South Coast Plaza

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South Coast Plaza

parking garage
Website	www.southcoastplaza.com

South Coast Plaza is a regional shopping mall in Costa Mesa, California. The largest shopping center on the West Coast of the United States, its pre-COVID sales of over $1.5 billion annually were the highest in the United States.^[1] Its 275 retailers represent the highest concentration of design fashion retail in the U.S., with the second highest sales-volume in California at $800 per square foot ($8,600/m²)—second only to Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose-Santa Clara, at $809 per square foot ($8,710/m²). The national average is $411 per square foot ($4,420/m²). The mall is anchored by three Macy's stores, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue. South Coast Plaza is the largest shopping mall in California and the 4th largest in the United States.^[2]

History

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In March 1967, members of the Segerstrom family, most notably, Harold (Hal) T. Segerstrom, Jr. and cousin,

The success of the center brought rapid expansion: an additional wing with Bullock's in 1973, I. Magnin in 1977, Nordstrom in 1978, and Saks Fifth Avenue in 1979. The opening of the Nordstrom store is considered a seminal event as it was the first Nordstrom store outside of the Pacific Northwest and marked the West Coast and later the nationwide expansion of its chain.

In 1986, the center began opening its largest expansion, with Nordstrom replacing its store with a new location twice the size of the original in May, and the addition of a free-standing wing across Bear Street, identified as "Crystal Court" and anchored by

that opened in fall 1988. The Crystal Court standalone wing never performed as well as the original center, its separation due both to land restrictions and the fact that May Co. and The Broadway routinely refused to allow each other to build stores at their existing centers, which explains the proximity of so many competing malls throughout Southern California.

In 1991, the I. Magnin location was closed by I. Magnin's new owner, Federated Department Stores and reopened as the first standalone

division in 1996, it opted to not convert Broadway's Crystal Court location to Bloomingdale's.

Another $100,000,000 renovation and reconfiguring of the center came in 2000, with Robinsons-May closing its Crystal Court location and expanding the original May Co. store. The separate Crystal Court name was dropped and the free-standing wing, now called the west wing, was joined to the original center by a 600-foot (180 m)-long pedestrian bridge across Bear Street. The west side was reoriented toward home furnishings, anchored by the former Broadway store, which was refurbished as Macy's Home and Furniture. The former J. W. Robinson's store was redeveloped as center space at the time, housing primarily

]

In March 2006, the

in May 2007.

South Coast Plaza is still privately held by the Segerstrom family (and the second largest family-owned center in the United States behind the Mall of America), and so is one of the few shopping centers in the United States that have not been purchased by a Real estate investment trust/REIT.

Sandra (Sandy) Segerstrom Daniels a Managing Partner of C. J. Segerstrom & Sons, founded the Festival of Children Foundation in 2002. The foundation hosts the annual Festival of Children at South Coast Plaza each September.^{[citation needed]}

Festival of Children coincides with the foundation's efforts to recognize September as National Child Awareness Month.^{[further explanation needed]}

Architecture

South Coast Plaza has always had a strong design element in its building. One of the most striking additions to the mall was the angular 1973

. There are also carousels placed in wide rest areas.

In 2006, Anton Segerstrom decided that the center was well overdue for a remodeling and brought in Bentley Management Group as the project manager and Gruen Associates as the architect. Howard S. Wright was selected as the general contractor and construction began in summer 2006 on a $30 million remodeling project to update the center. South Coast Plaza underwent an intense makeover, with Italian ivory marble replacing the original burgundy tile floors, and travertine to surround new water and fountain features. Modern and contemporary oil-rubbed bronze replaced the dated brass side railings and all door/elevator hardware including a glass elevator. Construction began in the Bloomingdale's wing, and was completed in time for the 40th anniversary of South Coast Plaza, in the Fall of 2007, just one year later. This is the largest remodel for the center since the construction of the Bridge of Gardens connecting the main building with the Crystal Court in 1999, and the exterior/interior remodel of the West building.^{[citation needed]}

Today

South Coast Plaza continuously brings in approximately 24 million visitors annually. The shopping center has about 2.8 million square feet (260 thousand square meters) of

In 2004, South Coast Plaza received the Federal Trademark as "The Ultimate Shopping Resort".^[citation needed]

A number of luxury brands have chosen South Coast Plaza as one of their few (and for some brands, their only) store locations.

also opened a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) showroom in 2002.

Since 2007, South Coast Plaza has held "Fashion Plates", an annual 10-day Restaurant Week-like promotion of its high-end restaurants at discounted rates.^[8]

In 2014, Taiwan-based chain Din Tai Fung opened a location in the Sears Wing.^[9]

In 2016, Italian designer brand, WEEKEND MaxMara, opened its freestanding store in California.

In July 2017, the Sears store was sold to the mall owners.^[10]

On October 15, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 142 stores nationwide.^[11] The Sears anchor was closed permanently on January 1, 2019, making it the last original anchor store to close in the mall.

In 2019, Furla opened a new store at South Coast Plaza. This was the company’s first store to open in California.^[12]

In August 2020, South Coast Plaza reopened after an extended closure due to COVID-19 with additional safety measures, including social distancing requirements and more frequent cleaning of this. ^[13]

In 2021, new stores that opened included Thom Browne, Ganni, Untuckit, Louis Vuitton California Dream, Psycho Bunny, Loewe, Sock Harbor, and Nectar Bath Treats.^[14]

In late 2023, Paris-based brand Balenciaga, opens a larger Store, making it on a SoCal roll posing more than 9,500 square feet of space that surpasses two stories. This store has the potential to create the illusion of a liminal both indoor and outdoor space, and imported “raw architecture” style unveiled from Hamburg, Germany. It plans to reveal 2024 men’s and women’s collection, with architectural look containing less virgin materials.^[15]

In early 2024, it is announced that 30 new boutiques, such numerically as Alaia, Amiri, Mejuri, and Santa Maria Novella, would open in this shopping mall, while earliest luxury brands return, which is Courrèges. Additionally, newly designed and relocated Giorgio Armani boutique that is designed by himself, would feature a coffee bar. Balmain also debuted its flagship boutique. Palm Angels, opens with cachet to the Din Tai Fung wing. These are debuted by international fashion group OTB.^[16]

Location

The center is adjacent to

.

See also

• List of the world's largest shopping malls
• List of largest shopping malls in the United States

References

External links

• "California Scenario", sculptured plaza by Isamu Noguchi, poem