FAQs- Project Components

  • The goal of the Downtown core is to create a mix of retail and restaurant experiences that appeal to all residents and visitors. The food hall/public market space will house a collection of small eateries and shop owners that could include bakeries, coffee roasters, winemakers, and other culinary and specialty food items. The tenant spaces along Main Street may include fast casual and full-scale restaurants, cafes, boutique fitness studios, and other establishments commonly found in successful downtowns. 

  • The Civic Arts Plaza (CAP) was completed in October 1994 as a regional performing arts and civic center. The campus includes the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre, and the 394-seat Scherr Forum Theatre, which also doubles as the Andrew P. Fox City Council Chambers and Planning Commission venue. The campus includes a 750-space 5-level parking structure, and 87,000 s.f. of office area dedicated to City Hall functions and 10,000 s.f. for tenants. Total building area on the CAP campus is 209,000 s.f. The theatres collectively host about 200,000 visitors each year for a variety of live performances/events from musical theatre and bands, to speakers and local school and dance performances. 

  • The 3D flyover of the Downtown Project are available online on the City’s YouTube channel. The file for the 3D model is available upon request and requires a PC to operate. No additional software is required. Please email downtown@toaks.gov to request the 3D file. 

  • The retail component of the Downtown Project is intended to serve the civic center, theaters, hotel, park, downtown residents, and visitors—not to create another regional shopping center.

    At approximately 48,000 square feet, the commercial space in the Downtown Project is relatively modest in scale. By comparison, it represents about 4% of the leasable area of The Oaks Mall and about 7.5% of the Janss Marketplace.

    The emphasis is on restaurants, cafés, neighborhood-serving businesses, and cultural uses that complement the Civic Arts Plaza and create activity throughout the day and evening. The goal is to support a vibrant, walkable downtown experience rather than compete with existing shopping centers.

  • Housing is an essential component of a successful mixed-use downtown. Residents living within walking distance of restaurants, shops, parks, and the Civic Arts Plaza help support local businesses throughout the day and evening, creating the activity and foot traffic that many successful downtowns share.

    The housing in the Downtown Project also helps the City meet its state-mandated housing obligations while locating new homes in an area already planned for mixed-use development along the City's primary transportation corridor, rather than expanding into established neighborhoods or open space.

    Of the 240 proposed homes, 39 would be deed-restricted affordable units for lower-income households. This represents the highest percentage of affordable units provided as part of a market-rate residential development in Thousand Oaks to date, providing housing opportunities for residents who might otherwise be priced out of the community.

  • The Downtown Project will include 39 designated affordable units at the Low Income category, with income limits on the maximum a household can earn. This makes housing more accessible to families and young professionals. Rents for the designated units will be based on a percentage of household income, depending on which income limit the household falls into. While the City’s inclusionary ordinance requires 10% of the base density to be designated affordable, the Downtown Project contains 24% affordable. To be eligible for one of the affordable designated units, a household can earn up to the following income thresholds: 1-person $83,850, 2-person $95,800, 3-person $107,800, 4-person $119,750. Item description

  • Drop us a note here or send an email to downtown@toaks.gov.