Mission Valley’s Hazard Center is getting a new name, look and vibe

The Hazard Center shopping center and office complex in the center of Mission Valley is getting a new name and a retail-focused facelift with the property’s new owner seeking to refashion the neglected site into a trendier destination.

Los Angeles-based BH Properties, which bought the property in August, is rebranding the retail center as The Landing at HZRD and investing $5 million in phase-one improvements.

The plan includes redoing the center’s facade in a monochromatic palette, attracting an array of more enticing food and beverage options, and creating a 14,430-square-foot gathering space bedecked with 5,780 square feet of artificial turf and a variety of seating options in place of the parking spaces just west of the office tower.

The commercial real estate investor expects to start construction as soon as its permits are approved by the city of San Diego and complete the work in six to eight months, likely by early 2026, BH Properties President Jim Brooks told the Union-Tribune.

“(The remodel) is really intended to create an immersive, local, coastal, upscale feel curated with local and national retailers. But it’s not intended to compete with some of the surrounding, more upper-end retail (centers),” Brooks said.

“The biggest move in this initial, phase-one renovation, beyond just the facades, is incorporating green space into what has historically been hardscape parking,” he said. “(We’re) taking out a parking lot and incorporating green space with chairs, umbrellas and kiosks. You could spend an afternoon there, bring your kids, throw a ball. It’s designed to integrate the community into the center and create an experience where you’re going to spend a little bit more time than just drive in, shop and drive out.”

The vision is modeled after The Point in El Segundo and Manhattan Village in Manhattan Beach, he said.

Opened in 1990, Hazard Center includes the 15-story office tower at 7676 Hazard Center Drive, a three-level retail center anchored by Barnes & Noble and UltraStar Cinemas, and the freestanding BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse building at the intersection of Friars and Frazee roads. The property, which backs up to a trolley stop, includes 270,000 square feet of office space, 135,000 square feet of retail space, and both surface and underground parking.

BH Properties purchased Hazard Center for $68.25 million. The change in ownership put to bed a more than decade-old plan to add housing to the site.

Now BH Properties wants to bring back the retail portion of the property with a fresh perspective, as designed by architectural firm RDC. The phase-one remodel is also part of a larger plan to rethink the complex. The commercial real estate investor is considering removing the escalator and adding a large restaurant in future phases, Brooks said.

What the rebrand means for center staples — namely Barnes & Noble and UltraStar Cinemas — is still to be determined. Brooks said it’s too early to speak about the future of the anchor tenants.

In addition, the executive said that parking will continue to be an important feature, but did not provide details on whether the property will accommodate trolley riders who want to park at The Landing. Currently, signs at Hazard Center indicate that trolley parking is prohibited.

BH Properties is also leaving the office tower as is for the time being. Instead, the real estate company will lean on enhancements to the retail center to give the building additional appeal.

The office tower was 77% occupied at the time BH bought it. Tenants include the law firm Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP; workers’ compensation insurance company TheZenith; the San Diego Gulls and The San Diego Union-Tribune.

BH Properties’ decision to focus on retail makes sense in light of current market dynamics, said Joshua Ohl, who is the senior director of market analytics for real estate tracker CoStar.

“We have a need for retail space,” Ohl said. “Even though we have seen availability rise in 2025 following a ripple of bankruptcies and store closures across the region, we are still at a historically low level of retail availability. Retailers are clamoring for a new space or different space to occupy.”

In San Diego County, 5% of total retail space is available for lease, he said.