Bargains, Movies to Define New Mall

Shoppers can expect something a bit different when the Centre at Metro Pointe opens this summer.

Unlike ritzy neighbors South Coast Plaza and Crystal Court, which cater to serious upscale shoppers, the new mall is designed with bargain-hunting and entertainment in mind.

The open-air mall will house a 12-screen cinema complex, several restaurants and an outdoor food court. Discount stores--Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, Linens ‘N Things and Marshall’s--will set the Centre at Metro Pointe apart from South Coast Plaza and Crystal Court.

The Container Store, a Dallas-based household products chain, will make its California debut at the mall.

The mall’s developers are optimistic that it will be a success.

“The center’s location adjacent to the San Diego Freeway, as well as its proximity to South Coast Plaza and Crystal Court, virtually guarantee it will become a popular destination,” said Dave Ball, president of Arnel Development Co.

The aim, he said, is to draw “value-conscious consumers seeking high-quality merchandise.”

City officials, too, are enthusiastic.

“It’s good for Costa Mesa,” Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis said. “It’s going to pull in a lot of sales tax.”

The center is the final phase of Arnel’s Metro Pointe Development, a project that also included construction of four office buildings and a 300-unit apartment complex on South Coast Drive near South Coast Plaza.