Triangle Square has three-sided plan

Alicia Robinson

The Triangle Square shopping center might soon be more comfortable,

more tasty or more healthy to visit, depending on your interests.

The center is moving ahead with a three-part plan that could

change the seating in the movie theater, expand the offerings in the

food court, and add a two-story gym, said Josh Shapiro, leasing

manager with the center’s managing firm, Charles Dunn.

The changes are part of an strategy to revitalize the center,

which in October set a goal of reaching 100% occupancy by summer. At

the time, the center was at 70% occupancy and had lost Whole Foods

and a North Face store since October 2002. It had also weathered

frequent management changes, including six marketing directors in a

four-year period.

But everything is on track to reach the goal, Shapiro said.

Officials are talking with Edwards Theater management about

converting to stadium seating, which will decrease the number of

seats but will make moviegoers more comfortable, he said.

“From what I’ve researched, this is the new thing that everyone’s

doing,” Shapiro said. “If it happens, that’ll definitely increase

occupancy. ... What that does is it brings in more customers.”

Negotiations also are in progress with two fitness chains to take

over the basement space, where Whole Foods was, and possibly the old

North Face spot at street level to create a two-story gym.

“I think that would be the highest and best use for the center,”

Shapiro said.

Step three is a face-lift for the food court, which will include

visual changes to entice traffic from Newport Boulevard, possibly a

bar or coffee kiosk in the center, and more seating. Fugu, a high-end

restaurant-bar, will open in February, and he’s been trying to

attract similar restaurants to fill vacant spaces, Shapiro said.

“If those three items occur and happen 100%, then we’re definitely

going to bring in tons of traffic,” he said. “It’s going to be very

easy to lease up everything else.”

Triangle Square Operations Manager Mary Korkodian said after the

huge success of a December event, the center is considering holding

four major events a year to draw customers.

Holiday shopping also gave the center a boost. Korkodian said many

stores reported sales increases of 20% to 30%.

“I think our major advantage is that we do have a lot of people in

the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach area who want to see the center

succeed as much as we do, and the community has been very supportive

of us,” she said.