A billboard outside MainPlace Mall has an advertisement that reads, “Something super duper exciting is coming. MainPlace 2.0 is coming.”
Dallas-based Centennial and its development partner, Los Angeles-based Lowe Enterprises, broke ground March 25 on a $250 million redevelopment that is transforming the once-thriving regional mall into a modern, mixed-use destination centered on food, entertainment, housing and community gathering space.
With visible dirt lots and construction fences around several areas, the Santa Ana mall—once home to top retailers such as Nordstrom and Crate & Barrel—continues its massive makeover.
The latest phase, anchored by a new 17,000-square-foot outdoor dining plaza and a 408-unit, 8-story residential apartment known as The Carina, is being positioned as the most significant step yet in reimagining the mall’s future, Steven Levin, CEO of Centennial, told the Business Journal.
Both projects are being developed on the former site of Nordstrom and a two-level parking garage, which were torn down last year.
“This is really the transformational piece,” said Levin during the groundbreaking of the project. “We’ve been working toward this for close to 10 years. It’s been complicated, but we’re here.”
According to CoStar, Affinius Capital LLC, the co-owner of MainPlace Mall with Centennial, recently contributed an additional $15.2 million in capital for the apartment project, which has secured $144 million in construction financing.
Mall Makeovers
The mall’s latest redevelopment project comes amid a growing trend across Southern California and the U.S., where obsolete malls are being reimagined as mixed-use districts that combine housing, dining and entertainment.
Simon Property Group last year completed its newest 119,000-square-foot outdoor plaza on the southwest side of the Brea Mall. The second phase of construction, which includes building a Life Time Fitness gym and completing a 50,000-square-foot Dick’s Sporting Goods as part of the mall’s revitalization. There are also plans to add a 380-unit apartment complex.
Last month, construction officially began at The Village at Buena Park, which will bring new apartments, townhomes and public spaces to the Buena Park Downtown Mall.
Shopoff Realty Investments will soon break ground to transform Westminster Mall into a mixed-use development with 2,250 housing units, a hotel and over 220,000 square feet of retail space.
MainPlace 2.0
MainPlace is the 25th-largest mall in Orange County, according to the latest Business Journal data. For the 12 months ended June 30, 2025, the mall reported $102.8 million in taxable sales, down 5.7% from the previous year.
Reimagination of the 39-year-old enclosed mall has been ongoing for a few years.
It began its official $500 million makeover in 2022 with the groundbreaking of Paloma, a 309-unit apartment community that marked the mall’s first residential addition.
The apartment community is fully stabilized, 96% leased, Rob Reitenour, senior vice president at Lowe, told the Business Journal
Reitenour said the next phase will fundamentally reshape the property from a traditional enclosed mall into a more open, experience-driven environment.
Officials describe the new 1.25-acre MainPlace Culinary District as an outdoor-oriented dining and gathering destination.
The area will feature three full-service restaurants, landscaped courtyards and a central gathering area intended to host events ranging from live performances to community programming.
Think Shakespeare in the Park, Levin told the Business Journal.
“It’s about creating a place where people want to spend time,” said Reitenour. “This will be a highly programmed space—think events, performances, and just a real sense of community.”
Residents at The Carina will overlook the open-air courtyard that leads to the restaurant and gathering areas.
For Levin, the shift reflects broader changes in how people interact with retail.
“Retail today is actually very solid,” he said. “But the key is you’ve got to have a good project. The best projects are the ones that are winning—and food and beverage is a big part of that.”
Santa Ana’s Gathering Spot
For Santa Ana Councilmember Jessie Lopez, the MainPlace mall has a special place in her heart.
Born and raised in Santa Ana, she recalls spending time with her friends and family at the mall. She recalls hanging out, dining at the food court and shopping for her quinceañera and prom dresses.
“I have memories of coming with my mom, with my little brother to the theater and trying different cuisines at the food court,” Lopez told the Business Journal at the ground-breaking. Lopez represents the city’s Ward 3, where the mall is located.
“The new addition will offer a new place for people to come and meet and build community,” she added.
Lopez and the developers say the investment in the mall has a much larger impact—it strengthens the mall’s economic role in Santa Ana.
By introducing new features and attracting high-performing tenants, the project will bring more people to shop and boost sales activity at the center, a key driver of local tax revenue, she said.
“When you bring in the right mix of uses, you’re able to attract tenants that generate higher sales per square foot,” Reitenour said. “That directly translates into increased sales tax revenue for the city.”
More people will want to live here, too, said Lopez.
The new Culinary District and apartment are slated for completion within 24 to 31 months, said Levin.
He’s excited that the more visible transformation is only now beginning.
“The real impact to the city and what people will see is going to happen over the next 24 months,” he said. “This has always been the vision. Now, we’re actually bringing it to life.”
