Update on Pacific Commons Part 2B

What I want at Pacific Commons?

A's Stadium

Shopping mall or outdoor shopping mall like Staford Shopping Center and Irvine Spectrum

Clean Companies

Convention Center and hotel

High Tech Companies

University

Townhouse and condos if A's build a stadium in NUMMI

Asian shopping center or a mall
Manufacturing and Industry (if all those aren't viable)

What store and restaurant I want at Pacific Commons? American Eagle Outfitters, Hollisters, H&M, California Pizza Kitchen, The Cheesecake Factory, Urban Outfitters, Target, Macy's, 24 Hour Fitness, Dave & Buster's, Borders, Whole Food Market, and etc.

My recommendation: I urged the City Council and Planning Commission to reject this project or postpone until Spring of 2011. So we can better understand if the economy is improving, developer or the A's might be interested in building housing and retail development, or wait until the new General Plan been adopted by the City Council in 2011.

This project will:
1) Create Greenhouse Gas Emission by driving from Target to Cinemark and driving around to find a parking space
2) Does not provide enough parking space. What happened on the holiday?
3) Does not guarantee people will come here to watch a movie. Fremont residents will still go to Great Mall, AMC Movie Theaters, Newark movie theater, Regal Cinemas, Union Landing, and etc to watch a movie.

Cinemark:
Union Landing in Union City
Cinedome 7 in Newark
Great Mall in Milpitas
Century Movie Theater in Hayward

Regal Cinemas:
Haciena Crossings Stadium 21& IMAX in Dublin
Crow Canyon Stadium 6 in San Ramon
Jack London Stadium 9 in Oakland

AMC Movie Theaters:
Cupertino Square in Cupertino
Mercado in Santa Clara

Do we want Fremont to move forward or backward? Do we continue building more strip mall, power center, big box stores, and discount store in Fremont? Do you think bringing high-retail, upscale restaurants, and entertainment that never existed in Fremont is a good thing? Do we continue ignoring bringing the A's in Fremont and that there is aviable location in Fremont?

Ice Skating at Irvine Spectrum

* Remember* From Yelp about Irvine Spectrum Center:

"and when you get bored - there's always the ferris wheel." (in 53 reviews)

"It's a great outdoor mall, with a lot to see and do." (in 28 reviews)

"There is also a really nice movie theater here too." (in 29 reviews)

The Planning Commission meeting will begin at 7 pm on October 14 in the City Council Chambers, 3300 Capitol Avenue.

Update on Pacific Commons: Part 2A

Do you think Planning Commission and City Council should approve Pacific Commons Planning Area 5?

Pacific Commons Planning Area 5
to consider a Planned District Major Amendment (P-2000-214) for Pacific Commons (“Planning Area 5”), a Development Agreement Amendment, a Finding for Concept Site Plan approval, Vesting Tentative Tract Map 8049, and a Preliminary Grading Plan, to allow development of a new 27-acre retail/entertainment district located south of Curie Street (behind Costco and Lowe’s) in the Industrial Planning Area. A Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Report has been prepared and circulated for this project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Project Planner - Cliff Nguyen, (510) 494-4769, cnguyen@fremont.gov

Conceptual Site Plan for Pacific Commons Planning Area 5

The project includes a 140,000 square feet Target, 60,000 square feet Cinemark, and 121,000 square feet of retail. This include a drive-through eating establishment like McDonald's.

Possible retail and restaurants that I think might open there (not a fact):

McDonald's or Sonic
AT&T or Sprint
Lane Bryant or women clothing stores
Bank
Fitness
Home furnishing and appliances
Furniture
Salon or barber shop
Shoes like Payless Shoe Source
General merchandise
Spa
Dental Office
Dry Cleaners

City Staff wants those retail in Fremont:

Fuddruckers or Eddie Papa's American Hangout
Mimis Cafe or Macaroni Grill
Sports Basement
Video Only
Nestle Toll House Cafe
and etc.

Do we need those retail and restaurants at Pacific Commons in Fremont or do we need to build a better shopping center or a shopping mall?

From Yelp about Pacific Commons:

Eric W.
Hayward, CA

3/5 stars
This place could have been soooo much better. When it broke ground a few years back, I was elated, thinking they would construct something like the Irvine Spectrum, an enclosed, outdoor, mega-entertainment center complete with bars, movie theaters, and high class restaurants.

Imagine my disappointment when I found out all we got was cheapie, big box retailers such as Old Navy, DSW, Circuit City, and worst of all, Costco! To it all off, the stores are more spread out than Tera Patrick! It's not pedestrian friendly at all. This is suburban sprawl at its worst!

