit of the whole community,'' said Mayor Cameron Smyth Cameron Smyth is a Republican who has represented Califoria's 38th Assembly district since December of 2006. He succeeded Keith Richman who was term limited. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Assemblyman Smyth served on the Santa Clarita City Council, where he . The 25-year deal, approved by the City Council in 2001, is expected to add $11 million to the city's coffers and provide an equal amount to the company to provide incentives and other enticements to retailers, officials said. Revenue from the state sales tax makes up 41 percent of Santa Clarita's general fund, which foots the bill for most city services The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , including protection by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's and Fire departments. About 25 percent of the city's sales tax revenues come from the 17 dealers on Valencia Auto Row and the dozens of stores in the Valencia Town Center, according to city officials. ``Sales tax is certainly among the City Council's highest priorities,'' Smyth said. The renovation also included the relocation of the carousel from Town Center Drive to inside the mall near Sears and prompted Tilt Family Circus to move next to Borders Books & Music near McBean Parkway. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) The new glass-enclosed atrium is part of a $20 million face lift, which mall officials hope will be finished in time for the Christmas season. (2 -- color) Workers apply finishing touches to the new atrium and food court at the Valencia Town Center that opened Wednesday. (3 -- color) Balloons are brought in to celebrate the opening of the new atrium and food court, which has nearly 600 seats. David R. Crane/Staff Photographer |
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