Posted October 22, 2026 | By Eric Engelbert | Updated as the project progresses.
MainPlace, the three-story mall next to the 5 and 22 freeways in north Santa Ana, is turning into a place where people live. The first apartment building, Paloma, opened in 2023 with 309 apartments and is about 96% leased. In March 2026, crews broke ground on the second, The Carina, with 408 apartments, alongside a new 1.25-acre Culinary District built where the old Nordstrom stood.
The city's MainPlace Specific Plan allows up to 1,900 homes, a hotel, and office space on the property, so these first 717 apartments are only part of what is approved. This post covers what is open, what is under construction, the mall's history, how the plan fits Santa Ana's state housing requirement, and what it means for renters and nearby homeowners.
We can compare Paloma and The Carina with condos and homes for sale nearby.
Get on the MainPlace update list or call/text Eric at 949-430-7500
October 2026 Update: What Is Open and What Is Coming
| Piece | Status |
|---|---|
| Paloma (309 apartments) | Open since September 2023; about 96% leased |
| The Carina (408 apartments) | Broke ground March 25, 2026; completion expected late 2028 |
| Culinary District | Under construction on the former Nordstrom site; completion expected late 2028 |
| Mall upgrades | Atrium and food court refresh, with new outdoor seating areas |
| Remaining housing capacity | About 1,183 more homes allowed under the Specific Plan; no third building announced |
Paloma: The First 309 Apartments
Paloma was MainPlace's first residential building. Residents began moving in on September 15, 2023, and the grand opening was held October 24, 2023. Developer Lowe managed construction for the mall's owners.
Five stories
per OCBJ, March 2026
October 2026
and the new Culinary District
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | 2727 N. MainPlace Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92705 |
| Homes | 309 apartments: studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom |
| Building | Five stories |
| Opened | First move-ins September 15, 2023; grand opening October 24, 2023 |
| Developer | Lowe, for MainPlace owner Centennial and its partners |
| Advertised rents | About $2,510 to $3,965 per month for available units (October 2026) |
| In-home features | In-unit washer and dryer, stainless appliances, plank-style flooring, glass-enclosed showers, balconies or patios |
| Amenities | Pool and spa courtyard, rooftop deck, two-story fitness center and yoga room, co-working and private offices, maker space, dog run and dog spa, package concierge, bike storage |
Rents are advertised ranges from online listings as of October 22, 2026, and change daily. Contact the leasing office for current pricing.
The Carina and the Culinary District: Under Construction Now
On March 25, 2026, Lowe, Centennial, and co-owner Affinius Capital broke ground on The Carina and the Culinary District, about a $250 million phase of the MainPlace makeover. Both replace the former Nordstrom store and a two-level parking garage, which were demolished in 2025.
| Item | The Carina |
|---|---|
| Address | 2828 N. MainPlace Drive, on the east side of the property |
| Homes | 408 apartments: studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom |
| Building | Eight stories: five residential levels over three levels of above-ground parking, plus one level below ground |
| Financing | $144 million construction loan; Affinius Capital added $15.2 million (per CoStar, reported by OCBJ) |
| In-home features | Plank and porcelain flooring, quartz counters, in-unit washer and dryer, terraces |
| Amenities | Fourth-floor pool and spa deck, outdoor dining and screening areas, clubroom, game room, fitness and yoga rooms, co-working and study space, maker space, dog run and dog spa, more than 84,000 sq ft of terraces and courtyards |
| Completion | Expected late 2028 |
| Rents | Not yet announced |
| Item | The Culinary District |
|---|---|
| Size | About 1.25 acres |
| Dining | About 20,000 sq ft of chef-driven, locally curated restaurants, including three full-service restaurants |
| Public space | About 17,000 sq ft plaza with courtyards and an event space for markets, entertainment, and community events |
| Retail | Two flagship retail spaces framing a new entrance at Center Court |
| Completion | Expected late 2028 |
From Bullock's Fashion Square to a Mixed-Use Neighborhood
| Year | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 1958 | Bullock's Fashion Square opens as an open-air shopping center on the site |
| 1987 | The enclosed MainPlace mall opens on September 26, 1987 |
| 2002 | Westfield acquires the mall, later calling it Westfield MainPlace |
| December 2015 | Westfield sells it to a group led by Centennial Real Estate, with Montgomery Street Partners and USAA Real Estate (now Affinius Capital), as part of a five-mall deal |
| 2017 | Nordstrom closes its MainPlace store |
| 2017 to 2019 | About 35 stores close and gross sales drop about $54 million over two years |
| June 4, 2019 | City Council unanimously approves the MainPlace Specific Plan |
| 2022 | The plan wins the Orange County Business Council's top Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet award |
| 2023 | Paloma opens with 309 apartments |
| 2025 | Former Nordstrom and a parking garage are demolished |
| March 2026 | The Carina and the Culinary District break ground |
The mall still draws crowds, about 6.5 million visits a year according to the owner's Placer.ai data, but taxable sales were about $102.8 million for the year ending June 30, 2025, down 5.7% from the year before. That is the same pressure that pushed Simon to add apartments at Brea Mall: housing adds full-time customers and makes better use of acres of parking.
