Cavin-SmithOpened by Sony in 1999, the premiere San Francisco entertainment/retail complex is being sold off to The Westfield Group and Forest City Enterprises. A Sony representative says of the reasoning behind the sale, "[Sony has decided to refocus on] our core businesses of electronics, entertainment and games."
Originally billed as an "urban entertainment center," the Metreon's creative promise soon fell victim to the reality of the business world. Overpriced merchandise and pay attractions have failed to keep consumer interest, for the most part.
"Our original vision was to create a space that was really innovative in terms of being a technology showplace and an educational experience," says former Senior VP at Sony and creative director of the Metreon project.
Unfortunately, it just never seemed to live up the vision. Many marquee attractions and stores have either been replaced or completely removed. Westfield plans to re-tennant portions of the Metreon. Currently the only one slated to remain is, ironically, Sony, with its Playstation and Sony Style stores.
It is likely that Loew's will maintain its 15-screen theatre, easily the Metreon's most popular and financially successful venue.