New Malls, Renovations Planned

Despite all the energy--and anxiety--around so-called click-and-mortar businesses, brick-and-mortar stores still rule in Orange County.

R.D. Olson Construction in Irvine is building a 135,000-square-foot shopping hub for residents of the Oak Creek community. Located at Jeffrey Road and Alton Parkway, the single-story center will become home to a Gelson’s market and as many as 25 other tenants.

The $11.5-million project should be complete in August.

Meanwhile, existing retail centers are sprucing up.

Placentia Town Center is undergoing a $1.2-million renovation to make sure it “remains competitive in this dynamic marketplace,” Michele Babcock, leasing vice president for center owner Donahue Schriber in Newport Beach, said in a statement.

Storefronts will be shifted forward to make them flush with mall anchors Sav-on and Office Max, and the 21-year-old center’s exterior will be prettied up with new architectural features, fresh paint and upgraded lights and signs.

The 192,000-square-foot center, at Yorba Linda and Kraemer boulevards, is seeking some mini-anchors to lease some of the space. Existing stores remain open during the holidays, and work should be finished in March.