Plaza Pacoima

"The new development has revitalized a brownfield site into a LEED Gold retail center, creating a place for people to work, shop, and eat."

The Plaza Pacoima site has been impacted by more than 50 years of industrial activity. Contaminants existed in the soil and for years, the 25-acre lot was an eyesore to the community, surrounded by chain link fencing to keep people off of the site. The concept for Plaza Pacoima began in 2006, with more than 30 community meetings with residents and local stakeholders to determine the best use of the property. These community discussions resulted in the decision to create a shopping center with tenants and services that are currently unavailable to the community.

The new development has revitalized a brownfield site into a LEED Gold retail center, creating a place for people to work, shop, and eat. The retail shopping center contains single-story tenants Best Buy, Costco, and a small retail pad building for smaller-size tenants to lease. Costco was part of the construction phase of this project, but was designed by a different architect and achieved LEED certification independent of this project. The project was developed to comply with the City of Los Angeles Green Building Ordinance, which was the main motivation for obtaining LEED certification. The project's most significant successes are its community connectivity aspects, water reduction strategies, and the open space provided on the site that dually addresses stormwater management needs.

 

Site Context

Plaza Pacoima Shopping Center is located on a former brownfield site in Pacoima, California. Pacoima is a district of the City of Los Angeles located in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. Demographics show that over 500,000 people live within a five-mile radius. The site is conveniently located along the 118 freeway and adjacent to the 5 freeway.