The MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana is poised to get more than 400 new residential units.
Developers have broken ground on The Carina, a multifamily development at the Orange County retail property, L.A. Business First reported. Once complete, the project at 2828 North MainPlace Drive would bring 408 units to the area by the end of 2028.
Los Angeles-based Lowe is developing the property in partnership with MainPlace owner Affinius Capital and owner and operator Centennial Real Estate. The Carina will be the second apartment building at MainPlace after the 309-unit Paloma apartments opened in 2023.
The Carina is slated to include a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units across five stories; the residences will be built above four levels of parking. A fourth-floor amenity deck with a resort-style pool and spa, and outdoor dining and screening areas will be available to residents, as will an indoor community space with a lounge, kitchen, dining area and game room.
The development will also include a landscaped courtyard, a gym, co-working spaces, a makers space, a dog run and dog spa. In total, the property will feature more than 84,000 square feet of terraces and courtyards.
The Carina will rise across from the MainPlace Culinary District, a nearly 1.3-acre dining development that will span more than 20,000 square feet for restaurants and two flagship retailers. When complete, the dining district will connect the MainPlace shopping center with the residential communities like the Carina and Paloma. Construction there is also expected to end by late 2028.
Malls across Orange County are positioning for mixed-use rebirths as cities work to meet local housing needs.
In September, the Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously to approve a development plan for C.J. Segerstrom & Sons’ The Village Santa Ana project, which would be built near the South Coast Plaza shopping center and bring 1,583 residential units, restaurants, retail, offices, bikeways and open space to the area. Other malls in Orange County enclaves like Brea, Westminster, Buena Park and Laguna Hills have similarly been eyed for residential redevelopment in recent years. — Chris Malone Méndez
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