Enderle Center to Campo on 17th: What's Changing in North Tustin

Enderle Center, at the North Tustin end of 17th Street, is down to one sit-down restaurant this fall. The 132,000-square-foot center is set to become Campo on 17th, with about 60,000 square feet of new retail and restaurants. That is less than half the old commercial space. The new center is also built around things the old one never had, like a town green, drive-thrus, and room for farmers markets.

Zov's runs through both versions. It opened at Enderle in 1987, it is still open there today, and its plan is to move next door instead of leaving. The rest of the block is a mix of empty storefronts, one move to Old Town, and a site plan that the City of Tustin approved in July.

What's Open on 17th Street This Fall

Burnham-Ward Properties, a retail developer based in Newport Beach, has closed on the center. Its partner Stephen Thorp told the Orange County Business Journal that the property is "literally at the doorstep to North Tustin, directly off of the 55 Freeway at East 17th Street." The Orange County Register reported the purchase price as $30 million, based on property records.

Here is where the businesses you might be looking for stand, based on the most recent reporting:

The Taco Bell status comes from the city's July FAQ, so it is worth checking before you go. The Register's April report on The Crab Cooker said the owner tied the closing to the lease running out and the coming redevelopment. The Register also reported that some residents objected as longtime businesses closed before the city had even approved the project. Owners began announcing closings and moves in the spring.

Zov's Stays Open Through the Whole Rebuild

The Zov's Tustin update page answers the main question directly: "No, Zov's Tustin is not closing." The restaurant says it will stay open in its original building with its current hours while the new building is renovated, and that it will remain open for the entire transition. The new space is right next door. Zov's puts the move at summer 2027. The OC Business Journal reported that the new location will be on the former El Torito site.

The timing varies slightly by source. Zov's own page says "summer 2027." The Register quoted a Zov's social media post as planning to open "before Summer 2027." In that same post, the family said the new restaurant is inspired by "the energy and atmosphere" of the newest Zov's in San Clemente.

Zov's has outgrown a space before. The Register's June report says the restaurant grew from a 1,200-square-foot start to nearly 14,000 square feet over the years. The developer is planning around it, too. Thorp told the Register that "Zov's is an essential piece of this next chapter," and the Business Journal describes Zov's as one of the new center's anchors.

Smaller on Purpose

The roughly 60,000-square-foot target is clearer next to the size of the old center and the alternative that was once on the table.

Tustin Councilmember Lee Fink told the Register that one of the first questions he faced after taking office was a zoning proposal for about 1,400 new homes on the property. That proposal would have removed the center entirely, and he said he voted against it. Campo on 17th includes 100 homes, and the Register reported that city zoning allows more than that. Burnham-Ward told the paper that retail will stay the "primary use."

Thorp explained the smaller footprint as part of a wider pattern in older Orange County shopping centers. They are being rebuilt with less leasable space and more homes, restaurants, and places to gather. He told the Business Journal that Enderle "just fell into a state of disrepair over the years and became functionally obsolete."

The City of Tustin's project FAQ lists what fills the smaller footprint:

• Commercial: 11 buildings with 56,359 square feet of restaurants, retail, grocery, drive-thru services, offices, and parking
• Drive-thrus: two restaurant drive-thrus, one of which may go to a boutique coffee operator
• Car wash: one automated car wash
• Outdoor space: two amenity areas, which the developer describes as a town green, paseos, water features, seating, and fire pits
• Programming: room for live music, farmers markets, and art walks
• Homes: 100 for-sale homes, which the city breaks down as 60 townhomes and 40 duplex units, built by Intracorp

The 56,359 figure is the city's exact count. The roughly 60,000 is the developer's rounded number. As of late August, Burnham-Ward had not named any new tenants. At the Planning Commission meeting, Thorp said SusieCakes had expressed interest and a boutique coffee operator was being considered. He also told the Business Journal that restaurants, personal service businesses, and fashion and fitness companies are interested. The city has said the operators for the drive-thrus and the car wash have not been identified. Bickel Group Architecture of Newport Beach is designing the retail portion. The Business Journal notes that the firm's past work includes River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano.

What Stays the Same at the Curb

Drivers will find the entrance mostly unchanged. The city FAQ says the 17th Street layout will generally stay as it is. The traffic signal at Enderle Center Drive will remain, with only possible minor changes to the intersection.

Enderle Center Drive itself would change. Under a proposed street vacation, it would become a private entrance to the shopping center. The northern part would stay an access road, and the southern part would be rebuilt for guest parking, recreation, and landscaping for the new homes. The street vacation needed City Council action, and a public hearing was set for September 15, 2026. The posted agenda is the place to confirm what the Council decided.

According to the Business Journal, residents and commissioners raised concerns about traffic, parking, and the proposed car wash at the July 28 Planning Commission meeting. Chair Amy Mason called the proposal "thoughtful and well designed" and said the 17th Street corridor could benefit from reinvestment. The commission approved the site design, the homes, both drive-thrus, the car wash, and a master sign plan.

Dates on the Calendar

Every date after today in this list is a target, and none of them has been confirmed by construction starting:

1. July 28, 2026: Tustin Planning Commission approves Campo on 17th.
2. Late August 2026: Burnham-Ward closes on the property, after starting the purchase process in December 2021.
3. September 15, 2026: City Council hearing on vacating Enderle Center Drive.
4. October 2026: The month Burnham-Ward said in August it hoped to start demolition. As of the developer's October 8 project page, there is no public report that demolition has begun.
5. Summer 2027: Zov's moves into its new building next door.
6. 2027 holiday season: The target for reopening the commercial area.

Until those dates arrive, Zov's is the only sit-down restaurant still serving at Enderle, and it is open with its usual hours. The city keeps project updates on its Current Projects page.

Big changes on 17th Street raise questions for North Tustin homeowners, especially about what a new gateway center could mean for the streets around it. If you'd like to talk through how Campo on 17th fits into your own plans, Myhanh Nguyen is happy to walk through it with you. Schedule your free consultation and home valuation whenever the timing is right.