Westfield UTC In San Diego, CA Keeps Evolving: Massive Remodels, Transit, Luxury Wing

Contents

Quick facts

Official name	Westfield UTC
Former and alternate names	University Towne Centre, Westfield Shoppingtown UTC, UTC
Location	University City, San Diego, California
Address	4545 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92122
Coordinates	32.871, -117.2119
Category	Open-air shopping mall
Opening date	October 12, 1977
Developer	Ernest W. Hahn (The Hahn Company)
Owner and operator	Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (former Sears parcel owned separately)
Size	1,066,800 square feet
Stores	199
Anchors	9, including Macy's and Nordstrom
Transit	UTC Transit Center, San Diego Trolley Blue Line northern terminus
Most recent change	70,000-square-foot luxury wing opening in phases through spring 2026

Westfield UTC is an open-air shopping mall in the University City community of San Diego, California, at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive.

It opened on October 12, 1977 as University Towne Centre and runs 1,066,800 square feet today. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield owns and operates it, except for the former Sears parcel, now redeveloped as The Collection at UTC.

The mall sits just east of La Jolla, near UC San Diego, and connects to the San Diego Trolley Blue Line at the UTC Transit Center.

It lists 199 stores and 9 anchors, and has moved over five decades from a mixed-use community center toward an upscale retail and dining destination.

Westfield UTC in San Diego, CA

Westfield UTC proposal and downsizing, 1972 to 1977

In 1972, developer Ernest W. Hahn pitched University Towne Centre to the La Jolla Town Council. The plan covered 150 acres and treated retail as one piece of a larger mixed-use site.

The first program listed 10 high-rise buildings, underground parking, a 200-room hotel, and 4,000 residential units.

Planning ran five years and drew steady objections. Traffic and density came up repeatedly, and the proposed towers raised both.

The U.S. Navy pushed back hardest, citing the site's closeness to Naval Air Station Miramar. Hahn cut the plan to 74 acres. The approved version dropped the height and spread out at ground level.

Westfield UTC opening in 1977

University Towne Centre opened on October 12, 1977, valued at $61 million. Construction had started that August, and crews trucked in several 40-foot Indian Laurel fig trees from the Los Angeles area before the center was finished.

The original layout was a one- and two-story open-court center. Three department stores anchored it: Robinson's at 127,100 square feet, The Broadway at 155,600 square feet, and Sears at 190,000 square feet, the largest of the three.

The first tenant list went well past shopping. It included child care, community meeting rooms, an ice skating rink, a museum, an art gallery, a six-screen theater, and a discotheque.

Nordstrom and the 1984 expansion

In 1984, Nordstrom opened at University Towne Centre along with 31 new stores and added parking structures. The expansion gave the center a fourth department store and a larger regional draw.

"San Diego Westfield UTC" by JiriMatejicek is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

The 1989 pipe bomb near University Towne Centre

On March 10, 1989, a pipe bomb detonated near University Towne Centre and put the UTC corridor in national news. Sharon Rogers, wife of Capt. Will Rogers III of the USS Vincennes, was driving a van on Genesee Avenue.

She stopped in the northbound left-turn lane just south of La Jolla Village Drive, a main approach to the center, heard two popping sounds, and got out to check. The device detonated moments later and the van burned. Rogers was not injured.

The FBI ran the case as a federal matter. Investigators looked at anger over the 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the Vincennes, without naming a settled motive at the time. Witnesses described a red car making a sudden U-turn and leaving fast.

The incident happened on the street at the edge of the property, not inside the center, and the mall stayed open.

Westfield ownership and stalled plans, 1996 to 2012

By the mid-1990s, University Towne Centre had shed some of its unusual features. In August 1996, the Mingei museum moved to Balboa Park and took 6,000 square feet of art and design displays with it, leaving a more conventional mall behind.

Westfield began buying the Hahn properties in 1998. University Towne Centre was part of the first deal, closing July 31, with Westfield taking over management.

