PHOENIX ¯ March 30, 2007 ¯ The opening of the Harkins SanTan Village 16 is just one in a long line of significant events leading up to the Oct. 26th grand opening of Gilbert's first regional shopping center, SanTan Village.
The Harkins SanTan Village 16 anchors the entertainment plaza within the 1.2-million-square foot regional center near the Loop 202 and Williams Field Road. Westcor's SanTan Village sits in the heart of Gilbert's burgeoning retail corridor. Driven by market demand and designed to meet the needs of the surrounding community, the highly anticipated SanTan Village will encompass nearly 3 million square feet of dining, shopping, entertainment, residential and office options at build out.
“We know that SanTan Village shoppers value their families and quality time together,” said Sheila Hunter, SanTan Village senior property manager. “The regional shopping center and the Harkins SanTan Village 16 both include special amenities designed to enhance the lives of young, active families.”
Harkins SanTan Village 16 includes one of the award-winning Children's PlayCenters, which sits inside the theatre and allows parents to go to the movies without the stress of finding a babysitter. At only $6, it costs less than a movie ticket. The PlayCenter is ideal for children 3 to 8 years old and is electronically monitored and staffed by trained childcare professionals. The PlayCenter features an arts and crafts zone, children's videos and Sony Playstations.
“Harkins Theatres continues its Arizona movie-going tradition with the grand opening of our newest theatre at SanTan Village,” said Dan Harkins, owner and chief executive officer of Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres. “Our unique amenities set us apart. The theatre will include Harkins' signature state-of-the-art sound and projection system, designed to deliver the ultimate movie-going experience to the Southeast Valley.”
The theatre will include Harkins' gourmet concessions, which include a diverse range of options such as kids' packs and brownie bites, hundreds of different candies and hot foods, such as spring rolls, pizza and French fries.
Movie patrons can go to www.shopsantanvillage.com for driving directions and parking instructions.
“Harkins is the first of more than 100 retailers to open at the regional shopping center, which is still under construction and a work in progress” Hunter said. “We've taken steps to ensure the availability of convenient, comfortable parking, and we don't expect construction noise to interfere with the perfect movie experience.”
SanTan Village is highlighted by department stores, an enclosed food court, specialty shops and restaurants. Among the center's dozens of announced retailers and restaurants are Dillard's, lucy, Coach, White House/Black Market, Blue Wasabi, Forever 21, Banana Republic and Bath & Body Works. Construction at the project is well underway and moving ahead on schedule.
SanTan Village's open and inviting atmosphere offers a careful balance of interconnected buildings, pedestrian and vehicular streets and walkways. It will deliver a comfortable and refreshing year-round environment, where landscaping elements account for nearly 30 percent of the project.
SanTan Village is the first project to open in Westcor's Phoenix 2020 long-term strategic plan, focused on market-driven, responsible growth in Arizona. SanTan Village's dynamic offerings are tailored to the community's direct requests and their needs.
Harkins Theatres is the premier movie exhibitor of the Western U.S. Featuring a larger selection of film, snacks, and amenities to moviegoers since 1933, Harkins Theatres is renowned for its commitment and passion for offering movie-goers more. Founded 73 years ago by renowned showman, inventor and community leader Dwight “Red” Harkins, Harkins Theatres has historically been a trailblazer for advancements in the motion picture exhibition industry. For more history, awards, and other information, visit www.harkinstheatres.com. For more information, call Melissa Rich at 480-627-7777.
Founded in 1969, Phoenix-based Westcor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Macerich. The largest owner-manager of commercial properties in Arizona, Westcor's portfolio currently consists of 18 million square feet of retail space at 28 shopping centers, including 11 superregional centers, 3 specialty retail centers and 14 urban villages. The company has set the industry benchmark for ground-up shopping center development, such as Chandler Fashion Center, Prescott Gateway Mall and Scottsdale Fashion Square. Additional information about Westcor is available online at www.westcor.com. Macerich is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. The company is the sole general partner and owns an 84% ownership interest in The Macerich Partnership, L.P. Macerich now owns approximately 77 million square feet of gross leaseable area consisting primarily of interests in 73 regional malls. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's Web site at www.macerich.com.