Movie House & 4-Star Hotel Proposed for San Antonio Center

Los Altans have long suggested a movie theater to boost life into downtown, but it appears one may appear farther down San Antonio Road in Mountain View, first.

Developer Merlone Geier has released new plans for a hotel, a theater, two office buildings and street-level shopping at The Village at San Antonio, the 10-acre second phase of development at the crossroads of Los Altos and Mountain View. 

The new proposal incorporates changes to address height concerns raised by a scrutinizing Mountain View City Council during a study session of its original proposal for an 11-story office building last year. This is the second of a two-phase, $600 million project at the major shopping complex in Mountain View, and a popular destination for many Los Altans.

The new proposal that features a lowered four-story office tower and a six-story office tower, and adds a movie theater. 

Merlone Geier Vice President Mike Grehl said that they hoped to attract a movie theater company that would offer entertainment in a new format with adult amenities like beer and wine at a competitive price.

A new eight-screen movie theater, Grehl believes, would help keep the office building area from becoming a "weekend desert," since most theater-goer attendance is on weekends. The theater would be located on California Street closer to Pacchetti Way.

Also on Pacchetti Way: A 165-room, 4-star hotel overlooking the Village Park. While the developer would like to attract a boutique hotel, they have also approached Sheraton and Hilton, too.

"The sense is that the city would like a national hotel brand that can offer convention and meeting space," Grehl said.

There would also be more retail along California Street to enliven the area, so that passersby and commuters "are not just seeing a wall," Geertsen said.

Grehl said that they were able to lower the office towers' height by putting the office parking underground. This did raise the cost of the construction, Grehl said, but "the changes address the comments from the City Council and the residents," and the development now complies with the General Plan.

The movie theater, the developer hopes, will alleviate the concerns of residents that the public could peer into their homes, and the office towers' orientation has changed slightly. 

According to Geertsen one of the office buildings could be occupied by a single tenant. The other might have anywhere between two to five lessees.

"This is in response to the growth in Silicon Valley," he said, adding that the nearby amenities, and the San Antonio Caltrain station would attract the companies.

And the second phase should generate the city $2.46 million in revenue annually. The total project would generate $4 million.

"That's not including the thousands of jobs created and the income that will be 'dumped' back into the community—it's immeasurable," said Greg Geertsen, a development contact. 

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For the development of Phase 2 Merlone Geier negotiated with and reached agreements with several landowners like the International Market and Barron Park Supply. Barron Park Supply will relocate to another site on El Camino Real.

"We agreed on a fair price and they are happy with it, " Grehl said.

No agreement has been reached with the landowners for Oh My Sushi, Savor Mexicano and The Milk Pail, Grehl added.

Merlone Geier emphasized their goal is to accommodate The Milk Pail in a bigger space. If they could get those landowners to agree, they'd build a gateway like the one at San Antonio Road and El Camino Real on the corner of San Antonio And California.

"We'd like to acquire the entire corner and encompass it into the development," he said though he acknowledge that it may not be possible. "But we need to move the project forward."

Construction could begin in 18 months—"if everything goes well," Grehl said.