VISTA : Council OKs Plan for Shopping Center

The Vista City Council has unanimously approved construction of the largest shopping center in the city’s history, after recently settling a two-year-old lawsuit against the project.

The $100 million North County Square shopping center is expected to open in 1994 at California 78 and Sycamore Avenue and feature several department stores, including Mervyn’s, Target and Wal-Mart, five auto dealerships, restaurants, offices, a hotel and a 14-screen movie theater.

Mayor Gloria McClellan said the 106-acre center will bring the city $53 million in revenues over the next 10 years and create “a heck of a lot of jobs.”

“I’ve gotta tell you I’m pretty happy about it,” McClellan said Wednesday, a day after the project was approved.

When introduced in early 1990, North County Square was designed to be predominantly an auto mall. But the project was revamped after residents and Escondido car dealers filed suit, saying North County Square would damage the environment and increase competition among the region’s car dealers.