Retrofit Atlas

Malls · California

Laguna Hills Mall

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedDemolishedLaguna Hills, CA

Opened 1973. Closed 2018. Redeveloped.

Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023.

en.wikipedia.org

What it becamehotel, entertainment, housing, office, park, retailextracted, unreviewed reported
Retrofit yearNot yet retrofittedstatus reported
Walkability15.8 of 20 · 15-minute 5 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Claim this site Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.

Laguna Hills Mall
Exterior view of a shopping center entrance with large signage and palm trees. · verified by a vision model. Photo: Buchanan-Hermit, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile22 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
SearsThis site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
Website dead or redirectingThis site: …http://www.lagunahillssales.com overture / http check · all sites with this
Place
100k+ jobs within 45 min by transitThis site: 103,083 epa-walkability · all sites with this
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 40,980 on a counted road fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Bike network nearbyThis site: 93 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this
County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a yearThis site: 3,839 units, Orange County census-bps · all sites with this
County typical rent $2,000+This site: $3,251/mo zillow · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 9 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
High earthquake riskThis site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with this
High inland flooding riskThis site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with this
High natural hazard risk (FEMA NRI)This site: Relatively High; inland flooding, earthquake fema-nri · all sites with this
Shrinking countyThis site: -0.0% census-acs · all sites with this
Tract income up 60%+ since 2013This site: +92% census-acs · all sites with this
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)This site: …index 15.8 epa-walkability · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: Exterior stores remain open. extraction · all sites with this
New use
Entertainment and sportsThis site: …ections, a 988-unit apartment complex, a multi-screen movie theater, new signage, and a 1,500-space parking structure. extraction · all sites with this
HotelThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
HousingThis site: include pedestrian plazas, new retail sections, a 988-unit apartment complex, a multi-screen movie theater, new signage, and a 1 extraction · all sites with this
OfficeThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
Park and open spaceThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
Retail (continued)This site: …remain open. The renovations include pedestrian plazas, new retail sections, a 988-unit apartment complex, a multi-screen movi extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023.

en.wikipedia.org

StrategyRedevelopedextracted, unreviewed
documented
Laguna Hills Mall was a shopping mall in Laguna Hills, California, United States, in southern Orange County that is being redeveloped into a lifestyle center by the owners as Village at Laguna Hills.

en.wikipedia.org

New useshotel, entertainment, housing, office, park, retailextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there nowExterior stores remain open.extracted, unreviewed
documented
The exterior stores remain open.

en.wikipedia.org

RedeveloperMerlone Geier Partnersextracted, unreviewed reported

Planning

Planning notesThe renovations include pedestrian plazas, new retail sections, a 988-unit apartment complex, a multi-screen movie theater, new signage, and a 1,500-space parking structure.extracted, unreviewed reported

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
2014Sold—Merlone Geier PartnersWikipedia
2013Sold—Merlone Geier Partners ← Simon Property GroupWikipedia

Securitised debt and public filers

Filings (2001 to date) that name “Laguna Hills Mall” and “Laguna Hills” (152 hits, first 100 sampled, 3 other filers such as tenants left out). A strong match to a commercial-mortgage trust means the mall very likely backed, or backs, a securitised loan; several trusts usually means one loan split into pari-passu notes. Earliest trust filing in the sample 2007-12-14 (a sample date, not the issuance date); candidate loan vintage 2007 from the trust name. Whether the loan is still in the pool, in special servicing or repaid is in the trust's monthly distribution reports, which are not searchable here. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.

