The center sits along Interstate 680, one of the area’s most heavily trafficked freeways, and just across the highway from Sunvalley Shopping Center, which turned 50 in August. Veranda is also next door to the Willows Shopping Center, which underwent a major face-lift in 2015 and includes a Benihana Japanese restaurant, a Krispy Kreme, an Old Navy, an REI and a UFC Gym.

The Veranda is owned by CenterCal Properties, a commercial real estate investment, development, leasing and management firm funded through a joint venture with CalSTRS. The company is currently developing The Terminal at Ballard and The Village at Totem Lake, both in Washington state; Canyon Corners, in Park City, Utah; Mountain View Village, in Riverton, Utah; 2nd & PCH, in Long Beach, Calif.; and The Waterfront, in Redondo Beach (Calif.).

The Veranda replaced a 620,000-square-foot regional office campus for Chevron Corp. Developed between 1970 and 1984, the office buildings housed some 2,500 employees, making it Concord’s second-largest employer. Chevron moves its regional base to nearby San Ramon in early 2016 and put the site up for sale. Enter CenterCal. “Looking for opportunities to expand retail and entertainment destinations, CenterCal jumped at the opportunity,” said Ashton Simmons, general manager of the Veranda.

The catalyst for the development was a simple one. “There was a substantial need for more retail space in Concord and the East Bay,” said Simmons. Several retailers were expressing interest in opening units in the area, Simmons says. Among the tenants stepping up was Whole Foods Market, which opened the Bay Area’s first Whole Foods 365 market. The center’s feature attraction is likely to be the Veranda Luxe Cinema, which brings the only Imax theater within a 25-mile radius. The cinema includes 10 large-screen theaters, plus an Imax with a four-story, 80-foot-wide screen.

“We are always thoughtful about having a wide variety of tenants, and we consider what is most relevant to the community and customers we serve when selecting our tenants,” said Simmons. “We want to provide brands that attract all kinds of consumers, with a mix of dining, entertainment and retail destinations for customers to visit our properties multiple times per week.”

Timeline

December 2014  Chevron announces that it will relocate from Concord to San Ramon

November 2015  CenterCal makes initial land purchase

June 2016  Ground is broken on the project

October 2017  The Veranda officially opens with AAA, Cost Plus World Market, LunchboxWax, Sleep Number, T.J.Maxx and Toys ‘R’ Us

December 2017  Veranda Luxe Cinema opens with the only Imax within 25 miles

Several restaurants are new to the East Bay, including EMC Seafood & Raw Bar; Popbar, an international dessert shop that serves gelato ice pops; Puesto, a Southern California taqueria chain; and Super Duper Burgers. Coffee Shop (a local chain with shops in nearby Walnut Creek, Lafayette and Alamo) and Residual Sugar Wine Bar will share one of three 1,000-square-foot pavilions at the center of the community, clustered around a $1.7 million, musically choreographed water feature that serves as the community’s centerpiece, thanks to design and construction firm Outside the Lines. Architects Orange, of Orange, Calif., designed the center itself.

Simmons says there is a good takeaway for other developers from the Veranda experience. “Other developers can learn that mixed shopping and entertainment can co-exist in one location — for example a high-end grocery store and a full cinema multiplex. It’s always important to keep in mind that we must give customers multiple reasons to visit.”

So will CenterCal be able to compete with the other new retail in the area? “We know it’s an incredible project that’s off to a successful start,” Simmons said. “Current retailers at the Veranda are already reporting high volumes.”