RETAIL MAKEOVER

How to make your shopping center more competitive in multicultural Orange County? Nadel Architects VP Greg Lyon, whose firm recently redesigned the 320k SF Heritage Plaza in Irvine, has a few thoughts. “Today’s successful retail centers consider shifting cultural demographics and adapt appropriately,” Greg says. Important to the task is fostering the sense that the property is a meeting place— something US malls haven’t traditionally done (except inadvertently in the case of teenagers).

For Heritage Plaza, the design strategy included the integration of public spaces and common areas that create opportunities for social interaction and produce new experiences that will drive attendance, increase length of stay, and enhance return visits, Greg explains. Tenant mix is important, too. As part of the redevelopment plan, owner Regency Centers brought in Mitsuwa Marketplace, the nation’s largest Japanese supermarket, as the junior anchor.