Apple is reportedly taking advantage of a $1 billion overhaul at Los Angeles's Westfield Century City mall on Santa Monica Boulevard to launch a new, much larger store in the facility.
The shop will be based in the center of the mall, next to a Peloton outlet and across from Rolex, according to a MacRumors source. Westfield is planning to complete its renovations by the end of 2017, which could mean the Apple store will be ready by then or shortly thereafter.
A photo of a black construction facade suggests the new shop will be dramatically bigger than the current Century City location, which dates back to 2005. Apple is now a much wealthier company, and the existing store is likely both overcrowded and lacking in space to showcase every product, much less host Today at Apple events.
An official photo of the present Century City store.
The rumor would fit in with broader Apple retail trends, which in most circumstances have seen U.S. spending concentrate on renovations and relocations rather than new stores. Even the company's Fifth Avenue outlet in New York City is undergoing an expansion, despite the costs of building underground and its status as a major tourist destination.
There are some exceptions. Major new outlets are coming to the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., and Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the latter of which will be ready Oct. 20.