If Irvine’s Spectrum Center were its own city – and in some ways, it comes close – Blake Windal would be the mayor.
As the center’s general manager, Windal oversees nearly 80 acres of open-air dining, shopping and entertainment, keeping it safe, spotless and full of surprises. His 220-member staff includes guest services associates, a maintenance crew that could rival a public works division, a team of top-notch security professionals as well as office employees involved in leasing, marketing and administration.
It’s a big job in an era of fast-paced change in retail. Thirty years ago, Spectrum Center debuted as a “lifestyle center,” and it remains Orange County’s most popular destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.
Master planned with precision, the center boasts elegant plazas, 11 fountains, towering palms, more than 150 olive trees and 162 bird-of-paradise plants. It’s one of only 36 U.S. shopping centers to earn an A++ grade from Green Street Advisors, which considers factors from aesthetics and store quality to foot traffic and merchant success. But Windal says Spectrum’s true edge lies in its role as Irvine’s de facto downtown.
For Rey Abreu, manager at Habana restaurant, that premise is personal. His children love the splash pad, the Giant Wheel and frozen treats from new Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream. On a recent visit, his parents admired the Mediterranean-style architecture. But what Abreu values most is security – both at work and with his family. “Safety is fundamental,” he says.
“Online shopping will keep evolving. But people still want to try on clothes, take them home that day and have a place to meet friends over dinner or drinks. They still want a backdrop for community life.”
Blake Windal
Exponential success
On a typical Saturday, up to 75,000 people pass through Spectrum Center. Annual attendance tops 17 million – within a million of Disneyland. In the past year, that traffic translated into roughly $622 million in taxable sales.
Success breeds success, attracting coveted, cutting-edge shops and restaurants to the center’s strategic location at the intersection of interstates 5 and 405.
Rivian Automotive opened a sprawling showroom at the center in March, a move senior manager Marc Navarro calls “a way to meet our customers where they already spend time and introduce the brand to new ones.”
From strawberries to spectacles
Windal often plays tour guide, starting at the Regal theater – built in 1995 on what was once a strawberry field. Back then, the 158,000-square-foot multiplex was billed as the world’s largest movie theater. Today, it’s a high-tech showcase, offering 70-millimeter IMAX and 4DX screenings with scents, wind and fog plus motion-synchronized seats.
Windal leads his visitors along the path of expansion that grew over the next 30 years, as the center morphed into today’s array of roughly 165 restaurants, snack shops, stores and boutiques. Irvine Company’s nearby apartments and offices created a built-in audience for a walkable, mixed-use hub.
The tours end at the soon-to-arrive Din Tai Fung, the popular Taiwanese dumpling house set to open early next year. Also on the horizon: Holey Moley, a high-concept mini-golf bar, and Hijinx Hotel, an immersive game experience set within a hotel theme. These additions reflect the center’s knack for reinvention.
Mastering shoppertainment
Surviving in retail now takes agility and imagination – two things Windal seems to relish. The Spectrum is a year-round stage: an ice rink and 75-foot tree for the holidays; Lunar New Year festivities in February; sunset nature walks with Vuori; outdoor fitness classes; kids’ activities; live music; and the beloved 108-foot Giant Wheel, which next summer will be replaced by an even taller attraction: a new 132-foot wheel.
Then there are the surprises: a 100-ton sandcastle, an ice sculpture or a silent disco. “You never know what you’ll stumble upon,” Windal says.
The tenant mix also frequently gets a creative spin. Pop-up shops act as auditions; brands such as Isabelle’s Cabinet, Hello Kitty Cafe and OluKai footwear have graduated from temporary kiosks to full storefronts.
“Working with Irvine Spectrum Center as a pop-up has changed the trajectory of our small business,” says Chelsea McDowell, general manager of Isabelle’s Cabinet. “The continual support and celebration from the management team as they have watched us grow our small business has meant the world to us.”
“We’re always looking ahead,” Windal says. “Online shopping will keep evolving. But people still want to try on clothes, take them home that day and have a place to meet friends over dinner or drinks. They still want a backdrop for community life.”
That’s why Windal is confident that Spectrum Center’s next 30 years will be stronger than its first. The formula: Invest in beauty, safety and novelty while staying in tune with the community.
“Whatever comes next, we’ll be at the forefront,” he says. “We’ll keep riding that wave – because we’re really good surfers.”
