A New Life For WESTMINSTER MALL

405, the project sits between major Los Angeles and Orange County destinations. Two years ago, Shopoff began negotiations with Washington Prime on the redevelopment, as well as with Seritage Properties and Macy’s to acquire their stores. Today, the 90-acre site has four different owners, including Shopoff, Washington Prime, Kaiser Permanente and a former Babies R Us site.

“Our processing submitted works in concert with a global vision for the mall whether it’s being done as one ownership or two,” William Shopoff said. “It requires cooperation amongst the parties.”

More than 50 years after its grand opening in 1972, Westminster Mall in Orange County, California is getting new life as a mixed-use destination.

Shopoff Realty Investments announced plans to reposition the mall’s 26 acres into Bolsa Pacific at Westminster, a mixed-use community of multifamily homes adjacent to walkable community spaces, restaurants, retail and a nearby hotel.

The plans support the specific plan presented by the City of Westminster Planning Department in December 2022, a guide for the coordinated redevelopment of the mall. Shopoff’s plan bookends the mall with two parcels, the former Sears and the current Macy’s, which were purchased in July and August 2022, respectively. Shopoff estimates being able to break ground on its portion in 2025.

“This is a unique opportunity to provide value in the coastal markets of California. A 90- to 100-acre parcel simply doesn’t exist,” said William A. Shopoff, president and CEO of Shopoff Realty Investments. “To participate in anything of this scale is a unique opportunity, and an opportunity to create generational real estate, core real estate that someone will be happy to own.”

The center is a classic example of a welllocated retail center that had not evolved with its market. Built by Homart, the then-real estate arm of Sears, Westminster Mall saw Washington Prime eventually take on ownership of most of the center. But challenges continued and other entities sought but failed to acquire the property.

“We’ve been tracking this project for seven or eight years,” Shopoff said. “It was prime real estate but not primely operating. But it seems like the city was working in the right direction to support a redevelopment of the site.” so existing neighbors will embrace it,” Shopoff added.

The contemporary buildings reflect the city’s diverse culture and heritage while blending with the existing retail to seamlessly transition from old to new. The design emphasizes indoor-outdoor connectivity with a welcoming food court pavilion and generous open gathering space. The team is taking its time and surveying the community to see what it needs, with an eye to the very long term.

“The question becomes, how do we work a new vision that supports the value creation around existing building and around future development?” Shopoff continued. “How do we create the next 50 to 100 years for the community? It is an awesome responsibility. I take that responsibility very seriously to create real value for the people we’re going to house and have work here.”

Shopoff, Washington Prime, the City of Westminster, design firm AO and landscape architect MJS have devised a center that brings together housing, hospitality, retail and nature that they say will reinvigorate the local economy and blend with the surrounding neighborhoods.

“This real estate is way too valuable to think haphazardly,” Shopoff said. “But I know that if we put in the right amenities in the form of food and entertainment and retail, my residents will benefit from that and so will we. Because they’ll pay more rent or pay more for a home.”

Plans call for three multifamily apartment buildings with about 1,065 rental units at various price points and approximately 102 for-sale townhomes. A 175-room hotel will line Bolsa Avenue and share close proximity to the retail, food hall and restaurant space.

"The city needs more housing and the site needs to be reimagined and re-envisioned,” Shopoff said.

The top desire from city community surveys was the need for green spaces, gathering space and open seating, which Shopoff is meeting with a 2.5-acre park, open space promenades and interconnectivity to biking and walking trails. This community hub will have an amphitheater, outdoor dining, retail pavilions, dog park and garden trail and plans to connect to a nearby regional bicycle trail. A food hall will be accessible from both the park and Bolsa Avenue.

“We are trying to come up with something that will add to the community, to extend out the neighborhood beyond