Cinema, Target in works for Hillsdale Shopping Center

While Sears has closed at least 120 stores across the country in the past year, an official with the company yesterday said it has no plans to close the store at Hillsdale.

Sears corporate spokesman Howard Riefs, however, did not comment on the state of the company's current lease with the shopping center and whether it plans to continue negotiating with Bohannon, the shopping center's owner, to keep the store in place.

The plans Bohannon submitted with the city last week include replacing Sears with a 174,000-square-feet Target on three levels; expanding the bridge across 31st Avenue for an open-air food court; adding 11,000-square-feet of retail on an existing parking structure adjacent to Sears; and adding the movie theater at the Cost Plus, which store officials have indicated is looking for another location in San Mateo to do business.

Officials with Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas, which offers reclining leather seats, upscale meals and bar service at some locations, have indicated an interest in coming to San Mateo.

Target already has a store in San Mateo at the Bridgepointe Shopping Center and four other stores in Colma, the Serramonte Shopping Center in Daly City, Redwood City and San Bruno at the Shops at Tanforan.

Hillsdale wants to renovate portions of its facility to better accommodate changes along 31st Avenue spurred by the Bay Meadows Phase II development and the future grade crossing at 31st Avenue, according to a statement sent to the Daily Journal by Christine Kupczak, marketing director at the shopping center.

"The renovation of the existing shopping center will provide a more transit-friendly facility that will connect to Bay Meadows and the new Caltrain station," Larry Ivich, Hillsdale's general manager, wrote in the statement.

All discussion with potential tenants are ongoing, according to the statement.

Construction is slated to begin in the second quarter of 2014.

silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com

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