ANAHEIM : Mall May Become Discount Center

Owners of the failing Anaheim Plaza have given their endorsement to plans that would transform the county’s oldest mall into a discount shopping center.

The California State Teachers Retirement System, or CALSTRS, announced its support for the redevelopment project Thursday in a written statement that also indicated that commitments from major tenants have yet to be obtained.

“We continue to believe the proposed plan is a good solution for CALSTRS and the community,” said Jim Mosman, the retirement system’s chief executive officer. “Substantial progress has been made.”

Under the proposed plan, much of the mall would be torn down and the shopping center would be anchored by the existing Mervyn’s Department Store.

Other future tenants would include a possible grocery chain and other discount and specialty shops. City redevelopment officials said negotiations are underway to lure additional tenants to the center.

The plaza enjoyed much success throughout the 1960s, and a renovation in the early ‘70s kept the crowds coming. But age and the rapid development of more modern malls in surrounding cities meant hard times in subsequent years.

In 1987, Robinson’s department store closed its plaza store in favor of a better location in MainPlace/Santa Ana, starting a series of painful defections from which the mall and its remaining retailers could not recover.