ARTIST’S RENDERING of the proposed new Bolsa Pacific at Westminster, which could replace the existing Westminster Mall (Shopoff Realty).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

Back in 1974 when Gerald Ford was president and the Rams still played in the Coliseum, the newest and hottest shopping attraction in Orange County was the Westminster Mall.

Anchored by four department stores it was – for a while – the biggest mall in the county and for miles around. It prospered for decades, but a half-century later, changing buying habits and lifestyles left it full of vacancies and old memories.

A 2.5-ACRES of green space would be part of the new Bolsa Pacific project.

This week, plans for the renamed and mostly redone 26-acre Bolsa Pacific at Westminster were rolled out by developer Shopoff Realty Investments, based in Irvine.

The new project, located on the site of the existing mall, will be a mixed-use enterprise, featuring:

• Over 1,000 apartments across three five-story buildings and 100 townhomes for purchase
• 2.5-acres of green space, including an amphitheater, dog park, pickle-ball courts and food kiosks
• A new 175-room hotel
• About 25,000 square feet of new retail stores and a food hall

“We are envisioning a vibrant center where housing, hospitality, retail and nature come together,” said William A. Shopoff, president and CEO of Shopoff Realty Investments.

The mall will be “bookended” with two parcels: the former and now empty Sears building and the current Macy’s. The Target store will remain.

The next step for Bolsa Pacific – located at Bolsa Avenue and Goldenwest Street adjacent to the San Diego (405) Freeway – will be to seek community feedback, develop plans and seek approval on agreements and conditions. The project is expected to go before the Westminster City Council for approval in December 2024, with ground-breaking anticipated in 2025.

For more details, go to bolsapacific.com .