The Westminster Mall closed to most tenants a year ago and came down this spring, but you can still shop at the corner of Bolsa Avenue and Goldenwest Street. Target is open at 200 Westminster Mall, and Best Buy at 500 Westminster Mall Road still posts regular hours. The project replacing the mall has model homes projected for late 2027 or early 2028 and full completion around 2030, according to KTLA. So the site isn't really empty. It's a working shopping stop inside an active construction zone, and it will stay that way for a good part of the rest of the decade.
That's why it helps to know how the site works now, not just what it will become.
Two Stores Behind the Fence
As of mid-October 2026, these are the businesses with confirmed operating hours on the old mall property:
- Target, 200 Westminster Mall. The store page lists current hours and an in-store Starbucks Cafe and CVS pharmacy. Shopoff Realty Investments, the developer, has said from the start that Target would keep operating during demolition.
- Best Buy, 500 Westminster Mall Road. Best Buy's store page shows it open, with Wednesday, Oct. 14 hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Best Buy's listing doesn't quite match the local coverage. In September, the Orange County Tribune called Target the only "survivor" of the teardown. A year earlier, the OC Register reported that Best Buy and Target were both expected to stay open for a few years. If a trip to Best Buy matters to you, call the store before you drive over.
The Starbucks and CVS inside Target count for more than they used to. Coffee, a prescription pickup and a household run can still happen in one stop at this corner, even with demolition around the building.
Why Target Asked the City for Bigger Signs
Picture driving down Bolsa past a fenced demolition site. Nothing about it says a store is open. Target saw the same problem. The Orange County Tribune reported that Target asked the City of Westminster for two fence-mounted signs facing Bolsa Avenue, each about 7 feet 4 inches high and a little over 14 feet wide. The signs would stay up only until demolition and construction of the new center are done.
The request went to the Westminster Planning Commission on Sept. 16. A Citizen Portal summary of that meeting reported that commissioners unanimously approved Target's special advertising permit, Case 20260068. According to that summary, the permit covers 1,490 linear feet of patterned windscreen with four sections that read "open during construction."
The sign request also shows how long the store expects this to last. Target is planning for drivers to pass a construction site at this corner for a long stretch.
How the Site Got Here
The mall didn't change hands all at once. Shopoff bought it in pieces over almost four years, and the dates explain why the teardown came this spring and not earlier.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Westminster Mall is built along the 405 |
| July 2022 | Shopoff buys the 14.1-acre former Sears parcel |
| August 2022 | Shopoff buys the 11.7-acre Macy's parcel |
| 2022 | City Council adopts the Westminster Mall Specific Plan, Ordinance No. 2592 |
| Oct. 29, 2025 | Leases expire for most mall tenants |
| By Nov. 21, 2025 | JCPenney scheduled to close |
| January 2026 | Shopoff buys the remaining 57.5 acres, bringing its total to 83.3 acres |
| April 15, 2026 | Demolition begins, along with a groundbreaking ceremony |
On demolition day, the OC Register reported that crews started at a former entrance and took down the mall's entrance sign. Two weeks later, Urbanize LA reported that demolition was still underway.
The 83.3 acres Shopoff owns are most of the mall property, which covers about 100 acres in total. The Register reported that Shopoff's portion includes the main mall buildings and the parking lots. The remaining acreage belongs to other owners, so not everything at this corner is part of Bolsa Pacific's construction schedule.
What the Fence Is Holding Back
The project going up behind the windscreen is called Bolsa Pacific. Here is what Shopoff and the project website describe for the site:
- About 2,250 homes, mixing for-sale housing with market-rate and affordable rentals, including 228 affordable units
- More than 210,000 square feet of retail
- A proposed 120-room hotel
- More than 15 acres of open space, including a two-acre central park, open-air promenades and walking trails
- A proposed food hall
The city's 2022 Specific Plan allows up to 3,000 homes on the site, so the 2,250 in Bolsa Pacific's proposal is below the ceiling the city already approved. Target is the only existing retailer named in coverage of the project's plans. No tenants have been announced for the food hall or the new retail space.
Treat the timeline as a forecast. Shopoff's project page, last updated in May 2026, said the entitlement plans had been submitted to the city, with approval expected sometime in 2026 and construction expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026 once demolition and entitlements are done. The project website described environmental review and approvals as still pending as of June. The project will be built in three phases. The city keeps the adopted Specific Plan and its environmental documents on its Westminster Mall Specific Plan page. That's the place to check for updates.
Put those dates together and you get a long middle period. If construction starts on schedule and model homes arrive in late 2027 or early 2028, Target's "open during construction" fence could stand along Bolsa for well over a year before anyone tours a new home on the site.
Where Westminster's Fall Calendar Is This Year
With the mall gone, the city's own fall and holiday events are a short list, and the two with posted locations are both at the Westminster Civic Center. The City of Westminster special events page lists them:
- Halloween Spooktacular, Friday, Oct. 23, at the Westminster Civic Center. Trunk or Treat starts at 4:30 p.m., and movie night follows at 6:45 p.m.
- Breakfast With Santa, Saturday, Dec. 5. The city hasn't posted a location or time yet.
- Tree Lighting Ceremony, Monday, Dec. 7, at the Westminster Civic Center, with entertainment, photos with Santa, activities and food vendors.
Rose Center Theater at 14140 All American Way also has shows on the calendar. Pacifica Christian High School presents Much Ado About Nothing starting Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., with more performances Oct. 23 and 24. On Friday, Nov. 13, FEVER brings The Jury Experience: Death on the Port Side to the theater as a rental event, with shows at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
For a Friday like Oct. 23, you could pick up Halloween supplies at the Target on Bolsa that afternoon and be at the Civic Center for Trunk or Treat at 4:30 p.m.
Bolsa Pacific's plans will keep moving through the city for a while. If you're trying to figure out what a project this size near your street could mean for your own home, NAMY Inc. will walk you through it in plain terms and keep the numbers straight. Schedule a free consultation.
