Gotcha Glacier, Other Projects Delayed Amid Shaky Tourism Market in County
Reduced travel after Sept. 11 delayed many hotel and tourist projects in OC. Hotel financiers, for one, were reluctant to put up money in the wake of the terrorist attacks and a slum-ping economy. But hotels weren’t the only projects de-layed or put on the back burner. How soon,or if,some OC projects are finished may depend on the strength of the tourism rebound this year. Here are some projects to watch:
n San Diego-based Price Legacy Corp.,developer of the $600 million Anaheim Garden Walk, formerly dubbed Pointe Anaheim,says construction of the first phase of the oft-revamped complex will begin in late October with a projected opening of May 2004. Demolition of existing buildings on the site is set to begin in June, but Price Legacy expects that plans and approvals won’t be wrapped up before fall. The first phase includes 250,000 square feet of retail space. The developers are still uncertain whether they will be able to obtain 8.7 acres of the parcel needed for a full buildout of the shopping, dining and hotel district. The Anaheim Plaza Hotel occupies the disputed parcel and its owners are resisting acquisition. Plans for Anaheim Garden Walk in-clude four hotels and an aquarium.
n Disney’s third theme park,slated for 78 acres on the south side of Kat-ella Avenue,was announced before California Adven-ture opened.
Environmental impact studies were under way last fall, but sources say there has been no recent action on the park. Disney was hit hard by the simultaneous turndown in tourism and reduced advertising revenue in its media division, and there is speculation that the company may wait for better times to proceed with its third gate.
n The much-delayed Marriott Suites in Garden Grove,once slated to open in January,remains unfinished. Honolulu-based developer Landmark Hotels LLC says it hopes to open the hotel in July. It’s the last of six hotels on a redevelopment parcel at Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue.
n Once envisioned as the centerpiece of an Anaheim “Sportstown” complex Gotcha Glacier was still seeking financing before Sept. 11. A company source now says it could be “a couple of years” before it’s built.
,Sandi Cain
