Santa Ana’s City Place Redefines Lifestyle Center Idea
Friday, November 2nd, 2007
REAL ESTATE: Malls add outdoor areas, condos, restaurants to keep up
By Sherri Cruz
Orange County Business Journal Staff
They’re cuter. Smaller. And generally more fun.
And for years, traditional malls have been trying to evolve to keep up with them.
As more open-air lifestyle centers, such as City Place in Santa Ana, pop up around Orange County—often close to an enclosed regional mall—they bump up the standard for traditional malls to meet.
City Place is bringing that bar to a new level. The 18-acre mixed-use project, which is across from Westfield Group’s MainPlace, includes 60,000 square feet of restaurants and stores along with 242 lofts for people to live in and run their businesses out of.
The lofts are attracting boutique retailers who like the flexibility and the financial savings of the set up.
Dana Harvey recently opened Harveys boutique with his wife, Melanie, in a live and work loft at City Place. He said he priced leasing at the malls and it’s five times what he’s paying at City Place.
The Harveys had been doing well with their online store for their Harveys Industries Inc., selling stylish and sturdy handbags made out of seatbelts. But they wanted to open an actual store, he said.
With different rules at a live-work space, they have advantages over mall stores, such as flexible business hours, he said.
“We can create our own hours for the convenience of our customers,” he said.
Harveys held a couple of events that have lasted until midnight, not something it could’ve done at the mall.
Cedar to arrive today at Santa Ana’s City Place
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007
Forty-foot tree, to be planted at noon, expected to be site of ceremonies at urban living development.
By DENISSE SALAZAR
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SANTA ANA – The City Place development of townhouses, live-work lofts and retail will welcome it’s newest addition today – a 40-foot-tall deodar cedar that will be placed in the center of the parking lot.
The $30,000 tree was purchased in Fallbrook and is expected to be planted about noon across from MainPlace Mall and near the Santa Ana (I-5) and Orange (22) freeways.
“The mayor wanted to have a tree at this prominent location and have a tree-lighting ceremony during the holiday season,” said City Place partner Bill Hammerstein.
Preparations are under way for the arrival of the 40-year-old tree, which is expected to grow 10 to 30 feet more, said Richard Venya, the arboricultural broker who found the tree.
City Place, which broke ground in May 2005, is part of a countywide move to create urban living as an alternative to traditional suburban neighborhoods.
The first phase of the $125 million project, slated to be complete by the end of the year, includes 72 lofts, 104 townhouses and 57,700 square feet of retail, including restaurants and a gourmet grocery store.
So far, 81 dwellings ranging from 1,050 to 2,700 square feet have been sold, priced from the mid-$500,000s to the mid-$800,000s, Hammerstein said.
The second phase, consisting of a 27-story high-rise residential building, is expected to be built and its 355 condominiums sold by 2010, Hammerstein said.
McCormick & Schmick’s to open restaurant in Santa Ana’s City Place
Monday, January 15th, 2007
Portland Business Journal
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants Inc. will enter the Santa Ana, Calif., market with a new restaurant set to open in the second quarter.
The newest restaurant in the Portland-based chain will be situated in Santa Ana’s City Place, a mixed-use development under construction in the city’s northern district.
“Santa Ana is a very attractive market for McCormick & Schmick’s, as the city has undergone more than 25 years of redevelopment success, exhibiting a significant investment in the area’s economic growth,” said Doug Schmick, president and co-founder of McCormick and Schmick’s (NASDAQ: MSSR).
The chain operates 66 restaurants in 24 states.