Two connected projects in the works will dramatically reshape San Marcos’ Old California Restaurant Row, adding a total of 261 residential units along with commercial and restaurant space.
The community, known as The Row, will include a large chunk of what was Old California Restaurant Row as well as the area where the Sears department store used to be along West San Marcos Boulevard.
The developer, Lennar Homes, describes the project as a vibrant, mixed-use hub that will include updated dining and commercial space, landscaped pedestrian connections, a neighborhood park and new housing options.
High angle view looking west of the former site of Old California Restaurant Row along San Marcos Blvd. shown at left. It’s now under construction for residential and commercial buildings. (Charlie Neuman / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Mayor Rebecca Jones said the new development will help bring the community together in much the same way that the Old California Restaurant Row did years ago.
“I’m excited to see the next generation enjoy a new restaurant row area,” she said.
The buildings that were on those lots have been demolished. Workers are now grading the land and installing utilities. Construction of the buildings is expected to start this spring, according to Ryan Green, Lennar Homes San Diego Division President.
Sales of the townhomes are expected to start in late spring with people moving into completed units in late 2026 or early 2027. The entire project is expected to be finished in mid-2028.
Originally, the two projects were planned as separate communities, but they have been combined. The Restaurant Row project came to the San Marcos City Council for approval in 2023. The lot where Sears used to be was added a year later.
A sign for the former site of Old California Restaurant Row is in the median strip of San Marcos Blvd. in this view looking west. The site across the westbound lanes at right is now under construction for residential and commercial buildings. In the distance along the west end of the property is Edwards Cinemas theaters. (Charlie Neuman / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Old California Restaurant Row started in 1978 and was a popular destination for decades. In more recent years, the site fell into disrepair. The family of the original developer sold the land in 2020.
There are still two restaurants and a bank in the area along Via Vera Cruz on lots not owned by Lennar Homes. Fish House Vera Cruz, a staple in the area, closed last summer after nearly 50 years in business there.
The developer’s website states that elements from the Old California Restaurant Row will be preserved and incorporated into the design to create an “old-meets-new aesthetic that celebrates the history of the site.”
“Understanding that many a birthday, graduation party, anniversary and family milestone have been celebrated at Restaurant Row, a key goal of the project is to create a sense of place and help to recapture the fun, connection, and celebration people know and love,” Lennar Homes says on its website for the project.
Jones said honoring the history of the site was an important part of the project, and the developer has saved some of the wooden beams from the original construction that will be incorporated into the space.
“There were a lot of people concerned because it was part of the history of our city,” she said. “The story is going to be preserved.”
A construction worker drags a water hose along a recently built retaining wall on the former site of Old California Restaurant Row. (Charlie Neuman / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The larger of the two projects will add 190 townhomes, a one-acre park and about 10,400 square feet of commercial space. An additional 17,000 square feet is identified for outdoor dining.
The city and developer held workshops in 2022 and 2023 to gather feedback from the community about what amenities the public wanted for the park. Based on that feedback, the plans include pickleball courts, a skate park, a playground, public art, a concert area and restroom facilities.
The smaller lot, where the Sears building used to be, is planned to have 71 residential townhome units and approximately 2,900 square feet of ground-floor commercial mixed-use space.