Palisades Village, a luxury shopping center in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, is set to reopen on August 15 after extensive renovations following a wildfire that swept through the area in January 2025. The fire destroyed thousands of structures in the neighborhood, including more than 5,500 homes and around 100 commercial businesses, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Although the shopping center itself survived the blaze, significant refurbishment was required to remove contaminants left by the fire. Owner Rick Caruso said workers have been restoring the mall’s buildings from the ground up, treating the underlying wood and rebuilding walls. He highlighted the collaborative effort among tenants and contractors as they prepare for the reopening. “Everybody’s working, and stores are moving their products in,” Caruso said.

The $200-million outdoor complex, which originally opened in 2018, features a movie theater and high-end tenants, including Erewhon, a grocery store expected to be the sole such retailer operational in the fire-damaged neighborhood upon reopening. Despite the lengthy closure, Caruso’s team successfully retained most tenants, and Palisades Village is now 99 percent leased. Approximately one-third of the shops and restaurants will be new arrivals.

Several local businesses destroyed in the fire plan to return to Palisades Village, including fashion designer Elyse Walker, who lost her flagship store on Antioch Street, and K Bakery. Loomey’s Toys, a children’s store previously located near Palisades Elementary Charter School, will also reopen. Owner Amanda Rastegar, whose home was damaged but not destroyed in the fire, expressed relief and excitement about the store’s return. “It’s been a journey and I’m excited because I wasn’t sure that there was going to be a place to come back to,” she said.

Angelini Ristorante & Bar will resume operations with renowned Los Angeles chef Gino Angelini at the helm. Angelini told reporters that the restaurant will open quietly, without a large celebration, out of respect for the community’s losses. New additions to the center include Spacca Tutto, a new Italian steakhouse from local chef Nancy Silverton, and LESET, a women’s apparel brand launching its first West Coast location at the mall.

Caruso acknowledged that the fire displaced a significant portion of the shopping center’s customer base, estimating about 30 percent of patrons were directly affected. Nonetheless, he remains optimistic that business will rebound, noting that Palisades Village has historically attracted visitors from throughout the Los Angeles region, including Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Brentwood, and Santa Monica.

“I believe in the goodness of people and I believe that people are going to want to support the Palisades,” Caruso said. “They’re going to want to be there and support the businesses that have had the courage and the heart to reopen.”

Pacific Palisades resident Allison Polhill, who is rebuilding her family home lost in the fire, described the mall’s reopening as a positive step in the neighborhood’s recovery. “Every single step that we make to reopen our commercial corridors is going to bring more people back into the Palisades,” she said, anticipating her own return to the area by the end of August.