Industrial News

"We are very pleased to be underway with our planning for an overall renovation and revitalization of the Tri City Shopping Center district," said Anoushavan Abrahamian, Chairman of Tri City Plaza, one of the owners in the area that is leading the revitalization program, "with our gateway location along Interstate 10 and our visibility and access to more than 185,000 motorists each day right alongside our property, we have a unique opportunity to create a very special place here in Redlands."

Tri-City’s renovation and revitalization program is intended to enhance some of the longstanding and successful tenant businesses already located in the Tri City Shopping Center district, and to expand the district’s tenants to include additional leasing opportunities for restaurants, destination retailers, office users, and personal service businesses. Tri City Plaza will be working with the City of Redlands in coming months to evaluate possible enhancements to the district’s overall revitalization. New names for the Tri City district are under evaluation, and the district’s renaming is considered a major initiative that will point towards the area’s focused mixed-use and lifestyle retail-entertainment direction.

"As a new member of the Tri City shopping center association since early 2004, we have already taken some first steps towards our full renovation program, including painting, improved maintenance, groomed landscaping, and new special events," said Abrahamian, "and our new parking lot lighting slated for 2nd Quarter installation will more than triple our night-time lighting. Our surveillance camera system, which we’re hoping to cooperatively manage with the Redlands Police Department, will follow shortly thereafter and help assure the safety and enjoyment of the district." Tri-City Shopping Center recently hosted Snowtacular 2005! – welcoming more than 15,000 guests from Riverside and San Bernardino counties with 20 tons of snow, live music, visits with Santa Claus, horse and carriage rides, and a variety of other family activities. Aspirations for the Tri-City Shopping Center district include an active community outreach and ongoing family participation program, beginning with an expanded special events program for 2006 - a slate of four major events.

"We look forward to evaluating what Tri-City’s planning and development team is proposing," said Don Gee, Redevelopment Director for the City of Redlands, California, "the Redlands Tri-City area is a major part of the bustling retail and dining development activity along the Alabama St. corridor. It could really help establish Redlands as one of the major retail and entertainment destinations in the Inland Empire region." The Tri-City Shopping Center district is situated in a designated redevelopment area of the City of Redlands. The City of Redlands is already underway with a project to realign and improve Colton Avenue, and two major intersections that bound the south portion of the Tri-City Shopping Center district, a transportation improvement project that is expected to significantly improve and enhance traffic flow within and through the Tri City Shopping Center district.

Redlands' Tri-City Shopping Center district is conveniently located off the Interstate 10 Freeway, at either the Alabama Street or Tennessee Street exits south. The district is bounded by Tom Bell Chevrolet to the west and the AAA Automobile Club to the east. Major retailers include Mervyn’s, Ross Dress for Less, Big Lots, Backyard Outfitters, and Longs Drugs.

The planning and development team for the Tri City Shopping Center mixed-use revitalization effort includes A&O Properties Management, Inc. as owner’s representative and facilities manager, and Darius Joe Meraj, CEO of Beverly Hills-based real estate investment firm Anderson West, which has been active in Redlands' Tri City district since 1996. Other team members include Austin-Foust Associates for traffic matters, Fessel International for restaurant and quick food planning, Sid Lindmark AICP for environmental and permitting issues, Kahaner Research for market and tenanting research, The Jamieson Group, Inc. for development issues, and Stonecreek LLC as the development’s project manager. Conceptual planning has been conducted in-house to establish a design direction, and a local architectural firm will be announced in February to act as a local liaison for review and permitting issues.

Tri-City Shopping Center is known in the Inland Empire as "The Mall with a Heart," and includes more than 60 leading retail merchants, personal services businesses, and restaurants. Additional retail, restaurant, and office leasing opportunities will be available to new tenants as the revitalization program proceeds.

Information about Tri City Shopping Center, including current retail and restaurant space leasing opportunities is available at www.tri-city-center.com. More information about A&O Properties Management, Inc. and leasing contact information is available at www.ao-properties.com For general information and media queries, please contact Amy Giggins at Adventure Studios Communications at 818.973.3141.