The Westfield UTC Mall, just north of UC High, is undergoing major renovations as part of a plan to upgrade the shopping mall.

According to the Union Tribune website, roughly $1 billion will be spent on the construction of a movie theater and new stores, as well as on upgrades to the food court and current stores. The proposal to renovate the mall was approved three years ago by the San Diego City Council, but the beginning of the project had to be pushed back due to the recession (signonsandiego.com).

The entirety of the mall renovations are scheduled to be completed by 2013. New additions to the mall include a new movie theater, a 24-Hour Fitness gym, and a children’s play area. The food court and dining terrace will also be revamped. An additional 750,000 square feet will be added to the one million that the mall currently occupies (signonsandiego.com).

As the food court is currently being renovated, nearly all of the restaurants at the mall have had to close temporarily. “They should’ve at least kept a few more restaurants open, but at least there’s still a Noodle Factory. I don’t go to the food court right now, but I go to the restaurants around the mall like Subway and Five Guys,” said Junior Heliya Alam.

After the renovations have been completed, UC High students can look forward to having their local mall include new features and a brand-new look. “I’m so excited about the plans for the movie theater, so I can just walk from my house to see movies. I’m excited to see any new additions, and I hope there will still be a Panda Express, because [Panda Express] is really my life,” said Alam.