Apartment project at Simi Valley's Santa Susana Plaza to kick off this summer

Demolition is expected to start this summer for nearly half of Santa Susana Plaza, making room for 280 apartments as the Simi Valley mall evolves to include mixed use.

The change, which has been in the works for several years, will revitalize the 14.6-acre Tapo Street outdoor shopping center and surrounding area, said Colby Young, vice president of redevelopment at Gerrity Group, the San Diego County-based developer that owns the mall.

“We came to the conclusion that this was the best strategy for Santa Susana Plaza because it addresses an existing shortage of housing units,” Young said. “It benefits our retail tenants by having that built-in customer base.”

The mall has too much retail space for current demand, he added.

Gerrity Group plans to tear down approximately 59,800 square feet of buildings at the north end of the 147,580-square-foot shopping center. The mall sits on the east side of Tapo between Cochran and Alpine streets.

Unoccupied storefronts with for-lease signs currently fill the north end, which is closest to Cochran Street. Blockbuster Video, 24 Hour Fitness and other businesses previously filled the section.

In their place, the developer plans to build an apartment and commercial complex varying from three to four stories. The complex will extend onto the parking area at the mall’s north end. It will be a single building with apartments surrounding a parking structure at its center, Young said. Plans call for 4,750 square feet of locally owned stores, restaurants and services on the first floor.

Santa Susana Plaza was already zoned for mixed use when the Simi Valley City Council approved a development permit and affordable housing agreement in February 2022. Gerrity Group agreed to include 14 affordable units.

Council member Elaine Litster said Tuesday the project is a wise mixed-use development, with on-site residents providing more foot traffic for stores and restaurants. Traditional strip malls have become outdated in the age of online purchases, she said.

Since the council vote nearly two years ago, the project has undergone further scrutiny by the city.

“We have submitted plans for the building permits and gone through two rounds of reviews,” Young said. “We hope we are near the end.”

The city has been turning reviews around in four to six weeks, senior planner Naren Gunasekera said.

The renovated mall will total 307,566 square feet of apartments and 92,600 square feet of commercial use, Gunasekera said.

The delay with demolition shows the developer's commitment to doing everything right, Litster said.

“They want to make to sure they have all their ducks in the row before they tear things down," she said.

Gerrity hopes to hold a groundbreaking this summer, then proceed with demolition and construction, Young said. Apartments will include 165 one-bedroom units, 63 two-bedroom units and 42 studios. Plans also call for 10 two-story spaces where entrepreneurs such as real estate agents and lawyers can have office space downstairs and a residence above.

The goal is to start leasing apartments 21 months after the groundbreaking, Young said. If goals are met, that would be in 2026, or 60 years after Santa Susana Plaza was built.

The mall's busier southern half is expected to remain intact. The section includes anchor stores Walmart Neighborhood Market and Joann Fabric and Crafts. Exteriors of those shops and others at the south end will be remodeled to fit the contemporary Spanish architecture of the new mixed-use complex, Young said.

A half-acre park with space for concerts or a farmers market will provide a transition between the residential portion and existing stores.

He said Gerrity is still determining the total cost for the project and declined to provide an estimate.

Mixed-use malls have become more common locally. Apartments are planned at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks and at the new High Street Depot in Moorpark as older malls and downtown areas around the country adapt to a changing retail environment.

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Simi Valley apartments at Santa Susana Plaza to start this summer