Westfield UTC and the north Genesee Avenue corridor already look and feel noticeably different to shoppers and drivers.
Although the Mid-Coast Trolley-related construction continues on Genesee, most of the shopping mall construction will have cleared by mid October to feature additional retail and restaurant space.
Multiple gardens, an art-walk and outdoor plazas, including one with a pop jet water fountain for kids, are meant to be focal points for visitors. Plus, the new Westfield UTC will come with indoor and outdoor event space, as well as a palm-tree lined valet drop-off area.
Perhaps the most noticeable change, however, will be the center’s mostly single-level retail strategy. There are still different tiers, but the overhauled section will consist of additional underground parking on the first tier and a row of retail stores located just above the parking garage, now contiguous with the rest of the mall’s outdoor space.
In a recent announcement that surprised many shoppers, Westfield UTC revealed that unlimited free parking will end next year. Referred to as “protected parking” for mall customers, shoppers will get the first two hours free and have to pay thereafter.
And construction in the immediate area continues. Westfield broke ground in September on a $200 million, 23-story building, with 300 apartments, to be completed by 2019. The project is located at the corner of Nobel Drive and Lombard Place in a former Westfield UTC mall parking lot.
For more construction information, visit https://www.westfield.com/utc
Information from the San Diego Union Tribune; adapted by Diane Ahern.
