Almost square at Triangle Square

Alicia Robinson

Triangle Square didn’t meet its goal of leasing all its retail space

by June, but shopping center officials said they’re on the right

track.

The 191,000-square-foot center is now at 75% occupancy, somewhat

short of a goal set in fall 2003 of being 100% full by last month.

Although Triangle Square is in a prime downtown Costa Mesa location

and has major anchors such as Barnes & Noble and Niketown, officials

have struggled to attract tenants since the center opened in 1992.

Frequent management changes have also plagued the center, with

marketing directors changing six times in a four-year period ending

in 2001. Most recently, Vicky Sheng was named operations manager in

April. She replaced Mary Korkodian, who was the center’s operations

manager for about seven months.

But Triangle Square expects to have better news to report soon,

spokeswoman Vanessa Showalter said.

“We have renewed leases, but no new tenants have come on board

yet,” she said. “We’re negotiating with a lot of different tenants

right now.”

A new coffee kiosk and a 1,500-square-foot jewelry store that’s

yet to be named are coming soon, some existing tenants are planning

expansions, and the center is negotiating with two or three “pretty

big-time players,” Showalter said.

The funky restaurant and night spot Sutra Lounge is expected to

draw crowds when it opens to the public later this month, and a free

summer movie festival for children at the Edwards Theater has already

been popular.

Sheng said there’s been a fair amount of traffic through the

center during the day, and the restaurants have kept things hopping

on weeknights.

The center has hosted a few events recently, but most have been

held by individual stores because Triangle Square’s money has gone

toward building maintenance and repairs, Sheng said.

For now, the center is taking little steps, and they seem to be

making a difference. Showalter said Triangle Square visitors have

appreciated new signs pointing out stores, parking and exits that

went up in March.

“We’ve noticed a difference, and a lot of the tenants are

basically saying thank you to us for doing this because customers

aren’t complaining anymore,” she said.