Rawson, Blum & Leon of San Francisco, which owns the mall in partnership with real estate investment bankers Buchanan Street Partners of Newport Beach, CA, says the redevelopment plan will add 36,000 sf of inline space to the 822,350-sf center in addition to the renovations. The rehabilitation project will be financed in part by a $44-million bridge loan arranged by Buchanan Street through a private lender.

The mall renovations will bring in new restaurants, traditional mall shops and other tenants. As part of the redevelopment project, which is due to begin soon and completed in November, the mall will be renamed "The Village at Orange."

Rawson, Blum & Leon has named the Los Angeles office of Jones Lang LaSalle as the leasing and management agent for the mall. Project architect is Callison Architecture Inc. of Seattle, and general contractor is VCC of Newport Beach.

Among the new tenants at the renovated center will be Linens 'N Things and Cost Plus World Market, which the owners describe as "the first of several planned new anchors" that will join the shopping mall late this year and early next year. The first of the new restaurants will be Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co., according to Brad LaRue, development director for Rawson, Blum & Leon.

Mall of Orange was one of the first of three regional shopping centers built in Orange County in 1971. Among the new touches at the mall will be a water fountain and the driveway leading to the entrance, curbs and sidewalks designed to make it more pedestrian friendly, a two-story glass exterior, lighting, additional trees and a pedestrian streetscape dining area.

Rawson, Blum & Leon was established in 1974 as Rawson, Blum & Co. by David Rawson and Joseph Blum, and was renamed Rawson, Blum & Leon when Jeffrey S. Leon joined in 1998. RBL has acquired and managed more than 30 properties with an aggregate value in excess of $400 million.