THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412160211
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GREG GOLDFARB, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
From his seventh-floor perch at the corner of Constitution Drive and Virginia Beach Boulevard, real estate developer Gerald Divaris has a better view than most of what's taking place in Pembroke.
``There's a lot of stuff happening now. It's like suddenly, everybody's found Pembroke,'' said Divaris, who for 20 years has worked to establish that area as the city's Central Business District.
With the opening of Columbus Village, a 16-acre entertainment and shopping complex, he's watching another piece of his vision unfold.
``Absolutely jammed!'' he joyfully exclaims about the parking lots surrounding Pembroke's newest trio of business hot spots: Planet Music, Barnes and Noble Booksellers and Columbus Movies 12.
While crowded parking lots are good for retailers, Divaris also recognizes that it poses problems for customers.
``Unfortunately, not all of the parking is up,'' Divaris said. Only about half of the 1,300 planned parking spaces have been completed. A two-week work delay caused by Hurricane Gordon and by subsequent wet weather are to blame, he said.
Exactly when all the parking spaces will be finished is unclear.
Store owners, however, are thrilled with the early response.
Planet Music was the first of the three news stores to open a little more than a year ago in the former Hechinger's.
``Business has been very good, but parking has been limited,'' said assistant manager Scott Johnson, noting that it's not unusual on some Saturdays for his store to welcome more than 3,000 customers.
Janice Gato, store manager of Barnes and Noble Booksellers, said that since they opened Oct. 28 business has been steady.
``This is appearing to be a very central location. We're getting people from all over the Hampton Roads area,'' said Gato, adding that the parking situation will only worsen as more stores open. ``We could use another parking lot.''
J. Wayne Anderson, president and chief operating officer of the Maryland-based R/C Theatres Management Corp., hopes to follow suit once all 12 of his screens are open. Two of the movie screens at Columbus Movies 12 opened Dec. 9. The rest should open by February.
By then, most of the theater's 3,000-plus seats will be filled on a regular basis, Anderson predicts, mostly with patrons living within just a few miles of the ticket counters.
``They're (the theaters) right there in the heart of Virginia Beach,'' said Anderson, adding that, ``people's habit of going to the movies has changed. They want to go somewhere that's airy, and where they feel safe and secure.''
Bill Kinder, manager of Columbus Movies 12, said that despite advertising very little so far, crowds have been good. Although there have been no sold-out showings yet, he is confident that in time they will come.
``I think someone's been talking about a `downtown' Virginia Beach. Is this the new `downtown?' '' Kinder said. ``We're at a major traffic intersection, we're near the interstate, the place is surrounded with housing within a five-mile radius; you've got all you need to be successful.''
About 285,000 people live within a five-mile radius, and almost 700,000 people live within 10 miles of the Central Business District, said Divaris. This population density, he said, is one of the biggest factors contributing to the Pembroke area's success. In addition, the average age of these people is about 30 and their annual household incomes range between $43,000 and $48,000.
Boasting these numbers, it's easy to see why some Pembroke business owners are happy. But others are concerned that if private investment in the Central Business District doesn't continue, nearby businesses and neighborhoods could deteriorate over time.
``There needs to be some critical mass of activity that I don't think is there now,'' said Robert Scott, the city's planning director. ``For years, my concern has been, `Where is the private sector?' ''
Scott plans to go before the City Council in April with recommendations regarding, among other things, zoning ordinance changes and design guidelines for the Pembroke area.
The city's commitment to the plan began in 1973 when it rezoned a section of the Pembroke area to be known as the Central Business District, to allow for the development of a pedestrian-friendly, metropolitan center for financial, commercial and cultural activities.
Last year, the City Council furthered its commitment by funding a $1.3 million regional stormwater retention basin in the heart of the district, to collect stormwater runoff from parking lots, streets and surrounding businesses.
The water basin is designed to make the area attractive to businesses, which would otherwise have to build their own drainage systems.
``Businesses have more use of their land than they do when they have to deal with water retention on the site,'' said Anderson.
The city receives a return on that investment in the form of real estate, personal property, sales, restaurant, amusement and utility taxes as well as business licenses, said Paul Harris, a management and budget analyst in the City Assessor's office.
The annual net fiscal impact of Columbus Village is estimated at about $510,090, Harris said. That includes businesses that are already up and running and some that are on the drawing board for Columbus Village, including a retail emporium. First-year sales at the emporium's cluster of specialty shops is projected at $3.5 million, he added.
An announcement on tenants for the emporium will be made sometime next year. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Two of the movie screens at Columbus Movies 12 opened Dec. 9. The
rest should open by February, creating 3,000 seats to be filled.
by CNB