SUNNYVALE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – The Sunnyvale City Council has given the go-ahead to Fourth Quarter Properties to redevelop the downtown mall. The expected $280 million project will tear down the old Town Center Mall and replace it with a traditional downtown. The plans call for the new downtown area to connect to historic Murphy Avenue, as well as restoring most of the original street grid in the area.

The decision came during a lengthy Tuesday evening (August 17) City Council meeting. Following the City Council meeting, the Redevelopment Agency provided their approval for the project.

“In approving this project, the City Council has taken a major step forward,” said Sunnyvale Mayor John Howe. “The creation of a vibrant shopping, business and residential project is important to Sunnyvale’s future. We have worked long and hard to bring this forward, and now we will soon be able to enjoy our new, revitalized downtown.”

It is anticipated developers will raze the old mall structure early in 2005, with the new downtown area opening before the 2006 fall holiday shopping period. The plan calls for a 16-screen cinema, new above- and underground parking facilities and a centrally-located plaza that incorporates the historic redwood trees, some of which date back to the 1920s. When completed, the redevelopment will result in 1 million square feet of retail space, 292 housing units, 282,000 square feet of office space and more than 5,000 parking spaces. The Macy’s and Target stores will remain open during the redevelopment effort.