It is great to see investment by Simon Property Group for Stoneridge Mall. Bringing commercial operations that cannot be replaced by online shopping (like gyms, groceries, restaurants, and theaters) is a great strategy to boost foot traffic to the mall. I just hope this doesn't get squandered by slow-moving city bureaucracy and NIMBYists. The longer we delay this project, the greater the risk of this mall falling out of relevance.

Improving the mall to be a more desirable destination and at the same time reducing parking by 1251 slots does not seem like a good plan to me. It used to be impossible to find parking at the mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As the mall has gone downhill this has changed but improving it and adding retail, restaurants and a movie theater should revitalize it. If parking is an issue it will hurt business. Almost every shopping and entertainment location in the area has a parking issue. Why would the city allow another project to go forward without requiring sufficient parking?

Anyone have any guesses as to what the specialty grocery market will be?

I agree with S.R. This new area sounds great except for the proposed parking.

Just as video killed the radio star, if not planned correctly parking will be the death of this mall. The lower Nordstrom lot is already BART-abused. The Sears garage was the mall's last fast alternative to find easy parking. With that gone, the installation of a movie theater and gym is a recipe for disaster as pedestrians are forced to park in outlying business lots like Workday and Blackhawk Networks and dart across the already super busy Stoneridge Mall Loop.

I want my mall to succeed but let's be realistic. Pleasanton is the suburbs. Wheels survives via government subsidies, not ridership. BART only carriers those who don't already live in the area to the site. Cars are suburbanites main means of transportation. People don't carpool when they Christmas shop. Make this developer "pull an Apple" and add a sufficiently-sized parking structure that goes subterranean two or three levels so we don't have to look at it but know it's there. Please plan responsibly.

This mall needs this bad! It needs an entertainment type of anchor along side Nordstrom and key restaurants like
cheesecake factory. It would be nice to incorporate a more centralized food court area as well while we are at it. Parking as of right now isn't the end of the world but could use more enforcement with Bart riders.

As with any mall during the holidays parking is a nightmare. When have you ever gone to Westfield SJ or walnut Creek during the holidays and didn't dread the parking situation? You deal with that for a couple months to preserve our retail. They can create shuttles that run to outer areas or be creative like that. I would rather that than no mall in 10-15 years because businesses fell victim to the online world yet again. Walk a little, get your steps in and enjoy the scenery!!

This mall is going down hill due to lack of security particularly in the parking lots. Make sure this is considered especially for women at night, and provide lighted covered walkways at different places running throughout the parking lots to the perimeters. Some covered parking is needed due to rain. Maybe carports with solar roof panels like built at really large asphalt lots to provide weather protection and reduce heat radiating from asphalt. Shelter for elderly, physically challenged family and purchased will be appreciated.

A new cinema? We had a theater complex and lost it. There are 35 screens available between Dublin and Livermore, all plenty close enough. There are proximity rules to get major new films as well; Regal could be too close. Why do we need a theater and what will it play?

If waiting for this is like waiting for Costco, it will be a long time! Why does Pleasanton operate in slow motion so often?

Great idea, let’s make the mall more desirable but then take away 1251 parking spaces? Who dreams this stuff up, obviously it’s a bunch of desk jockeys who never plan on shopping at our mall. Any bets on this plan slipping by the city, no mention of a Costco type gas station so MS and his band of troublemakers should be fine with this idea.

I love the idea of revitalizing the mall as it is very much needed! But I can't imagine anyone going grocery shopping there. Perhaps take out the grocery store and put more parking in its place.

Do we really need another cinema? When I go to Regal in Dublin, the theaters are half empty. There are enough theaters in the Tri-Valley to serve the population. Why not put in an ice skating rink? With all the families around here I would think there's pretty good demand for hockey, ice skating, and other ice sports.
Or better yet, move JCPenney Home or World Market into the Sears space and develop the nearly empty shopping plaza next to the mall into retail and residential mixed use. The added tenants would benefit the mall and allow Workday and Safeway workers to live close to work.

The new theater is purported to be backed by Salman Khan, a mega movie star in his home country of India. He has already launched a chain of theaters in India called Salman Talkies and is eager to bring his chain to the Tri-valley to serve the burgeoning Indian population in the area.

Lets support a renovation and stop second guessing the developers about their business. Go to the city meetings to hear the presentation, ask questions, give input and get info. No wonder nothing gets done here. But let’s not drag this out with endless protests. Otherwise, lets raze the site and build housing and move on.

Anony, why would an ice rink be a good use of this space? There's one just north of 580 in Dublin off San Ramon Road, not even a mile from the mall.

Scrooge,

Do you realize that the Dublin rink serves Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon, and Danville? There is fierce competition for lesson time amongst all the groups wanting to practice (think hockey, figure skating, ice dancing, etc.)

Not only would a Pleasanton ice rink alleviate some of the demand, but also serve as a nice holiday destination for ice skating during Christmas break.

Simon Property Group is one of few the premier operator/owners of malls in the United States. They understand the risks of underparking more than any government official or the general public. Let them get this new addition done quickly as suggested by other readers. A great asset for Pleasanton, plenty of part and full time jobs for local citizens.

As the mall has gone downhill this has changed but improving it and adding retail, restaurants and a movie theater should revitalize it. If parking is an issue it will hurt business.

This isn't going to revive the mall one bit. Movie theater goers might eat at the mall but they don't shop there otherwise. Gym goers don't go into the mall. Neither do people with groceries in the car melting. Besides, the high end grocery won't be a major name (Whole Foods is too new and close); the movie theater won't be a major name (Regal is too empty and close). Moreover, movie goers take three hours of parking, which will only make things worse. And the concept of having lots of this be outdoors is only good for half the year.

Nothing is going to bring back Pottery Barn, PB Kids, William Sonoma, Gymboree, Janie and Jack, or the half a dozen other boarded up storefronts.

I suppose it isn't our business, since we don't own the mall and they're entitled to not provide shopping experiences that we want. But it does seem like an unusual way to score an own goal.

They should have just put the Costco there and killed two birds with one stone.

I guess nobody remembers when the Sharks wanted to build a 4 ice rink complex off of stoneridge where Chrysler dealership is now but I think the city wanted too many freebies out of that deal and the Sharks walked. Dublin rink is too crowded, Fremont rink is too far and the Livermore rink is pretty cheesy , give us something the locals can use, forget that movie theater and another grocery store.

Dave and Busters would be great at this location.