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The Santa Clarita Planning Commission is set to discuss the expansion at Westfield Valencia Town Center this month, officials said.
On Jan. 21, the planning commission is expected to hold a public hearing and vote on the Valencia mall expansion, dubbed the Patios Connection, which would include a Costco, luxury cinema, gym and gas station, according to City documents.
“This is a $100 million investment into the property and the Santa Clarita community,” said Chris Kitchen, vice president of development for Westfield.
The expansion proposed for the Westfield Valencia Town Center includes demolishing the 128,558 square foot building previously occupied by Sears and constructing a 153,930 square foot Costco, according to an official release from Planning and Economic Development Manager Jason Crawford.
The Patios Connection is part of Westfield’s efforts to modernize the Valencia mall, making it a true “town center,” according to officials.
“Shopping centers are evolving around the country,” Kitchen said.
It also includes a 30-pump automobile fuel sales use, a 34,185 square foot health and fitness center, a 32,000 square foot cinema, 7,434 square feet of retail/restaurant use and a 2,138 square foot expansion of the existing Canyon music venue, according to Crawford.
A Costco gas station is set to be built adjacent to Citrus Street, in between the two existing entrances to the mall’s parking lot.
“The gas station is going to use ‘next-generation’ pumps,” Kitchen explained. “These are designed to pump faster.”
Westfield and Costco also designed the queue to not impact the rest of the traffic in the surrounding parking lot, similar to another project in the San Fernando Valley.
The maximum height of the project is said to be 79 feet, and would result in a net of 101,129-square feet of new commercial space.
See Related: Westfield Valencia Mall Unveils Luxury Cinema, Second Costco Location
Three engineers combed through the development plans for the Patios Connection, from Westfield, the City of Santa Clarita and Costco.
“If customers cannot come to the property, no one is happy,” Kitchen said. “We are going beyond the projected need for parking.”
There are going to be 275 additional spots on top of the proposed Costco, at the same level as the current Patios.
On weekends during the peak holiday season, Thanksgiving to New Years, employees are also expected to park offsite — adding an estimated 300 spaces.
Developers also plan on expanding Citrus Street before the increased traffic from the project in the area.
“We want it to be easy to come to the mall,” Kitchen said. “The sidewalks will be widened and a bike lane will be added.”
Engineers also projected strain to an estimated six intersections in the area, which are also set to be mitigated before the project is finalized.
The Patios Connection is expected to complete construction by late 2022 upon approval.
The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 21 in the Santa Clarita City Hall Council Chambers.
If approved by the planning commission, the project is expected to start moving forward after a 15-day appeal period.
For more information regarding the project, visit the site.
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Come on another gym and more restaurants where children are not really welcome? Open up/ buy into a Dave and Busters . Family interaction and a huge money maker . Why hasn’t this been done before? Adults have fun with their children who are also having fun. It seems to have something for most in this so called family friendly community. All the money put into the biking and walking trails and we need another gym. Aside from membership fees I’m not sure how they stay in business?
Along with the 30 pump gas station, there should be a generous number of Fast chargers for electric vehicles included in the project Also provide a covered drop/pickup/wait station for shuttle buses near to the store entrances – not on the public street – so the bus users don’t have to walk through the parking area to get to the entrances. And the yellow detectable warning surface “bumps” should have convenient smooth surfaced gaps or openings where there are no bumps, to allow carts, disabled customers, and wheelchairs to enter/exit without being forced to go over these torture shakers/back breakers.
The Mall should provide mall workers with bus passes to get to work at the mall. To just not allow mall works to park at the where they work at means the are worthlessness to both the mall, costco and the community.
Along with the 30 pump gas station, there should be a generous number of Fast chargers for electric vehicles included in the project Also provide a covered drop/pickup/wait station for shuttle buses near to the store entrances – not on the public street – so the bus users don’t have to walk through the parking area to get to the entrances. And the yellow detectable warning surface “bumps” that you see at Costco’s & Walmarts should have convenient smooth surfaced gaps or openings where there are no bumps, to allow carts, disabled customers, and wheelchairs to enter/exit without being forced to go over these torture shakers/back breakers.
I have a REALLY bad feeling about this.
Seems like a bad idea.
I thought all of this was approved more than a year ago, that is how long they have been talking about the new Costco
Do we really need another Costco? I like the Dave and Busters idea.
Mcbean Blvd and Valencia Blvd are already like Ventura Blvd…..what is this overdevelopment scheme going to do to the street traffic? Not to mention, crime in the adjacent community has risen and strangers frequently walk through the neighborhood at all hours.
Lived in the area for over forty years. Lost all it’s charm. So sad. The new mall is the saddest of all. Is it only me or is it really as gloomy as I see it. I’ve seen malls across the globe. This is just gloomy and weird. It only can get worse
I think this is a great plan! I’d like to see some of these projects come out to the 14-freeway side of Santa Clarita. Maybe expand on mixed-use communities…
This reminds me of the Village at Topanga. Now “that” is a great model!