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Once back-to-school shopping and weekend hangout locations, Orange County malls trade almost empty shops for apartments and entertainment centres.
Santa Ana’s main place small mall is an example of transformation that experts say is going through. Over the past few years, malls have transformed into mixed-uses where people shop, eat and live with other malls.
On Thursday, the sound of excavators echoed over the rest of the orange mall. The mall was closed a year ago and now only two structures remain. Jcpenney’s crumbling shell and empty Sears.
“Many of our residents have many memories of being surrounded by this incredible fortune, but unfortunately, the changes in the retail industry have made this a ruined building,” said Aaron Schulze, economic development manager for Orange.
Schulze says that what once was a dying mall is now a place of transformation. The owner, the Integrated Community, will redevelop JCPenney into a complex space.
“Our plan is to bring residents here. We’re still working with the city, so that’s the road,” said John Staneck, principal of the Integrated Community.
Just 20 miles west, Westminster Mall sits in eerie quiet with most of the shops gone. The city is also looking at redevelopment, with proposals from the mall owners under review.
One proposal aims to have 3,000 housing units clear the planning committee and now head to the city council. And it’s not just there, but also the dead and dying malls across the country are being reconsidered.
“From Chula Vista, you can find Blair, Crenshaw, or mall-centric redevelopment activities, from the name of the location,” says Scott Wild, principal of John Burns’ research and consulting.
Real Estate Consultant Wild says the mall isn’t dead, they’re evolving
“There are still experiences people get when going to the mall, and that is part of the landscape I think I am here, but the combined use part is the path to the future.
More than 200 malls across the country have added homes to locations home to department stores, according to Georgia Tech professor Ellen Dunham Jones.
“There are another 200 proposals, but of these proposals, they are not all built. It has something to do with current funding and uncertainty, especially for developers of construction costs,” said Jones, who is studying the mall’s redevelopment.
Back in Orange, a small crowd saw the demolition crew working to demolish the old mall, marking moments when past and future overlap.
“This is the first step in revitalizing the area and is important to our residents,” Schulze said.
In 2023, Main Place Mall opened an apartment community using part of the car park. Currently working to transform the Nordstrom building on the east side of the mall into a second apartment community and a new food district. Officials say they can expect to open in 2028.
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