Borders Bookstore Will Debut at New Mission Viejo Mall

Borders Inc., a national chain of book and music super-stores owned by Kmart Corp., will open its first store in Orange County, possibly as early as midsummer, the Mission Viejo Co. said Thursday.

Borders, whose mega-bookstores are popular in other areas of the nation for their vast selection, homey feel and in-store coffee bar, has closed escrow on land for a 30,000-square-foot store in a new Mission Viejo mall, the company said.

“We’re real thrilled,” said Steve Delson, executive vice president of sales at the Mission Viejo Co. “They picked the site because of our center’s location right near the freeway and because of the growing population in south Orange County.”

Construction could start in about two months on Borders Books & Music, which typically features natural-wood bookshelves, corner sofas and armchairs where browsers can read, and a coffee bar where customers can play chess and other board games. Sometimes live music is featured. Delson said the Orange County store will have a large selection of music titles--focusing on jazz and classical--and a play area and theater for children.

Late last year, Borders, which is based in Ann Arbor, Mich., announced that it would build its first California store on 45,000 square feet in West Los Angeles. Borders has about 50 stores nationwide, a spokeswoman said.

“We see a great market for books in Mission Viejo. Books are something that always sell,” said Jillian Moreno, spokeswoman for Borders.

The company will be one of several tenants in the new 290,000-square-foot open-air Mission Viejo Freeway Center, located at Interstate 5 just south of La Paz Road in Mission Viejo, Delson said. The site plan was approved by the city last year. With 65% of the center’s property already sold, the mall is expected to be completed by the spring of 1995.

“The city of Mission Viejo has really fast-tracked the processing for all these retailers,” Delson said. “It changed these users’ impression of doing business in California.”

In early 1993, the Mission Viejo Co. had explored putting an auto mall on the site but opted for a retail center instead. The site is within the city of Mission Viejo’s redevelopment area.

In addition, the Mission Viejo Co. said, it recently closed escrow on a deal with Linens ‘n Things Inc., a national retailer based in Clifton, N.J. That company, which has more than 140 stores nationwide, purchased land for a 36,000-square-foot store in the center. And Best Buy Electronics Inc., a Minnesota-based retailer, bought land for a 40,000-square-foot store.

The Mission Viejo location will be the first in Southern California for Linens ‘n Things.

In addition, New Jersey-based Toys R Us has purchased land for a 45,000-square-foot store, and Sportmart Inc., a Chicago-based retailer with 42 stores nationwide, bought land for a 42,000-square-foot store in the new mall, according to the Mission Viejo Co.