Enderle Center is changing, but the most common shorthand for the project misses what is actually proposed.
As of July 11, 2026, the City of Tustin still lists Campo on 17th as being under entitlement review. The current application is not a plan to clear the shopping center and replace it with 413 homes. It is a retail-first redevelopment that would rework approximately 60,000 square feet of commercial space, retain and remodel selected buildings, add new construction and place 100 for-sale residences along the southern portion of the property.
For residents following Enderle Center in North Tustin, the immediate summer story is less about bulldozers and more about changing dining routines, visible vacancies and an approval process that is still taking shape.
The short version: The Crab Cooker and El Torito are gone. Zov’s plans to stay open and later move into an expanded space on the property. The broader redevelopment has not received its project-specific final approvals, and no confirmed full-project hearing date has been published.
The changes residents can already see
The most immediate shift came on May 31, when The Crab Cooker closed its Tustin restaurant after more than three decades at Enderle Center. The restaurant held a farewell auction on June 6, while its original Newport Beach location remains open.
El Torito has also closed its approximately 13,000-square-foot location. Together, those departures created the impression that redevelopment was already fully underway.
The official status is more measured. The City of Tustin’s current-project page says Campo on 17th remains under entitlement review. Rehabilitation, demolition and construction are proposed, but the city has not granted all of the project-specific approvals required to begin the complete redevelopment.
Zov’s provides the clearest point of continuity. The restaurant opened at Enderle Center in 1987 and grew from roughly 1,200 square feet to nearly 14,000 square feet. Its owners say it will remain open during redevelopment, then relocate into a new and expanded space next to its current building. A July 4 interview with the Zov’s team reinforced that the plan is continued operation followed by an on-site move, rather than a permanent closure.
That distinction matters this summer. Vacant restaurant spaces are real, but they do not mean every existing business is leaving or that the entire property is about to be demolished at once.
The 413-home figure is zoning capacity, not the current project
The most important number in this discussion is the difference between 413 and 100.
The City of Tustin previously adopted a Housing Overlay for Enderle Center as part of its Housing Element work. That zoning framework allowed capacity for as many as 413 housing units on up to seven acres. The city finalized the broader Housing Element Rezone Project on January 7, 2025.
A zoning allowance establishes what a site could potentially accommodate under the adopted land-use framework. It is not the same as a developer submitting plans to construct that maximum number.
Burnham-Ward Properties later advanced a site-specific proposal with a maximum of 100 for-sale residences. The city calls them condominium units, while the developer and local business coverage describe them as townhomes. They are proposed for the southern portion of the center, with commercial uses remaining concentrated to the north.
Here is the practical status check:
| Question | Current answer as of July 11, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Are 413 homes proposed for construction? | No. That number reflects the earlier zoning capacity. |
| How many residences are in the current application? | 100 for-sale condominium or townhome residences. |
| Is the shopping center being eliminated? | No. Approximately 60,000 square feet of commercial retail space is expected to be reimagined. |
| Has the full project received final approval? | No. It remains under entitlement review. |
| Have the future restaurant and retail brands been announced? | No verified tenant names have been published. |
This is the central point for North Tustin residents: Campo on 17th would introduce housing, but its proposed operating model still depends on Enderle Center functioning as a commercial destination.
What would actually be rebuilt
The application reaches well beyond storefront updates. It includes the rehabilitation of some buildings, demolition of others and new construction across the site.
The proposed commercial program includes:
- New retail buildings in the northern portion of the property
- Two drive-through restaurants
- One car wash
- A remodeled and expanded home for Zov’s
- A conceptual sign program for the full center
- A shopping-cart containment plan
No verified operators have been announced for the drive-through restaurants, car wash or new retail spaces. Claims about specific incoming brands would be premature.
The work also extends below and between the buildings. Published plans call for upgraded underground utilities, reconfigured parking, improved pedestrian and vehicle circulation, new planting and broader site improvements. Burnham-Ward has described separate retail parking and secure access for residents.
