By Leslie Luna

Customers at The Shoppes at Carlsbad on a recent Saturday afternoon were, for the most part, excited with the long-awaited dynamic renovations and upgrades happening at the shopping center.

“The mall was decorated for the holidays, the movie theater was booming, there are more eateries that weren’t open a few months ago. I have never seen the mall this crowded, and now I see why,” said Tracy Power, a San Marcos resident. “The mall was pretty basic; there wasn’t a lot of variety, and it didn’t have the same vibe that you get at Fashion Valley or UTC malls. I’m looking forward to the mall’s makeover and the new tenants coming in.”

Dave and Buster’s is bringing its mix of food with arcade games to the mall this month. Other tenants opening in late 2017 include The Cheesecake Factory, the Yard House, and Spanish clothing retailer Zara.

Although the future of the mall seemed uncertain after several ownership transitions, name changes and re-branding campaigns, the mall’s current owner, Rouse Properties, says it’s confident they can restore the shopping center to a position of prominence within the prime retail landscape of the Carlsbad market. The Rouse team has been working with Carlsbad city officials to continue to curate the property to reflect the needs of the community.

“Our goal has always been to elevate the overall consumer experience and give the residents of Carlsbad a world-class retail, dining and entertainment destination,” said Rouse’s CEO Brian Harper in a written statement.

Key elements of the renovation include the addition of contemporary coastal living-inspired architectural elements, weather wood accents, natural stone, woven textiles and native plants, and a unique child-friendly water-inspired play area.

The shopping complex, originally named Plaza Camino Real, was built 47 years ago with 549,000 square feet; 63 stores and three anchors, May Co., J.C. Penney and F.W. Woolworth; and the county’s first twinplex theater, Cinema Plaza. Now the two-story, one million square-foot mall is home to more than 100 retail options and specialty tenants such as 24 Hour-Fitness Super Sport and The Pizza Press.

Rouse properties is following the lead of other mall operators fighting to reinvent the mall by adding landscaping, pedestrian walkways, communal spaces and bringing tenants that people want. With department stores in sharp decline, mall operators have to think creatively about how to keep shoppers coming back. Part of what’s hurting the mall, is that, increasingly, people are shopping online and shoppers are getting choosier about where they spend their dollars. But The Shoppes at Carlsbad show that there is still a lot of life in that American mainstay, the suburban mall.

Rouse Properties officials say malls will continue to play a central role in the retail landscape given the need for growing retailers to reach and engage with consumers. There’s no substitute for experiencing a product firsthand and malls provide exactly that type of experience.