Irvine Spectrum Center
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn open-air lifestyle and entertainment center in Irvine, California, combining retail, dining, attractions, offices, and a multiplex cinema.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Irvine Spectrum Center is a large open-air lifestyle and entertainment destination in the Irvine Spectrum district on the southeastern edge of Irvine, California. Developed by the Irvine Company, it combines shopping, restaurants, entertainment venues, public attractions, and office space rather than functioning solely as a conventional enclosed shopping mall. Its most recognizable features include a large observation wheel, a carousel, seasonal ice skating, a substantial Regal Cinemas multiplex, and architecture influenced by Moroccan, Andalusi, and Moorish design traditions. Planning for the wider development began in 1985. The Irvine Company initially established office space at the site, completing two 15-story office towers in 1989. Retail and entertainment construction began in 1993 under the working identity Entertainment Center at the Irvine Spectrum Center. The first phase opened in 1995 with a 21-screen Edwards Cinemas multiplex, the Oasis Food Court, and GameWorks. The cinema was promoted as a major attraction and was once regarded as the largest movie theater of its type in the western United States. A second phase opened in 1998, expanding the center's retail and dining offer. The property added a carousel in 2001, followed by its third phase in 2002. That phase introduced the Giant Wheel and major department-store anchors, including Robinsons-May and Nordstrom. Robinsons-May was later converted to Macy's after Macy's acquired the chain. Macy's ultimately closed its Irvine Spectrum location in 2016. Target became another major anchor when an additional expansion was completed in 2006. The center continued to evolve through smaller additions, including Clock Court restaurants and a children's play area. A winter skating rink has operated near the Giant Wheel since 2003, giving the property a seasonal entertainment component. In 2016, the Irvine Company completed 200 Spectrum Center, a 323-foot office tower designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. The tower became a prominent part of the district's skyline and has been described as the tallest building in Orange County. Following the closure of Macy's, the former department-store building was demolished and replaced with a collection of smaller stores and restaurants. The redevelopment, announced in 2016 and substantially opened by 2018, included a redesigned Apple store, a two-story H&M, and additional retail and food tenants. A further south-side expansion was developed around 2020, adding or accommodating stores, cafés, restaurants, and amenities including Sephora, Blk Dot Coffee, Apple, and a children's playground. The expansion was reported as a roughly $200 million investment, although no independently verified financial disclosure is specified here. The center's identity is built around destination retail and leisure: customers visit not only for merchandise but also for movies, food, seasonal events, attractions, and public-space experiences. Its architecture includes a white obelisk bearing a vertically projected Spectrum name at night, while the overall site is primarily car-oriented and includes extensive parking. The location has also appeared in popular culture, serving as establishing-shot material for the fictional Mall of Miami in the Disney Channel series Austin & Ally. The Regal cinema reopened with a modernized presentation in August 2020 after pandemic-era disruption.
History
The Irvine Spectrum Center developed from a broader Irvine Company plan for the southeastern Irvine Spectrum district. Planning began in 1985, initially envisioning a mixed office, retail, and entertainment destination. Two 15-story office towers were completed at the site in 1989, establishing an employment component before the shopping and leisure facilities were built. Construction of the retail and entertainment portion began in 1993. The first phase opened in 1995 under a name associated with the Entertainment Center at the Irvine Spectrum Center. Its initial attractions were a 21-screen Edwards Cinemas multiplex, the Oasis Food Court, and GameWorks. The cinema was a particularly important draw and was once considered the largest multiplex in the western United States. The center's second phase opened in 1998 and expanded the site beyond its original entertainment-focused program. A carousel was added in 2001. In 2002, the third phase introduced the Giant Wheel and two major department-store anchors, Robinsons-May and Nordstrom. Robinsons-May later became Macy's following Macy's acquisition of the chain. The property added Target in a further expansion completed in 2006. Smaller additions over time included Clock Court restaurants and a children's play area. Since 2003, the center has also offered winter ice skating beside the Giant Wheel, reinforcing its role as a year-round leisure destination. The property continued to change as retail formats and tenant requirements evolved. Macy's closed its Irvine Spectrum store in 2016. The former department-store building was subsequently removed and replaced by a smaller-scale retail and dining cluster. The replacement area, substantially delivered by 2018, included a redesigned Apple store, a two-story H&M, and numerous additional stores and restaurants. Around 2020, the center expanded on its southern side with larger retail, restaurant, and café uses and additional family-oriented public amenities. The reported investment for that expansion was approximately $200 million, though the cited reference does not provide a detailed financial filing. Office development also remained part of the center's broader identity. Completed in 2016, 200 Spectrum Center is a 323-foot tower designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Its height made it a major Orange County landmark and extended the site beyond a purely retail classification. Architecturally, the center draws on Moroccan, Andalusi, and Moorish influences, with the second phase particularly associated with the Alhambra in Granada. A white obelisk near the freeway displays the word Spectrum vertically at night and incorporates communications infrastructure. The site is primarily designed for automobile access and is surrounded by extensive parking. Its combination of shopping, dining, cinema, attractions, seasonal recreation, and distinctive architecture has made it a prominent destination in Orange County. The center has also been used for establishing shots representing the fictional Mall of Miami in the television series Austin & Ally.
