Owner of Costa Mesa’s the Lab Now Sets Sights on Older Set

Having targeted the younger generation with the Lab, a retail complex billed as an “anti-mall,” Shaheen Sadeghi is now planning to reel in their parents.

Sadeghi, owner of Lab Holdings LLC, said he will break ground on his new concept, the Camp, by January. The new development will be a collection of about a dozen outdoor retailers that focus on “human-powered sports,” including hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, fly-fishing, skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing, Sadeghi said. It will be on Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, across the street from the Lab.

It is the well-heeled baby boomer, who has grown increasingly interested in recreation and travel, that Sadeghi is targeting.

“We believe Gen Y’s been Madison Avenued out,” he said. “My point is, why not just go right to the parents?”

While the center will be tiny--42,000 square feet of leasable space on 3.4 acres--it’s plenty big on concept. It will have a “bouldering park” for climbing, an indoor pool to try out kayaks and a casting pond to test fishing reels, Sadeghi said. It will also have a juice bar and a restaurant. It will cost $10 million to $12 million to develop, he said.

“It’s not about being big, it’s about being right,” he said.

Sadeghi did not reveal financial details but said the project’s financing has been arranged and that he has lease agreements with some tenants, including Adventure 16. The Camp, which must still get approval from the city, should be completed by next fall, Sadeghi said.

Leslie Earnest covers retail businesses for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7832 and at leslie.earnest@latimes.com.