El Camino Real and Marron Road
Carlsbad and Oceanside, California
San Diego County's seventh shopping mall was the first fully-enclosed, regional-class shopping center in the metro area. At its official dedication in early 1969, PLAZA CAMINO REAL encompassed 625,000 leasable square feet; making it nearly three times the size of the region's first enclosed shopping complex, the community-class ESCONDIDO VILLAGE MALL (1964).
The 90-acre PLAZA CAMINO REAL site was located 32 miles north of San Diego's center city. Said site extended along the southern side of the Vista Way-California Route 78 expressway, which had been dedicated in April 1962. Predominantly within the city of Carlsbad, the mall's parking area eventually included a small section within the city limits of Oceanside.
PLAZA CAMINO REAL, the "downtown undercover" of the North County suburbs, was the second San Diego mall developed by St. Louis-based May Centers. It was built in two phases. The first, featuring sixty-three stores and services, was anchored by a 2-level (148,200 square foot) May Company California and 2-level (154,000 square foot) J.C. Penney.
The 90-acre PLAZA CAMINO REAL site was located 32 miles north of San Diego's center city. Said site extended along the southern side of the Vista Way-California Route 78 expressway, which had been dedicated in April 1962. Predominantly within the city of Carlsbad, the mall's parking area eventually included a small section within the city limits of Oceanside.
PLAZA CAMINO REAL, the "downtown undercover" of the North County suburbs, was the second San Diego mall developed by St. Louis-based May Centers. It was built in two phases. The first, featuring sixty-three stores and services, was anchored by a 2-level (148,200 square foot) May Company California and 2-level (154,000 square foot) J.C. Penney.
The May Company store became the mall's first operational tenant on February 10, 1969. A mall-wide dedication was held on March 12 of the same year. J.C. Penney opened for business on April 8, 1970. Charter stores included Docktor Pet Center, Chess King, Hallmark Carousel, Mediterranean Imports, Finell's Jewelers, Central Federal Savings and 2-level (60,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.
Across Marron Road was Cinema Plaza, a freestanding movie house. It opened for business, with a single screen, on August 27, 1969. The theater was expanded into a 4-screen venue in December 1974. A fifth auditorium and screen was completed in December 1975.
A Phase Two expansion, extending the mall westward, got underway in January 1979. The addition consisted of 500,000 leasable square feet and was anchored by a 3-level (152,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based The Broadway and 2-level (148,900 square foot) Sears. An official dedication was held October 25, 1979.
The third anchor of the addition, a 2-level (115,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based Bullock's, opened its doors on October 2, 1980. With the enlargement, PLAZA CAMINO REAL encompassed 1,148,400 leasable square feet and assumed the position of largest shopping center in San Diego County. It held this distinction until the FASHION VALLEY mall was enlarged, to 1,305,000 leasable square feet, in 1981.
North County shopping venues included the aforementioned ESCONDIDO VILLAGE MALL (1964) {15.6 miles southeast, in Escondido}, as well as NORTH COUNTY FAIR (1986) {16.7 miles southeast, also in Escondido}. Eventually, there were CARLSBAD COMPANY STORES-CARLSBAD PREMIUM OUTLETS (1997) {2.9 miles south, in Carlsbad} and FORUM CARLSBAD (2004) {8.1 miles southeast, also in Carlsbad}.
In the meantime, the "CARLSBAD MALL" was given an interior makeover during 1989. This added new tile flooring and escalators. A glass elevator was installed in the Penney's Court, along with innovative water fountains in front of the May Company and Sears mall entrances. Moreover, the Broadway Court was refitted with a unique mechanical clock.
A Phase Two expansion, extending the mall westward, got underway in January 1979. The addition consisted of 500,000 leasable square feet and was anchored by a 3-level (152,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based The Broadway and 2-level (148,900 square foot) Sears. An official dedication was held October 25, 1979.