KindFilerFilingsDatesForms
CMBS trust (strong)CD 2007-CD5 Mortgage Trust12007-12-14 to 2007-12-148-K 1
Public owner (strong)SIMON PROPERTY GROUP INC /DE/ (SPG, SPG-PJ)662002-05-17 to 2013-07-298-K 47, 10-K 18, 8-K/A 1
Public owner (strong)LEXINGTON CORPORATE PROPERTIES TRUST (LXP, LXP-PC)242003-03-24 to 2007-11-098-K 20, 10-K 4
Public owner (strong)SIMON PROPERTY GROUP L P /DE/22001-03-30 to 2002-04-0110-K 2
Public owner (weak)BEHRINGER HARVARD MULTIFAMILY REIT I INC12010-01-06 to 2010-01-068-K 1

As reported by the owner

Property tables from the owner's annual report (Form 10-K, Item 2) on EDGAR, one row per filing year. GLA, occupancy and anchors are the filer's own figures at that year end; “leased” counts signed leases, “occupied” counts open stores; ownership is the filer's share. Matched by name and place, unreviewed; the verbatim table row is in sec_facts.csv.

Year endFilerName in filingGLA sq ftOccupancyYearsShareSales psfAnchors listed
2009Simon Property Group 10-K, 2010-02-25Laguna Hills Mall Laguna Hills, CA
match: exact		865,17092.4% occupiedacquired 1997100.0%
Fee		Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, Laguna Hills Cinema, Nordstrom Rack, Total Woman Gym & Spa

Site context

Transit within 800 mno rail station; 6 bus stops within 400 mOpenStreetMap
Motorway junctions within 2 km90, 91, 92A, junctionOpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zoneno NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m45: 23961 CALLE DE LA MAGDALENA INVESTORS, LLC; 2401 SILVERBAY DR; 24095 GEMWOOD DR; 24396 HIGHPINE ROAD; 24412 HIGHPINE RDEPA FRS
Census tract 060590626474,671 people, 6,983 per sq mi; median household income $75,559; median gross rent $2,419; 46% renters; 13.1% vacant units; 1.6% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 15.8 of 20; 186 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 444 m; land-use mix 0.68; 195,119 jobs within 45 min by car, 103,083 by transit; 31% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)5 of 6 daily needs: 9 grocers, 0 schools, 5 parks or playgrounds, 8 health, 2 civic, 26 food and drink; 93 cycleway segments, 86 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity ZonenoHUD
Housing permits, Orange County (CA), 20243,839 units in 5+ unit buildings, 462 in 2–4, 2,671 single-family; 2023: 3,440 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.71; socioeconomic 0.48; housing and transport 0.91; 9% below 150% of poverty; 17% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby0 within 10 km, 3 within 25 kmcomputed
Overture Mapsplace Laguna Hills Mall Opt (software_development, confidence 0.99, from BrightQuery, Overture, Overture-signals); building footprint 4,407 m², 9.05 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and socialwww.lagunahillssales.com (down or redirecting, status 405)Overture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views77,787 since 2015; 4,944 in the last 12 months (-26% vs the prior 12); peak 2018-12 with 1,748Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +20% (3,896 → 4,671); median income +92% ($39,299 → $75,559); renters 34% → 46%; median home value +85% ($199,200 → $369,400)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively high overall (score 96.5); expected annual loss $3.4M; high: inland flooding, earthquake; community resilience very lowFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)142,472 jobs in 9,812 establishments; average annual pay $51,666; employment location quotient 0.87; employment -1.1% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 20224,410 jobs; 226 in retail trade, 549 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 06059062647)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 45th income percentile as adults; 0.8% incarcerated at the 2010 count (107 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 16.1%; median family income $64,508; 96 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsSaddleback Valley Unified School District (KG-12); 3 public schools within 1 mile: Ralph A. Gates DLI Magnet Elementary; Olivewood Elementary; La Tierra Early Childhood CenterNCES EDGE
Elevation355 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025140 county-logged events: 49 flood, 43 heavy rain, 24 flash flood, 10 thunderstorm wind; $1,361,500 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 92653, 2026-09median list price $1,199,950 (-21.3% on the year); 48 active listings; median 52 days on market; 28% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20239,840 establishments (+5%); 146,724 jobs (+3%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $1.2M (+3% 1 yr, +37% 5 yr); typical rent $3,251/mo (+3% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2021559 (2000 = 100); +16.7% 1 yr, +33% 5 yr, +85% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)40,980 vehicles a day (principal arterial, 2 lanes); 562 trucks; 29 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Laguna Hills Mall opened in 1973 in phases, with Sears as the first anchor. Over time it lost key anchors—Buffums in 1991, Sears in 2014, Macy's and JCPenney in 2018—leading to the enclosed mall's closure on December 31, 2018. The property was demolished in 2023 and is being redeveloped into a mixed‑use lifestyle center (Village at Laguna Hills) featuring housing, hotel, entertainment, office, retail and a park.

