Top Story -- Huntington Center plans back in business

Bryce Alderton

After years of broken plans and bankrupt businesses, efforts to revamp

the 30-year-old Huntington Center at Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue

and build an upscale, open-air mall are moving forward once again.

Project planners are currently working on site design plans to convert

the rundown mall into an entertainment and shopping center that will

afford visitors the chance to enjoy the cool ocean breezes and the warm

sunshine the city offers.

Plans include construction of an 80,000-square-foot movie theater with

16 to 18 screens, full-service restaurants such as Islands, Elephant Bar,

California Pizza Kitchen and Ruth Chris Steakhouse.

The J.H. Snyder Co., The Ezralow Co., The Jerde Partnership, the

architects for the project, and the Huntington Beach Redevelopment Agency

are teaming up to create the 1-million-square-foot center.

The entire project is expected to cost $150 million.

Plans include making the mall more conducive for people to gather,

relax, shop and be entertained.

“We expect visitors to come without a particular shopping objective,

but rather come to enjoy the atmosphere and entertainment,” said Cliff

Goldstein, senior planner with The Snyder Company. “We love the site.

When the opportunity presented itself, we jumped on it.”

Now with the plans for revamping the center back in the works, current

mall businesses see nothing but positives with the renovation.

“Anything that can be done to the mall will contribute to business and

helping [it] become a community destination,” Mervyn’s manager Jay

Gregorio said.

Staples assistant manager Steve Garcia felt the renovation will

benefit the community, helping the city’s economy.

Construction is expected to begin next summer and take approximately

one year to complete.

Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Circuit City, Staples, Mervyn’s and

Burlington Coat Factory will remain open during the renovation.

Burlington Coat Factory and an optometrist’s office are the only

businesses currently inside the mall that are open.

But it was not without a fight that Burlington Coat Factory remained

at its location.

After the City Council first approved plans for the center last

October the developer, Ezralow, wanted to oust Burlington Coat Factory

and Ward’s Department store saying those businesses did not fit their

plans for a glitzy Italian village-style mall.

Despite both department stores’ offers to redevelop the property to

match the motif Ezralow had planned, the developer tried to pressure the

city into evicting the stores by use of eminent domain.

But Ezralow officials were disappointed when the City Council could

not turn out the votes necessary to approve the use of eminent domain at

the mall. In response, the developer reduced its more expansive plans for

the center.

Wards helped win the battle, but went bankrupt by the end of the year.

The store has since closed and will not be included in the plans for

the new center.

Planners will look at different parking options including a possible

parking structure and an underground garage.

* BRYCE ALDERTON is the news assistant. He can be reached at (714)

965-7173 or by e-mail at bryce.alderton@latimes.com