- 2020
Southern expansion proceeds
[1]A south-side expansion adds retail, food, café, and children's-play amenities.
- 2018
Former Macy's site redevelopment opens
[1]The former Macy's location is replaced by new retail and dining uses, including Apple and H&M.
- 2016
200 Spectrum Center completed
[1]The office tower at the property's northwestern edge is completed.
- 2006
Further expansion adds Target
[1]A further expansion is completed and Target becomes an additional anchor.
- 2003
Winter skating program begins
[1]A seasonal skating rink begins operating near the Giant Wheel.
- 2002
Third phase completed
[1]The Giant Wheel and major department-store anchors are added.
- 2001
Carousel added
[1]A carousel becomes a new family attraction at the center.
- 1998
Second phase opens
[1]The second phase expands the center's retail and entertainment program.
- 1995
First phase opens
[1]The first phase opens with the cinema, food court, and GameWorks.
- 1993
Retail and entertainment construction begins
[1]Construction starts on the center's first retail and entertainment phase.
Products and positioning
A destination-oriented, upscale-leaning open-air lifestyle center that integrates retail, dining, entertainment, family attractions, seasonal programming, and office development.
Fashion, beauty, electronics, and lifestyle retail · 1995
Retail stores
The center hosts a broad mix of specialty retailers and major anchors. Its tenant program has included department-store, apparel, beauty, electronics, and lifestyle concepts, with later redevelopment favoring smaller-format stores and restaurants. Examples identified in the reference material include Apple, H&M, Sephora, Nordstrom, and Target.
Food and beverage · 1995
Dining and cafés
Dining is a central part of the lifestyle-center format, ranging from food-court service to sit-down restaurants, specialty venues, and cafés. Clock Court and later expansions provide open-air dining environments intended to support longer visits and complement the shopping and entertainment offer.
Cinema · 1995
Regal Irvine Spectrum
The cinema began as Edwards Cinemas 21 and opened with 21 screens, making it one of the center's original anchor attractions. It later operated under the Regal Cinemas name and reopened with a modernized presentation on August 21, 2020.
Amusement attraction · 2002
Giant Wheel
The Giant Wheel is the center's signature visual attraction and was introduced with the third development phase in 2002. It functions as both a family-oriented ride and a recognizable landmark within the open-air complex.
Seasonal recreation · 2003
Seasonal ice rink
A winter skating rink has operated beside the Giant Wheel since 2003. The seasonal installation extends the center's programming beyond shopping and dining and creates a recurring cold-weather attraction.
Family attraction · 2001
Carousel
The carousel, added in 2001, is a family-oriented attraction integrated into the public-space environment of the center.
Office real estate · 2016
200 Spectrum Center
Completed in 2016, 200 Spectrum Center is a 323-foot office tower designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. It adds a significant commercial-office component to the broader Irvine Spectrum destination.
Brand decisions
2020
South-side expansionStrategyBackground
The center continued to broaden its tenant and amenity mix after earlier redevelopment and anchor changes.
Action taken
A south-side expansion added larger stores, restaurants, cafés, and family amenities, with referenced tenants including Sephora, Blk Dot Coffee, and Apple.
Aftermath
The expanded open-air area increased the center's retail, dining, and family-oriented offer. The project was reported as involving approximately $200 million, without a detailed financial source in the supplied material.
Reported expansion investment. $200 million (2020 expansion)
2016
Redevelopment of the former Macy's buildingStrategyBackground
Macy's closed its Irvine Spectrum location, leaving a large department-store building within an evolving lifestyle-center tenant mix.
Action taken
The Irvine Company announced that the building would be demolished and replaced by approximately 20 new stores and restaurants, including a redesigned Apple store and a two-story H&M.
Aftermath
The replacement retail and dining area opened in stages and became part of the center's shift toward a denser specialty-store and restaurant mix.
Sources2 sources
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