A new gas station with a drive-thru restaurant could help bring the Apple Valley Plaza back to life near the intersection of Bear Valley and Central roads in Apple Valley.
Town spokeswoman Sarah Krieg contacted the Daily Press this week with confirmation of the project just east of the town-owned Singh Center for the Arts, which moved into the former AMC Classic Apple Valley 14 movie theater. The theater closed in 2023.
Krieg said she didn’t have further project details beyond what she was told by the town’s Planning Department, including a construction timeline.
Beside the repurposed theater, the semi-abandoned property includes fully constructed 35,000 and 10,000-square-foot buildings and weed-covered slab work for another 35,000-square-foot building.
“Due to the Great Recession, the (plaza) project was never completed,” Krieg told the Daily Press in a previous interview.
Hope of sparked business
Several residents shared their thoughts on the planned gas station and restaurant.
“Even with the Singh Center opening, that plaza is an eyesore with all the unfinished buildings and weeds,” Jennifer Marconi said. “I hope the new gas station sparks the interest of more businesses.”
Jeff Sutton said a station with a restaurant would be a welcome addition to the plaza.
“That’s a busy intersection with vehicles, buses, and semi-trucks always moving through that part of town,” Sutton said. “The gas station and restaurant would stay busy.”
Projects moving forward
Krieg told the Daily Press in 2023 that a new fuel station and restaurant pad were planned for the plaza.
At that time, she added that the projects were initially approved in 2005, but had expired, with the portion reintroduced and approved in 2021.
On Wednesday, May 20, heavy equipment was parked near a large portion of the plaza’s parking lot along Bear Valley Road, which had been excavated.
The area included removed concrete, trees, light posts and landscaping water lines on the property across the street from the Central Market and HD Fuels station, which opened at the intersection in 2024.
Central Market and HD Fuels was constructed on the former site of the Waffle Iron Cafe and June’s Market building, which were razed in 2020.
Theater donated to town
On June 27, 2023, the Town Council approved the real property donation agreement with owner Harbinder Singh of HS Cluster LLC, who looked to donate the theater property located at 22311 Bear Valley Road, Building A, town staff said.
A month later, Town of Apple Valley Councilman Art Bishop told the Daily Press that the acceptance of the building donation had been approved.
Since then, the former theater building has been renovated and used for several events, including a guitar giveaway with singer and “American Idol” winner Chayce Beckham, and the annual State of the Town.
History of the plaza
In 2004, town officials, the project’s architect GMID Architecture of San Bernardino, and property owner Louis Anaros of Andros Properties, Hesperia, had big plans for the proposed Apple Valley Plaza.
Initial approval of the plaza included the 55,000-square-foot theater, a nearly 35,007-square-foot supermarket, and a 10,020-square-foot church with a 5,220-square-foot yard.
The plaza was later approved for two restaurant pads, a 4,066-square-foot restaurant, a 17,313-square-foot gym, and 30,801 square feet of various retail projects.
The movie theater
After a nearly 10-year effort and several delays right up to its grand opening, the Apple Valley theater finally welcomed moviegoers with 2,600 stadium-style seats, digital cinema technology, and 3-D viewing options.
At the time, the only competition from a modern, big-box movie theater was the 16-screen Cinemark at the Mall of Victor Valley, which opened in November 2006.
However, competition increased in May 2009 when Cinemark Jess Ranch opened in the Jess Ranch Marketplace on Bear Valley Road in Apple Valley.
The Cinemark theater would later add Luxury Lounger seats, which added to the appeal of the theater.
In 2014, Carmike Cinemas took over as owner-operator of Digiplex Apple Valley 14 until AMC acquired the company in 2016.
Previous plaza prospects
While the newly opened UltraStar began drawing thousands of moviegoers across the High Desert, the uncompleted Apple Valley Plaza was expected to welcome over a dozen tenants, including Amazing Grace Community Church and Apple Valley Unified School District offices.
Other tenants include Afio Mai Coffee House, Enrique’s Italian Deli, Henry’s Samoan BBQ, Max Fitness, Mexican Grill, Pamz Tanz, Perfection Hair Studio, Phazes Salon, Shaping Spaces Furniture, Sprint /Nextel, State Farm Insurance, Super Cleaners and Tortas Sinaloa Restaurant.
In 2008, town officials said the plaza had experienced financial difficulties, and cost overruns prevented its completion. The plaza’s owner had hired a consultant to work with a lender, the town, school district officials, and other tenants to develop a completion strategy.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Will a new gas station and restaurant bring Apple Valley Plaza to life?
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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