Open Air Meets Salt Air

An Outdoor Shopping District Breaks Ground in Huntington Beach

Major demolition work and construction of a 1,540-space parking structure has begun on the former site of the Huntington Beach Center. Bella Terra will open next spring. The 800,000-sq.-ft. entertainment-retail village will include a 20-screen Century Theatres complex and 71 shops and restaurants.

By Paul Napolitano

The recent trend of converting indoor shopping malls to open-air, retail-entertainment districts in Southern California has reached the beach.

Bella Terra, a $170 million development of J.H. Snyder Co., Ezralow Co. and the city of Huntington Beach, officially broke ground on April 22 and will occupy the footprint of the mostly shuttered Huntington Beach Center, an enclosed mall that opened in 1966.

Kohl's, a Wisconsin-based department store, opened in March 2003 in the shell of the former Broadway department store. Formerly called the Huntington Beach Center, the $170 million Bella Terra will open next spring on the same 63-acre site (photo by Greg Aragon).

Similar re-use projects have been completed this decade in Pasadena—the $225 million Paseo Colorado—and in Sherman Oaks—the $100 million Galleria. The open-air centers take advantage of Southern California's mild year-round climate and an opportunity to engage thoughtful landscape architecture with themed, outdoor retail.

For the past 12 months, Triple A Demolition has been doing selective demolition of the former indoor shops at the 63-acre Huntington Beach Center site, which is bordered by busy Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue.

Wisconsin-based Kohl's opened a store in March 2003 in the two-story shell of the former Broadway department store. Existing tenants Burlington Coat Factory and Mervyn's will remain open during construction of the new center.

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"We're razing the roof and letting the sunshine in," said Jerry Snyder, founding partner of J.H. Snyder Co., which is based in Los Angeles. "Retail and lifestyle choices have changed dramatically since the mall opened. We're re-using some of the old structures and adding new buildings to make connections between the anchor stores and the new theaters and restaurants."

When it opens next spring, Bella Terra will comprise 800,000 sq. ft. of retail—including a 20-screen, 80,000-sq.-ft. Century Theatres complex—and a 1,540-space parking structure.

Wayne Pettigrew, project manager for J.H. Snyder Co., stands near a debris pile in one wing of the former Huntington Beach Center. Selective demolition of the mall was a 12-month process. Most concrete and steel will be recycled. Major demolition began last month. (photo by Greg Aragon).

Anaheim Hills-based Bomel Construction Co. and Sherman Oaks-based International Parking Design began building the six-level garage last month. Triple A also began major demolition in May, a phase that is expected to last until mid-July.

"I'm looking forward to the theaters and al fresco dining," said Huntington Beach resident Sharon Munsey at the midday groundbreaking event. "We have a lot of dining in the city, but not enough. We have a lot of people who love al fresco."

Bella Terra had been on the drawing board for several years, but a soft retail leasing market and the complexities of programming a public parking structure with a major private development delayed the start of construction for nearly two years.

Venice-based Jerde Partnership was the master plan architect. Long Beach-based Perkowitz + Ruth is the executive architect; LA. Group is the landscape architect. Dolan Construction is the general contractor for retail core-and-shell work.

"What's happening now with all retail is that owners are more sensitive to demographics in that particular area—they're asking, 'what do they really need?'" Wayne Pettigrew, project manager for J.H. Snyder, said as he a few feet from a small mountain of debris and a row of stores being demolished.

Rendering of Bella Terra retail and restaurant village in Huntington Beach. The open-air complex replaces the former Huntington Beach Center, an enclosed mall that opened in 1966. Bella Terra is a $170 million development of J.H. Snyder Co., Ezralow Co. and the city of Huntington Beach.

The mall's demise began in earnest when major tenant Montgomery Ward went out of business in the past decade. Burlington Coat Factory took over the building vacated by May Co. and will initiate its own re-design this year.

Triple A is recycling as much concrete and steel as possible from the old mall, said Pettigrew, whose previous major projects include the Downtown Disney retail district and the Grand California Hotel, both located in Anaheim.

Pettigrew said that salvaged Class 2 concrete can be used under roads and buildings. "We'll crush up Class 1—this is not pure concrete, it's got aggregate in it— and we'll be able to put that under walkways," he added.

A Tuscan village-inspired Bella Terra (the name means "beautiful earth" in Italian) will have 71 shops and restaurants, including California Pizza Kitchen, Pomodoro Cucina Italiana, Islands and La Salsa.

Romano's Macaroni Grill is a current tenant. Bed, Bath & Beyond and REI will be added to the center's existing stores, a roster that includes Circuit City, Staples and Barnes & Noble.

Developer Jerry Snyder, with oversized scissors in hands, prepares to cut ribbon at the April 22 ceremonial groundbreaking of the Bella Terra entertainment-retail village in Huntington Beach (photo by Gerg Aragon).

Fifteen restaurants will encircle an outdoor amphitheater that will showcase a variety of entertainment. "The amphitheater has a 75-ft. radius with a cascading water display as a backdrop for performances," Snyder said.

Seventy trees planted in 1966 will be potted and replanted when construction is complete.

Limestone, tile and other materials in natural colors will be used on the facades of the new and existing buildings, which will undergo a facelift to fit with the new Tuscan Village motif.

City officials said they are looking forward to the sales-tax revenue that Bella Terra is expected to bring.

"For years, we have been losing revenue to nearby cities with more modern shopping and entertainment destinations, but this project will stop the outflow," said Mayor Cathy Green of Huntington Beach.