THEN AND NOW

THEN..... In August 1994, Metro Pointe at South Coast in Costa

Mesa was merely a vision in the eyes of Newport Beach developer George

Argyros and his development company, Arnel.

The plan was to build a 21-acre shopping, entertainment and business

mecca across the street from South Coast Plaza and Crystal Court, with

massive retail giants facing the San Diego Freeway.

The 395,000-square-foot heavily landscaped retail center was to be

built in a classical architectural style with earth-tone colors and

arches.

Developers envisioned walkways to South Coast Plaza and Crystal Court

from Metro Pointe and aimed to create a center that appealed to the

masses.

Tenants of Metro Pointe were to include Nordstrom Rack, Best Buy

electronics, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, The Container Store and Old

Navy. Coffee shops, restaurants and a 12-screen Edwards movie complex

soon followed.

In the beginning, questions arose as to the need and eventual success

of another shopping center in the area. But many were excited and spoke

of the center’s anticipated success early on.

NOW...

Besides generating close to $2 million a year in revenues for the

city, Metro Pointe, most agree, has found its niche in the seemingly

saturated retail market.

“It has been very successful,” said Costa Mesa Mayor Gary Monahan. “My

kids love the theater.”

Since it attained full occupancy in May 1996, the plaza has nearly

tripled its sales and has become the No. 2 revenue-generating shopping

center in the city next to South Coast Plaza, said a representative for

the city.

As Orange County residents continue to embrace the center, so do city

officials and business owners.

“It is just a beautiful venue,” said Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce

President and CEO Ed Fawcett. “It peaked in 1996 and has been climbing

ever since.”

One controversy that existed in the early days of the center’s

inception was the placement of a traffic signal at the main entrance on

South Coast Drive. Residents of the nearby Greenbrook neighborhood feared

they would be unable to exit their neighborhood in a reasonable manner.

Upset and determined, Greenbrook residents took their case all the way to

City Hall, but lost.

Bill Morris, director of public services for Costa Mesa, said a report

submitted to the City Council six months after the light was installed

identified no problems associated with it. Morris said the city routinely

monitors city intersections and responds on a case-by-case basis when

problems do arise.

“The fears of the Greenbrook residents did not surface,” he said.

As for Metro Pointe, the latest store is David’s Bridal, a wedding

dress and special-occasion evening wear business. The two-month-old

specialty store sells off-the-rack wedding dresses sizes 2 to 26 and is

already anticipating a rush for New Year’s Eve evening gowns.

“Business has been great,” a spokeswoman for the store said. “[The

Metro Pointe store is] No. 3 out of the 90 stores in the company.”

-- Amy R. Spurgeon