Mall Wars Heat Up as Buenaventura Plans Major Expansion : Development: The project, possibly the largest in the region, could provide a much-needed boost to Ventura retailing.

Ventura’s Buenaventura Mall announced expansion plans Friday aimed at making it Ventura County’s largest retail shopping center, possibly exceeding the current leader, The Oaks in Thousand Oaks.

The planned expansion, which will take eight years to complete, will increase the mall’s department stores from two to six and more than double its overall size, the mall’s owners said.

The plans raise the ante in a retailing tug of war in which shopping center developers from Santa Barbara to Thousand Oaks vie to lure customers and major tenants to their facilities.

It also could provide a boost to Ventura retailing, which has been losing ground in the face of competition from Thousand Oaks, Oxnard and Santa Barbara, business leaders and officials in Ventura said.

However, while welcoming news of the expansion, Ventura Mayor Richard Francis cautioned that such potential problems as increased traffic “will have to be addressed” by the developer and the city.

Mace Siegel, president of MaceRich Co., the Santa Monica firm that owns Buenaventura Mall, would not disclose which department stores he expects to add, but said, “We’re very close to tying things up” in negotiations with at least two major chains.

In addition to building new structures to accommodate four additional department stores, the Buenaventura plans include double-decking and upgrading the current mall, and building a large parking structure, Siegel said.

He said that when the entire project is completed, “we will have more than 1 million square feet in addition to other stores that we plan to move across the street.”

The Oaks has five department stores--Broadway, Bullock’s, May Co., J.C. Penney and Robinson’s--and covers just over 1 million square feet.

Buenaventura’s nearest competitor geographically, the Esplanade in Oxnard, is anchored by the May Co. and Sears. A new competitor in Santa Barbara, Paseo Nuevo, has Nordstrom and the Broadway.

Yet another prospective entry, Town Center in Oxnard, plans a million-square-foot facility, but has not announced any major tenants.

Siegel said he expects the first two of the new department stores to open in about five years. Such chains as Macy, Nordstrom and Robinson’s have been named in speculation, but neither Buenaventura Mall nor any of these retailers have confirmed that they will move in.

“These people are sensitive about such things,” Siegel said, explaining why he would not disclose the names of the prospective new tenants. “They like to make the announcements themselves.”

Buenaventura Mall, which is bordered by Main Street, Mills Road and Telegraph Road, is currently anchored by a J.C. Penney store on the north and a Broadway on the south.

The 27-year-old mall, formerly called Buenaventura Plaza, has about 90 retail tenants. It has been hurt in the past two years by the inconvenience caused to customers by the first two phases of a four-phase project that will provide a face lift and add a permanent roof and a second floor.

The first phase, in the west wing, has been completed but its second floor remains unused. The mall’s management has not yet sought city approval to occupy that level.

Building permits for the first two phases have been granted, according to Bob Prodoehl, Ventura’s superintendent of building and safety, but no additional permits have been applied for.

Ventura City Planner Ann Chaney said MaceRich will have to seek an amendment to its conditional use permit before it can occupy newly constructed parts of the mall.

As part of Phase 2, which began late last year, steel girders and facing material have been erected surrounding the east wing, which Siegel confirmed will also have a second story.

The east wing’s entrance has been closed and a large portion of the parking lot facing Mills Road has been fenced off for use as a construction storage yard.

“Eventually, the entire mall will have two floors and will be considerably longer than it is at present,” Siegel said. “We plan to move Penney’s to a new location and to put two levels of stores in at Penney’s present site.

“And we may move the strip stores north of Penney’s across the street to the Montgomery Ward property, which we also own.”

Siegel declined to say when the mall’s second floor will be opened, but city officials speculated that MaceRich will wait until the entire double-decking is completed before using that level.

Francis welcomed news of MaceRich’s plans but said the expansion could create problems. “I’m sure these matters will have to be addressed,” he said. “Down the line they will have to work with us on such matters as traffic.”

He added, “As I understand it, the center needs at least one more department store to survive. It’s important to the city that it survives, not only because it provides us with extremely important tax revenues, but also because it’s part of the fabric of the community.”

Jim Barroca, executive vice president of the Greater Ventura Chamber of Commerce, said, “Some people may be upset that the expansion will bring more traffic to the area, but we’re delighted. It will mean a great deal to the city in terms of sales-tax revenue and jobs.

“I talk to so many wives of professionals who say we need more good department stores in town.”

Ventura City Councilman Jim Monahan said of MaceRich, “They’re very professional operators and they’re doing a service to the community. In the long run, it will help employment, though I don’t expect that to happen immediately.”

According to the state Board of Equalization, retail sales in Ventura totaled $1.428 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30, 1990. This made the city No. 1 in the county, ahead of Thousand Oaks, which was second with $1.185 billion, and Oxnard, third with $1.163 billion.

But Ventura’s traditional lead over its rival cities narrowed when compared with the previous year, according to board statistician Bob Rossi.

Siegel said MaceRich has spent $15 million thus far on the expansion and face lift, but he would not disclose the estimated cost of the entire project. “It will be a lot more than $15 million,” he noted.

“It’s turned out to be a very interesting job. Because the soil is unstable that near the beach, we’ve had to drive pilings 60 feet into the ground to support the superstructure. We’ve also had to move a lot of utility lines.”

MaceRich, a privately held concern, is the second-largest mall operator in California. It owns a dozen regional centers throughout the state.