Public gathering areas are part of the concept as well. Renderings and project announcements reference a town green, mature specimen trees, water features, soft seating and fire pits. The developer has discussed future programming such as farmers markets and live music, although no confirmed event calendar has been released.
Those infrastructure and circulation details deserve as much attention as the architecture. Entrances, parking patterns, pedestrian routes and construction phasing will determine how usable the center remains while work is underway. Detailed temporary-access and phasing plans were not available in the reviewed materials, so residents should watch for those items when the project reaches public hearings.
Why Enderle Center Drive is part of the plan
The proposal includes a request to vacate Enderle Center Drive. In this context, vacating the street means considering whether it is still required as a public roadway so the land can potentially be incorporated into the redesigned property.
It does not mean Enderle Center Drive closed in June.
The June 16 City Council agenda called for declaring an intent to consider the vacation and recommended a public hearing for September 15, 2026. That street process is separate from the project’s design review, subdivision map and conditional-use permits.
The distinction is technical but useful. A street-vacation hearing would address the future status of the roadway. It would not, by itself, constitute final approval of Campo on 17th.
The broader application still includes several coordinated decisions:
- Design review for the site plan and buildings
- A tentative tract map for the residential component
- Conditional-use permits for the drive-through restaurants and car wash
- Review of the sign program
- Consideration of the Enderle Center Drive vacation
That combination explains why circulation is such a central issue. The proposal is reorganizing how commercial customers, future residents, pedestrians and service vehicles would move through the property.
What North Tustin residents should expect this summer
For now, expect a transition period rather than a completed construction sequence.
The Crab Cooker and El Torito closures have already changed where residents make dinner plans. Zov’s says it will continue operating. New tenant names have not been released, and the city has not published a confirmed hearing date for the complete entitlement package.
The regular Planning Commission meeting scheduled for July 14 was canceled. That fact should not be treated as evidence of a Campo on 17th delay because the city had not placed the project on that agenda as a confirmed hearing.
Burnham-Ward has stated that it intends to begin construction before the end of 2026, with completion targeted for late 2027. Those are developer targets, not guaranteed dates. Approval timing, permits and final construction planning still matter.
Four practical items are worth watching next:
- The project hearing notice: This will establish when residents can review the full entitlement package and provide comments.
- Access and phasing plans: These should clarify which entrances, parking areas and businesses can remain in service during construction.
- Tenant announcements: The current concept identifies types of uses, but not the operators who would fill them.
- The September street hearing: The expected Enderle Center Drive discussion will show how the internal circulation plan is progressing.
Why the center’s next chapter carries unusual weight
Enderle Center is a 1970s property with roots in the Enderle family orchard. Local history traces the land to growers Herman, Frank and Rose Enderle, with later development associated with Herman’s grandson, Al Enderle.
That history helps explain why the redevelopment is receiving more attention than a routine shopping-center renovation. Enderle Center has served as a dining, retail and gathering destination for residents on both sides of 17th Street. Its next tenant mix and physical design will influence whether it continues to fill that role.
The proposed town green and community programming suggest an effort to preserve the gathering-place function in a new format. The success of that idea will depend on execution: useful access, comfortable public areas, reliable businesses and a construction plan that manages disruption clearly.
There is no responsible basis yet for declaring that Campo on 17th will raise or lower nearby home values. The project is still under review, its future commercial tenants are unknown and its final conditions may change. What can be said now is that a substantial reinvestment in this part of 17th Street could affect daily routines and how buyers perceive access to nearby dining and services.
For summer 2026, the accurate description is straightforward: Enderle Center is between eras. Familiar restaurants have closed, Zov’s is preparing to remain part of the site and a smaller residential proposal than many residents first heard about is moving through review.
If changes around Enderle Center are prompting questions about your own property, renovation priorities or sale timing, the Teicheira Team can provide a clear, construction-informed assessment tailored to your home and goals.
Request a Home Valuation or Auction Consultation.
