Brea Mall

Brea Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall in the city of Brea, in Orange County, California. The center serves the northern Orange County and eastern Los Angeles County retail market and combines department stores, specialty retailers, dining, services, and entertainment-oriented uses. The mall has approximately 1,281,795 square feet of space and includes a food court and a broad collection of specialty shops and boutiques. Reference material describes the center as having about 179 specialty stores in addition to its major anchors. Plans for the mall were announced in 1973 by Homart. Architectonics, Inc. of Dallas designed the structure, while Dan Coleman & Associates of San Francisco handled master planning. Brea Mall opened in 1977 with Sears and May Company California as its original department-store anchors. The center subsequently expanded its department-store presence and underwent significant changes in response to retail-sector mergers, relocations, and redevelopment. The Broadway was added as an anchor, and Nordstrom opened what was described as its second California store at the mall. A larger Nordstrom and a J. W. Robinson's store were later constructed as part of a Y-shaped addition to the main mall during the early 1990s. The mall's tenant and anchor history reflects the consolidation of American department-store chains. In 1993, The May Department Stores Company combined J. W. Robinson's and May Company California into Robinsons-May. The former J. W. Robinson's location was subsequently sold to JCPenney, which relocated from Orangefair Marketplace in Fullerton, while the May Company California building was renamed and expanded. After Federated Department Stores acquired the parent company of The Broadway in 1996, the Broadway store was converted to Macy's. The 2006 merger between Federated and The May Department Stores Company led to another conversion: the Robinsons-May location became a Macy's furniture store. Brea Mall also changed physically over time. During the 1970s and 1980s it included an ice-skating rink, which was later removed to make room for an expanded food court. Sears, the mall's last original anchor, announced in January 2018 that its Brea store would close as part of a nationwide store-closure program. The location closed on April 8, 2018. Simon Property Group announced a redevelopment concept for the former Sears property the following day, initially describing plans for a Life Time Fitness facility, additional retail and entertainment uses, and apartments arranged across three levels. The Sears building was demolished in 2023. The former Sears site has since been associated with a new retail and entertainment development program. Reference material identifies Dick's Sporting Goods as the replacement anchor in a newly constructed, two-story building, with a reported grand opening scheduled for spring 2026 and an opening date of April 24, 2026. The material also identifies Chuck's Arcade, an arcade operated by the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, as having opened at the mall on August 22, 2025. The current anchor lineup is reported as Macy's, Macy's Men's & Home, JCPenney, Nordstrom, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Since 1998, Simon Property Group has owned and operated the property.

Brea Mall was conceived during the expansion of suburban shopping centers in Southern California. Homart announced plans for the project in 1973. Architectonics, Inc. of Dallas was responsible for architectural design, and Dan Coleman & Associates of San Francisco prepared the master plan. The enclosed mall opened in 1977 in Brea, California, with Sears and May Company California as its initial department-store anchors. The center expanded and changed its anchor composition over subsequent decades. The Broadway was added after the original opening, and Nordstrom established a store at the property that was described in reference material as its second California location. During the early 1990s, the mall gained a larger Nordstrom and a J. W. Robinson's store through a Y-shaped addition to the main mall. These changes increased the center's department-store capacity and reinforced its role as a regional shopping destination. Department-store consolidation repeatedly altered the mall's identity. In 1993, The May Department Stores Company merged J. W. Robinson's with May Company California to create Robinsons-May. The former J. W. Robinson's location was later transferred to JCPenney, which moved its operation from Orangefair Marketplace in Fullerton. The May Company California site was renamed and expanded. Following Federated Department Stores' 1996 acquisition of The Broadway's parent company, the Broadway location became a Macy's. In 2006, the merger of Federated and The May Department Stores Company resulted in the Robinsons-May store being converted into a Macy's furniture location. The mall's physical amenities also evolved. An ice-skating rink operated at the property during the 1970s and 1980s, but it was eventually removed so that the food court could be enlarged. The change illustrates the center's adaptation from an earlier entertainment format toward a broader dining and retail configuration. Ownership and management shifted to Simon Property Group in 1998. Simon has owned and operated Brea Mall since then. The property later faced the wider challenges affecting traditional department stores. On January 4, 2018, Sears announced that its Brea store would close as part of a nationwide closure plan. The store shut on April 8, 2018, making it the final original anchor to leave the mall. On April 9, 2018, Simon announced an intended redevelopment of the former Sears site. The initial concept called for a Life Time Fitness facility, additional retail and entertainment space, and apartments distributed across three levels. The Sears building was demolished in 2023. Subsequent reference material describes Dick's Sporting Goods as the new anchor tenant in a newly constructed, two-story building. It reports a spring 2026 grand opening and specifies April 24, 2026 as the opening date. The same material records the opening of Chuck's Arcade on August 22, 2025. The mall's reported current anchor lineup consists of Macy's, Macy's Men's & Home, JCPenney, Nordstrom, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Brea Mall is described as covering approximately 1,281,795 square feet and containing about 179 specialty shops and boutiques, along with a food court. Its history reflects the broader transformation of American enclosed malls: department-store turnover, anchor replacement, food and entertainment adjustments, and redevelopment of obsolete large-format retail space into mixed-use and experiential destinations.