In 1999, a partnership with JP Morgan Investment Management formalized the holding.

At the time, the center was listed at 1,035,000 square feet with Nordstrom, Macy's, Robinsons-May, and Sears, 162 specialty stores, and $309 million in annual sales.

The next decade brought plans more than visible change. Westfield started work on an upgrade around 2001. The city approved a large addition in 2008 with more retail and housing, then the project stalled when the economy turned.

By late 2011, the work restarted. Phase 1 cleared Robinsons-May, planned a 14-screen theater above a larger fitness club, converted the food court into the Dining Terrace, and enclosed the ice rink in glass.

The 2012 renovation

In 2012, Westfield UTC finished a $180 million renovation built over 14 months. The work focused on the shared space between stores.

Common areas were rebuilt with a redesigned children's play area, new family lounges, added greenery, and replaced paving across the property. A remodeled dining area pushed food toward the main draw.

The project added 40,000 square feet. A 14-screen ArcLight Cinema opened, and a 53,000-square-foot Super Sport fitness club came in.

New tenants included Seasons 52, Tiffany & Co., and J. Crew, while Starbucks and Forever 21 expanded.

Free Wi-Fi went in across the center, along with an LED screen in Palm Plaza. The property was anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, and Sears at the time.

The 2017 expansion and new Nordstrom store

In 2017, Westfield UTC added 400,000 square feet of upscale stores, dining, office space, and a five-story parking garage. A new 144,000-square-foot Nordstrom opened on October 12, 2017.

Bus service at the new UTC Transit Center started two weeks later, on October 27, 2017.

The 2017 work leaned the property toward retail, dining, and offices, and away from the community and cultural mix of earlier years. Moving parking into the garage freed ground level for stores and walking space.

The Collection at UTC and the former Sears site

The Sears parcel on the northeast side moved on its own track. In July 2015, the property transferred to Seritage Growth Properties.

Sears announced its closure in May 2017, and the building sat vacant by the end of that year.

Seritage and Invesco Real Estate formed a joint venture to redevelop the former Sears store and auto center into The Collection at UTC, a $165 million project with 226,200 square feet of retail, restaurant, and office space.

Equinox signed early for 33,000 square feet. Demolition cleared the old Sears structure in 2019, and leasing widened to office users such as Industrious.

The Collection at UTC opened in October 2021, with Pacific Catch among the first tenants. Openings continued into early 2022, when the project was largely leased.

Amazon took 123,000 square feet on the upper floors.

Street-level tenants included Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids, CB2, Blue Bottle Coffee, Ideal Image, and Madison Reed. Crate & Barrel moved into a standalone two-story outparcel.

Ownership change, the Palisade tower, and trolley service, 2018 to 2021

In 2018, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield took over Westfield, moving the property under a Paris-based owner. The look stayed the same, but the new owner controlled future plans.

Housing arrived in 2019. The Palisade apartment tower opened in the Nobel Drive parking area, adding homes next to the stores.

Trolley service started on November 21, 2021, when the San Diego Trolley Blue Line extension reached the UTC Transit Center as its northern terminus.

The line tied the car-built center into the regional rail system.

The luxury wing expansion, 2022 to 2026

In 2022, Westfield UTC demolished the former Nordstrom store and several nearby shops to clear room for a luxury wing. Construction began on April 1, 2024.

The project added 70,000 square feet across two buildings, with nine storefronts and two restaurants.

It extended the existing promenade at the same grade and added a second valet area, landscaping, and an art piece. One building is a two-level restaurant.

Leasing passed 80 percent early in the build, tenants took space in mid-2025, and public openings ran in phases through spring 2026.

Announced luxury tenants include Chanel, with its first standalone San Diego boutique, plus Carolina Herrera, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Zegna, RH near the food court, and Loro Piana.

