December 2007 Archives

After several years without a multiplex theater, Riverside's Galleria at Tyler mall is once again lighting up the big screen following last weekend's opening of the AMC Tyler 16. As part of the mall's "North Village" expansion, the AMC theater replaces the center's original UA Theater that was cleared to make way for a free-standing Barnes & Noble in 2001.

Dec. 2007
North Village - Galleria at Tyler

Also included in the outparcel expansion are two restaurants (Yard House and Elephant Bar), a Robbins Bros. store as well as an expanded Hughes Alley parking garage. The 105,000 sq. ft. addition ups the mall's GLA to 1.2 million sq. ft.

The "North Village" addition comes on the heels of last month's opening of a 20,000 sq. ft. H&M clothing store inside the mall itself, and completes the center's recent expansion that began in 2006 with the opening of free-standing P.F. Chang's and The Cheescake Factory restaurants.

Photo Gallery: Galleria at Tyler

Slideshow: Then & Now - "North Village"

Related

• Galleria at Tyler


• AMC Theaters


• Yard House


• Elephant Bar


• Robbins Bros.

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Then & Now - Galleria at Tyler (Aug. 2007)

Sources: Galleria at Tyler, General Growth Properties

After many years of planning and 3+ years of construction, Caltrans is adding the finishing touches to the newly-built flyovers for the 60/91/215 interchange project in downtown Riverside. Although construction will continue on other aspects of the freeway project until about mid-2008, the flyovers are scheduled to open for traffic the last week of December.

Dec. 2007
60/91/215 interchange

The two freeway-to-freeway connectors -- northbound 60/215 to westbound 91 and southbound 215 to eastbound 60/215 -- are the main aspects of the $350+ million project, which also includes additional lanes and rebuilt bridges, mostly along a 5 mile stretch along the 60/215 toward Moreno Valley.

Long considered one of the region's worst bottlenecks, the project will greatly expand capacity of the 1950s-era cloverleaf and adjoining tributaries. The interchange was one of the primary projects promised from the county's half-cent transportation sales tax, first passed by voters in 1988.

Photo Gallery: 60/91/215 Interchnage project

Related

• InstantRiverside.com - Touring the Flyover (Dec. 13)

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - New interchange partially opens (July 2006)

Last Friday, weatherman Sam Champion of ABC-TV's Good Morning America paid a visit to downtown Riverside for a special broadcast highlighting the Mission Inn's "Festival of Lights." The live broadcast was part of GMA's weeklong, "Light up the Holidays" special, wherein 5 different holiday displays from across the U.S. were featured during the program's weather segments.

2007
GMA visits the "Festival of Lights"

For those who missed the broadcast, InstantRiverside.com has a report here. For those interested in visiting the FOL, the festival runs nightly through Jan. 1, 2008. We suggest parking in one of the three Orange Street parking garages in downtown, particularly if you're visiting Friday, Saturday or Sunday evenings (parking is free after 5 p.m. and all day on the weekends). A fourth garage is also available off Market Street between Mission Inn and University avenues.

This is the 15th year of the FOL, which began as a modest, hotel-only holiday lights event that has since grown to include over 3 million lights, animated figures, carolers, carriage rides and a small ice skating rink on the Main Street Pedestrian Mall.

Related

• GMA - Light up the Holidays


• InstantRiverside.com - Good Morning America at FOL | Festival of Lights lighting ceremony



• Mission Inn - Festival of Lights


• City of Riverside - Festival of Lights info

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - 2006 Festival of Lights