Northgate Mall Grand Opening - Targets LEED Certificiation

The hottest and freshest shopping center renovation to hit the Bay Area retail scene is Northgate Mall in San Rafael. Celebrating its grand opening Thursday November 12, 2009, Northgate Mall will show off its clerestory atrium, new food court, and Oak Tree Plaza exterior portion of the mall.

Kohl's celebrated its grand opening at Northgate on September 30, 2009, replacing the Mervyns that closed earlier in the year.

Macerich, the owner and operator of Northgate, has paid special attention to the rebuilding of the mall to today's "green" standards. In fact, Macerich is in process of obtaining the coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its efforts to use sustainable building practices (Macerich, 2009).

What is LEED?
According to the U.S Green Building Council:

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. (U.S. Green Building Council, 2009, Para. 1).

Macerich has taken an important step towards the future with something almost unknown in the mall world... sustainability. Who has not heard of paving paradise to put up a parking lot? Yet, by paying special attention to building practices and obtaining LEED certification, Macerich is showing us that malls are not so bad after all.

I for one applaud Macerich for "going green." Shop Northgate.

Scott

See some pre-renovation photos at my guide to Northgate Mall.

References
Macerich (2009). Social Responsibility: Sustainability. Retrieved November 02, 2009, from http://www.macerich.com/?n=sustainability_highlights

U.S. Green Building Council (2009). Intro - What LEED Is. Retrieved November 02, 2009, from http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988

Capwell's El Cerrito Plaza Grand Opening 1958

July 9, 1958 marked the grand opening of both Capwell's department store and adjoining El Cerrito Plaza. This advertisement from the Oakland Tribune invites the public to come shop the largest store in Contra Costa County.

The 2-level store cost $6,000,000 and was 232,000 square feet of spacious aisles and modernistic fixtures ("5,000 Flock to See New Capwell Store", 1958). The exterior of the store was equally modern with its blue and brown tile. At the time, Capwell's El Cerrito was the fourth store in the chain, with other locations in Oakland (downtown), Walnut Creek (Broadway Plaza), and Hayward (downtown).

Capwell's El Cerrito lasted until 1996 when the chain was acquired by Macy's and ultimately closed. El Cerrito Plaza fell in to disrepair until it was de-malled and revitalized in 2002.

Enjoy!
Scott

Reference
5,000 Flock to See New Capwell Store. (1958, June 10, 1958). Oakland Tribune, p. E-15.

Westfield Downtown Plaza - Sacramento

Nothing breeds retail controversy more than Sacramento's Westfield Downtown Plaza.

This large superregional center, smack in downtown Sacramento, was once a shining beacon. However, times have changed and this mall has not. Sacramento and Westfield has been fighting for years to get this center redeveloped. Everyone has an idea of what they want, but no one can agree.

Once this mall hosted a number of flagship stores for the region. The area's largest Macy's is here, complete with its own Men's and Furniture location. Yet, stores have begun to shut down. Even Banana Republic left. Much of the eastern side of the mall is devoid of any stores. However, the western side is still bustling.

The architecture of this mall seems to be a hindrance. Sightlines are obscured by large columns. With the contrast between bright sunlight and dark overhangs, its nearly impossible to see the stores from a distance.

With Sacramento's scalding long summers, I could easily support enclosing this mall. In fact, a portion of this mall is enclosed. A long corridor south of the Rotunda court is enclosed. However, it may not have been touched since the 80s. Oddly enough, it has a second floor which used to contain stores, but it is no longer accessible. An enclosed corridor north of the Rotunda court, pictured above, now is a credit union and no longer holds retail stores. Note the fancy woodwork on the ceiling.

Baffling enough, I don't know if this mall strives to be a festival center, much like Pier 39 in San Francisco, or a regional fashion center. Looking around, not many people live Downtown.

I'm not sure what to think of Downtown Plaza. Once it finds its identify and redevelops, I think this mall can be a star of retail players.

Enjoy!
Scott

Visit my review of Westfield Downtown Plaza.

See the current aerial view.

Westgate Mall - Holding Its Own

Westgate Mall in San Jose is a small mall that seems to defy the odds. Malls this size around the country are either failing or struggling. However, Westgate Mall seems to be thriving.

Unusual for malls these days, but common yesteryear, is the connection this mall has to the community. You can still get your hair done at Annette's Silhouettes, get your teeth cleaned at Westgate Dental, then head to Razzberry Lips for a makeover party for the girls. Local independent stores, once a thing of the past in a mall, perhaps a trend for the future?

As a regional draw, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington Coat Factory, Ross Dress for Less, and Barnes and Noble Bookstore. A little something for everyone.

Saving the best for last... this mall is rarely crowded. One can walk around without being molested by Dead Sea Salt hawkers or hoards of people. Westgate Mall is easy to get into and you might want to stay a while.

Enjoy!
Scott

Visit my review of Westgate Mall.

See the current aerial view.

Bayfair Mall - New Food Court

One word to describe Bayfair Mall's new food court... Finally!

