The 165,000-square-foot Costco Wholesale building will replace a shuttered Regal Cinema movie theater that closed in 2024.
Updated Thu, Aug 27, 2026 at 11:04 am PT
LAKE FOREST, CA — Demolition of a Regal Cinema building in Foothill Ranch started this week as the City of Lake Forest prepares to welcome a new Costco to town.
Orange County resident Brian Le was visiting Foothill Ranch Towne Center when he saw demolition tractors driving around the abandoned theater.
Le moved to Orange County in 2016 and told Patch he has "mixed feelings" about the recent demolition.
"My wife and I did go to this theater prior to COVID and enjoyed it a lot — it was close, convenient and almost always had good seats."
By the time 2020 came, Le and his wife had welcomed their firstborn son and COVID triggered mass shut-downs across the country.
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"In the back of my mind, I thought that we would go back [to Regal Cinema] once our son was old enough to sit through a movie," he said. "I was saddened to hear that the theater was shutting down, because it felt like a nice neighborhood spot for the locals."
However, Le noted the shifting landscape of the movie industry.
"I had hoped that new businesses would take over the spot, but when I found out that Costco was taking over, I was very pleasantly surprised. We're big Costco fans here!"
Other residents shared similar comments regarding the demolition on Facebook.
"I'm so excited for our new Costco, but the memories of going to the movies with my sons kind of leaves a tear in my eye," Christina Ramirez wrote on Facebook.
Bummer they couldn't use the building at all. Many memories at that theater!" KD Coronel commented on Facebook. "Life is full of ongoing changes."
The demolition paves the way for a new, 165,000 square-foot Costco Wholesale, the first in the city and the 14th in the county.
Once built, the new Costco will be slightly larger than the average Costco, with plans for a tire center, surface-level parking, seasonal outdoor sales, food court and more, according to Lake Forest city staff.
According to The Orange County Register, cities generally welcome Costco's being built within city limits due to the significant sales tax revenues its huge stores generate. Annual sales can exceed $250 million, the report said.
Lake Forest City officials did not immediately respond to comment regarding when the new Costco would open its doors to the public.