Liang - Options to Study - sizes of shopping centers, operators, separate or integrated, housing and office

From: Liang C

Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 1:12 AM
Subject: Options to Study - sizes of shopping centers, operators, separate or integrated, housing and office
To: "City of Cupertino Planning Dept." <planning@cupertino.org>

RE: Comments for Vallco EIR Scope

Please evaluate the option of renovating Vallco as a regional shopping center with 1.2 million square feet of space for retail, dining and entertainment, like the Village at Westfield Topanga, just opened in September 2015 and cost only $350 million to build.

And please evaluate the option of Vallco Shopping Center, operated by expert shopping mall operators, like Westfield, Simon Property, General Growth Properties (GGP), Federal Realty, Taubman Centers, Rouse Properties, Macerich, DDR Corp., Starwood Retail Partners, Caruso Affiliated, just to name a few.

Specifically, please study:

• Vallco rebuilt as a regional shopping center (1.2 million square foot) and operated by one of the expert shopping mall operators. (Assuming that such arrangement is possible. For example, Simon Property leases the land of Stanford Shopping Center from Stanford University by paying a leasing fee and 25% of net income.)
• Vallco rebuilt as a regional shopping center (1.2 million square foot) and operated by other non-expert shopping mall operators, such as Sand Hill or previous Vallco manager.
• Vallco rebuilt as a lifestyle center (625,000 square foot) and operated by
  one of the expert shopping mall operators. 
• Vallco rebuilt as a lifestyle center (625,000 square foot) and operated by other non-expert shopping mall operators, such as Sand Hill or previous Vallco manager.
• Vallco renovated, but keeping the existing structure and footage and operated by one of the expert shopping mall operators.
• Vallco renovated, but keeping the existing structure and footage and operated by other non-expert shopping mall operators, such as Sand Hill or previous Vallco manager.

Please also evaluate these options on the viability to run a successful shopping center:

• The shopping center part is separate from most of the housing and office park.
• The shopping center part is integrated with the housing and office park.

Please evaluate these options for housing:

• No housing.
• 200 units of housing.
• 389 units of housing (same as allocated in Housing Element).

Please evaluate these options for office:

• No office.
• 60,000 square feet of commercial office space (same amount as Santana Row) - for smaller service businesses or afterschool classes.
• 120,000 square feet of commercial office space (1/10 of retail space, same ratio as Santana Row) - for smaller service businesses or afterschool classes.

Thanks.

Liang Chao