Old Laguna Niguel Courthouse Could Be Converted To Retail Complex

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA -- The old Laguna Niguel courthouse could be converted into a mixed-use complex that includes eateries, retailers and housing under a lease recently approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The deal could result in a $210 million development on the county-owned 24-acre parcel, according to a recent report in the Orange County Register.

The project, which is being called the Laguna Niguel Town Center, would fill the long-vacant South County Justice Center at Alicia and Crown Valley parkways. City leaders, however, would have to sign off on the project, which is being proposed by the developers, real estate firms Burnham-Ward Properties and Sares-Regis Group.

The developers are proposing more than 200,000 square feet of commercial space, 138,000 square feet of retail space, a 20,400-square-feet food hall, a 12,000-square-feet specialty market and a 7,500-square-feet restaurant, according to county staffers. They also propose to relocate the county library toward the middle of the parcel.

“Laguna Niguel has been waiting patiently,” Mayor John Mark Jennings was quoted as saying in the Register article. “Laguna Niguel has always wanted and deserved downtown. This project goes a long way in filing that goal.”

The city has said that plans to hold a public workshop this summer for the developer to get feedback from local residents.