The company was founded and managed by Ernest W. Hahn (1919–1992). During its 30 years of existence. the company built 45 shopping malls in 18 states, from Florida to Oregon. Their first major project was the regional shopping mall La Cumbre Plaza in
Santa Barbara, California, which opened in 1967. Hahn went on to become the largest mall builder in the
Western United States. The innovative
Horton Plaza mall in
downtown San Diego, which opened in 1985, helped lead the rejuvenation of the city's downtown area. It was the first successful downtown retail center since the rise of suburban shopping centers decades earlier. Hahn had previously built the
Fashion Valley and
Parkway Plaza malls in San Diego. In 1980,
Trizec Corporation, of
Toronto, Ontario, acquired the company's shopping center interests. Trizec took the new name TrizecHahn to reflect the purchase. TrizecHahn exited the shopping center business in 1998. The majority of its properties west of Las Vegas were acquired by Westfield America, Inc. (precursor to
The Westfield Group) and those east of Las Vegas by
the Rouse Company. == Projects and investments ==