Mall Expansion in Capistrano to Start Soon

Construction of the $18-million addition to the Franciscan Plaza shopping center in San Juan Capistrano is scheduled to begin late this month or in early September, with a spring completion, according to owner/developer Paul L. Farber.

The expansion will add 50,000 square feet of retail space to the 10,000-square-foot center. It is located less than a block from Mission San Juan Capistrano--a tourist attraction that draws more than 500,000 visitors a year to the southern Orange County community, he said.

The first phase of the expansion, designed by Blair Ballard & Associates, San Juan Capistrano, includes a five-screen Edwards Cinema theater and 22,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The second phase will include 19,500 square feet of retail space on two levels, as well as a four-level, 410-space parking structure.