THEATRE SQUARE GEARING UP FOR GRAND OPENING:DOWNTOWN DISTRICT'S FINAL PIECE GETTING FINISHING TOUCHES TO RETAIL SPACE, APARTMENTS

When Will and Monika Bomar opened the doors of Powell's Sweet Shoppe, the

first business to open in the new Theatre Square building in downtown

Petaluma, the lines outside were causing curious motorists to slow to a crawl

on Petaluma Boulevard.

''Even with all the work going on, business is really good,'' said Will

Bomar, 39.

Bomar obviously enjoys the smiles he gets bringing scores of different

sweets to local kids -- everything from gelato to jelly beans to chocolate. He

also stocks nostalgic retro candy and old-fashioned games that adults would

remember from when they were kids.

''It's fun. I'm enjoying it,'' he said.

Theatre Square is the final piece in the $100 million Theatre District, a

public-private partnership in which Basin Street Properties developed the

buildings and the city invested $17 million in public improvements.

The three-story Theatre Square building, which includes retail and

restaurant space on the ground floor with offices and apartments above, is

getting its finishing touches with paint and paving stones.

A European-style pedestrian plaza, which includes a water fountain lined

with the ceramic images of the faces of Petaluma children, also is being

finished.

Basin Street already is beginning to sign leases on some of the 56

apartments in the building, which will start being occupied in early April,

said Scott Stranzl, a Basin Street vice president.

When the project is finished, it will mark the first time in more than

three years that downtown streets and sidewalks are free from major

construction work.

The company has announced six commercial leases: a 6,000-square-foot Tres

Hombres Mexican restaurant and bar; Jennie Lows Chinese Cuisine, a combination

Chinese restaurant and cooking school; La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge; Sole Desire

shoe store; and Accents, a women's clothing boutique.

None of those stores is ready to open yet.

Other leases include a toy store, home furnishing store and jewelry store,

Stranzl said. The names of those stores haven't been released.

You can reach Staff Writer Tobias Young at 762-9498 or tobias.young@press

democrat.com.