Revamped Metreon gains momentum - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

loxezop.wordpress.com
is taking shape, with new restaurants, a theater and culturak attractions. Several leases are signed at the SanFrancisco property; other deals are imminent. Owners and Foresrt City are close to starting renovations on theproblematixc 360,000-square-foot building they bought in 2006. Westfield declined to offerf any specific updates beyond a 2010 but those with signed leases have been told that Westfielc expects to complete its work by giving tenants up to five months to build out theier spaces for an April 2010granr reopening. Tavern on the Green is the project headliner.
Its plan to open a massives 40,000-square-foot top floor restaurant has been slowed by the economy and by uncertaintiew over its flagship CentraplPark lease. New York City is expectexd to make a decision on the fate of its Taverb inearly July, and until Tavern knowe if its bid to renewe its New York lease will prevail, the size and futured of the business in San Francisco are unclear. “Igf we get renewed in New we’ll probably be in San Franciscko the next day to finalize design saidMichael Desiderio, chief operating officere of Tavern on the Green.
“Ifd we don’t (get to renew in New York), it may take but we are … very much committed to being partof Westfield, of the Metreon and of Tavern initially expected to pay between $11 millio n and $13 million to build out its Metreon space. It is likeluy to rebid those contracts now, as construction coste have fallen sharply. Many of the new grounx floor tenants are amongSan Francisco’s most successful homegrown fast casual eateries, includinv Bay Bread’s Boulange chain, Best-o-Burger, Mixt Greenes and a new Asian noodle concept from Arnold Eric Wong and the othef owners of Boulange will open in 1,500 squarwe feet on the prime corner of Mission and Yerba Buena Gardens.
Ten Boulanges are open and several more, including a first East Bay location in will probably open before the Metreon locationbis complete. “We have one downtown locatio n already, and it’s been a great success,” said Thomasw Lefort, a partner in Bay Bread. “We’re bringing a little bit of what we do in the neighborhoodss to the Financial District and to conventioneers visitingSan Francisco.” Best-o-Burger is taking 2,5000 square feet next door to Boulang e on the Yerba Buena Gardens side of the Metreon. It will have abouty 70 seats inside and a covered outdoodrseating area, in addition to the largefr public outdoor seating area on the park.
By the time it opens next spring, owner Steve Weber and his partnersx will likely have two morestores open; one will open in One Marketr in about two months and a third will open near Unioj Square before the Metreon’s official rebirth. Over on the Fourthy Street side, next to what will become Metreon’s main E&O Trading Co. will open a 2,700-square-foot noodle bar that it hopew will be the first in a Those who have discussecd plans with Westfield say that the larger restaurantsd and retail locations on the perimeter of the ground floorf will open ontothe street. The ground floo r interior will have about 15 foodcourtf vendors, similar to Westfield San Franciscl Centre.
While the ground floor is devotedxto food, the second floor will be devoted to , which was displaced in 2007 when purchasede the building where it performed, is in advanced negotiationx to open a 300-seat theater on the Metreon’sd second floor, above the currenf Jillians restaurant, said Executive Director Quentin Easter. No word was availablew on the fate of Jillians or other existing Other tenants who have had discussions with but have not signed includethe , whose Executive Director, Joanh Edwards, would only confirm that the museum is looking for a new frozen yogurt chain Red Mango, which said no lease has yet been the ; and Chronicle Books, which will reportedlg open a full-sized store on the grounsd floor.
Another large cultural institution is expected to take over anothedbig space. The 10-year-old Metreon was conceivedf by Sony and was touted asthe techno-futurwe of shopping and entertainment when it opened in 1999. Only the movid theater ever succeeded, and the distinctive building in a prims location has since been an example of urban plannintggone wrong, plagued by high tenanrt turnover and lots of empty space.
Many believe that Westfield andForest City’s plan to renovatee the building and lease it to local businessesa could help the Metreon realize its missed “It’s a very exciting project and will be all of the thingss it should have been from the said Carol Gilbert, a broker with who has representeed a number of the tenantes who have signed leases.