Palisades Village, the high-end open‑air retail district in Pacific Palisades, will reopen Aug. 15, more than 18 months after sustaining damage in the historic fires that blazed through greater Los Angeles in January 2025.
Rebuilding cost roughly $100M, according to the property’s owner and developer, Rick Caruso.
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The 125K SF shopping center was one of nearly 7,000 structures damaged during the Palisades fire, and it required a renovation that included removing contaminants and rebuilding walls, systems and interiors, the Los Angeles Times reported. The $200M property was completed in 2018 and has been closed since the fire.
Local operators from longtime fashion designer Elyse Walker to neighborhood shops like Loomey’s Toys are using the center as a landing spot after losing their original storefronts. Local chefs are opening new restaurants, bringing the property to 99% occupied.
Roughly 30% of the mall’s customer base was impacted by the fires, Caruso told the Times. He said he hopes the reopened space will draw those who still live in Santa Monica, Brentwood and Malibu, as well as in other parts of the sprawling Los Angeles area.
Caruso is planning a quiet, soft reopening rather than a big celebration as the community continues to rebuild, but locals interviewed by the Times said they are hopeful the mall’s return can serve as a milestone in the recovery effort.
Rebuilding efforts have moved slowly across the affected areas, which also include Pasadena and Altadena on LA’s east side, where the Eaton fire chewed through another 9,000 structures.
In the Palisades area, permits have been issued for the reconstruction of just over 1,400 properties, but only 28 homes have been approved for occupancy, Fox11 reported.
Roughly 1% of homes destroyed by the Eaton fire have been rebuilt, CBS reported this week, and commercial rebuilding in areas like Altadena’s Lake Avenue has been held up by slow cleanup and insurance payouts.
Last month, Los Angeles County announced a new program aimed at speeding permitting for Altadena rebuilding efforts, the latest in a slate of state and local efforts to help those most impacted by the fires.
