Most of the attention on The Commons at Calabasas goes to the fenced construction site where the Regency theater used to be. The bigger change for anyone who shops there every week is the turnover inside the original buildings. The new section is due to finish in stages through fall 2027. Meanwhile, the center that opened in 1998 has lost a nearly 30-year tenant, picked up a group of newer counter-service restaurants, and added names like Rivian to its directory.
The new buildings will matter eventually. For the next year or so, though, the Commons you actually use is the existing center, and it has shifted more than the construction fence suggests.
A small addition to a large center
The Acorn reported that the February groundbreaking kicked off a makeover that adds a dozen or more shops and restaurants, mostly on the north side of Commons Lane. Eighty apartment homes are going on the south side, where the movie theater stood. The ceremony was held Feb. 3, 2026, and Rick Caruso was on site.
The scale of the new retail is the useful number. Caruso's project page puts the new shops and restaurants at about 27,000 square feet, along with outdoor dining and a paseo with wide sidewalks. The existing center is more than 200,000 square feet, according to the Acorn. That makes the new storefront space roughly an eighth the size of what's already there. The same Caruso page says plainly that "most of The Commons will remain the same."
The Acorn's total of 190,000 square feet of added construction covers much more than retail. It includes the apartments and the parking structure that will serve them. At groundbreaking, Caruso's chief executive Corinne Verdery described the project as a continuation:
"For nearly 30 years, The Commons at Calabasas has been a place where the community comes together. It has grown alongside this city, serving as a destination to shop, dine, and connect. Today, we are proud to break ground on its next chapter."
The Acorn carried the quote in its groundbreaking coverage, which also covers some local history. The Commons and the Calabasas Civic Center were built on what had been a 70-acre unused dirt field. Mayor James Bozajian, who was also mayor when the center opened in 1998, told the paper the council at the time unanimously approved the entitlements. The version now being built is a bit smaller than the plan the City Council approved in 2023, with fewer apartments.
The turnover inside the original buildings
The original buildings have changed in steps over the past couple of years. Here are the reported changes in order:
- April 2025: The Calabasas Courier reported that Bacio di Latte had recently opened in the space Jenny's Ice Cream used to occupy.
- August 2025: The Impression reported that Zimmermann had opened at 4783 Commons Way, Suite A.
- February 2026: The Regency Calabasas theater closed as groundbreaking began.
- Aug. 2, 2026: Marmalade Cafe, one of the original 1998 tenants, closed after nearly 30 years. The Acorn reported that the company blamed a decline in business during the construction. Valley News Group noted that Marmalade's Westlake Village location stays open.
- Reported Aug. 7, 2026: The Acorn noted that Fresh Brothers Pizza had also closed in the wake of construction.
- Fall 2026: The center's directory now lists Rivian as "Now Open" and Design Within Reach as "Coming Soon."
Two counter-service spots have also landed side by side. HiHo Cheeseburger took over the former Pick Up Stix space, and What Now Los Angeles had reported that Cheesesteaks by Matū would share a location with HiHo. Both now appear on the directory at unit K-4.
Overall, the center has lost two all-day gathering spots, its movie theater and its oldest café, while adding faster food, sweets and specialty retail. That change happened before any of the new buildings opened.
What's on the directory now
As of the October 2026 directory, the center looks like this:
| Group | Names |
|---|---|
| Original 1998 tenants still operating | Ralphs, Polacheck's Jewelers |
| Longtime tenants | See's Candies, King's Fish House, Barnes & Noble |
| Sit-down dining | SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa, KazuNori, BLVD Steak, Toscanova, Superba Food + Bread, Porta Via Calabasas |
| Counter service, coffee and sweets | HiHo Cheeseburger, Cheesesteaks by Matū, La La Land Cafe, Bacio di Latte, Crumbl, Starbucks Coffee, Barnes & Noble Café |
| Fashion and beauty | Zimmermann, elysewalker, Feature, lululemon, Chico's, Sephora |
| Services | Fazio Cleaners, Maison Nail Spa, Poppy Bank, Wink Optometry |
| Newest arrivals | Rivian, open; Design Within Reach, coming soon |
The Acorn lists Ralphs and Polacheck's as original tenants and See's Candies and King's Fish House as longtime ones. Barnes & Noble is still running as the center's anchor.
One point of confusion has been going around since early October. The Acorn reported that a Starbucks at 26531 Agoura Road in Calabasas appeared on the company's list of California stores slated to close. The Starbucks inside The Commons is a different store, listed at unit B-3 on the center's directory, which gives the center's address as 4799 Commons Way.
What the new side has and hasn't announced
The construction FAQ on the center's website lays out the order of work. The new shops and restaurants open first, "about midway through the project," and the residential building is scheduled to be finished in fall 2027. The most recent posted phase covered July through September 2026. It said construction on the shops was well underway and that some spaces would be handed over to tenants for their build-outs.
Earlier coverage set an earlier target. In February, the Acorn said new shops could open as soon as the end of 2026, and its August story repeated that openings would begin at year-end. Caruso's own timeline gives no calendar date for the retail opening. No tenants have been publicly named for the new buildings. Design Within Reach's "Coming Soon" entry sits at unit E-1 on the existing directory and isn't tied to the expansion.
When the new section does open, Caruso describes it as more than storefronts. Its project page describes a green gathering space meant for movies in the park, children's events and local musicians. The new buildings are designed to match the center's existing Mediterranean style. Apart from the movie theater, the Acorn reported, The Commons' original features, including its decorative statuary, are staying.
Parking and getting around during construction
The center says it is staying open through every phase, with all stores and restaurants running as usual. Much of the construction work is scheduled before peak hours or outside operating hours.
The practical details, per the FAQ:
- Surface parking stays near the stores and restaurants.
- Valet runs Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., near SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa and Polacheck's Jewelers.
- The drive aisle between the two new buildings is slated to be partly converted from two-way to one-way traffic.
- Schedule updates are promised on the center's website as a rolling three-month look ahead.
The last posted window ended in September, so the updates page is the place to check for the October-through-December schedule once it's published.
On the calendar through Oct. 28
Two programs are still running in the week this post goes up. The Commons Night Out, with prix fixe menus at participating restaurants every Monday through Wednesday, ends its season on Wednesday, Oct. 28. That leaves Oct. 26, 27 and 28. The Kids Club series, presented with Apple TV, wraps up on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. with the Franklin Haynes Marionettes Halloween Show.
As of mid-October, the center's events page hadn't posted any November or December programs.
If you own near The Commons and want to talk about how the new shops, the 80 apartments and the 2027 finish might matter for your own property, Kevin Godley follows these changes closely and is happy to go over the details with you. Let's Connect.