The third anchor of the addition, a 2-level (115,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based Bullock's, opened its doors on October 2, 1980. With the enlargement, PLAZA CAMINO REAL encompassed 1,148,400 leasable square feet and assumed the position of largest shopping center in San Diego County. It held this distinction until the FASHION VALLEY mall was enlarged, to 1,305,000 leasable square feet, in 1981.
North County shopping venues included the aforementioned ESCONDIDO VILLAGE MALL (1964) {15.6 miles southeast, in Escondido}, as well as NORTH COUNTY FAIR (1986) {16.7 miles southeast, also in Escondido}. Eventually, there were CARLSBAD COMPANY STORES-CARLSBAD PREMIUM OUTLETS (1997) {2.9 miles south, in Carlsbad} and FORUM CARLSBAD (2004) {8.1 miles southeast, also in Carlsbad}.
In the meantime, the "CARLSBAD MALL" was given an interior makeover during 1989. This added new tile flooring and escalators. A glass elevator was installed in the Penney's Court, along with innovative water fountains in front of the May Company and Sears mall entrances. Moreover, the Broadway Court was refitted with a unique mechanical clock.
PLAZA CAMINO REAL was one of nineteen CentreMark properties sold to a joint venture in November 1993. The group included Australia's Westfield, Des Moines' General Growth Properties and New York City's Whitehall Street Real Estate Limited Partnership. The joint venture divided management of the malls, with Westfield's share including PLAZA CAMINO REAL. They rebranded it as WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN PLAZA CAMINO REAL in November 1998, dropping the "SHOPPINGTOWN" reference in June 2005.
Anchor rebrandings at WESTFIELD PLAZA CAMINO REAL commenced with the conversion of May Company, to Robinsons-May, on January 31, 1993. The Broadway and Bullock's stores were "Macy-ated" om May 31, 1996. The Broadway became a Women's Store, with Bullock's being refashioned into a Macy's Men's & Home Store. Robinsons-May was shuttered in March 2006. The building would sit vacant for 7 years.
Steve & Barry's University Sportswear opened in a West Wing space (adjacent to Sears) in September 2006. This store closed in late 2008, being replaced by Comics 'N Stuff. At this time, WESTFIELD PLAZA CAMINO REAL housed 148 stores and services. Its "Down Under" proprietors announced a plan for its revitalization in 2009, which ended up being delayed by The Great Recession.
The renovation would have converted the vacant Robinsons-May into a megaplex cinema. A "Dining Terrace," new specialty shops and three freestanding restaurants would also have been built. In addition, the 1980s-vintage interior and exterior would have been given an upgrade. Work was scheduled to get underway in early 2011.
However, Westfield delayed remodeling its PLAZA property and invested heavily in the renovation of two other Greater San Diego shopping hubs, namely WESTFIELD UTC (University Towne Centre) and WESTFIELD NORTH COUNTY.
In June 2013, Westfield announced plans for the long-delayed renovation of WESTFIELD PLAZA CAMINO REAL. The first phase would entail repurposing the vacant May Company structure, which would be slightly expanded and divided into five tenant spaces. The first would house a San Ramon, California-based 24 Hour Fitness, utilizing 40,000 square feet as a SuperSport-format club. This would include a basketball court, state-of-the-art training area, lap pool and exterior aquatic area. Work commenced in late 2013, with the facility opening to the public on October 25, 2014.
The second May Company section became the Regal Carlsbad 12. It replaced the Plaza Camino Real 5, which was shuttered in November 2014. The new Regal megaplex showed first features on December 11, 2014. The cinema was joined by an adjacent restaurant Streetscape, which featured Pizza Press, Panera Bread, Luna Grill and Peet's Coffee & Tea.
A subsequent renovation of the remainder of the mall was announced in April 2014. This 200 million dollar project would entail tearing the roof off the entire shopping concourse and creating an upscale "coastal beach chic" shopping and entertainment complex. This would be completely open-air. It would be divided into five "zones"; Ocean, Sandbar, Wave, Lagoon and Bluff & Flats. Amenities such as a Restaurant Row and Dining Terrace, microbrewery, bowling alley, virtual reality attraction, gourmet grocer and pharmacy were mentioned as possible tenants.
