Originally published at https://www.cityofvista.com on May 23, 2019.
Shopping centers across America are increasingly becoming lifestyle centers that engage and connect the community at large, including opening up space and adding outdoor events to create more of a communal feel.
These centers — or customer engagement spaces — are also creating mixed-use opportunities as part of their strategy to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital world.
One Vista-based shopping center that is enhancing its strong community vibe is North County Square. The 25-year-old Center, which includes over 668,000 square feet of retail space, continues to attract and maintain strong anchor retail tenants while boosting its outdoor gathering spaces and aesthetics adding to its mixed-use appeal.
“We are positioning North County Square as a destination center that is designed to meet the needs of current and future generations of value-driven shoppers,” said William Valaika, President of the North County Square Owners Association. “North County Square is a solid retail destination due to the national nature of the value-driven retail businesses in the center. The future potential of the area as it grows and gets more densely populated. The location is virtually and literally the center of the bullseye for the entire North County marketplace.”
North County Square includes the top two national neighborhood retailers and grocers (Target and Wal-Mart), along with other popular brands including Living Spaces, Old Navy, Ross, Famous Footwear, T-Mobile, Mattress Firm, Eyeglass World, Michaels, and Petsmart. North County Square was the first center in San Diego County to include an ALDI Food Market, a popular brand of German family-owned discount supermarket chains with over 10,000 stores in 20 countries.
“Grocery options attract the daily customer to North County Square,” Valaika said. “We supported Wal-Mart and Target in the expansion of their footprints as they grew into the grocery category. Wal-Mart also supported our development of a new pad building, enabling us to bring needed uses to the shopping center. This enabled us to add a Starbucks drive thru, Supercuts, and Smile Essentials Dentistry to the tenant mix.”
ALDI has been in North County Square since May 2016, just following the opening of our its first California stores in March 2016. Since then, the grocer has experienced continued success and growth in the region, now operating over 65 stores in California with a plan to open 15 new stores this year.
“When it comes to choosing store locations, we look at many factors,” said Tom Cindel, Group Director of Operations and Logistics, Moreno Valley Division at ALDI. “We want the best sites that are closest to our shoppers and can support a high daily traffic volume, which is why we choose places like North County Square. Bottom line — we want to be conveniently located for shoppers and provide a smart, fast and easy shopping experience.”
Cindel said the Vista community continues to be very welcoming of ALDI. “At all of our locations, we work closely with local officials and municipalities to ensure our relationship is beneficial for everyone in the community and we’re proud of the strong partnerships we’ve built in Vista,” he said.
Several tenants such as PetSmart, has been in the North County Square for over 20 years. “Most of our clientele are repeat customers and they have become family to my associates as several have been grooming their loved ones for several years,” said PetSmart store leader Dave Garcia. “I enjoy being part of North County Square due to the property management’s interest in our continued success. We have Quarterly Family Festivals in our parking lot which draws the community to our location and gives retailers an opportunity for customers to come meet us and receive coupons to shop. Vista also has a diverse customer base; once you get to know them they are customers for life and do feel like family as they get to know you and appreciate the service that you provide. We are looking forward to continued success in North County Square.”
Meanwhile, the center’s latest addition, Restoration Hardware Outlet, had a successful opening in January 2019, thanks in part to a successful partnership with the City of Vista, Valaika said.
Restoration Hardware ribbon cutting ceremony.
“Having worked with several cities and towns — from California to Denver — throughout the last 35 years, we have an appreciation for our working relationship with the City of Vista,” he said. “The City of Vista employees have gone above and beyond, such as helping to get or helping to maximize signage. tenants open for business. They are one of the best cities to work with as they understand the needs of the shopping center to keep up with the ever-evolving retail environment and stay relevant. We look at the City of Vista as a partner in the community to help us offer the best shopping experience we can to Vista and all the cities around North County Square.”
Current redevelopment for North County Square include remodeling and expanding the food court area to create a more pleasant space for fast casual dining in a relaxed outdoor setting. “We are looking to create a space where families and friends can gather, rest, and refuel while they shop,” Valaika said.
North County Square also engages the community through free annual family fun events. The last event in April included a bounce house, giant slide, face painting, treats and other giveaways. In order to reduce its carbon footprint, the center has invested in irrigation sensors and drought tolerant plants to save water, and is currently switching the parking lot lighting to LED to save energy. Valaika said several retailers, including Target, Wal-Mart, and Aldi have also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on adding solar panels.
“We are also working with local architects to reimagine portions of North County Square to add some residential to the mix,” Valaika said. “As retail continues to change and housing options continue to lag in development, retail centers are morphing to allow for residential, office and medical to enhance the mix. Having a 60 acre flat site on the 78 freeway at Sycamore Ave. with easy access and plenty of parking provides a strong magnet for some of the new types of uses that will benefit from being close to so many national retail tenants.”
“We want North County Square to not only be a shopping destination but a place that also benefits the community socially and culturally, while also being good stewards to the environment,” Valaika said.
“In remodeling and redesigning portions of North County Square, as things change and morph, we’re investing in updating infrastructure, new developments that add jobs, and a pleasant place for the community to shop and dine to meet the demands of the new retail landscape,” he added. “Together we’re working with the city of Vista to provide the most efficient, cost effective, value along with an engaging shopping experience that will endure fluctuations in the economy. “
Valaika became involved with North County Square in January 2007 when his partnership invested in the center and rebranded the center with a new logo and new signage that the City of Vista helped facilitate.
“You don’t find partners of large shopping centers as visionary and hands on as Bill,” said Kevin Ham, Vista’s Economic Development Director. “He is a visionary and always ahead of the market. Because of that, North County Square is an evolving successful center and has been a staple in the community, including adding jobs, attracting new investments, and boosting quality of life for the community.”
Valaika said Vista’s close proximity to the beaches, as well as the large population centers both to the south and north, will also ensure the longevity and success of North County Square. “We appreciate the enlightened view the City of Vista has in curating their town to provide the services and goods, along with the infrastructure, to make and sustain a quality lifestyle experience here,” he said. “Vista’s strong school and arts programs are also helping increase property values and ensure that Vista, along with other nearby coastal communities, continue to grow in a healthy, positive way for decades to come. We strive to serve that customer base and will continue to search for ways to connect to more of our North County neighbors.”
Economic Development contact for the City of Vista:
Kevin Ham
Economic Development Director
