Gelson’s Market Opening at Sendero Marketplace

Westar Associates has announced that Gelson’s Market will anchor Sendero Marketplace, a 11.5-acre neighborhood retail center under construction on the new community of Rancho Mission Viejo in South Orange County. The 98,000 sq. ft. center, located at Antonio Parkway and Ortega Highway, will open in late 2016.

“We have been looking for a new South Orange County site for a very long time, and feel that the Sendero Marketplace on The Ranch is the perfect spot,” says Rob McDougall, Gelson’s President/CEO. “We embrace the outdoor California lifestyle, focused on entertaining with the best tasting food available, and believe that Gelson’s is a great match for this beautiful community.”

The new 35,000 sq. ft. grocery store will be Gelson’s fourth location in Orange County. The Los Angeles-based retailer provides the finest produce, best cuts of meat, freshest seafood and a convenient selection of high-quality groceries with the friendliest and most knowledgeable associates. The Rancho Mission Viejo location will feature a wine bar, fresh sushi made daily, a Wolfgang Puck Express, full service deli with catering specialist, salad bar and prepared foods section, gift baskets, extensive floral department, bakery, and more.

Rite-Aid was previously announced as the first of dozens of retailers, restaurants and services at the center.

Given its historic South Orange County location, Sendero Marketplace will feature classic Ranch-style architecture, reflecting the rich history of Rancho Mission Viejo. The facade will have roughened adobe walls, rustic stone and other authentic materials, while low-pitched gabled roofs and neutral earth tones will lend a town and country feel.

A nearby residential trail will lead into the center, with large sycamores welcoming visitors. A focal point will be a community gathering area with outdoor seating, attractive landscaping and a water feature. The center will serve Rancho Mission Viejo, Ladera Ranch, San Juan Capistrano, and Coto de Caza, with access to the coastal community of San Clemente following the completion of the Antonio/La Pata extension.

Sendero Marketplace is part of The Ranch’s first village called Sendero, consisting of more than 1,200 residential units. On Sunday, September 20, the new village of Esencia will debut on The Ranch with 12 new residential neighborhoods. Upon completion, the community of Rancho Mission Viejo is planned to include 14,000 homes within multiple inter-generational villages on just 6,000 acres of the 23,000-acre active ranch known as Rancho Mission Viejo, held by the O’Neill/Avery/Moiso family since 1882. The remaining 17,000 acres of family-held ranchlands will be part of the preserved open spaces of The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo.

Sendero has already been named America’s “Master-Planned Community of the Year” by the Sales and Marketing Council of The National Association of Home Builders and “Master-Planned Community of the Year” by the Greater Sales and Marketing Council for the Building Industry Association of Southern California.

The villages of Sendero and Esencia on The Ranch are situated near downtown San Juan Capistrano and within five miles from San Clemente and Doheny State Beach. Sendero and Esencia offers easy access to the employment centers of Ladera Ranch, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and other Orange County areas.

For leasing information, please visit www.westarassociates.com.

About Gelson’s Markets

Gelson’s is a leader in the areas currently served and a well-established partner with local schools, religious organizations and charitable groups. “We have been looking for an inland Orange County site for a very long time, and feel that the Sendero development is the perfect spot,” says Rob McDougall, Gelson’s President/CEO. “With our embrace of the outdoor California lifestyle, centered around entertaining with the best tasting food available, we believe that Gelson’s is a great match for this beautiful community.”

For over 60 years, Gelson’s has proven to offer the premier grocery shopping experience, with 18 Southern California locations and Rancho Mission Viejo opening in late 2016. Please visit www.gelsons.com for more company information.

About Westar Associates

Based in Costa Mesa, California, Westar Associates is engaged in the acquisition, development and management of real estate including neighborhood, community, and freeway shopping centers, apartments, self-storage facilities, and hotels. Westar has developed and acquired 55 properties totaling more than 5.6 million square feet, valued in excess of $1.2 billion.

About Rancho Mission Viejo

Rancho Mission Viejo, LLC is a privately held, family-owned and -operated company responsible for the ranching, farming, planning, development, and financial management of the remaining 23,000 acres of Rancho Mission Viejo, situated in unincorporated South Orange County, CA. Since 1882, members of the O’Neill/Avery/Moiso family have owned and managed The Ranch which once exceeded 200,000 acres and now includes the family-developed cities and communities of Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita as well as such important places as Caspers Wilderness Regional Park, the Starr Ranch Audubon Sanctuary, O’Neill Regional Park and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.