An Old Mall Gets a New Identity With The Shops at Mission Viejo
The Mission Viejo Mall, sporting a new name, new upscale anchor stores and a flock of other new tenants, officially launched its bid Friday to become the major destination for well-heeled South County shoppers.
The newly renovated mall, re-christened The Shops at Mission Viejo, is bigger, brighter and more exclusive than its dowdy predecessor.
At 1.2 million square feet, it is 45% larger. Sixty-two skylights have been added to bathe the interior in natural light. Orange and brown tiles have been replaced by sleek beige marble and limestone floors.
Upscale retailers, including A/X Armani Exchange, Eddie Bauer, Polo Jeans Co. and DKNY, have recently moved into the mall, which is 100% leased.
“People no longer have to shop elsewhere,” Mission Viejo Mayor Sherri Butterfield said after a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “They can now spend their money right here.”
In recent years, the 20-year-old mall was marked by empty stores, dimly lit corridors and empty parking lots. At its nadir, it had only 36 tenants, which South County consumers bypassed in droves for fancier Orange County malls.
Now, The Shops features 135 stores, 80% of which were open Friday.
Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue have joined Robinsons-May and Macy’s as anchor tenants. Nordstrom celebrated the grand opening of its first South County store Friday, while Saks is expected to open in November.
The Shops hopes to compete with other high-end malls, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and Fashion Island in Newport Beach. It features several of the same tony retailers as its competitors to the north, including Express, Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works.
Shopper Kerry Knollenberg seemed pleased. “I won’t be going to South Coast anymore,” said Knollenberg, 28, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident who grew up in Mission Viejo. “I’ve been waiting for almost 20 years for this mall.”
Mission Viejo appears ripe for a premier mall. The city’s median household income of $57,279 is one-third more than the county average.
In addition, South County cities have experienced a major population boom in the 1990s.
The only sour note was the traffic snarls on Crown Valley Parkway and other streets around the mall. “It was a little bit hairy,” shopper Dina Denman said.
The Shops’ refurbishment will cost more than $200 million when completed. Mall owner Simon Property Group has earmarked $150 million and Mission Viejo agreed to contribute $35 million for parking and infrastructure improvements through a bond issue. Tenants are expected to add $50 million in decorations and improvements to their stores.
The mall’s projected success should put money in Mission Viejo’s coffers. The city expects $3.4 million per year in sales-tax revenue from The Shops.
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Mall Rebirth
The Shops at Mission Viejo, which re-opened Friday, has added Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue as anchor stores.
