Newport Center and San Miguel Drives
Newport Beach, California
In 1960, renowned architect William Pereira ["pur-rair-uh"] was commissioned to devise a master plan for the development of Orange County's Irvine Ranch. This 88,000-acre property was located 47 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the coastal community of Newport Beach. In the Pereira prospectus, a commercial district known as Newport Center was to serve as the nucleus of the project. Its epicenter would be NEWPORT CENTER, a 900,000 square foot retail complex. The prospective facility would eventually be renamed FASHION ISLAND.
This mall occupied an 87-acre section of the Irvine Ranch. Its architecture was a blending of International Style and Spanish Revival. William Pereira, Charles Luckman & Associates and Welton Becket & Associates designed the structure, which was developed by the Irvine Company of Newport Beach. Ground was broken for the single-level, open-air shopping hub on August 20, 1965.
FASHION ISLAND was dedicated with a preview opening "Flight to Fashion Island" charity ball, which was held on September 9, 1967. Entertainment was provided by Les Brown & His Band of Renown, Stan Kenton & His Band, Jerry Gray & The Mariachi Brass, Ink Spots and Julie London. A formal grand opening ceremony on September 11, 1967 was attended by California Lieutenant Governor Robert H. Finch (R), William Mason (President of the Irvine Company), Carter McDonald (Vice-President of J.W. Robinson's) and Daniel O'Farrell (Manager of Fashion Island).
Anchoring FASHION ISLAND were a 3-level (225,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based J.W. Robinson's,
3-level (186,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, 2-level (80,000 square
foot), Long Beach-based Buffums' and 3-level (188,000 square foot) The Broadway. Among the mall's fifty-six stores and services were Apropos, The Look, Karl's Toys, Jolly Roger Restaurant and Silverwood's for Men. The outparcel Edwards Newport Cinema (a 1,300 seat, single-screen venue) showed its first feature on February 11, 1969. It was expanded in 1974, 1989 and 1996.
The primary retail rival of FASHION ISLAND was -and is- SOUTH COAST PLAZA (1967) {5 miles northwest, in Costa Mesa}. IRVINE SPECTRUM CENTER (1995) {7.7 miles northeast, in Irvine} was also a competitor.
Two anchor department stores joined the retail roster of FASHION ISLAND during the 1970s. A 2-level (80,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based Bullock's Wilshire opened August 1, 1977, as part of a new Southwest Wing. Dallas-based Neiman Marcus built a 2-level (118,000 square foot) store, that was dedicated March 3, 1978.
By the early 1980s, studies were showing that SOUTH COAST PLAZA had gained a competitive edge over FASHION ISLAND. The Irvine Company announced a 5-year, 115 million dollar "Renaissance" makeover in April 1984. The renovation, conceptualized by Jon Jerde, was completed in three phases. The first involved the conversion of J.C. Penney. which had been vacated in April 1982, into the 3-level, fully-enclosed Atrium Court.
On Level 1 was the Irvine Ranch Farmer's Market, with food service vendors such as the Il Fornaio Italian Bakery and Max Gourmandise. These welcomed their first customers in May 1985. Levels 2 and 3 of the Atrium Court housed trendy boutiques, such as Fiorucci Di Varese and Paul Mayer Serena d'Italia.
Twenty-eight stores opened during an official dedication, which began on November 7, 1985. Twenty more Atrium Court stores were in business by the spring of 1986. By this time, the second phase of the Renaissance renovation was underway. This added facades to some of the existing stores and replaced mallway landscaping.
Phase Three was a major reworking of the southwest section of the complex. It was reconstructed, utilizing a Mediterranean motif. Over 70,000 square feet -and sixty stores- were added, including the Island Terrace (a second Food Court) and a 4-level parking structure. The Edwards Island Cinemas 7 showed its first features on October 6, 1989, with the Phase Three "Renaissance" project officially dedicated on October 23, 1989.
Anchor store rebrandings at FASHION ISLAND began on February 1, 1990, with the re-opening of Bullock's Wilshire as a San Francisco-based I. Magnin. Buffums' was shuttered in 1991 and subdivided into smaller stores. J.W. Robinson's was rebannered -as a Robinsons-May- on January 31, 1993.
The primary retail rival of FASHION ISLAND was -and is- SOUTH COAST PLAZA (1967) {5 miles northwest, in Costa Mesa}. IRVINE SPECTRUM CENTER (1995) {7.7 miles northeast, in Irvine} was also a competitor.
Two anchor department stores joined the retail roster of FASHION ISLAND during the 1970s. A 2-level (80,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based Bullock's Wilshire opened August 1, 1977, as part of a new Southwest Wing. Dallas-based Neiman Marcus built a 2-level (118,000 square foot) store, that was dedicated March 3, 1978.
