Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/article_745400.php" target="_blank">http://www.ocregister.com/ocre gister/news/local/article_745400.php</a> Note: A very good graphic of the project can be found here... <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2005/11/02gardenwalk.graphic.swf" target="_blank">http://www.ocregister.com/news images/news/2005/11/02gardenwalk.graphic.swf</a> >>With lease negotiators working on deals with sought-after retailers such as H&M, Hollister and Banana Republic and restaurants such as Bar Louie, the new developers of the 19.3-acre, 60-store Anaheim GardenWalk are hoping to finally bring to a close the saga of the project, which has languished for nearly seven years, leaving passers-by wondering what was to become of the fenced-off vacant lot just east of Disneyland's main gates. Construction is expected to begin in May with stores opening in October 2007. The first of three proposed hotels, from 11 to 13 stories high, and a 400-unit timeshare could be completed by mid-2008. Two more hotels could be built by 2010, for a total of 1,200 new hotel rooms in the complex. Fashion-forward clothiers including Banana Republic, ALDO Accessories, White House/Black Market and Ann Taylor Loft are in negotiations to reserve a spot. Deals with restaurants including the Elephant Bar, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and McCormick & Schmick are in the works, Stone said. A movie theater is a possibility.<<
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Interesting to note, if you check out the graphic, you will see a Disney Store and A Children's Place will be tenants.
Originally Posted By woody This is good news for Anaheim. I wonder why they need another Disney Store. All of Disneyland Resort is a Disney Store. The tenants seem adequate, but the restaurant mix needs improvement.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Well, the Disney Store is no longer run by Disney, so of course, A Children's Place (the new owners) want a chance to grab some of those tourist dollars..... What I think the area really needs is something like a Rite-Aid or Sav-On, a drug store that carries some food items like milk, etc... A place that many tourists can grab some stuff at a decent price within walking distance. Heck, how many Walgreen's are now on the Las Vegas Strip, 4, maybe more....
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt The only problem I see with this development is that it won't have any frontage on Harbor Blvd. It will essentially be disconnected from Disneyland Resort for pedestrians .
Originally Posted By Disnerd If people complain that they don't want to walk from the Disneyland Hotel to the main gate when the monorail is down. What makes these developers thing people will walk from The Disneyland Resort to GardenWalk?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^Have you seen how many folks walk up and down Harbor Boulevard a day??? There is already some major traffic flow, and with a few good tenants, should be a major draw....
Originally Posted By bean interesting layout. I am guessing thatthe large hotel shown in the rendering will be in the corner of katella and clementine. which is good because it looks massive so another large structure to close to Disneyland and DCA would not be helpful for sightlines. The only problem is see is that after all the nice new looking landscape and buildings will clash on the side of harbour with the back of theugly motels that are already there. If only Anaheim could start forcing the owners to update those aging buildings and maybe include them as part of the renovation process. All those motels are stacked up on top of eachother with little to almost no parking, then they have to share the little parking with the food locations on their property
Originally Posted By WorldDisney <<If people complain that they don't want to walk from the Disneyland Hotel to the main gate when the monorail is down.>> Wow, and people wonder why so many Americans are obesse now??? They can't do the 10 minute walk?? As for GardenWalk, I'll take that the same way we tell ourselves when a new attraction is coming to DL: I won't believe anything until they start breaking real ground at this point .
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "There is already some major traffic flow, and with a few good tenants, should be a major draw...." Very true. But how many are walking along Katella?
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "The only problem is see is that after all the nice new looking landscape and buildings will clash on the side of harbour with the back of theugly motels that are already there." Exactly my concern. From a planning perspective I think that it is a mistake to not give this project some frontage along Harbor Blvd. "They can't do the 10 minute walk??" Of they can, but after walking all day at DL and DCA with family and friends I can understand not being in the mood to trek all the way over to this new mall. I'm excited that this thing is finally moving forward, however there seems to be little thought given to how to make it more efficient for pedestrians to reach the project from the DLR.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster It appears that there will be a main entrance to the project on Disney Way just a hundred yards or so from Harbor, which is just a couple hundred yards from the Disneyland crosswalk. The walk from DL shouldn't be bad at all. That said, it's still a shame they couldn't procure some frontage on Harbor.
Originally Posted By DLRdiana I think locals would visit Garden Walk just as much as tourists...it's an alternative to The Block or DTD... I also think people will incorporate it into their day...such as "we're gonna have lunch at the GardenWalk, we hear they have a Bubba Gump there." I figure most people that come on vacation to Disney are prepared to walk to a lot of places..so walking a little bit more shouldnt be too bad... Anywhere else I can think of to vacation like San Francisco, Vegas, New York etc. you have to walk...so I dont think it will be that big of a deal... just my 2 cents..
Originally Posted By Nobody Many hotels have shuttle buses that take patrons back an forth throughout the day. It wouldn't be unthinkable of the developers to be proposing the same thing for their center / tenants.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Anywhere else I can think of to vacation like San Francisco, Vegas, New York etc. you have to walk...so I dont think it will be that big of a deal..." I agree, however most tourists in NYC, Las Vegas and San Francisco aren't toting kids and pushing strollers like many people do at Disneyland. It's a totally different demographic. I'm not sounding an alarm, just making an observation.
Originally Posted By planodisney But, I think that this would be something that you would do on a day off from visiting the parks. I dont think of this as, hey lets go shopping after a day of walking around DL and DCA. The resort needs more non park activities and entertainment.
Originally Posted By oc_dean How about the auquarium idea they've been planning in addition? If they don't, I'll be awfully disappointed. This place needs something interesting and special with The Block, DtD, Bella Terra, and Irvine Spectrum as it's competition.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer I am pretty sure the aquarium has been cancelled from the current plans. Looks like they are going with restaurants, and slightly upscale merchandise, such as Zara and H&M.
Originally Posted By DLRdiana Thats true Hans, although I was in Vegas on Tuesday and almost got run over a couple of times by some strollers...LOL But yeah I can see how it would be hard for families to walk to GardenWalk AFTER being at the Resort all day...but not if as planodisney stated they went there as a day off from the parks...
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "I dont think of this as, hey lets go shopping after a day of walking around DL and DCA." Then who are they building it for? "The resort needs more non park activities and entertainment." Absolutely! I just wish that it faced Harbor Blvd. It's unfortunate that it does not. Poor planning in my opinion.