• 2026

  Dick's Sporting Goods opens as replacement anchor

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that a new two-story Dick's Sporting Goods store opened on April 24, 2026.

• 2025

  Chuck's Arcade opens

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that Chuck's Arcade opened at Brea Mall on August 22, 2025.

• 2023

  Sears building is demolished

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former Sears anchor building was demolished as redevelopment of the property progressed.

• 2018

  Sears closes

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears closed its Brea Mall location on April 8, ending the mall's original anchor lineup.

• 2018

  Former Sears site redevelopment announced

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Simon announced a redevelopment plan involving fitness, retail, entertainment, and residential uses.

• 2006

  Robinsons-May location becomes Macy's furniture

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Federated–May merger led to the conversion of the Robinsons-May location into a Macy's furniture store.

• 1998

  Simon Property Group becomes owner and operator

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Simon Property Group assumed ownership and operation of Brea Mall.

• 1993

  Robinsons-May is formed

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The May Department Stores Company combined J. W. Robinson's and May Company California into Robinsons-May, beginning another phase of anchor reorganization at the mall.

• 1977

  Brea Mall opens

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opened in Brea with Sears and May Company California as its original department-store anchors.

• 1973

  Homart announces plans for Brea Mall

  [1]Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Homart announced plans for the enclosed shopping mall, with design work assigned to Architectonics, Inc. and master planning by Dan Coleman & Associates.

A large enclosed regional shopping center serving Orange County with a department-store anchor mix, specialty retail, dining, services, and evolving entertainment and mixed-use redevelopment.

• Anchor retail · 1977

  Department stores

  Brea Mall's anchor portfolio has included Sears, May Company California, The Broadway, J. W. Robinson's, Robinsons-May, Macy's, Macy's Men's & Home, JCPenney, Nordstrom, and Dick's Sporting Goods. These stores provide large-scale apparel, home, beauty, footwear, sporting-goods, and general-merchandise offerings.

• Specialty retail · 1977

  Specialty shops and boutiques

  The mall includes a broad specialty-retail collection reported at approximately 179 shops and boutiques. The category spans fashion, accessories, jewelry, beauty, personal care, services, and other merchandise typically found in a regional enclosed mall.

• Food and beverage

  Food court and dining

  Dining is a continuing component of the center's offer. The food court was expanded after the mall's former ice-skating rink was removed, creating additional space for prepared food and beverage tenants.

• Sporting goods anchor · 2026

  Dick's Sporting Goods

  Dick's Sporting Goods is identified as the replacement anchor for the former Sears property. Reference material describes the new store as a two-story building forming part of the redevelopment of the former anchor site.

• Entertainment · 2025

  Chuck's Arcade

  Chuck's Arcade is an entertainment venue associated with the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese. Reference material states that it opened at Brea Mall on August 22, 2025.

• 2026

  Opening of Dick's Sporting Goods replacement anchorProduct launch

  Background

  The former Sears site was being redeveloped after the closure and demolition of the original anchor building.

  Action taken

  Dick's Sporting Goods was announced as the new anchor tenant in a newly constructed, two-story building.

  Aftermath

  Reference material reports that the store opened on April 24, 2026.

  Source

• 2018

  Redevelopment of the former Sears propertyStrategy

  Background

  Sears announced the closure of its Brea Mall store during a nationwide reduction of its store base. The closure left a large former anchor building and site requiring a new use.

  Action taken

  Simon Property Group announced a redevelopment concept featuring a Life Time Fitness facility, new retail and entertainment uses, and apartments across three levels. Later reference material identifies Dick's Sporting Goods as the replacement anchor.

  Aftermath

  The Sears building was demolished in 2023, and the site became associated with a new two-story Dick's Sporting Goods building and additional redevelopment activity.

  Source

1. 1Brea Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Brea Mall official sitesimon.com