The Old Town amphitheater, new offices, shops will open
By Nathan R. Huff
Old Town is inching closer and closer to completion, with the open-air amphitheater and a slew of other office spaces and stores preparing to open their doors.
To celebrate, Old Town's principle owner Federal Realty Investment Trust is throwing a community shindig on Aug. 19, featuring a performance by local favorites, The Groove Kings.
The amphitheater is the fruit of a hard-fought compromise between theater lovers and developers. In 1996, theater lovers demanded that prospective Old Town developers replace the once-popular community theater. Developers agreed, on the condition that whatever theater group wanted the space would have to pay for renovation and rent.
However, the poor shape of the theater made that easier said than done, and the theater remained vacant and continued to deteriorate. Eventually, the town, faced with what the council saw as the best development proposal up to that point, agreed to abandon the old theater. In exchange, Federal Realty Investment Trust agreed to build an amphitheater for use as both a theatrical and musical venue.
The amphitheater will have no regular, rent-paying tenant, according to Federal Realty Investment Trust marketing consultant Pam Longbine. Instead it will be open to any group interested in renting the facility, and will be used for Old Town promotions.
"We're really excited to resurrect the amphitheater," Longbine said.
The Groove Kings, who played in the old amphitheater before it fell into disrepair, will be the first performers in the new facility. They will play a mix of '60s, '70s and '80s tunes. The Aug. 19 festivities will also include face painting, balloon animals and displays, and samples from Old Town stores. All celebration activities will be free.
Among the businesses still on the way are two trendy, wine-related enterprises. The Wine Cellar restaurant, which is still several months from completion, will return to its Old Town home. Cellar Masters, which may be ready in time for the Aug. 19 party, will offer private wine collectors a place to store their prized wines.
While Old Town already celebrated its official rebirth in November 1999, the center still had a number of commercial and office spaces to fill. Now those spaces have filled up so quickly, Federal Realty Investment Trust property manager Phyllis O'Shea said that the company is turning away tenants for lack of space.
"I wish we had 100,000 square feet," O'Shea said. "Everyone wants to be in Los Gatos."
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
