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Shopping Centers Today -> May 2002
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FALLBROOK BEGINS THIRD LIFE AS A POWER CENTER
By Donna Mitchell
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| From open-air center, to enclosed mall, to power center, Fallbrook carries on. |
Fallbrook Mall is a poster child for the industry’s Darwinian mantra that to survive you must adapt.
The West Hills, Calif., center began life as an open-air project when it was built in the 1950s, a time when customers saw shopping expeditions as an opportunity to meet their neighbors. Fallbrook was one of three centers in the San Fernando area back then.
But over time Fallbrook lost its luster. In 1985 General Growth Properties, Chicago, bought the property, which by then had 120 stores. It enclosed the center and installed a food court and skylights in an effort to entice shoppers to stay longer. The conversion, which expanded the center to 1 million square feet, was regarded as an innovative move and a big deal for its day, said General Growth officials.
For a while, it worked. But as spiffier centers began cropping up around Fallbrook Mall, including Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga, Canoga Park, and North Ridge (Calif.) Fashion Center, it lost its hold on the market, drawing fewer local shoppers. “What we saw was a lack of growth,” said Alex Liftis, General Growth’s senior development director. Though anchored by Kmart, Mervyn’s and Target, the center needed to offer something distinctly different from its competitors.
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So General Growth has decided to turn Fallbrook into a power center; it will be renamed Fallbrook Center. Major tenants when the conversion is completed late next year will include Designer Shoe Warehouse and Linens ’n Things. Liftis said the REIT is “striving to have a collection of the best of the best in value retailing.” More people are looking for value-oriented retailers, she added.
The mall will not be completely razed, however. Mervyn’s and Target will remain as anchor tenants and stay open while the work, which began late last year, is in progress. Keeping the old anchors will help Fallbrook Center retain some of its current identity, officials said. They will be joined by Home Depot and Kohl’s. Some retailers, such as Ross and Old Navy, will be expanded and relocated.
New retailers include Laemmle Theaters, a seven-screen theater showing first-run art films, which opened in December. Henry’s Marketplace and Party City will also be opening there. At press time General Growth was still seeking additional tenants.
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