Why. The primary visible cause of decline was the sequential loss of anchor tenants, which reduced foot traffic and viability. No explicit competition, debt, or demolition causes are stated in the record.

Where it stands. The mall site is now demolished; exterior stores remain open and the property is controlled by Merlone Geier Partners, who acquired it from Simon Property Group in 2013.

For a planner

  • Precedent: conversion of a failed regional mall into a mixed‑use lifestyle center with housing and park space.
  • Policy tools noted: approved redevelopment strategy, under‑construction renovations, and a 988‑unit apartment complex.
  • Open questions: how the remaining exterior stores will be integrated, transit access provisions, and any affordable‑housing requirements.

For a developer

  • Site control: wholly owned by Merlone Geier Partners since 2013.
  • Entitlement stage: renovations began 2016, construction underway, approved plans for hotel, entertainment, housing, office, retail and park.
  • Constraints: context‑layer data (flood, transit, environment) not provided in the record.
  • Market signals: median rent $2,352 cited; housing component present in the redevelopment plan.

What we do not know yet

  • Exact site acreage or parcel breakdown is not given.
  • Current status and lease terms of the exterior stores that remain open are unspecified.
  • Environmental, flood‑plain, or transit‑access constraints are missing from the record.
  • Detailed timeline for completion of each phase (hotel, apartments, park) is not provided.
  • Financing structure or any public subsidies/incentives are not described.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Carousel Mall, San Bernardino, CA · Malls · opened 1972; closed 2017; same strategy: redevelop
  • DeSoto Square Mall, South Bradenton, FL · Malls · opened 1973; closed 2021; same strategy: redevelop
  • Eastland Mall, Columbus, OH · Malls · opened 1968; closed 2022; same strategy: redevelop
  • Euclid Square Mall, Euclid, OH · Malls · opened 1977; closed 2016; same strategy: redevelop

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • closed or demolished site (sourced)
  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • median rent $2,352
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened1973Wikidata
Closed2018extracted, unreviewed
documented
The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023.

en.wikipedia.org

AnchorsSears, J.C. Penney, Buffums, Broadway
CountyOrange County
Census division9 · Pacific
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, original developer, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Laguna Hills Mall was a shopping mall in Laguna Hills, California, United States, in southern Orange County that is being redeveloped into a lifestyle center by the owners as Village at Laguna Hills. The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023. The exterior stores remain open. A hotel, entertainment venues, apartments, office spaces and a community park will replace the mall.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1973 Opened (Wikidata)
  2. 1973 Mall opened in phases starting Spring 1973 with Sears as first anchor open.
  3. 1991 Buffums closed in May 1991.
  4. 1996 Broadway converted into Macy's in May 1996.
  5. 2013 Merlone Geier Partners purchased the property from Simon Property Group in May 2013.
  6. 2014 Sears anchor store closed in July 2014.
  7. 2016 Renovations started in 2016.
  8. 2018 Macy's closed in March 2018.
  9. 2018 JCPenney closed in October 2018.
  10. 2018 Mall closed on December 31, 2018.
  11. 2023 Mall completely demolished in 2023.

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Laguna Hills Mall · supports: after notes, status, strategy, year closed
    14 quoted sentences
    The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023.
    The exterior stores remain open.
    The enclosed mall closed on December 31, 2018, and was completely demolished in 2023.
    Laguna Hills Mall was a shopping mall in Laguna Hills, California, United States, in southern Orange County that is being redeveloped into a lifestyle center by the owners as Village at Laguna Hills.

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