What does it take to orchestrate the opening of a 600,000square-foot regional shopping center that will encompass 129 acres?

Ask Kenneth Lee. He’s vice president of project development for the West Coast office of Forest City Enterprises Inc., one of three owners and developers of the Simi Valley Town Center mall. The center is the first of its size in Ventura County in more than 25 years. Meeting the grand opening date of Oct. 27 falls on Lee’s shoulders.

Like an orchestra conductor, he must coordinate the activities of multiple departments in California and the company’s headquarters in Ohio, including construction management, financing and property management.

It takes a cast of thousands and is a team effort, said Lee, who’s handled the responsibility of opening more than 30 Forest City malls across the country.

To meet opening day, Lee’s had to contend with a few unforeseen circumstances, such as the record rainfall that hit the Los Angeles area last winter. Even though the rain held up construction and caused some damage, construction crews were able to get back on schedule by working overtime.

“We lost a lot of time . . . but we were committed to Oct. 27,” Lee said.

Besides the weather, other problems cropped up when crews began grading the area. Lee said although a geologist’s report said the soil would need some remediation to meet code standards, it was worse than expected. Construction crews had to replace more of the unsuitable soil than was originally thought.

Lee has over 20 years of experience coordinating mall construction. And with that experience comes the foresight to schedule into construction plans enough time and money for such contingencies.

“Every day’s a challenge,” he said. “(We) always try to minimize the surprises.”

When asked how important it is to open on time, Lee said: “We don’t have that choice. . . . We just have to make it.”

The company has always met the opening day deadline.

The city, too, is interested in seeing the mall open as scheduled. “Every day the mall doesn’t open is sales tax revenue that goes to another city,” said Brian Gabler, assistant city manager. With much of the construction of the open-air town center done and opening day just a few weeks away, Lee said the challenge now is to help tenants get their shops ready on time.

And the list of businesses at the mall continues to grow. The latest additions are upscale fashion accessory retailer Coach, Ben Bridge Jeweler, Z Gallerie, Corner Bakery, Sweet Factory, The Pet Shop and Urban Home, bringing the number of retailers so far to 92.

Business categories represented at the town center include about three dozen clothing and shoe stores, more than 15 eateries and restaurants and an assortment of jewelry, gift, home décor and computer/electronic stores.

When the parent companies of anchors Robinsons-May and Macy’s merged earlier this year, matters got complicated. Both stores will open this month along with the rest of the mall tenants, but at some point the Robinsons-May store will be converted into a Macy’s and the Macy’s store sold.

Gabler said the changes won’t occur before January 2006.

He also said the city is interested in what company will occupy the former Macy’s building, and it will cooperate with Forest City, who will handle the day-to-day operations of the mall, and Federated Department Stores Inc., owner of Macy’s and Robinsons-May, in selecting a replacement store.

“We believe we have some influence over who that tenant would be,” said Gabler, who added the city wants a “highlevel” retailer comparable to the tenant list. Forest City Enterprises, Inc., is a $7.2-billion, NYSE-listed real estate company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The company is principally engaged in the ownership, development, acquisition and management of commercial and residential real estate throughout the United States. It’s portfolio includes interests in retail centers, apartment communities, office buildings and hotels in 21 states and the District of Columbia.