The Cupertino Courier

News

Vallco gets new name to go with its new look, shop

By Cody Kraatz

Vallco Fashion Park is undergoing a makeover and, in March, will have a new name: Cupertino Square.

Mike Rohde, Vallco's general manager, told the city council at its Feb. 6 meeting that Landmark Properties Management was "rebranding" the mall and renaming it.

"We would really like to eliminate the old guard with reference to Vallco and move on to Cupertino Square," said Rohde, who has given a monthly status report to the council since voters in November rejected Vallco's mixed-use and high-density housing development plans.

Instead of housing, the property managers plan to build two hotels at the east and west ends of the property, said Rohde, as part of the second phase of redevelopment, which would not be started until next year. One might be an extended-stay and the other a more "avant-garde" hotel, he said.

The mall is undergoing a major overhaul, with a centerpiece 16-screen AMC movie theater slated to open in late April. New restaurants, a 38,000-square-foot upscale bowling alley called Strike, and a kid-focused lower floor atrium are also in the works. Rohde said announcements of new tenants will be coming in the next few months.

"The movie theater will be the economic engine that will drive the whole process," said Rohde. It will add a third story to the mall and contribute to the "wow" factor of the mall's new appearance, he said.

AMC is currently installing screens, projection equipment, concession stands and signage.

"Strike will be a very progressive, modern-looking bowling alley, lots of lights and everything," Rohde said.

The city will continue to work with the management on the section of Wolfe Road under the Vallco overpass.

"It's ot the prettiest part of Vallco, so we're trying to enhance that," said Steve Piasecki, Cupertino's director of community development.

Along with the reinvention, Vallco's management has changed to new leasing companies.

"Our previous leasing team couldn't handle the task in front of them, so we've switched horses, if you will," said Rohde. Los Angeles-based Austin Associates and New York-based Shopco have offices around the country and thus open the mall up to more retail options.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office will have a substation at the mall, giving deputies a presence in an area they already patrol, Rohde said. The substation would be about 600 square feet and would be located near the theaters, he added.

"There's going to be a lot of foot traffic, a lot of activity when the theaters open, and we want to have some visibility there," said sheriff Capt. Terry Calderone, who oversees Cupertino's law enforcement.

The city recently paid for a new police beat dedicated to the Vallco area, and the deputy will no longer share space with mall security.

Two freestanding restaurants, California Pizza Kitchen and Islands Restaurant, could break ground in spring, Rohde said, and a sign out front says CPK will open this year. Both are waiting for PG&E to provide utilities, which could take as long as six weeks.

The 12-unit, 650-seat food court should be open in April or May for tenants to install equipment and make improvements.

Rohde proposed another name change.

"We would like to propose a name change for Vallco Parkway. We would like to start the process of removing the Vallco sign from that street and change the name to Cupertino Parkway," Rohde said.

Mayor Kris Wang and Vice Mayor Patrick Kwok said that would require the city's consent.

The letters in Vallco stand for the original owners of the land the mall stands on: the VA stands for Varian Associates, and the LLCO for the Leonard, Lester, Craft and Orlando families.

The old hardwood floor throughout the mall's interior is being replaced with tile, but the flooring contractor is waiting for completion by the ceiling contractor, who has painted the ceiling and is installing new lighting.

Two new parking garages, by Macy's and J.C. Penney, are completed with lights that dim as the night goes on. At the council's request, the top floors of the parking garage by Macy's will not open until the theaters do.