Irvine Spectrum Center
The Irvine Spectrum Center is an outdoor shopping center created by the Irvine Company, located on the southeast side of Irvine, California. Nordstrom and Target department stores, a ferris wheel, and a Regal Cinemas 21-screen movie theater are all located in the mall. The center was built over a 10-year period, with the first phase opening in 1995 and the second phase following in 1998. In 2002, the third phase was completed. The fourth and fifth phases were constructed and finished between 2005 and 2006. The mall was utilized to film scenes for the Disney Channel television series Austin and Ally’s fictional “Mall of Miami.”
The area’s development planning began in 1985. The Irvine Company erected two 15-story office structures on the site in 1989. Construction on the retail and entertainment section of the facility, known at the time as the “Entertainment Center at the Irvine Spectrum Center,” began in 1993. The mall’s initial phase, which opened in 1995, included Edwards Cinemas’ 21-screen multiplex, Oasis Food Court, and GameWorks. The second phase was completed in 1998. The carousel at the mall was installed in 2001. The mall’s third phase opened in 2002, with the addition of a “Giant Wheel” Ferris wheel and the center’s two anchor stores, Robinsons-May and Nordstrom. After being purchased by Macy’s in 2006, Robinsons-May was rebranded as Macy’s. Target was added as a third anchor in a 2006 expansion. Since then, smaller additions have been made, such as the Clock Court eateries and a children’s play area. 200 Spectrum Center, a Pei Cobb Freed & Partners-designed office tower on the property’s northwestern boundary, was completed in 2016. The highest skyscraper in Orange County, at 323 feet, is 200 Spectrum Center. A skating rink adjacent to the Giant Wheel has been available during the winter months since 2003. In 2016, Macy’s shuttered their Irvine Spectrum shop.
The Irvine Company announced in 2016 that the former Macy’s building would be demolished and replaced by 20 new stores set to debut in 2018. The new retailers, which include a freshly designed Apple Store and 19 new stores and eateries, have subsequently opened in the center’s southern part.
In 2020, the Irvine Spectrum Center will continue to expand by adding a new wing on the center’s south flank. Sephora, Black Dot Cafe, Apple, and a new children’s playground were added to the outdoor mall’s big stores, restaurants, and cafes. The mall has gained fresh revenue as a result of its $200 million expansion.
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