Little Saigon in Westminster, home to Orange County’s vibrant Vietnamese community, is getting a major facelift.
Approved by city leaders in 2018, Bolsa Row, a mixed-use development on six acres at the southeast corner of the intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Brookhurst Street, is approaching completion of its retail component.
Bolsa Row Terrace — a 26,211 square-foot two-story building that will house retail, five restaurants, an underground parking structure and an outdoor patio space, according to the project website — will complement the nearby 200-unit luxury apartment complex that was completed in 2022.
Tom Gioia, who oversees the sale and lease of retail properties at Bolsa Row Terrace, said he expects it to be open for customers by the end of this year or in early 2025.
“You just don’t know about the weather, you don’t know what might be in the way as far as construction is concerned, just some minor things,” said Gioia, senior vice president of commercial real estate company Lee & Associates in Irvine.
The construction for Bolsa Row Terrace has already begun, with the grading of the site underway. Residents can follow along on a live feed of the progress provided by Irvine-based contractor R.D. Olson Construction.
Once completed, the project will feature architecture with a nod to the past, according to R.D. Olson.
The two-story building is designed to recall the French colonial buildings common in pre-war Vietnam, according to the city. “Broad arcades, storefront windows and sidewalk seating” will aim to create an ambiance reminiscent of Saigon, the former capital of Vietnam, the city website says.
The retail property will also feature a French-style mansard roof and a replica of the Bến Thành Market clock tower, an iconic landmark of Old Vietnam at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City.
Separating the retail from the residential will be Bolsa Row, dubbed Festival Street, a shared vehicle and pedestrian roadway that can host up to six temporary community events and festivals per year.
Although it’s unclear yet what businesses will move into Bolsa Row Terrace, the retail space is expected to be on the higher end.
According to the website, its directory is “slated to be filled with leading names in luxury fashion and fine jewelry,” among other things. Gioia said several restaurant operators have also expressed interest in the shopping plaza.
There will be “Asian influence throughout both sides of Bolsa Row and Bolsa Row Terrace,” said Gioia.
The third and final component of the mixed-use development, the Bolsa Row Hotel, is scheduled to break ground in 2026, Gioia said.
The 149-room hotel, Westminster’s first full-service hotel, will be situated next to Bolsa Row Terrace and about five miles from Disneyland Park. The hotel will be the 10th Wyndham Grand property in the U.S., according to the Bolsa Row developers. There are no Wyndham Grand hotels in California; the closest one being in Arizona.
City leaders are working to revitalize Westminster and make it a destination city instead of one that people drive through in order to get elsewhere, said Councilmember Carlos Manzo.
Bolsa Row Terrace, as well as the Westminster Mall redevelopment and plans to convert Bolsa Avenue from a six-lane to a four-lane roadway within the Little Saigon area from Magnolia Street to Brookhurst Street, are all part of those plans, he said.
“It has always been my desire to create destination locations for our community,” said Manzo. “Our residents currently have to travel to other cities for entertainment and dining. I’m really excited for the completion of the Bolsa Row Terrace project. I’m hopeful it will attract similar projects along Bolsa.”
