OTL Completes New Shopping Center Development Showpiece

Project Details

Project Description

Outside the Lines (OTL), a design-build construction company that specializes in creating one-of-a-kind water features, rockwork and themed environments, has announced the completion of its musically choreographed, $1.7 million water feature that will serve as the centerpiece of CenterCal Properties’ new 375,000 square-foot retail, dining and entertainment destination The Veranda.
To coincide with the grand opening of The Veranda, CenterCal held a consumer contest asking the general public to select the song that will accompany the fountain’s inaugural show. The winner? Bohemian Rhapsody.
“Today’s savvy developers are focused on creating immersive experiences that truly engage customers,” says J. Wickham Zimmerman, Chief Executive Officer of OTL. “As public spaces become the centerpiece of retail destinations, today’s best developers and owners are incorporating increasingly complex entertainment attractions to cater to evolving consumer demands. With the fountain at The Veranda, CenterCal did something that immerses the consumer even further – the developer invited the community to be a part of the retail center’s development by allowing them to vote on the songs selected for the fountain shows.”
OTL designed and constructed the 2,214 square-foot show fountain in The Veranda’s main gathering area. According to Zimmerman, OTL worked with an incredibly talented and proven team, including general contractor, Moorfield Construction, Inc.; project architect, Architects Orange; and landscape architect, Lifescapes International, to create a public gathering destination that is the first of its kind in Silicon Valley.
“The Veranda will open as the must-visit destination in the Bay Area’s eighth largest city,” he says. “The variety of musical shows and excitement the fountain brings to the space are bound to ensure it is a memorable experience for all.”
OTL’s fountain will be surrounded by a ring of food and beverage tenants and located directly across from the first luxury theater in the area. It will serve as the focal point of the destination that will enrich and attract visitors from across Silicon Valley and beyond.
The entertainment show fountain consists of 20 arching jets in a ring that can be programmed to create a basket weave pattern, open floral shape, thirty-three vertical jets, and a multitude of other effects, and can independently change height fluidly from zero to 30 feet. Each jet has its own dedicated light system, resulting in a capability to create more than two million different colors during the show choreographed to individual songs such as the community’s selection, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Zimmerman notes, “As omnichannel retail becomes the norm, retail owners and developers are evolving to provide the connected consumer exactly what they want on all platforms, including physical and digital. With CenterCal’s incorporation of online voting for the songs used in OTL’s inaugural fountain shows at The Veranda, consumers interacted with the center even though it has not yet opened to the public.”
This is the 3rd fountain project OTL has completed in retail destinations on behalf of CenterCal Properties.
“CenterCal Properties continues to partner with OTL for the design and construction of show fountains based on the tangible returns the entertainment attractions bring to the retail developments,” says Jean Paul Wardy, President, CenterCal Properties. “The immersive water features enhance the customer’s experience, drive foot traffic and length of stay, and attract high quality tenants to our destinations. The incorporation of community input into OTL’s latest project adds a personal connection the guests will have as they enjoy their new gathering place.”
The Veranda is a 375,000 square-foot lifestyle destination that will include the Bay Area’s first Whole Foods 365, over 50 other high-quality tenants, and event programming in the state-of-the-art public space.
The Veranda is in Concord, California, a city that is continually expanding as tech thrives in Silicon Valley. The development is a part of efforts by the City of Concord to revitalize the Diamond District and increase commercial activity in the submarket.
The Veranda’s first retailers opened in late October and additional store openings will be announced throughout the end of the year. In addition to Whole Foods 365, tenants at the project will include Veranda Luxe Cinema & IMAX, EMC Seafood & Raw Bar, Popbar, City Sports, Cost Plus World Market, Super Duper Burgers, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Toys R Us, and TJ Maxx, among others. The retail destination is located at 2001-2003 Diamond Boulevard in Concord, California.