The Commons at Calabasas

The Commons at Calabasas is an upscale open-air retail and entertainment complex in Calabasas, California, in Los Angeles County. The center was developed as a town-center-style destination for the surrounding community rather than as a conventional enclosed shopping mall. Its design draws on the appearance of an Umbrian hill town, with Mediterranean architectural cues intended to complement the character of Calabasas and its surrounding hills. Development began under the direction of Rick J. Caruso and his company, Caruso Affiliated, now associated with the Caruso brand. The project opened in 1998 and was conceived as a high-end marketplace combining everyday services, specialty and lifestyle retail, restaurants, and entertainment. The property covers approximately 215,000 square feet and has been described as having about 40 tenants, although the tenant mix can change over time. The center's tenant profile has included recognizable retailers and specialty brands such as Barnes & Noble, See's Candies, and lululemon. Its open-air layout, landscaped public spaces, restaurants, and entertainment uses give it a retail-resort character. The property serves local residents while also attracting visitors, partly because Calabasas is an affluent community and the center has developed a reputation as a place where celebrities are sometimes seen. The Commons is positioned around experience, setting, and destination appeal rather than purely transactional shopping. Its architectural theme and public-realm design are central to the identity of the property, helping distinguish it from standard suburban retail formats. The complex has also functioned as a recognizable gathering and leisure venue for the Calabasas area. A major redevelopment transition was reported for the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. The center's theater was scheduled to close at the end of 2025, followed by demolition and new construction beginning in early 2026. The redevelopment plan includes housing in addition to changes to the existing retail and entertainment complex. The long-term outcome, final tenant configuration, and completed scope of that redevelopment are not established in the supplied reference material.

The Commons at Calabasas emerged from a plan to create a recognizable town center for Calabasas. Rather than use the conventional enclosed-mall model, developer Rick J. Caruso and Caruso Affiliated pursued an open-air marketplace modeled in part on an Umbrian village. The architectural concept was intended to fit the Mediterranean character associated with the community and to make the project feel integrated with the surrounding hills. Construction and development culminated in the center's opening in 1998. From its beginning, the property was designed as a high-end retail and entertainment destination serving both residents and visitors. Its approximately 215,000-square-foot site brought together shops, restaurants, services, and entertainment in a walkable outdoor setting. The design emphasized public spaces, landscaping, and architectural theming as part of the commercial experience. The center's tenant mix has included Barnes & Noble, See's Candies, and lululemon, along with other retail, dining, lifestyle, and service businesses. The property has been described as having roughly 40 tenants, with the precise composition subject to change. Its combination of upscale retail, leisure uses, and distinctive architecture has given it a role beyond that of a purely utilitarian shopping center. The Commons also became associated with Calabasas's affluent social profile and developed a reputation as a destination where celebrities could be seen. This visibility supported the center's image as a retail resort and helped distinguish it from ordinary suburban commercial developments. Its appeal rested on the combined effect of tenant selection, restaurants, entertainment, landscaped circulation, and the Umbrian-inspired setting. A later redevelopment phase was reported for the transition from 2025 into 2026. The center's theater was scheduled to close at the end of 2025, after which demolition and new construction were expected to begin in early 2026. The proposed plan adds housing to the property and indicates a broader evolution of the site from a retail-and-entertainment complex toward a more mixed-use destination. The supplied material does not provide a confirmed final design, completion date, or post-redevelopment tenant list.

• 2026

  Planned mixed-use redevelopment

  [1]The Commons at Calabasasen.wikipedia.org

  New construction is planned to begin, with housing added to the existing retail and entertainment destination.

• 2025

  Theater closure announced for redevelopment transition

  [1]The Commons at Calabasasen.wikipedia.org

  The complex's theater is reported to close at the end of the year before demolition and new construction.

• 1998

  The Commons at Calabasas opens

  [1]The Commons at Calabasasen.wikipedia.org

  The upscale open-air retail and entertainment complex opens in Calabasas after being developed as a Mediterranean- and Umbrian-inspired town-center destination.

An upscale, Mediterranean-inspired community and destination center combining retail, dining, entertainment, and a landscaped public-realm experience.

• Shopping center · 1998

  The Commons open-air marketplace

  The core offering is the approximately 215,000-square-foot outdoor marketplace itself. It combines pedestrian-oriented circulation, landscaped areas, Mediterranean-style architecture, retail storefronts, restaurants, services, and entertainment. The center is designed to function as both a commercial destination and a public gathering environment for Calabasas residents and visitors.

• Retail · 1998

  Retail and specialty stores

  The center hosts a changing collection of everyday, lifestyle, and specialty retailers. Reference material identifies Barnes & Noble, See's Candies, and lululemon among its notable tenants. These stores contribute books and media, confectionery, athletic and leisure apparel, and other consumer categories to the broader destination mix.

• Food and entertainment · 1998

  Dining and entertainment

  Restaurants and entertainment venues form an important part of the center's retail-resort positioning. The theater was a longstanding component of the complex's entertainment offer, although it was reported to be closing at the end of 2025 as part of a redevelopment transition. The supplied material does not identify every restaurant or venue.

• 2025

  Close the theater as part of site redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The property was reported to be moving into a redevelopment phase involving demolition, new construction, and the addition of housing.

  Action taken

  The theater was scheduled to close at the end of 2025, with construction activity planned to begin in early 2026.

  Aftermath

  The planned change would shift the complex toward a more mixed-use format. The supplied sources do not confirm the completed outcome, final design, or financial effects.

  Source

• 2026

  Redevelopment plan adds housing to The Commons[1]The Commons at Calabasasen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The reported redevelopment plan for the property includes housing alongside changes to the retail and entertainment center. The supplied reference does not establish the final completion status or detailed program.

• 2025

  The Commons theater scheduled to close ahead of redevelopment[1]The Commons at Calabasasen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The theater at The Commons at Calabasas was reported to be closing at the end of 2025, with demolition and new construction planned to begin in early 2026.

1. 1The Commons at Calabasasen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Commons at Calabasas official websiteshopcommons.com