Santa Ana leaders see vision for transforming MainPlace Mall
The vision owners have for transforming MainPlace Mall to reverse declining business has secured the Santa Ana City Council’s support to get started.
Mall owner Centennial Real Estate Co. wants to reduce the retail space of the mall and use part of the property off the 5 Freeway for building up to 1,900 residential units, an emporium of new shops and restaurants, an outdoor plaza and more entertainment features. The council approved the overall plans on Tuesday, June 4.
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A $300 million investment to build two apartment communities totaling 700 units on parking lots at the northeast and southwest corners of the property; turn the front parking plaza and now vacant Nordstrom store into the emporium; and build a Kidzania off the rear entrance to the mall, make up the first phase of the transformation. The city will have to sign off on the fleshed out projects before construction.
More housing, a hotel, office spaces and other changes to the mall could all be future additions under the vision approved by the City Council.
“We have a plan to turn MainPlace around, to turn it into a unique gathering place for the residents of Santa Ana and a destination for people far and wide,” said Oliver Robinson, executive vice president of development and construction for Centennial Real Estate.
Since purchasing the mall at the end of 2015, Robinson said, the owners have watched sales decrease by $60 million annually – and he told the council that meant $1.5 million in lost tax revenues for Santa Ana.
“It will continue to drop if nothing is done,” he said, “but we have a plan to turn MainPlace around.”
Council members and several residents who spoke at the meeting said they’ve also noted the mall’s slippage as a destination.
“Retail is changing drastically, online sales are the way a lot of people shop,” Councilman Vicente Sarmiento said. “So I know this evolution in the mall’s sort of trajectory is important, that we all adapt to this new world.”
Some community members worried about too much traffic in the area and that previous studies about plans for making over the mall were done years ago and the area has since become more dense. Council members asked whether enough parking was planned.
Councilwoman Cecilia Iglesias was excited for Kidzania, an international chain that offers creative role-playing activities for children in an interactive city. Santa Ana would be among the chain’s several U.S. locations.
“Kidzania,” she said, “that is such an amazing opportunity for us to be at the forefront of providing that type of go-to place for families.”