On Thursday night, the City of Chino Hills and Opus West, the developer of "the shoppes at chino hills" held a private grand opening ceremony. Over 300 VIPs attended the event including dignitaries from Chino, Chino Hills, Diamond Bar and other surrounding communities.
The festivities were hosted by Jeff Hill, V.P. of Real Estate Development for Opus West. Mr. Hill recognized and honored several of the people that he credited with making the 6 year project a success. The list of contributors was quite extensive including employees, contractors, city staff and council members, and even the spouses of many of those who worked so many late hours to get the shoppes off the ground.
Mayor Curt Hagman spoke at the event and stated that the shoppes would contribute between $1.3 to $1.5 million dollars per year to the city's coffers for community services and created over 2000 jobs, mostly filled by local residents.
Other speakers included Mayor Dennis Yates of Chino and the CEO and Founder of Yard House Restaurants, Steele Platt, who made a special appearance and spoke to the group about his hopes for the new Chino Hills Yard House Restaurant.
Special recognition was given to Chino Hills City Manager, Doug Labelle, who has been part of the negotiations from the beginning. Opus honored Mr. Labelle by naming one of the streets within the center after him. They also recognized past city council member Gary Larson, who spent a lot of time in the early planning of the project.
At the end of the meeting Opus West made contributions to some local charities including a check for $50,000 to the new Chino Hills Foundation to benefit the James S. Thalman Chino Hills Library and other Chino Hills public projects.
After the speakers and presentations were complete, food, drinks, and music were made available and guests were allowed to visit the new stores. Over sixty percent of the stores were open for shopping and ready to do business. Many visitors took advantage of the sales and specials and there was a spirit of festivity all through the center.
The Shoppes at Chino Hills, which was designed by internationally renowned retail architectural firm Altoon + Porter, will feature picturesque open-air shopping along landscaped streets, with store-adjacent parking. A pedestrian-only promenade will provide shaded seating areas and unique fountains.
The development will be part of a new 750,000-square-foot master-planned project that will include luxury housing, 50,000 square feet of office space, a new civic center, a community library and a police station. Located on 50 acres at Grand Avenue and Peyton Drive, just west of the Chino Valley (71) Freeway, the project will create a truly unique downtown experience for the City of Chino Hills.
The shoppes at chino hills web site is www.theshoppesatchinohills.com and lists the following grand opening activities...
Grand Opening Events
Friday, May 23
9:30am - Grand Opening Vine-Cutting Ceremony
The Promenade Main Stage
10am - Soundstage (a cappella group) performs.
The Promenade Main Stage
10am - DiVine - 9-Foot Human Vine strolling in The Promenade
10am - 5pm -- Strolling Entertainment including Stilt Walkers, Face Painters, Balloon Twisters and Unicyclists
11am - Soundstage performs.
The Promenade Main Stage
11am - DiVine - 9-Foot Human Vine strolling in The Promenade
Noon - Ayala High School Jazz Ensemble performs.
The Promenade Main Stage
Noon - DiVine - 9-Foot Human Vine strolling in The Promenade
2pm-5pm -- Calypso Compromise (steel drum band) performs.
The Promenade Main Stage
6pm - 9pm - K-FROG 95.1FM presents Kevin Cameron & the Pale Riders.
The Promenade Main Stage
Saturday, May 24
11am -- Razzle Bam Boom - 200 Years of American Music
The Promenade Main Stage
11am - 5pm -- Strolling Entertainment including Stilt Walkers, Face Painters, Balloon Twisters and Unicyclists
12:15pm -- Razzle Bam Boom - 200 Years of American Music
The Promenade Main Stage
2pm - 5pm - Performances by local bands including Auditory Aphasia, The Dialectics and Love Among Liars
The Promenade Main Stage
7pm - 9pm -- Apple Live! A Tribute to the Beatles
The Promenade Main Stage
Sunday, May 25
1pm - 5pm -- Strolling Entertainment including Stilt Walkers, Face Painters, Balloon Twisters and Unicyclists
2pm - 4pm -- KOLA 99.9FM presents The Super Freaks
The Promenade Main Stage
Monday, May 26
11am - 5pm -- Strolling Entertainment including Stilt Walkers, Face Painters, Balloon Twisters and Unicyclists
Noon - 3pm - Singer/Songwriter Brooke Ramel performs.
The Promenade Main Stage
5pm - 8pm - The Swing Kings perform.
The Promenade Main Stage
and is not a part of nor affiliated with the City of Chino Hills.