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Westfield UTC
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Westfield UTC is an upscale, open-air shopping mall in the University City community of San Diego, California. It lies just east of La Jolla, near the University of California, San Diego. The mall is served by UTC Transit Center, which is the northern terminus of the Blue Line of the San Diego Trolley.
Key Information
History
[edit]Ernest W. Hahn first proposed building UTC in 1972. Upon opening in 1977 as University Towne Centre, the anchor stores were Robinson's (later Robinsons-May), the Broadway (now Macy's), and Sears. In 1984, Nordstrom, 31 new stores, and new parking structures opened.
In 1989, UTC was the site of an international incident when a minivan belonging to William C. Rogers III, who had been implicated in the shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655, was bombed there.[2]
In 1998, Westfield bought UTC, except for the parcel owned by Sears. That same year, the Macy's and Robinsons-May locations expanded. J.P. Morgan Investment bought a 50% interest in UTC.
A $12 million remodel in 2007 added grassy areas, trellises with flowering vines, palm trees and fountains, according to UTC in a park-like or "European village" atmosphere, with carts, flowers, fruits and an al fresco food pavilion.”[3]
2010s phased expansion
[edit]
In 2008, a one-billion-dollar revitalization plan for UTC was approved by the San Diego City Council. However, due to the Great Recession, the revitalization project was put on hold for several years and later reduced to $500 million,[4] but later again revised up to $600 million.
Northwest side
[edit]In 2011, the first, $180 million phase of the revitalization commenced: the mall's food court was transformed into an indoor/outdoor Dining Terrace while the former Robinsons-May building was subdivided to house three new retailers: a large-scale Forever 21, a relocated 24 Hour Fitness, a 14-screen AMC Theatres (formerly ArcLight Cinema),[5] plus Tiffany, J.Crew, and Lululemon stores.[6]
In 2016, construction began on a 400,000-square-foot expansion on the northwest section, including:[7][8]
- a new 144,000-square-foot Nordstrom, which opened in October 2017, with the old Nordstrom building left abandoned until it was demolished in 2022, also demolishing neighboring retailers which have been empty for many years.
- a new parking garage on the west-central side. The UTC Transit Center trolley station opened at its south end in November 2021, which is the northern terminus of the San Diego Trolley's Blue Line extension.[9]
- 90 new shops, restaurants and services, of which about a third were open by the end of 2017.
In April 2016 the two story Sports Chalet which opened in 1999, closed its UTC location due to Chapter 7 bankruptcy.[10] Room & Board later took over the vacant space in 2017.[11]
In 2019, Forever 21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced that they would be closing 3 San Diego locations to restructure the company including its UTC location which later closed late January 2024.[12]
Culinary emphasis
[edit]Many new restaurants were added during this period including a Shake Shack and a Javier's. Michele Parente, restaurant critic at The San Diego Union-Tribune, called UTC her favorite area for restaurants in San Diego County, noting the presence of Din Tai Fung, Sweetfin Poké, Paranà Empanadas, Napizza, The Winery, Smokehouse BBQ, True Food Kitchen, and La Colombe Coffee Roasters, stating: "eating is what they're selling there now".[13]
Northeast side/former Sears
[edit]While construction continued at the northwest of UTC, on the northeast side, Sears closed in July 2017.[14] The Sears parcel is owned by Seritage Growth Properties, a spinoff of Sears.[15] Portions of the space have become Corner Bakery Cafe, Williams Sonoma/Pottery Barn Kids, with Crate & Barrel on an outparcel.[16] The Sears building was demolished and the site is now a two story building called The Collection. Parts of the project have been opened to the public, while the main building is still under construction.
Other
[edit]Palisades at UTC, a 23-story, 300-unit luxury apartment building located at the southeast corner of the site, opened in 2019.[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Westfield Group - UTC Portfolio
- ^ Reinhold, Robert (March 11, 1989). "Blast Wrecks Van of Skipper Who Downed Iran Jet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ "The Call of the Mall". www.sandiegomagazine.com.
- ^ "UTC launches $500M expansion". San Diego Union-Tribune. July 14, 2015.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (February 8, 2022). "AMC Entertainment In Lease Deals For Former ArcLight Theaters In San Diego, D.C. Markets". Deadline. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ Tanya Mannes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sept. 7, 2011 Westfield UTC kicks off $1b renovation project
- ^ "Nordstrom opening kicks off Westfield UTC expanded offerings". San Diego Union-Tribune. October 14, 2017.
