February 28, 2007
O.C.'s newest outdoor center
We've got Fashion Island, the Block at Orange, the Market Place and the Irvine Spectrum Center. With its scheduled grand opening in October of 2007, the Anaheim Garden Walk will be the most recent addition to Orange County's assortment of outdoor malls - a Southern California specialty.
As with any shopping center, the Garden Walk is being raised to have a personality of its own.
Manicured garden walkways will provide an ever-present "scenic route" for shoppers and diners to enjoy. Situated between Katella and Disney Way at Clementine, it is hoped the Garden Walk will provided an added tourism boost by drawing in the Disneyland Resort crowd.
The 19.3 acres of shopping, dining and hotel possibilities is smack dab between California Adventure and the front gate to the Magic Kingdom. This $130 million project promises to include all the outdoor mall staples: retail stores, restaurants, a movie theater, hotels and timeshares.
The projected plan is for the parking garage and the retailers to open to the public in October - construction began in May of 2006. Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant, Banana Republic, Johnny Rocket's, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Harley-Davidson, Chico's, Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's are among the already confirmed tenants. That should give you a taste of the higher quality that can be found within the Garden Walk's selection of shops and restuarants.
In the summer of 2008, another phase of the plan is scheduled to follow with the opening of a hotel and 400 timeshares. The projected plan is for the Garden Walk to be finished in 2010 with two more hotels.
The Anaheim Garden Walk should boost both locals' and tourists' yen to visit Anaheim - there's definitly more to the city than Mickey Mouse ear stands and fast-food joints.
www.anaheimgardenwalk.com.