Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Set to Open at San Antonio Center in Mountain View. The ShowPlace Icon cinema, which closed unexpectedly earlier this year, is being replaced by a new premium movie chain in Mountain View’s The Village at San Antonio Center.
With first-rate amenities and cutting-edge viewing technologies, Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse Cinema hopes to have the theater ready for moviegoers by the summer. However, it’s not the only new company moving into the upscale mall located at 645 San Antonio Road.
According to a recent press release, the main real estate owner, Brookfield Properties, has also signed a number of other tenants, filling 90,000 square feet of commercial space.
Cutter MacLeod, vice president of asset management at Brookfield Properties, stated, “We’re really trying to introduce a diverse array of services and retailers.”
At the San Antonio Center, MacLeod ran off a list of new tenants that includes a dealership and car showroom, an educational learning center, a pet grooming and nutrition store, a pizzeria, a burger place, and a specialist skincare company.
But the flagship is Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. MacLeod saw it as a crucial component of a vibrant urban environment where people may live, work, and engage in leisure activities in one location, calling it a “unique offering.”
With the opening of the ShowPlace Icon movie theater in 2018, this aim was largely accomplished. It was then leased to Merlone Geier, the original developer, who was constructing San Antonio Center as a mixed-use, multi-phase project.
Brookfield Properties entered the market in 2021 and acquired a number of holdings. According to MacLeod, the site’s huge office component initially piqued the company’s interest. However, a large number of multifamily flats began to appear, which opened up foot traffic from local residents as well as office workers, he said.
The lease for the movie chain ShowPlace Icon, run by Kerasotes Theatres, was transferred to Brookfield Properties as part of the site acquisition. Then Kerasotes Theatres fell out of business earlier this year, selling off or closing all of its properties, including the Mountain View one.
Brookfield Properties swiftly changed course to locate a substitute because they didn’t want to miss the moviegoing experience. We know that this is one of the neighborhood’s favorite theaters, so it was crucial to attempt to maintain some continuity at the venue for the community. We wanted to keep that active since it’s new and lovely,” MacLeod stated.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was eventually chosen by Brookfield Properties to take its place. In reference to the theater’s reputation for having a large selection of films and themed events like throwback movie nights, MacLeod stated, “It has a lot of differentiated offerings.” According to MacLeod, it also offers excellent food and beverage offerings.
Even though the theater is relatively young, Alamo intends to make some improvements before it opens to the public. According to MacLeod, this entails “rejiggering” some internal areas and installing 1,100 opulent recliners to better reflect the Alamo brand.
Additionally, Alamo has agreed to a long-term lease. Both they and we are dedicated to the property. They will therefore be here for the long run,” MacLeod stated.
According to MacLeod, The Village at San Antonio Center will also welcome a few new tenants in the upcoming year. He said there would be some food operators and a fitness center, but he did not go into specifics.
“Over the last 18 to 24 months, and especially the last 12 months, we’ve just had a sharp uptick in interest,” MacLeod stated, referring to some quiet times.