The MainPlace Specific Plan: Up to 1,900 Homes
The Specific Plan approved in 2019 is the rulebook for everything that gets built on the property. It allows a mix of homes, hotel rooms, and office space around a refreshed mall.
| Use | Maximum Allowed |
|---|---|
| Homes | Up to 1,900 |
| Hotel | Up to 400 rooms |
| Office | Up to 750,000 sq ft |
| Added commercial and retail | Up to 100,000 sq ft |
| Housing at MainPlace | Homes |
|---|---|
| Paloma (open) | 309 |
| The Carina (under construction) | 408 |
| Remaining capacity under the plan | About 1,183 |
| Total allowed | 1,900 |
No third residential building, hotel, or office project has been announced. We will update this post when the next phase is filed with the city.
How MainPlace Fits Santa Ana's Housing Element
Santa Ana's state-certified 2021-2029 Housing Element requires the city to plan for 3,137 new homes. The city lists the MainPlace Specific Plan, adopted in 2019, as one of a handful of areas with room left for new housing, along with the Harbor corridor, the Metro East overlay, and downtown's Transit Zoning Code. Paloma's 309 apartments are counted in the Housing Element's list of pipeline projects toward the city's goal.
All of the MainPlace apartments so far are market rate. The Housing Element notes that Santa Ana has few newer Class A apartments that attract professionals who might otherwise rent in Irvine or Costa Mesa, and it points to areas like MainPlace to fill that gap.
MainPlace is one of several big projects reshaping Santa Ana at once:
| Project | Homes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Related Bristol (former Metro Town Square) | 3,750 | Approved |
| MainPlace (Paloma and The Carina) | 717 so far; up to 1,900 allowed | 309 open; 408 under construction |
| The Village Santa Ana (South Coast Plaza Village) | 1,583 | Approved |
| One Broadway Plaza | About 600 proposed | In city review |
| 2020 E. First Street (Meritage) | 86 for-sale townhomes | Approved; sales not yet open |
What MainPlace Means for Renters, Buyers, and Neighbors
| If You Are... | What It Means |
|---|---|
| A renter | Paloma is leasing now, and The Carina adds 408 more new apartments in 2028. New buildings often offer move-in specials during lease-up, so compare pricing. |
| Weighing rent vs. buy | A one- or two-bedroom at Paloma advertises about $2,500 to $4,000 a month. Condos and townhomes in the nearby 92705 and 92706 zip codes listed at an average of about $605,000 over the past year. Depending on your down payment and rate, owning can cost a similar amount per month while building equity. |
| A nearby homeowner | Single-family homes in Park Santiago, Morrison Park, and nearby neighborhoods listed at an average of about $1.09 million over the past year. A busier MainPlace with dining and new residents adds to the appeal of living within walking or biking distance. |
| A commuter | MainPlace sits next to the 5 and 22 freeways, near CHOC, and minutes from downtown Santa Ana, Orange, and Anaheim. |
Home price figures are rounded MLS list-price averages for the 12 months ending October 22, 2026. Ask us for a current report on your street.
Interested in MainPlace or Homes Nearby?
We track MainPlace and every other Santa Ana project from approval to move-in. Get on our list for updates on The Carina, the Culinary District, and future phases, or contact us to compare renting at MainPlace with buying a condo or home nearby.
Search homes for sale in Santa Ana | One Broadway Plaza | Related Bristol | The Village Santa Ana | View all OC new developments
:format(webp):quality(80)/u.realgeeks.media/ericengelbert/Orange-County-Weekly-Housing-Market-Reports-And-Statistics.png)
:format(webp):quality(80)/u.realgeeks.media/ericengelbert/Property-Valuation-with-comparable-sales.png)
:format(webp):quality(80)/u.realgeeks.media/ericengelbert/selling-my-house-in-orange-county.png)
:format(webp):quality(80)/u.realgeeks.media/ericengelbert/Call-Orange-County-Real-Estate.png)
:format(webp):quality(80)/u.realgeeks.media/ericengelbert/sell-my-house-instantly-orange-county.png)