Tear down, build up

As the Irvine Co. begins demolition on the former Macy’s women’s store building in Fashion Island, the developer continues to make the Newport Beach shopping center even more attractive to shoppers.

Irvine Co. spokesman Bill Rams said the company expects demolition on the 30-year-old building, which was the oldest building at the center, to take about two weeks. It began Tuesday.

The construction shouldn’t hinder parking or access to other shops. Construction on a new, oval-shaped piazza shopping area is expected to be finished late next year, he said.

“We have no leases to announce yet, but obviously there is a lot of interest,” Rams said. “We expect the same kind of boutiques and types of stores that fill Fashion Island now.”

Small boutiques have made their mark on the outdoor shopping center, with many shops that are exclusive to the area and high-end designers filling the space.

“Fashion Island is certainly known for having some of the best exclusive boutiques around,” Rams told the Daily Pilot in January.

The new shopping area at Fashion Island will be more in tune with the rest of the shopping center, with an oval-shaped outdoor courtyard and a fountain, surrounded by the boutiques.

Fashion Island’s fountains and its landscaping are proud marks for the developer, and the new fountain will join six other fountains, as well as the koi pond.

But no retail space was added to the project — Macy’s occupied 80,000 square feet, and the new shopping area will be the same.

Signs outside the construction area give shoppers an idea of what’s to come.

The Irvine Co. bought the Macy’s women’s store from Federated Department Stores Inc. in December 2006.