However, Westfield delayed remodeling its PLAZA property and invested heavily in the renovation of two other Greater San Diego shopping hubs, namely WESTFIELD UTC (University Towne Centre) and WESTFIELD NORTH COUNTY.
In June 2013, Westfield announced plans for the long-delayed renovation of WESTFIELD PLAZA CAMINO REAL. The first phase would entail repurposing the vacant May Company structure, which would be slightly expanded and divided into five tenant spaces. The first would house a San Ramon, California-based 24 Hour Fitness, utilizing 40,000 square feet as a SuperSport-format club. This would include a basketball court, state-of-the-art training area, lap pool and exterior aquatic area. Work commenced in late 2013, with the facility opening to the public on October 25, 2014.
The second May Company section became the Regal Carlsbad 12. It replaced the Plaza Camino Real 5, which was shuttered in November 2014. The new Regal megaplex showed first features on December 11, 2014. The cinema was joined by an adjacent restaurant Streetscape, which featured Pizza Press, Panera Bread, Luna Grill and Peet's Coffee & Tea.
A subsequent renovation of the remainder of the mall was announced in April 2014. This 200 million dollar project would entail tearing the roof off the entire shopping concourse and creating an upscale "coastal beach chic" shopping and entertainment complex. This would be completely open-air. It would be divided into five "zones"; Ocean, Sandbar, Wave, Lagoon and Bluff & Flats. Amenities such as a Restaurant Row and Dining Terrace, microbrewery, bowling alley, virtual reality attraction, gourmet grocer and pharmacy were mentioned as possible tenants.
Government approval was granted for the second phase renovation, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2015. However, the start of the project was delayed. In the meantime, a new mall moniker was bestowed; WESTFIELD CARLSBAD.
In a complete turn of events, Westfield sold "CARLSBAD MALL" in November 2015, with New York City-based Rouse Properties taking the helm. They changed the name of the mall again; its second official name change since 2014. The complex would be known, henceforth, as THE SHOPPES AT CARLSBAD.
Rouse Properties was sold in July 2016 to Toronto's Brookfield Asset Management. A subsidiary company, known as Brookfield Property Partners, assumed ownership and management of the Rouse portfolio. Brookfield revised THE SHOPPES AT CARLSBAD renovation plan. The roof over the mallway would be retained. Interior and exterior spaces would be given "comprehensive cosmetic upgrades" and several new stores and restaurants would be added.
The first of these, Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe, held its grand opening in January 2017. New The Cheesecake Factory, Yard House restaurant and Zara stores followed in November and December. Foot Locker and Texas de Brazil began business in October and November 2018. A (24,000 square foot) Forever 21 welcomed first shoppers on November 17, 2018.
Rouse Properties was sold in July 2016 to Toronto's Brookfield Asset Management. A subsidiary company, known as Brookfield Property Partners, assumed ownership and management of the Rouse portfolio. Brookfield revised THE SHOPPES AT CARLSBAD renovation plan. The roof over the mallway would be retained. Interior and exterior spaces would be given "comprehensive cosmetic upgrades" and several new stores and restaurants would be added.
The first of these, Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe, held its grand opening in January 2017. New The Cheesecake Factory, Yard House restaurant and Zara stores followed in November and December. Foot Locker and Texas de Brazil began business in October and November 2018. A (24,000 square foot) Forever 21 welcomed first shoppers on November 17, 2018.
Sources:
The Los Angeles Times
The San Diego Union Tribune
The Times-Advocate (Escondido, California)
http://www.westfield.com / The Westfield Group)
http://www.westcoastroads.com
www.cinematreasures.org
www.utssandiego.com
http://www.sandiego.com
http://www.eyecorp.com
http://www.signonsandiego.com
The Los Angeles Times
The San Diego Union Tribune
The Times-Advocate (Escondido, California)
http://www.westfield.com / The Westfield Group)
http://www.westcoastroads.com
www.cinematreasures.org
www.utssandiego.com
http://www.sandiego.com
http://www.eyecorp.com
http://www.signonsandiego.com
