Plaza praised as ‘visionary’ center

COSTA MESA — When South Coast Plaza started construction more than four decades ago, it wasn’t much more than a lima bean field and a gleam in a few developers’ eyes.

Since then, the upscale shopping center has grown into the largest mall in California. The City of Costa Mesa paid tribute to its top retailer Thursday morning, as Mayor Allan Mansoor presented a proclamation in honor of South Coast Plaza’s 40th anniversary.

The plaque, which Mansoor gave to South Coast Plaza partner Henry Segerstrom and his family at a ceremony by the Carousel Court, describes the mall as “a visionary retail center” that attracts 22 million annual visitors and rakes in $1.4 billion each year. Spokeswoman Debra Gunn Downing said the plaque would hang in Segerstrom’s office — which has been a busy one of late, as the mall underwent an interior renovation this year and is in the midst of a monthlong exposition sponsored by the Italian government.

“We don’t feel a day older,” Segerstrom joked after Mansoor made a short speech summarizing the mall’s 40 years of existence.

A moment later, he reflected on the early days of the center that he helped to found.

“Looking at South Coast Plaza, we started very small,” Segerstrom said. “It was our objective to make people happy and sell goods.”

In return for the proclamation, the mall provided Mansoor with a gift: a bowl from Simon Pearce’s new Costa collection, which the glass and pottery store named after the city. Manager Stan Warehime, whose store opened in South Coast Plaza in April, said Simon Pearce only occasionally named products after the cities that harbored it, and Costa Mesa was one of the lucky few.

“We’re still rather new, but it’s exciting to be part of a big family,” Warehime said.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at [email protected].