Hopefully that new A's stadium will bring forth some better development around here. For the time being, the only saving grace is that it at least looks like So-Cal with all the palm trees.

Mister J.

Milpitas, CA

2/3 stars
Other than Costco they should just level this area and make a large park . The retailers here are so boring and uninteresting. Some of the retailers look out of place here. I really don't see anyone going into the stores or restaurants. Maybe just a few from the workers from Costco and Lowe's. The Kohls department store is must be the worst one in the company. DSW has crappy shoes,Circuit City was blown away.Party America,JoAnn,Staples...I doubt I will ever step foot in.

A little further away is a furniture store, bookstore, and other weird places. If not for Costco someone could blow this place up and no one would notice.

Pacific Commons Shopping Center on Yelp
4/5 stars 17 reviews

Irvine Spectrum Center or on Yelp:
4/ 5 stars 196 reviews

From Yelp about Irvine Spectrum Center:

"and when you get bored - there's always the ferris wheel." (in 53 reviews)

"It's a great outdoor mall, with a lot to see and do." (in 28 reviews)

"There is also a really nice movie theater here too." (in 29 reviews)

The Planning Commission meeting will begin at 7 pm on October 14 in the City Council Chambers, 3300 Capitol Avenue.

Coming soon Update on Pacific Commons: Part 2B

Update on Pacific Commons

New for 2010
Five Guys Burgers & Fries- Now Open
Sports Clips- Now Open
Market Broiler- Now Open
Any Mountain- Open November 2010

New for Spring 2011
Nordstrom Rack
(formerly Circuit City)

New for Spring 2012
Cinemark-Pacific Commons, Fremont, CA – 16 Screens
Target-Mall owners confirmed the new theater but would not confirm Target’s arrival at Pacific Commons.

Unknown Opening
Fremont Healthy Spa
Asian Pantry of Fine Foods
Spa Dhara

Unknown tenants

The good news for Catellus and Pacific Commons keeps coming, according to Whiskeman. An announcement is expected soon on the identity of a national retailer moving into a vacant 30,000-square-foot space once occupied by Linens ‘N Things. Once that tenant is in place, he said the existing 860,000-square-foot center will be 98 percent leased.

Pacific Commons shopping center capitalizes on location for anchor tenants and expansion

Next up election endorsement and opinion on Pacific Commons and NUMMI/Warm Springs BART Station

Mayor Bob Wasserman Q&A: Future of Fremont and the A's

Brian Chang: Why is A's stadium important to Fremont?
Bob Wasserman: Bringing the A's to Fremont creates a destination point that will make Fremont a major City. Economically it will bring 2 million people a year which means many good businesses will want to locate here.

Brian Chang: Why did you think it's a good location?
Bob Wasserman: has 2 major freeways and a BART station which means easy access. In a study of the bay area 10+/- years ago it was identified as one of three key areas for future economic growth.

Brian Chang: What will happen to the NUMMI site in 5-10 years or more?
Bob Wasserman:The stadium would be a catalyst to bring major commercial, residential and perhaps industrial growth. Without the stadium there will still be major development but it will take 20-30 years.

Brian Chang:Who will pay for the ballpark, buy the land, and infrastructure?
Bob Wasserman: It is hoped the County will buy and retain the stadium land. Infrastructure would be done by the City and Developers. The City would have to do infrastructure work even without the stadium. The A's would pay for all stadium costs.

Brian Chang: What it's the difference between general fund and redevelopment fund? How does the city gets that money?
Bob Wasserman: The general fund comes mostly from property and sales tax and a few smaller sources. Redevelopment funds come from tax increment which is from property tax in the fund area

Brian Chang: How does the school get money?
Bob Wasserman: Schools are funded by the State only. We have nothing to do with school funding.

Brian Chang: In past 30 years, does the City of Fremont always have a financial problem?
Bob Wasserman: Has not had serious problems but has never had enough to provide a optimal level of service.

Brian Chang: People are getting a hard time to get their permit. Why isn't Fremont a business friendly?
Bob Wasserman: We try to improve all the time.

For more information: http://fremont.gov/DocumentCenterii.aspx?FID=422
http://astofremont.org/

I urged you to write a letter to Major League Baseball (MLB) that we want the A's in Fremont. Send your letters to support@astofremont.org. It will be an economic development that will bring thousands of new jobs, millions in revenue, and more retail and restaurants to Fremont.