Having survived the high-crime days of Bayfair Mall that made me hesitate to enter any niche without a secondary escape route, it was a pleasant surprise to find the new food court opened and ready for business.

The food court has been reconfigured and looks like it may only hold 4 to 6 eateries, but it's a huge improvement. The owners also removed one of the enclosing stores at the entrance to the food court, which opened up the food court to the mall, thus eliminating that claustrophobic feeling that once persisted.

In addition, the clunky elevator has been replaced by a set of escalators to the newly reopened second floor. You may remember when the old owners built a wall, sealing off that long second-floor corridor between the center court and the south parking lot. The wall has come down and now it's an easy walk to the cinema across the parking lot. I'd bet the old owners of this mall are kicking themselves for not attaching the cinema to the mall.

Remodeling at Bayfair has been ongoing for 5 years now. Still, the center is about 50-60% complete. Now that the food court is done, what next?

Enjoy!
Scott

Visit my review of Bayfair Mall.

Grand Century Shopping Mall - San Jose

Another micromall in the Silicon Valley, the Grand Century shopping mall in San Jose caters to the Vietnamese market. Grand Century hosts 74 stores inside the mall. A true community shopping center, you can get your hair cut, your teeth cleaned, pick up a $3,000 diamond ring, then have Phở while visiting with friends and loved ones.

All the eateries were grouped together on the west side of the mall, forming a long food court. We found an extensive selection of Vietnamese cuisine served by friendly people. Ignorant of local favorites, I played it safe by pointing to a picture of soup. Yet, nearly everyone was enjoying a big plate of greens that appeared like the big salad on steroids. Someone please explain it to me.

As far as micromalls go, Grand Century was much larger than I expected. Although the building is similar in size to the Wal-Mart next door. The parking lot was crowded and the mall, at times, filled with people. The community seems to love this mall.

Once again I'm baffled that ethnicity or culture plays a role in mall appreciation. While malls this size in middle America have died or are dying, Asian micromalls are enjoying popularity.

Enjoy!
Scott

See the aerial view.

Lawrence Plaza - Santa Clara

I have always been intrigued with small enclosed malls and recently stumbled upon Lawrence Plaza in the Koreatown district of Santa Clara, California. Located at 3561 El Camino Real, a large sign was hung outside stating "Food Court." Food sounds good, so we gave it a try...

The exterior is a typical suburban strip mall and it looks like the enclosed mall was originally one or two remodeled anchors, such as a grocery store or drug store. The enclosed food court debuted in August of 2008.

Inside the mall is a large seating area for dining and flanked by a number of eateries. Most of the selections are Korean, but you will find other choices, too (like Fondue). A walkway loops from the north side of the food court to the south side of the food court. We found cell phones, electronics, baby clothes, facial products, golf items, and more. We counted about 17 stores in the enclosed mall. Surprisingly, we found only one vacant store.

The pictures above are of the modest exterior, the food court itself, and a bit of the loop walkway.

How can a tiny mall like this do so well in Koreatown, but would disappear like a bad cold elsewhere?

Enjoy!
Scott

See the aerial view.

Cupertino Square on Life Support

It's not looking so good for Cupertino Square mall.

The mall is now neck-in-neck for title of "most drama" in the South Bay retail market (Sunnyvale Town Center current holds the title).

Cupertino Square currently is under control of the lenders, Gramercy Capital and United Commercial Bank. When the old owners, Cupertino Square LLC and Vallco International Shopping Center LLC, stopped making debt payments, the lenders moved to foreclose on the property. However, Cupertino Square LLC and Vallco International Shopping Center LLC filed bankruptcy to keep the mall from going back into the hands of the lenders. Yet, last month, the mall went back into the hands of the lenders anyway. Now Gramercy Capital and United Commercial Bank are working with Jones Lang LaSalle to get the mall back on track.

My visit the other day showed the mall is declining quickly. A few more stores have closed since last month, but more concerning, new eateries in the freshly revamped food court have already closed! Not to mention, the "coming soon" signs for new eateries STILL say coming soon. I don't think anyone is coming soon anymore.

All this is such a shame... the mall has been trying, but has it made some wrong decisions?

Cupertino Square LLC and Vallco International Shopping Center LLC sought to reposition this mall as an Asian-inspired destination (east Asian). However, my informal racial profiling of shoppers showed that a majority of shoppers fell into the Caucasian and Indian segments. Did repositioning the mall alienate these groups?

What about capital improvement? The mall built a fancy new parking garage for the hordes of shoppers it expected, but the old pink and turquoise "Vallco Fashion Park" sign still adorns Interstate 280. The fourth picture shows the entrance to the food court... As you can see, no signs. I would have figured investing in improvments to guide shoppers to your mall would take priority over potential parking problems.

Some fresh photos for your perusal. The first is the quiet food court at noon. CNN blares on the LCD TVs... a good reason to leave when trying to enjoy your lunch over the pictures of death, dismemberment, and unrest.
Second photo... the deserted parking lot on the backside of the mall.
Third photo... the unusual architecture of JC Penney.
Fourth photo... food court entrance.

