Council OKs Office, Shopping Complex

After years of debate over how to use a vacant parcel east of the Civic Arts Plaza, the Thousand Oaks City Council has given the go-ahead for an upscale shopping and office complex to complement an already approved science center.

Under the proposal approved unanimously Tuesday, developer Rick Caruso will build a 10- to 12-screen stadium-seating movie theater, three or four restaurants, two or three retail stores, a three-story office building and a 1 1/2-acre lake, a portion of which will be used as an ice-skating rink in the winter.

Between the Civic Arts Plaza and the commercial center will be the $23-million Ventura County Discovery Center, a 63,000-square-foot hands-on science center and an Imax theater, which is expected to be completed in 2002.

“The city has been looking at this site for two decades now,” Councilman Andy Fox said. “We heard loud and clear from the community that they’d like to see us move forward with this conceptual plan.”

Caruso Affiliated Holdings Inc. has exclusive negotiating rights to design and construct the 11-acre plot and expects to sign a deal by March 15. Caruso said he hopes to begin construction this summer.

The Caruso group has already built two Thousand Oaks shopping centers: the Promenade at Westlake and the Village at Moorpark. Caruso said he believes that those projects’ successes and strong community support helped the council make its decision.

Resident Gary Elliott was one of those supporters.

“This works extremely well as a combined entertainment and educational center,” Elliott said. “This will provide Thousand Oaks with a truly unique center.”