Construction crews begin demolishing Westminster Mall

The entrance of the shuttered Westminster Mall was demolished on Wednesday during an official ceremony kicking off months of work that will level the structures to make way for a new development. 

If approved, the plan is to turn the land into a mix of housing and retail space, with a proposal that includes a hotel, a food hall and a two-acre park.

"It's absolutely exciting," Westminster City Manager Christine Cordon said. "The city is only about 10 square miles, and that site is about 100 acres, which is probably one of the largest developable pieces of land in the area for a mixed-use development. As you've known, Westminster Mall has been in our community for a little over 50 years, and times have changed. People's expectations have changed."

Since closing last year, Westminster Mall has been a headache for police, who've responded to hundreds of calls about vandalism.

Vandals broke windows and sprayed graffiti. Police arrested more than 90 people last year.

"I will commend our law enforcement working with the developer to put some fencing around, 24/7 security, etc, to mitigate some of those issues," Cordon said. "These issues were really just targeted to a certain amount of time and period of time."

With demolition underway, the focus has turned to the future of the prime real estate and how to revitalize it. A decade ago, the city council and community members identified the spot as a potential site for residential and commercial development. 

The existing Target store will remain, but the new development, called Bolsa Pacific, includes 15 acres of open space and a series of walking trails.