Dublin entertainment complex planned
Developers will move away from big-box stores to focus on an urban experience
DUBLIN » A movie and entertainment complex with restaurants, hotels and housing is planned for a 76-acre site in Dublin, part of a project to be called “At Dublin.”
The developers of the site, long known as the Di Manto property on the north side of the Interstate 580-Tassajara Road interchange, seek to develop a complex that will offer a unique experience for visitors. The builders are Shea Properties, a retail developer; and SCS Development, an apartment community developer.
“This project will be entertainment focused, with restaurants, a movie theater, a public plaza and a village green, along with hotels and housing,” said Elizabeth Cobb, a development manager with Shea Properties.
Shea Properties wants this mixed-used project to be much different than yet another bigbox retail complex in the Bay Area whose stores could be jolted by the upheaval from online shopping.
“This is experiential retail, we want this to be an experience,” said Brad Deck, senior vice president for commercial with Shea Properties. “This will have more of an urban feel than you typically see in a suburban area.”
The commercial elements of the project will range in size from 380,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet, including the hotels and theaters, along with the restaurants and other retail. The site allows for a maximum of 900,000 square feet of commercial development.
“The movie theater will include outside dining,” Deck said. “At the theaters, you can get a really quality meal before or after the movie.”
The developers anticipate theaters that screen domestic, international and independent offerings; a retro/modern bowling alley with specialty kitchen and signature cocktails; and local specialty restaurants.
They’re planning one to two
hotels for the site, each with 100 to 150 rooms, Deck said.
In addition, up to 700 residential units are being eyed for the development, with a mix of units for rent and for sale, Cobb said.
“Dublin needs a central gathering hub that will serve the community’s lifestyle needs,” said Jean Di Manto, whose family owned for decades the parcels slated for development.
Current owner SCS bought the property in July from the Di Manto family.
Shea Properties will guide the project through the city entitlement and approval process. The developers hope to break ground sometime in 2019 and to open the initial elements of the project by 2020.
“Dublin has grown up around this land, and now is the perfect time to move forward on a balanced development plan,” Di Manto said.
The developers hope the site will evolve into a gathering place for Dublin residents and the Bay Area.
“We want to go forward with a comprehensive plan that will complete east Dublin in a balanced way, providing a fresh retail and entertainment component not currently found in the area,” Deck said.
A Dublin official noted on Monday that the city has yet to see a formal development proposal and that the project would likely require a general plan amendment as part of the review and decision process.
“We can’t say too much yet, but the general plan for that area calls for mixeduse development and commercial development,” Dublin’s Assistant City Manager Linda Smith said. “The notion that we could get entertainment-based development is something that residents of that area have been seeking.”
Conventional shopping center development wasn’t on the menu for this complex, especially as digital giants such as Amazon and Google transform the shopping landscape.
“This is not big-box retail,” Deck said. “With the shift to online sales, people are spending more money on entertainment and restaurants and less at stores.”