New restaurants include JOEY and Teleferic Barcelona. Other 2025 openings included L Space on March 20, Dreame on April 26, and The Escape Game in the summer.

Westfield UTC today

Westfield UTC runs as an open-air, pedestrian-focused center in good condition. Storefronts and shared areas look current, wide paths connect across the site, and seating sits along the routes. The center holds weekend crowds without looking worn.

Parking is the main complaint: lots fill fast at peak times, and paid parking after the first two hours discourages longer visits.

Through 2025 and into 2026, construction caused detours, temporary fencing, and rerouted walkways while finished sections stayed open next to the work.

Today the mall lists 199 stores and 9 anchors across 1,066,800 square feet, served by the UTC Transit Center on the Blue Line.

Timeline of Westfield UTC

1972: Ernest W. Hahn proposes University Towne Centre on 150 acres.
1977: Center opens October 12 as University Towne Centre, valued at $61 million, anchored by Robinson's, The Broadway, and Sears.
1984: Nordstrom, 31 new stores, and added parking structures open.
1989: A pipe bomb detonates near the center on March 10.
1996: Mingei museum leaves for Balboa Park in August.
1998: Westfield buys University Towne Centre, closing July 31, and takes over management.
1999: JP Morgan Investment Management partnership; center listed at 1,035,000 square feet and $309 million in annual sales.
2008: City approves a large addition; the project stalls in the downturn.
2012: $180 million, 14-month renovation finishes; adds 40,000 square feet, ArcLight Cinema, and free Wi-Fi.
2015: Sears parcel transfers to Seritage in July.
2017: New 144,000-square-foot Nordstrom opens October 12; UTC Transit Center bus service starts October 27; 400,000-square-foot expansion.
2018: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield acquires Westfield.
2019: Palisade apartment tower opens; former Sears cleared.
2021: The Collection at UTC opens in October; Blue Line trolley service starts November 21.
2022: Former Nordstrom store demolished for the luxury wing.
2024: Luxury wing construction begins April 1.
2026: Luxury wing opens in phases through spring.

Frequently asked questions

What is Westfield UTC?
Westfield UTC is an open-air shopping mall in the University City community of San Diego, California. It opened in 1977 as University Towne Centre and now runs 1,066,800 square feet with 199 stores and 9 anchors.

Where is Westfield UTC located?
Westfield UTC is at 4545 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92122, just east of La Jolla and near UC San Diego.

When did Westfield UTC open?
Westfield UTC opened on October 12, 1977 as University Towne Centre. It was valued at $61 million on completion.

Who owns Westfield UTC?
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield owns and operates Westfield UTC. The Paris-based company acquired Westfield in 2018. The former Sears parcel, now The Collection at UTC, is owned separately by a Seritage and Invesco joint venture.

What were the original anchor stores at Westfield UTC?
When it opened in 1977, the anchors were Robinson's at 127,100 square feet, The Broadway at 155,600 square feet, and Sears at 190,000 square feet. Nordstrom joined in 1984.

How do you get to Westfield UTC by public transit?
The UTC Transit Center serves the mall. Bus service began on October 27, 2017, and San Diego Trolley Blue Line service began on November 21, 2021, with the center as the line's northern terminus.

What is The Collection at UTC?
The Collection at UTC is a $165 million redevelopment of the former Sears store and auto center, with 226,200 square feet of retail, restaurant, and office space. It opened in October 2021. Tenants include Amazon, Williams Sonoma, CB2, and Blue Bottle Coffee.

What is the luxury wing at Westfield UTC?
The luxury wing is a 70,000-square-foot expansion on the former Nordstrom site. Construction began on April 1, 2024, and stores opened in phases through spring 2026.

Tenants include Chanel, Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, and Zegna, plus the restaurants JOEY and Teleferic Barcelona.

Is Westfield UTC free to visit?
Yes. Westfield UTC is open to the public at no charge. Parking is free for the first two hours, with a fee after that.