- ^ "Westfield - United States". www.westfield.com.
- ^ San Diego Association of Governments. Mid-Coast Trolley Archived May 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Jennewein, Chris (April 17, 2016). "Sports Chalet Closing All Stores, Including 3 in San Diego". Times of San Diego. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "San Diego - Retail Careers - Teams & Locations - Room & Board". www.roomandboard.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Forever 21 closures: three San Diego stores on the chopping block amid bankruptcy". San Diego Union-Tribune. October 2, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Woo, Candice (December 27, 2018). "Industry Experts Name San Diego's Best Dining Neighborhoods". Eater San Diego.
- ^ Peterson, Hayley (June 22, 2017). "Struggling retailer is closing 20 additional stores -- Here's the full list of shuttered locations". AOL.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- ^ "At Westfield UTC | Seritage". seritage.com.
- ^ "The Sears at UTC is being replaced by a fancy new development (with an Equinox)". San Diego Union-Tribune. October 16, 2018.
- ^ "One of San Diego's most expensive apartment complexes open".
External links
[edit]Westfield UTC
View on GrokipediaGeneral Information
Location and Accessibility
Westfield UTC is situated at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive in the University City neighborhood of San Diego, California, ZIP code 92122, adjacent to the La Jolla area and approximately 2 miles east of the University of California, San Diego campus.[1][8] The mall occupies a prominent position at the intersection of La Jolla Village Drive and Genesee Avenue, facilitating regional connectivity.[8] Access by automobile is provided via major interstate highways, including Interstate 5 (I-5) and Interstate 805 (I-805), with exits leading directly to La Jolla Village Drive or Genesee Avenue.[9][10] On-site parking includes a five-level Genesee Parking Garage equipped with parking guidance technology and well-lit facilities, offering the first two hours of self-parking free of charge, followed by $3 per hour up to a $15 daily maximum; validations for additional free time are available for select tenants such as AMC Theatres and Seasons 52.[11] Valet parking, located on La Jolla Village Drive near Javier’s and Lucrezia, costs $20 per day and includes complimentary Tesla charging stations, operating from 8:00 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and varying hours on weekends.[11] Electric vehicle charging is further supported by ChargePoint stations on level P1 of the Genesee Garage and Electrify America facilities in the Macy’s lot off Lombard Place.[11] Public transportation accessibility is enhanced by the adjacent UTC Transit Center, a major hub for the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) featuring the Blue Line trolley with recent extensions connecting to UC San Diego and northward routes.[8][12] Multiple bus lines serve the center, including MTS routes 30, 31, 41, 60, 105, Rapid 201, Rapid 202, and Rapid 204, as well as North County Transit District (NCTD) services, enabling efficient travel from downtown San Diego in approximately 54 minutes via trolley.[8][13] Trolley station parking is available within the mall premises on the east side of Genesee Avenue, though it operates under the mall's paid structure.[14] Ride-sharing and taxi services are also viable, with designated drop-off areas supporting these options.[15]Physical Layout and Design
Westfield UTC operates as an open-air shopping center encompassing roughly 1 million square feet of retail space across a 76-acre site, designed to leverage the mild San Diego climate with extensive outdoor walkways and amenity-rich common areas.[3] [16] The layout features a series of interconnected shopping courts that promote pedestrian scale and density, transforming the original 1977 one-story suburban configuration into a more vertical and engaging environment.[17] Primarily two levels high, with select anchors like Macy's extending to three floors, the structure includes beautifully landscaped plazas and gardens that foster a resort-like ambiance.[18] The redesign prioritizes creating a sense of place through open-air pathways lined with retail facades, avoiding traditional enclosed corridors in favor of natural light and airflow.[19] Recent enhancements, including a 50,000-square-foot luxury wing initiated in April 2024, incorporate two-level restaurant buildings and additional valet areas, blending coastal architectural elements with high-end storefronts set for phased openings starting in 2026.[2] [20] This evolution maintains a focus on walkability, with courts and plazas serving as central hubs for shopper circulation and leisure.[17]

