Movie theater proposed for San Antonio shopping center Issues Beyond Palo Alto, posted by Editor, Palo Alto Online, on Mar 14, 2013 at 9:44 am
Developer Merlone Geier has significantly revised its proposal for phase two at San Antonio Shopping Center to include an eight-screen movie theater to go with a hotel and office building.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, March 14, 2013, 8:40 AM
Posted by Not-Sure-About-This, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 9:44 am
When the Old Mill was operating near by, there was a large theater as a part of the complex. But with so much video available on-line these days, delivered to your laptop, tablet and/or smartphone--got to wonder if an old-style movie theater is the best use of land.
Movie theaters generally are traffic producers. Not certain that adding thousands of additional car-trips to that general area is really such a good idea.
Posted by Resident, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 9:53 am
Love the idea of a movie theater here. It is much easier to ride a bike to San Antonio for kids than Shoreline. Also, with popular movies, Shoreline is often sold out.
Kids need more hangout places that are local and easy to bike to, and this is a good start.
Posted by Kim Murray, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 10:18 am
Love the idea of a movie theater - and other suggestions for entertainment, such as a bowling alley. We have too many homes and not enough entertainment in this area. Yeah!
Posted by ellie, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 10:51 am
A film theater would be great there. We lost so many film venues when video came online, but now value to communities of a film theater is much better understood. Cities in the Bay Area (orinda, alemeda, oakland, others) have partnered with private sector to bring theaters back - they are known to enrich, literally and figuratively, a community. Lots of people go to movie houses because the experience cannot be duplicated at home on a small screen with a couple of people.
Theater traffic is often most during off-rush hours - evenings and weekends. To assert there will be thousands of added car trips is just wrong.
I mix of film genres would be smart, and room sizes. So called mainline films alongside indy and foreign language films would be a rich mix attracting more people.
And it is a money maker for a community. Go for it!
Posted by More Retail, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 11:00 am
More development is always a good thing for south Palo Alto and Mountain View. It raises property values and makes for savings in fuel for car trips. Happy to see that the outdated buildings are being phased out. It's about time; we are in the 21st century and this prime real estate area is not a historical park!
Posted by Yes on movie theater, a resident of the Ventura neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 11:02 am
Definitely not enough movie theaters nearby, so we're definitely hoping it comes true. The whole traffic argument is stupid. If there is no traffic generated, then a retail area is a failure.
Posted by anonymous, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 11:12 am
This development keeps getting better and better! Mountain View must be thrilled.
They also have made rapid progress on what is clearly a major development with fancy finishes. The movie theatres will be excellent! I think the Safeway is slated to open pretty soon - should be a nice one (I am a longtime patron of the current Safeway on nearby California Avenue that will move the contents and workers over to this new one).
I get the sense that this is a fine quality development that manages to avoid the sort of phoniness and pseudo-high-endedness of Santana Row down near Valley Fair, and this is fortunate.I can really see using this new center in a multitude of ways (yes, I will be coming over from Palo Alto).
Posted by cid4houses, a resident of another community, on Mar 14, 2013 at 12:34 pm
It would be a community benefit if at least one theater could be rented out for community meetings or pesentations by smaller groups during off-hours for regular movie goers.
Just my input.
I tend to agree with the video-on-demand issues that make me wonder how much longer into the future "Going to a movie" will be economically viable. On the other hand, there is nothing that comparesvto seeing some action movies on the "big screen". My parents took me to see BEN HUR in the theaterwhen I wasc10, and I still remember that charriot race scene!
Posted by visiting from, a resident of Menlo Park, on Mar 14, 2013 at 1:47 pm
It's a lot more fun to go to the movies when there are cafes & shops nearby, as in San Mateo & Redwood City, for pre & post show options. Shoreline & the now-closed multiplex east of 101 in Redwood City just let viewers sit in traffic jams after a show. The Old Mill theater was in an enclosed shopping center with restaurants, bars, etc & was demolished to build the condo complex there now.
When the theaters are near residential areas, people walk to the shows & linger nearby before or after. Adds vibrancy to the area. It won't trigger "thousands of additional car trips"....
Posted by Not an issue, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 3:06 pm
We quickly got the typical response from a plao alto resident ( not sure about that)-- immediately complain about too much traffic. Meanwhile palo alto has almost zero int the way of useful shopping, while mountain view will soon have a giant shopping center.
Posted by Bess of Hardwicke, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, on Mar 14, 2013 at 3:54 pm
I love the idea of theaters closer than Shoreline! I hope it really happens. Problem is, I seem to go to Mtn View for most things these days. For the rest I go to Menlo Park. Palo Alto is just too expensive and the choices too limited (except for restaurants). So again, more Palo Altans are spending their tax dollars elsewhere, and PA gets no benefit from that. No wonder there is such a high turnover of shops and stores here. No buyers, no business.
Posted by pat, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 5:54 pm
If you’re concerned about this humongous development and its impact on schools, traffic, services, water, the environment, etc. please sign this petition. You need not be a Mountain View resident.
Web Link (Scroll down. Petition is in the right column.)
For an article concerning the development, see "San Antonio area growth prompts residents to ask city to slow down" at
Posted by Not an issue, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Mar 14, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Pat-- why should residents of other cities have a say in what mountain view does? Would palo,alto accept petitions from other cities? But more importantly, why has this group waited until now to circulate a petition? Phase 1 is in the works and the city has been in discussions for a couple of years withe developer over phase 2. This has not been a secret, so why now?
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