Snow Creek Village “Their Way” Was Worth the Wait
California Centers - June 4, 2003
City of Walnut Thrilled with Aesthetics, Quality, Tenants and Potential Revenues
Choosing a spouse would be a simple decision compared to choosing a developer for this
golden parcel of land in the City of Walnut. The desirable location was dormant for years after a highly
publicized failed attempt to develop the location, while the community struggled with evolving from its rural
environment. The affluent residents had very high expectations and were proud of their growing ethnic diversity.
The parcel had several owners, was served by multiple water districts and would involve at least three public
agencies. How would the City find the right developer willing to create their “dream center” in this potential
powder keg?
At the City of Walnut, staff and elected officials were equally concerned. The community
had been torn apart in the previous attempt to develop the property at Grand Avenue and Valley Boulevard. The
last thing the City needed was another strip mall or big box with an overwhelming parking lot. Rather,
it needed a needed a community gathering spot. City planners envisioned a place where community members
could meet to share a Saturday-morning cup of coffee, have a business lunch or midweek family dinner, and shop
for clothing, home needs and business supplies. In short, a central “village” which would mirror the same
elegant but friendly ambiance for which the City of Walnut is known.
Numerous well-known developers responded during Walnut’s RFP process. Majestic Realty Co.
was one of the early respondents. Majestic Realty has a reputation for seeing an open window where
others do not, according to Fran Inman, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Majestic Realty.
As a company, Majestic likes to continually push to explore new opportunities and is not afraid of a challenging
deal. So it was not surprising, says Inman, that Hunter and his team wanted to see what could be done in Walnut.
“Of course we were skeptical about developing in the City of Walnut,” John Hunter, Vice
President and Director of Retail Development at Majestic Realty explains. “We knew they had a controversial
development fall through in the past, but we felt the time could be right for Walnut.”
Hunter approached the deal cautiously at first. His team drove the area extensively and realized
the challenges they would face. But his caution gave way to conviction. “Walnut seemed ideal for our type of
portfolio development. We just couldn’t ignore the strong demographic profile of the Walnut community,” Hunter
says. “Walnut has the high end consumers we want, and it’s under served from a retailing perspective. Among
other deficiencies, there wasn’t a three-meal family restaurant in town or any soft goods retailer serving the trade
area. We also realized what a huge impact Mt. SAC’s 40,000-daytime population could have for the right tenants.”
“Our initial introductions at the City of Walnut were very positive,” says Hunter. “We found
that the City’s vision was in line with our own. We discussed the past difficulties and we were satisfied that
the Walnut community and political officials had built consensus behind this project. They knew exactly what they
wanted and we felt we could deliver.”
The need for ‘The Village’ had been uncovered by Janet Hawkins, an economic development
marketing consultant working with the Walnut Economic Development Commission, after the previous development
attempt had failed. Hawkins conducted community surveys, gap analysis, land planning and visionary
brainstorming sessions to conceive the concept for the noteworthy project.
The problem with the first attempt at developing the parcel was a lack of consensus in the
community about the way the parcel was being developed, according to Hawkins. “The community was divided, and
the opposing half needed to be heard,” Hawkins said. “During our research phase we tried to truly understand
the community and what it needed. We all listened and dug deep until we truly understood what made Walnut
so unique. Once this was uncovered the concept for the development became self-evident. The Economic Development
Commission and the City Council approved the concept in unanimous votes, and the community has been united
behind the Village.”
“Our community is unique,” says Assistant City Manager Tony Ramos. “Our residents have built a
community that is more than an accumulation of houses and businesses. We realized that we had neighborhood centers,
but no focal point. We are ethnically diverse, but socially compatible. We needed income generating developments
and senior housing. Now that our vision was clear, we desperately needed a developer that shared our vision, and
could deliver what our citizens wanted.”
“When we first met with Majestic we were hesitant that they were too large to really understand
our goals,” Ramos said. “But, we found the opposite was true. They listened and listened some more, and seemed to
really understand our goals. In fact, it was more than that. They shared our vision for what the ‘Village’ should
be. They embraced the Asian community and felt this highly educated, affluent group was an asset. Hunter made
us a gentlemen’s agreement to build the center the way the City wanted. That day we knew we had found our developer.”
From that point on The Village concept quickly took form and has become a reality. Along with the
130,000 sq. ft. retail development, the project includes a senior housing project of 64 homes developed by Shea Homes.
Snow Creek Village opened phase one in February 2003 and phase two will open in August of 2003.
The Village includes fountains, piped in music, potted plants and an attractive out door eating plaza. The Prairie
architecture blends with the Craftsman style of the adjacent senior housing project. Tenants include, among others,
Millie’s, Applebee’s, Staples, T.J. Maxx, Home Goods, Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery, McDonald’s, Panda Express and
Tutor Time.
The City never swayed from its big picture goals,” Hunter says. “That’s all we can ask for...they
never changed their vision. In other cities we often feel like we’re continually battling upstream - trying to get
a clear set of objectives while managing a political process that is contentious at times. That has definitely not
been the case in Walnut. They’ve shown an ability to communicate with us and with our tenants in a very positive
manner. They moved the process along and have made building the project enjoyable. We give the City very high marks.
We are proud of this project and intend to be happy owners for a long time.” |
