Best Bees installs hives at four fashion and lifestyle centers in California, Oregon, Utah

Select CenterCal Properties locations welcome sweet addition — docile honey bees — to support ecosystem biodiversity

Best Bees installs hives at four fashion and lifestyle centers in California, Oregon, Utah

El Segundo, Calif. (July 30, 2024) — August 17 is World Honey Bee Day, and CenterCal Properties is honoring nature’s prolific pollinators by announcing a partnership with The Best Bees Company. Four select properties — 2ND & PCH in Long Beach, California; Bridgeport Village in Tigard, Oregon; Mountain View Village in Riverton, Utah; and Station Park in Farmington, Utah — are among the developer’s fashion and lifestyle shopping centers to install honey bee hives.

“Our shopping centers are about more than retail offerings. They are hives of activity themselves, offering community members a vibrant place to shop, dine, connect and enjoy entertainment,” said Jean Paul Wardy, founder and CEO of CenterCal Properties. “Introducing docile honey bees to the environment adds to the dynamic experience of CenterCal properties, feeding off the landscaping that plays a critical role in the open, verdant and welcoming atmosphere we strive to nurture for our guests, while also supporting a healthy ecosystem overall.”

Best Bees has placed hives of docile honey bees in locations removed from foot traffic to keep both bees and humans comfortable with the arrangement, while still providing visibility to the pollinators’ activity. An essential part of local ecosystems, honey bees work to pollinate not only agricultural crops, but a host of native plant species that are the backbone of local ecosystems. Increasing the number of pollinators improves biodiversity, which in turn supports healthier food systems that offer nutritional diversity and security for the area. Best Bees uses the data collected at every beehive to monitor colony health and assess the biodiversity of the surrounding ecosystems. Each beehive is a data point within a network of research beehives, providing essential information on the state of pollinators today.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with CenterCal Properties to install honey bee hives in welcoming locations in California, Oregon and Utah,” said Paige Mulhern, creative director of Best Bees. “Our mission is to improve the health of these vital pollinators nationwide. Our partnership with CenterCal will contribute to the largest library of standardized bee data in the world, enabling each participating property to make a truly positive impact on bee and biodiversity health.”

Local beekeepers service the hives regularly to ensure the honey bees’ health and to collect valuable data for research purposes. Additionally, Best Bees extracts and bottles the honey from each hive site. Each property has two hives, which should produce between 10 and 20 pounds of honey per year — just enough to share among key partners and occasionally feature in center-specific activations. As the honey reflects the flora from which the bees collect pollen, the harvest from each CenterCal property will have a distinct flavor profile. For instance, honey from Oregon may have nuances of rose, chestnut and begonia, while honey from hives in Utah may offer more pine, clover or linden — reinforcing the unique sense of place that each lifestyle center offers.

In Oregon, the Best Bees initiative complements efforts of the neighboring city of Tualatin, which was officially designated a Bee City USA® Affiliate after the City Council passed the resolution joining almost 100 communities nationally in supporting the cause to sustain pollinators in 2019. With the Bee City USA® Affiliation, the City of Tualatin has made the commitment to provide pollinators with healthy habitats and to increase the community’s understanding of the vital role of bees and how to sustain them.

“We are absolutely buzzing about the installation of honey bee hives at Bridgeport Village and the many educational opportunities that will naturally arise from this eco-friendly addition,” said Sherilyn Lombos, city manager for the City of Tualatin. “We look forward to partnering with the property to highlight the importance of honey bees and to further engage the community.”

Along with placing and servicing the hives, Best Bees will participate in educational initiatives as destinations in CenterCal Properties’ portfolio introduce programming to build awareness of beekeeping. Through the end of August, for example, children at Bridgeport Village will have the opportunity to engage in the Pollinator Scavenger Hunt, in which they will receive a small prize for discovering bee-inspired fun facts hidden among retail storefronts. On August 17, guests at the four participating properties can partake in various buzzworthy activities, including Best Bees beekeeper meet-and-greets, scavenger hunts and pollinator garden planting with local retailers.

About Best Bees

The Best Bees Company installs and maintains honey bee hives on commercial and residential properties in urban centers across the U.S. These hives serve as data points in our national network of data-yielding beehives — they're the foundation of our scientific research. Our mission is to improve pollinator and biodiversity health, both locally and nationally. Since 2010, we’ve made a tangible, positive impact on the environment, one beehive at a time. We promote a culture of inclusivity and environmental stewardship, and we are proud to be a Certified LGBT Business Enterprise. More information can be found at bestbees.com.

About CenterCal Properties:
CenterCal Properties LLC, a premier full-service commercial real estate company founded in 2004, is redefining the landscape of the western U.S. With a focus on community-building, the company creates spaces that foster connection, enjoyment, and a sense of belonging. Under the visionary leadership of Founder and CEO Jean Paul Wardy, CenterCal Properties has become synonymous with excellence and innovation, boasting a portfolio of iconic destinations across California, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Rooted in core values that include creative persistence, high standards, resourcefulness, delivering today and unwavering integrity, CenterCal Properties specializes in the investment, development, leasing and management of high-quality retail and mixed-use development from its headquarters in El Segundo, Calif. More information, including a full property portfolio, is available at www.centercal.com.

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