Malls · California
Village at Buena Park
Active redevelopment of 1.1M sq ft mall site into mixed-use (housing/park/retail), approved and under construction, with regional context showing similar projects. · summary, model-written
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile11 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Sears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisRetrofit in the pipeline
This site: …under construction record · all sites with this3+ other atlas sites within 10 km
This site: 7 within 10 km computed · all sites with thisCounty permitting 2,000+ apartment units a year
This site: 3,839 units, Orange County census-bps · all sites with thisCounty typical rent $2,000+
This site: $3,251/mo zillow · all sites with thisShrinking county
This site: -0.0% census-acs · all sites with this1M+ sq ft GLA
This site: 1,100,000 sq ft newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisRedeveloped
This site: record · all sites with thisHousing
This site: …new_use field record · all sites with thisPark and open space
This site: Approved by Buena Park City Council. record · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field record · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Under constructionWikipedia no source |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopment, under constructionWikipedia no source |
| New uses | housing, park, retailWikipedia no source |
| Redeveloper | Merlone Geier Partnersnewtypes-extraction reported |
Planning
| Zoning change | new mixed-use overlay zones that allow residential development at densities of 45, 60, and up to 100 units per acre on eligible sitesnewtypes-extraction reported |
|---|---|
| Entitlement year | 2023Wikipedia no source |
| Planning notes | Approved by Buena Park City Council.Wikipedia no source |
Site context
| Housing permits, Orange County (CA), 2024 | 3,839 units in 5+ unit buildings, 462 in 2–4, 2,671 single-family; 2023: 3,440 in 5+Census BPS |
|---|---|
| Other atlas sites nearby | 7 within 10 km, 23 within 25 km: 5600 Beach Boulevard: Shopoff and Lennar on the Former Amway Campus (0.0 km); La Mirada Mall (2.1 km); Buena Park Downtown (3.9 km); La Habra Fashion Square (5.3 km); Whittwood Mall (7.1 km)computed |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 142,472 jobs in 9,812 establishments; average annual pay $51,666; employment location quotient 0.87; employment -1.1% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 2,021 jobs; 286 in retail trade, 377 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 06059110607)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 50th income percentile as adults; 1.8% incarcerated at the 2010 count (471 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 13.5%; median family income $77,455; 60 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Fullerton Joint Union High School District (09-12); 3 public schools within 1 mile: Gordon H. Beatty Middle; Charles G. Emery Elementary; Carl E. Gilbert ElementaryNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 70 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 140 county-logged events: 49 flood, 43 heavy rain, 24 flash flood, 10 thunderstorm wind; $1,361,500 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 90621, 2026-09 | median list price $872,175 (-1.0% on the year); 33 active listings; median 52 days on market; 15% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 9,840 establishments (+5%); 146,724 jobs (+3%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $1.2M (+3% 1 yr, +37% 5 yr); typical rent $3,251/mo (+3% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 21,347 vehicles a day (minor arterial, 2 lanes); 15 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Village at Buena Park (1.1M sq ft regional mall) is under construction as a mixed-use redevelopment (housing, park, retail). Developer Merlone Geier Partners secured zoning changes in 2023 allowing 45–100 units/acre, approved by Buena Park City Council. Status: under construction. Nearby context includes 7 sites within 10km (e.g., Buena Park Downtown under construction 3.9km away). Peer projects include La Mirada Mall (2km, redeveloping). Missing: completion timeline, exact housing units, retail tenant details. Verified status: draft.
Why. Record shows active entitlement (2023 zoning), current construction, and alignment with regional redevelopment trends. No market demand data or financials provided.
Where it stands. Project is in active development phase with city approval, but specific outcomes (housing density, retail mix) remain unknown per record.
For a planner
- Zoning change approved for residential density (45–100 units/acre)
- City Council approval secured
- Nearby projects indicate regional redevelopment trend
For a developer
- 1.1M sq ft GLA site
- Mixed-use strategy confirmed
- Under construction (reducing market risk)
What we do not know yet
- No completion date
- No housing unit targets
- No retail tenant details
- Zoning density not yet implemented
Generated by qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest on Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b) from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Buena Park Downtown, Buena Park, CA · Malls · similar GLA (1,100,000 sq ft); same strategy: redevelop; also in CA
- Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Los Angeles, CA · Malls · similar GLA (870,000 sq ft); same strategy: redevelop; also in CA
- Plaza Pasadena, Pasadena, CA · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in CA; 32 km away
- La Mirada Mall, La Mirada, CA · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in CA; 2 km away
Elsewhere on the web
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
- 1,100,000 sq ft GLA (large site)
- median rent $2,352
- housing in the record
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Gross leasable area | 1,100,000 sq ftnewtypes-extraction |
|---|---|
| Anchors | Sears |
| County | Orange County |
| Census division | 9 · Pacific |
| Notes | Draft from ocrealestateinc.com, model-extracted, unreviewed: The Village at Buena Park is redeveloping the 1.1 million square foot Buena Park Downtown mall into a mixed-use community with 1,478 housing units and a 1-acre park, with construction underway in 2026. |
Not yet recorded: acres, year opened, original developer, what is there now, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Timeline
- 2023 City Council approved the project unanimously
- 2026 Demolition of the former Sears building and auto center began
Sources
- Buena Park New Development: Beach Blvd Housing Guide 2026
3 quoted sentences
The Village at Buena Park
The City Council approved the project unanimously on June 27, 2023.
Demolition of the former Sears building and auto center, which had been vacant since the chain's 2020 closure, began in early 2026.