"Creating new opportunities for people to connect, gather and enjoy time together." That's how Jon Stoeckly, vice president of regional development at Federal Realty, described the plan for Grossmont Center in Times of San Diego this summer. The phrase sounds like standard press-release language. It also matches what the 2026 work orders show. Each change at the center so far replaces a reason to stop by with a reason to stay. That started with the plaza on the north side, continues with the theater, and ends with the space that Macy's held for more than sixty years.
October was the month the center's own renovation notice set for finishing Phase One. So the north side between Target and Walmart is the place to start.
The First Thing Finished Is a Place to Sit
Phase One began on Monday, January 5. The center's notice says every existing business would stay open and accessible during construction. According to Times of San Diego, the work is a $10 million facelift of the north side with new walkways, lighting, entrances, façades and security features.
Most of that list is maintenance. The rest is a plaza built for people to stay a while. Here's what the plans and reporting describe:
- Synthetic turf along the center's interior spine, an elevated performance platform near Target, and living-room-style seating at the edge of the green space, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune
- Seating, shade canopies, decorative paving, a central fountain, flexible gathering space, interpretive play elements and an event stage for the central plaza and entry paseos, in the City of La Mesa's design review
- A new entry portico at the Grossmont Center Drive gateway, with enhanced landscaping and 30 trees proposed for this phase, including six street trees along that entrance
A stage, a lawn and lounge seating are built to stretch a Target run into an afternoon. The outdoor seating faces the same mild East County weather that makes a shaded bench appealing most months of the year.
The October date was a target. The City of La Mesa's Active Development Projects list, updated September 14, 2026, still showed the Federal Realty façade-and-landscape project as under construction. If some fencing is still up on your next visit, it's on the same project.
Overlapping Schedules on One Property
Phase One is the shortest of several overlapping projects. Here's where each one stood heading into late October:
| Project | Where on the property | Timing | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase One facelift and plaza | North side, between Target and Walmart | Began January 5, 2026; October 2026 target | Under construction per the city's September 14 list |
| AMC theater renovation | Former Reading Cinemas | Closed June 1, 2026; reopening planned for early 2027 | Closed for renovation |
| Bass Pro Shops | Former Macy's site and neighboring buildings | Announced for 2028 | Recommended by the Design Review Board; City Council ratification pending |
| Overall revitalization | Full 64-acre property | Summer 2028 completion per design firm DLR Group | Ongoing |
Federal Realty bought the 925,000-square-foot center in 2021. Most leases came up for renewal in 2025. Barnes & Noble and Walmart got extensions, and Reading Cinemas and Macy's did not. The two tenants that left are the two spaces now being turned into destinations.
The Theater Comes Back With Recliners and a Different Price Point
The 10-screen Reading Cinemas closed abruptly on June 1. A week later, AMC announced it had acquired the theater through a deal with Federal Realty and would fully renovate it, keeping it closed until early 2027. The Union-Tribune reported power-reclining seats in all 10 auditoriums.
The trade-off shows up at the ticket window. Times of San Diego noted that Reading had some of the cheapest tickets in the region and strong matinee deals. It also noted that AMC's modern amenities are reflected in its ticket prices. The same outlet suggested the new operator "could signal the future direction of the mall." That fits the plaza. A recliner seat and a lawn with a stage both assume you'll make an evening of it.
For the next several months, movie night means going somewhere other than Grossmont. The theater's dark stretch runs from June 2026 into early 2027, which covers this year's entire holiday season.
Bass Pro Takes the Macy's Footprint as a Regional Draw
Macy's closed in early 2026 after operating at the center since its opening in 1961. On July 1, Bass Pro Shops announced a destination store there for 2028. It will be the company's first in San Diego and sixth in California. Today the closest one is in Rancho Cucamonga.
Bass Pro's quotes focused on attracting visitors, not on La Mesa's own shoppers. Mayor Mark Arapostathis told Times of San Diego the store would "bring new jobs, attract visitors from throughout the region, and further strengthen our local economy." Founder Johnny Morris said the region's mix of saltwater and freshwater fishing "offers something truly special." The same report described a custom interior that draws on the region's natural habitat. It said a visit to a Bass Pro store can feel like a "mini vacation" in nature.
So Macy's, a department store people visited with a list, is being replaced by a store designed for browsing for hours. It's the same shift the plaza and the theater are making.
The project isn't fully approved yet. On July 27, La Mesa's Design Review Board voted on a motion recommending approval, subject to conditions and City Council ratification. The city's September 14 project list still had the application in discretionary review. That status means it hadn't yet received planning approval.
What the Plan Leaves Out
Times of San Diego pointed out that many other mall makeovers in the region add housing. Grossmont's plan focuses on the look and the day-to-day experience of the mall instead of adding mixed-use space. The outlet called the approach more conservative and cited the reinvigorated Fashion Valley and UTC as the backdrop.
For nearby residents, that means the property keeps its current scale and its current job. It's still a place you drive to, park at and walk through. The changes are in how long it's built to hold you once you're there. The everyday anchors that got lease extensions, Walmart and Barnes & Noble, stay put while the rest changes around them.
Nearby, the same city list includes a proposed In-N-Out drive-thru at 8690 Center Drive. It was submitted June 2, 2025, and is still in discretionary review.
Planning Your Visits Between Now and 2028
The center's sequence affects your weekend plans for the next couple of years. In order:
- Now through late fall: The north side between Target and Walmart is where new walkways, lighting and plaza features should appear first. Stores remain open during the work.
- Through the holidays: The theater stays closed. Grossmont isn't an option for a holiday movie this year.
- Early 2027: AMC plans to reopen with recliners in every auditorium.
- 2028: Bass Pro Shops is targeted to open, pending City Council ratification. DLR Group's summer 2028 target for the overall project falls in the same year.
The plaza comes first because it's the cheapest piece to build. It's also the piece the theater and Bass Pro will rely on once they open. A lawn, a stage and good seating give someone leaving an AMC matinee or a Bass Pro browse a reason to stay for dinner.
If you're watching how changes like the new Grossmont plaza and next year's AMC reopening shape day-to-day life around La Mesa, I'm always glad to compare notes. Reach out to me through Point of View Properties. Let's Connect.
