Bella Terra has a ball

The 20-screen cinema is finished in the nick of time; city has high hopes for tax revenue from the new mall.City leaders received an early Christmas present over the weekend, the first on a long wish-list of projects to reshape the city’s retail sector and capture some of the holiday shopping dollars.

With much fanfare, Bella Terra officially opened its 20-screen Century movie theater, the centerpiece of the million-square-foot mall recently sold to DJM Partners for $228 million.

The biggest challenge of the project “was just finishing the thing,” co-owner John Miller joked Monday, one day after an estimated 70,000 weekend warriors descended on the mall at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue.

“If you would have looked at the amphitheater a week ago, you would have said ‘no way, this thing won’t be ready on time,’” he said.

It almost wasn’t. On the first public run of the theater, hundreds of people stood in line to get inside for a night of free movies as workers scrambled around with fire department officials to get the official OK to open the doors. The theater was given the green light just minutes before the doors opened and hundreds or visitors rushed in to see free films.

Miller said the scene was even more hectic on Friday as about 400 contractors and workers rushed around to prepare for the premier of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

“About a month’s worth of work was finished in four days,” he joked.

As the work was being completed Friday, shoppers funneled into the mall’s center along brick pathways while listening to piped-in Italian opera music.

“We’re happy to be here -- it’s been a long time coming,” said Eric Martin, a vice president with the theaters.

Barbara Ferguson, a 15-year resident of Huntington Beach, said she used to go to Westminster for movies.

“I’m happy to finally be able to go here. When they finish the rest of the mall, it’s going to be beautiful,” Ferguson said.

Sherie Convest, owner of the General Store, has been in business in the mall area for 18 years and said she believes the mall will bring in people who didn’t know her store existed.

“Business has already increased,” said Convest. “The construction hurt us for awhile, but things are going well now.... It’s going to give locals something we’ve lacked -- food and entertainment.”

On a down note, Convest said it has been harder hiring new employees because of competition from new businesses.

Open for four days so far, fast-food restaurant Tacone was just getting its feet wet.

“So far it’s busy all the time,” employee Jessica Fox said.

On lunch from work as an information technology manager at a nearby firm, Susan Campbell said, “I’ve been waiting for it to open since it shut down years ago. It’s nice to finally enjoy it.”

Campbell said she was thrilled to have more choices for lunch.

Christopher Ray, owner of several kiosks set up in the mall’s center, said, “I’m expecting we’ll do really well here. A new mall offers opportunities to owners who want to break into retail by bypassing waiting lists.”

Ray also added that his kiosk spaces in a Las Vegas mall have 30 retailers waiting for them.

Kris Lutchman, a kiosk manager for Ray, sold a cowboy hat in his first hour of business. 20051124imf570ncCOURTENAY NEARBURG / INDEPENDENT(LA)The Bella Terra mall in Huntington Beach swung wide its gates for free screenings at its new 20-screen multiplex cinema last weekend.