Buena Park Downtown
Encyclopedia
Buena Park Downtown, formerly Buena Park Mall, is an enclosed shopping mall
located on La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, California
, near the Knott's Berry Farm
theme park. Currently managed by Developers Diversified Realty, the mall is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond
, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ross Dress For Less
, Sears and Wal-Mart
. DDR also owns the adjacent Buena Park Place shopping center, which features Petsmart
, Office Depot
and Kohl's
as primary tenants.
As of 2007 it is the 20th largest mall in Orange County
around 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) of retail space. It has languished in sales, however; at $123 million, it brings in half of other malls its size, such as Simon Property Group
's Westminster Mall
and Westfield MainPlace
.
, anchored by JCPenney, Sears, and May Company California
. A United Artists
movie theater
opened in 1984, to close in 1999; the space has been converted for retail use. The May Company closed and was replaced with discount chain Fedco
The mall was neglected in the 1980s and 1990s even as the local retail market changed. In 1995 a group controlled by the Pritzker family
of Chicago
bought the mall for $41 million from Australia
's City Freeholds, Inc., and planned a $120 million renovation.
The modernization was stalled for several years. After FedCo closed, the leaseholder sought to sublet the space to Gigante
, a Mexican supermarket
chain, and opposed a major renovation. Target Corporation
, which had acquired FedCo in 1999, refused to allow the lease to be transferred to another discount retailer. Finally, in late 2001, the city of Buena Park itself paid $3.2 million to take over the Fedco lease and transfer it to Wal-Mart
, which now occupies the space. Completed in 2003, the renovation also replaced the former JC Penney with a new Krikorian Theaters multiplex.
Burlington Coat Factory
, a later addition, closed in 2005 and was replaced with Steve & Barry's
which closed in 2008. Tower Records
also operated in the mall until the demise of the chain in 2007. The Chicago eatery Portillo's opened their first Southern California outlet at the mall in 2005, next to the Pat & Oscar's, along the La Palma edge of the parking lot. Steve & Barry's closed in 2009. Circuit City was formerly one of the principal stores of Buena Park Place, but closed in 2009 due to its bankruptcy.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located on La Palma Avenue in Buena Park, California
Buena Park, California
Buena Park is a city in northwestern Orange County, California. As of Census 2010 the population was 80,530. The city is adjacent to the city of Anaheim and is 12 miles northwest of downtown Santa Ana. The Current OMB metropolitan designation for Buena Park and the Orange County Area is "Santa...
, near the Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm
Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park in Buena Park, California, now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, and a line of jams, jellies, preserves, and other specialty food, now part of The J. M. Smucker Company based in Placentia, California....
theme park. Currently managed by Developers Diversified Realty, the mall is anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ross Dress For Less
Ross Dress For Less
Ross Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
, Sears and Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
. DDR also owns the adjacent Buena Park Place shopping center, which features Petsmart
PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
, Office Depot
Office Depot
Office Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
and Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
as primary tenants.
As of 2007 it is the 20th largest mall in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
around 1100000 square feet (102,193.3 m²) of retail space. It has languished in sales, however; at $123 million, it brings in half of other malls its size, such as Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
's Westminster Mall
Westminster Mall (California)
Westminster Mall is an enclosed, two-level shopping mall in Westminster, California, United States. Opened in August 1974, the mall features Macy's, J.C. Penney, Sears and Target as its anchor stores. It is managed by Simon Property Group.-History:...
and Westfield MainPlace
Westfield MainPlace
Westfield MainPlace, formerly known as MainPlace Santa Ana and sometimes colloquially as Main Place Mall, is an indoor tri-level, shopping center located on the far north side of Santa Ana, California...
.
History
Built in 1961, the Buena Park Mall was one of the first malls in Orange CountyOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, anchored by JCPenney, Sears, and May Company California
May Company California
May Company California was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California. It was a subsidiary of May Department Stores and merged with May's other Southern California subsidiary, J. W...
. A United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
opened in 1984, to close in 1999; the space has been converted for retail use. The May Company closed and was replaced with discount chain Fedco
Fedco
Federal Employees' Distributing Company, known as Fedco, was a membership department store chain that operated in Southern California from 1948 to 1999.-Beginning:...
The mall was neglected in the 1980s and 1990s even as the local retail market changed. In 1995 a group controlled by the Pritzker family
Pritzker family
The Pritzker family is one of America's wealthiest families, and has been near the top of Forbes magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the magazine began in 1982....
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
bought the mall for $41 million from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's City Freeholds, Inc., and planned a $120 million renovation.
The modernization was stalled for several years. After FedCo closed, the leaseholder sought to sublet the space to Gigante
Supermercados Gigante
Supermercados Gigante was a large supermarket chain in Mexico. The chain expanded north of the border as well, as it also had locations in predominantly working-class Mexican-American communities of the United States....
, a Mexican supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain, and opposed a major renovation. Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, which had acquired FedCo in 1999, refused to allow the lease to be transferred to another discount retailer. Finally, in late 2001, the city of Buena Park itself paid $3.2 million to take over the Fedco lease and transfer it to Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, which now occupies the space. Completed in 2003, the renovation also replaced the former JC Penney with a new Krikorian Theaters multiplex.
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, a later addition, closed in 2005 and was replaced with Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
which closed in 2008. Tower Records
Tower Records
Tower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
also operated in the mall until the demise of the chain in 2007. The Chicago eatery Portillo's opened their first Southern California outlet at the mall in 2005, next to the Pat & Oscar's, along the La Palma edge of the parking lot. Steve & Barry's closed in 2009. Circuit City was formerly one of the principal stores of Buena Park Place, but closed in 2009 due to its bankruptcy.