BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Thursday morning, local business leaders gathered inside the Harriet Hotel for a real estate forecast breakfast and a closer look at what could become one of northeast Bakersfield\u2019s biggest developments.<\/p>\n
Vince Roche with Cushman & Wakefield shared an update on the long-awaited City Lights project \u2014 formerly known as the East Hills Mall, which first opened in 1986. The mall once featured four department stores and a movie theater, but after the Great Recession, store closures mounted and foot traffic declined. By summer 2022, the site had been reduced to dirt.<\/p>\n
Now, developers say the 35-acre property could see an investment of about $110 million. <\/p>\n
The mostly vacant site recently secured parcel map approval along Mall View Road, Oswell Street, and Mount Vernon Avenue. <\/p>\n
Plans call for 15 buildings with an open-air shopping layout, featuring local vendors in a style similar to The Park at River Walk.<\/p>\n
Roche acknowledged delays, explaining that large-scale projects require negotiating multiple leases in this case, 18 different agreements with 18 companies. So far, 18 leases have been signed. <\/p>\n
Sprouts has announced it will join the development, and one major tenant space remains available, along with several smaller retail spots still to be filled.<\/p>\n
After construction delays in 2024, developers now say they are preparing to break ground, with hopes of a grand opening in 2026. Roche says the project is designed to better serve northeast Bakersfield residents, many of whom currently travel across town for basic goods and services.<\/p>\n
For now, the site remains an empty lot. <\/p>\n
But if all goes as planned, East Bakersfield could soon swap dust and debris for storefronts and new economic opportunity.<\/p>\n
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