Business & Tech

$5 Million Renovation At Lake Elsinore Outlets Gets Green Light

During Tuesday night's regularly scheduled Lake Elsinore Planning Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously green-lighted the renovation project, which now moves to city council for approval.

One of the old buildings at the Lake Elsinore Outlets is now just a pile of rubble, and if all goes as planned the aging mall will have a very new look by summer of 2014, according to the current property manager.

During Tuesday night’s regularly scheduled Lake Elsinore Planning Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously green-lighted the renovation project, which now moves to city council for approval.

Mohr Affinity LLC owns the 1990s-era mall and is planning to spend approximately $5 million on the upgrades.

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“We know what we need to do to attract tenants to come back here,” said Jeff Lochner, vice president of Athena Property Management, the company hired by Mohr to oversee mall operations.

According to Lake Elsinore Outlets general manager Jennifer Sulpizio, there are about 50 tenants currently leasing in the center with a total capacity of approximately 25 more.

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Both Lochner and Sulpizio said existing tenants are extremely excited about the proposed renovations.

In March, it was announced to the public that Athena had hired HTH Architects of Los Angeles for the redesign. At that time, HTH President Mark Tweed presented his vision to the planning commission and received a positive response to his overhaul concept, which calls for super-sized graphics to be hung at the mall, shade to be installed, areas to lounge and "hang out," landscaping and water sculptures designed to bring the aging center up to date. (Click on the attached artist renderings to see the planned mall upgrades.)

The teardowns currently underway are designed to create more inviting mall entrances.

The primary concern raised Tuesday night by the commissioners was the proposed mall signage. A major component of the redesign is the use of super-sized graphics hung at the mall parallel to the 15 Freeway. The 1,000 feet of contiguous signage is designed to attract motorists to the outlets, Lochner said. There will be additional oversized signs erected throughout the property.

The commissioners were concerned about a stipulation that allows Athena to lease advertising space on the signs to third parties who may not be Lake Elsinore Outlets tenants.

“ ‘Third party’ is wide open – generic. It’s extremely broad,” said commissioner David Blake.

The commissioners worried lucrative advertising profits could overrule mall aesthetics, and out-of-town businesses that advertise could lure motorists out of Lake Elsinore.

“I would not be in favor of that,” Vice Commission Chair Mike O’Neal said.

In their final approval on all items pertaining to the renovation, the commissioners conceded the signage issue.

After Tuesday night’s meeting, Lochner said the goal of the signs is first and foremost to attract shoppers to the Lake Elsinore Outlets.

The signs will be attractive, and will promote the design vision and the mall, he said.

Commissioner Shelly Jordan was absent Tuesday night.


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