The Oaks upped the luxe level of the Conejo Valley with the opening of the first Nordstrom department store in Ventura County on Sept. 5. “The dress code sure has changed for the better,” quipped Nicole Schmitt Flynn, senior manager of marketing for the center, referring to the well-dressed Nordstrom employees. The store employs 350. The 138,000-square-foot store is the second major piece of the shopping center’s expansion program, following on the heels of the completion of the first parking structure onsite, and an outdoor food court. Still to come is a 100,000-square-foot, two-level outdoor venue at the eastern end of the mall. That area will have more shops, four restaurants (three leased already), and the first movie theater with stadium seating in the region. The dining and specialty establishments will be ready in October, said Rebecca Stenholm, spokesperson for mall-owner Macerich, while the cinema is planned to come online in late December or January. The entire shopping center has had a makeover, with lighter earthtones and wrought-iron chandeliers and railings replacing the garish colors of the past. Even the restrooms have been reconfigured, with special areas just for families including large changing tables and single-person stalls so that either mom or dad can accompany the young ones to the facilities. Local designer The overall design concept for the center was developed primarily by Thousand Oaks resident David Piper, who is vice president of design and planning for Macerich. Normally Piper works out of the company’s Santa Monica offices, but when the opportunity to work on The Oaks project, he jumped at it. “I always enjoy any project with challenges, but it was nice that it was close to home and in our community,” said Piper. “It shortened my commute I live just up Lynn Road.” From a design standpoint, “Being able to go by day and night and see it in all of its different moods was helpful,” he added. Getting the City, which has very strict architectural design standards, to approve the parking structure, and to agree to a concept that did not include red tile roofs, took some doing, he said. “I know this is corny, but we really felt the Spanish style fits Thousand Oaks, and we kind of nestled it into the landscaping,” said Piper. “We hope the community finds it a place they really want to hang out in.” Local landscape architect John Innes was instrumental in developing a plan to re-use mature trees already on the site. This makes the renovated center seem like it’s always been there, said Piper. Economy The renovated mall has lots of people shopping, said Macerich’s Flynn. “Transactions are up,” she said, “but the value of transactions is down.” Cosmetics always weather economic downturns, she added. “Something like a nice new lipstick is an inexpensive way to raise your spirits,” said Flynn.
