Though it’s been open only a few weeks, locals are falling in love with what’s new at The Market Place. Upon a first visit to the reimagined area of the retail center, Jenny and Ray Risman’s kids instantly began playing on the new half-acre lawn and plaza as their parents were planning to visit the restaurants.
“We love Mendocino Farms,” Ray says, while the kids – Natalie, Maddie and Alexander – eye the menu at Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. Both spots are now open, as is BLK Dot Coffee, set between the two. The new apartments next door caught their mother’s attention. “It’s so nice that the residents there will be able to walk to everything,” says Jenny, a physician at Kaiser Permanente in Irvine.
The Rismans, who live in Irvine’s Stonegate community, had an early look at what’s new at The Market Place as it evolves into a vibrant, integrated live-work-play hub. Irvine Company has made a significant reinvestment in the center, including two luxury apartment communities – Colonnade at The Market Place and Meridian at The Market Place.
The transformation blends the existing collection of over 130 restaurants and retailers with new living spaces and a reimagined community plaza. Designed to offer a seamless blend of convenience and lifestyle, the communities will feature resort-style amenities, including pools, fitness centers, dog parks and co-working lounges.
For Thelma Higgs, a photographer and longtime Irvine resident, the apartments offer everything she and her family want, so they recently made the decision to lease at Colonnade at The Market Place.
“We’re excited,” Higgs says. “I’ve been with Irvine Company as a resident for years and love it. We’ve lived in Avella for the past 10 years.”
One of the things that drew Higgs and family to The Market Place was the promise of convenience and walkability. “Everything will be right by our front door,” she says.
Her daughter Chanel works for a commercial builder in Market Place Center, a nearby Irvine Company office campus, making the location even more appealing.
The family’s new home will be a two-bedroom apartment with a loft. Higgs says the decision to lease was easy, even with no models yet available to tour. She “fell in love with the location” and loves that her apartment on the sixth floor will offer a view of the city.
Colonnade at The Market Place offers a mix of one- to three-bedroom floor plans. Each unit will feature high-end details like stainless steel appliances, smart thermostats and quartz countertops. For Higgs, the simple things matter, like the convenience of an elevator to her sixth-floor apartment.
“We can’t wait to move in,” she says.
Colonnade residents will begin moving in next month. Meanwhile, leasing for Meridian at The Market Place is set to begin in December.
The new half-acre lawn and plaza next door to the apartments is a modern evolution of famed architect Ricardo Legorreta’s original vision for The Market Place. It is designed as a central gathering place, an easy walk for residents that also connects visitors to the surrounding retail and dining options.
The Rismans expect to visit The Market Place even more than before, now that the new restaurants are open. “The Market Place is already our go-to spot after club soccer games,” Ray says. The health care executive notes that large patios at restaurants such as Islands and Luna Grill are great spots for teams and parents to gather.
As for the kids, they are happy to explore the new park, running around the fountain and through the trees while waiting for Handel’s to open for ice cream. “I think we will visit often,” their mother says with a smile.