By the early 1980s, studies were showing that SOUTH COAST PLAZA had gained a competitive edge over FASHION ISLAND. The Irvine Company announced a 5-year, 115 million dollar "Renaissance" makeover in April 1984. The renovation, conceptualized by Jon Jerde, was completed in three phases. The first involved the conversion of J.C. Penney. which had been vacated in April 1982, into the 3-level, fully-enclosed Atrium Court.
On Level 1 was the Irvine Ranch Farmer's Market, with food service vendors such as the Il Fornaio Italian Bakery and Max Gourmandise. These welcomed their first customers in May 1985. Levels 2 and 3 of the Atrium Court housed trendy boutiques, such as Fiorucci Di Varese and Paul Mayer Serena d'Italia.
Twenty-eight stores opened during an official dedication, which began on November 7, 1985. Twenty more Atrium Court stores were in business by the spring of 1986. By this time, the second phase of the Renaissance renovation was underway. This added facades to some of the existing stores and replaced mallway landscaping.
Phase Three was a major reworking of the southwest section of the complex. It was reconstructed, utilizing a Mediterranean motif. Over 70,000 square feet -and sixty stores- were added, including the Island Terrace (a second Food Court) and a 4-level parking structure. The Edwards Island Cinemas 7 showed its first features on October 6, 1989, with the Phase Three "Renaissance" project officially dedicated on October 23, 1989.
Anchor store rebrandings at FASHION ISLAND began on February 1, 1990, with the re-opening of Bullock's Wilshire as a San Francisco-based I. Magnin. Buffums' was shuttered in 1991 and subdivided into smaller stores. J.W. Robinson's was rebannered -as a Robinsons-May- on January 31, 1993.
I. Magnin, shuttered in January 1995, morphed into a Bullock's Women's store in June of the same year. This eventually became the mall's first Macy's location (a Women's store). It closed in September 2006, as a result of the Federated Stores-May Stores merger. On September 9, 2006, the Macy's at FASHION ISLAND re-opened -as a full-line store- in the Robinsons-May building. Meanwhile, in the autumn of 1996, The Broadway had been rebranded as a Bloomingdale's.
Neiman Marcus had a third level added in 2005, increasing its area to 153,000 square feet. The FASHION ISLAND mall now featured nearly 200 stores, entertainment venues and restaurants. It encompassed 1.3 million leasable square feet and featured four parking decks.
A fourth expansion got underway in 2007. A 2-level (80,000 square foot) structure was built, adjacent to the northeast side of the Atrium Court. Its first tenant, a 1-level (44,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods, was dedicated July 3, 2009. Plans for a (23,000 square foot) flagship store for the Dean & deLuca Gourmet Grocer chain were abandoned in late 2009. However, another high-end food retailer, Whole Foods Market, assumed the space and opened for business on September 19, 2012.
The old Bullock's Wilshire structure, at the southwest corner of the complex, was demolished. It was replaced by a 3-level (138,000 square foot) Nordstrom, the chain's 191st location. This store was dedicated on April 16, 2010.
Edwards Island Cinemas 7 was temporarily shuttered in January 2011. The in-mall theater was renovated into a state-of-the-art, stadium seating venue, which included drink and dine-in service. The complex re-opened, as the Edwards Island Cinemas, on December 16, 2011.
Sources:
The Los Angeles Times
Neiman Marcus had a third level added in 2005, increasing its area to 153,000 square feet. The FASHION ISLAND mall now featured nearly 200 stores, entertainment venues and restaurants. It encompassed 1.3 million leasable square feet and featured four parking decks.
A fourth expansion got underway in 2007. A 2-level (80,000 square foot) structure was built, adjacent to the northeast side of the Atrium Court. Its first tenant, a 1-level (44,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods, was dedicated July 3, 2009. Plans for a (23,000 square foot) flagship store for the Dean & deLuca Gourmet Grocer chain were abandoned in late 2009. However, another high-end food retailer, Whole Foods Market, assumed the space and opened for business on September 19, 2012.
The old Bullock's Wilshire structure, at the southwest corner of the complex, was demolished. It was replaced by a 3-level (138,000 square foot) Nordstrom, the chain's 191st location. This store was dedicated on April 16, 2010.
Edwards Island Cinemas 7 was temporarily shuttered in January 2011. The in-mall theater was renovated into a state-of-the-art, stadium seating venue, which included drink and dine-in service. The complex re-opened, as the Edwards Island Cinemas, on December 16, 2011.
Sources:
The Los Angeles Times
The Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California)
The Tustin News (Tustin, California)
www.irvinecompany.com
www.irvinecompany.com
www.shopfashionisland.com
www.ochistorical.blogspot.com
https://www.jerde.com / Jerde Partnership
www.mitchglaser.com
http://movie-theatre.org/theatre.html / Mike Rivest
"Fashion Island" article on Wikipedia
www.ochistorical.blogspot.com
https://www.jerde.com / Jerde Partnership
www.mitchglaser.com
http://movie-theatre.org/theatre.html / Mike Rivest
"Fashion Island" article on Wikipedia