Enjoy!
Scott

Read my guide to Cupertino Square

See the aerial view.

Somersville Towne Center Teetering on the Edge

Some recent photos of Somersville Towne Center in Antioch. Hoping to catch the 90% off sale at Gottschalks liquidation, we found the store already shuddered. Alas, too late.

For a Saturday, the mall appears nearly deserted. Although it looks worse than it really was, one has to question the viability of a mall with little foot traffic. Since our last visit a few years ago, a number of shops have closed. However, this mall isn't "dead," yet.

With few options for a new department store to take the place of the shuddered Mervyns or Gottschalks, Somersville Towne Center could be on the endangered list. However, JC Penney is no where to be found in east county, so perhaps this will be a new opportunity after the economy recovers. Yes, it's ironic since Penney's left the mall in 1997. But with the competitors gone, who knows what can happen.

Enjoy the photos,
Scott

Read my guide to Somersville Towne Center

Visit the current Web site.

Vintage Directories: Hillsdale Mall 1982

Here is a vintage mall directory from Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, California. I estimate it to be from around 1982 since I picked up this directory on my way to the record store to buy the Taco single "Putting on the Ritz." Yes, that's dated in itself.

The mall directory is printed on heavy stock paper, but is not in color. It was clearly cut with a pair of scissors, too.

You may need to put on your bifocals to read the store names. This shear size of this directory stretched Photoshop to the limit. I intended to post the front side of the directory, too, but it was just too big. Another day, perhaps.

Enjoy!
Scott

Read my guide to Hillsdale Mall

Visit the current Website.

See the aerial view.

Vintage Postcards: Eastridge Mall

A vintage postcard of Eastridge Mall, complete with the ubiquitous Jarman.

In the rear you can see Liberty House.

The back of the postcard reads "The "Grand Court" area of the Eastridge regional shopping center in San Jose, California, features modern shaped plexiglass information booth and a spectacular sculpture in steel by the world famous sculptress, Stephanie Scuris. The center, which is constructed on three levels, boasts four major department stores and 146 other stores."

Enjoy!
Scott

See the current aerial.

Visit my review of Eastridge Mall.

Gottschalk's Liquidating

It's official... Fresno-based Gottschalk's failed to attract a buyer at its auction and will begin liquidating. Gottschalk's assets have been sold to a group of liquidators and the going out of business-sales will begin around April 3rd.

Malls affected by the store closures include Capitola Mall in Capitola, West Valley Mall in Tracy, Sherwood Mall in Stockton, Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto, Country Club Plaza Mall in Sacramento, Somersville Towne Center in Antioch, Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, and Carson Mall in Carson City, NV.

Later, a closer look at the store closures.
Scott

Capitola Mall

After a long respite, I finally enjoyed a trip to Capitola Mall in the seaside community of Capitola, near Santa Cruz. It's been nearly a decade since my last visit and the mall hadn't changed much, except for the infusion of new stores and fading of old ones.

The mall was just about the right size for a short outing and had a nice selection of stores. Some upscale, some moderate, and plenty in between. I managed to pick up a few bargains along the way.

As expected, the corridor heading to the now-defunct Mervyn's was loosing stores. However the newly "dead" corridor ought to turn around when Kohl's opens later this year.

The photos here are the rejects. The ones that made the cut can be found on my main site, below.

The first photo is of the old Mervyn's and one for the scrapbook. Ultimately changing to Kohl's, we get a last glimpse of the Mervyn's California signage before it becomes a labelscar.

The second photo is the late 80s Gottshalk's, complete with 80s colors and glass bricks. This store is a step-back in time, in many ways. Almost unbelievable, along with the old-fashioned, take-your-time help inside, Tom Jones was blaring overhead with "It's Not Unusual To Be Loved By You." I tried in haste to get my camera on movie mode with sound to share the experience. Alas, the song ended and I moved on with my 40% off purchases.

The third photo is of the fountain and complementary lighted "skylight" above. The contrast made this photo too dark. However, I believe it to be accurate in what the eye actually saw. This mall was very dark in places, especially in the old wing, where this fountain is located.

The final photo is the main corridor between the old wing and new wing. Yes, kiosks hawking their Dead Sea salt or scrolls, or whatever wares. It was crowded and made the mall look cluttered. I realize mall owners need to capitalize on every square inch, but at some point, people need some wiggle room!

All-in-all, Capitola Mall was pleasant and I do recommend it for a visit. It's quieter and more laid-back than the urban Bay Area and is a nice reminder of what it used to be like.

I hope you enjoy the photos!

Scott

Read my Guide to Capitola Mall

Visit the current Website.

See the aerial view.

Westfield Cutting Mall Hours

In response to the economic recession, Westfield has cut shopping hours at all area malls.

Westfield Solano in Fairfield now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 7:00 PM on Sunday.

Westfield Oakridge in San Jose now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:30 PM. Weekend hours were unchanged.

Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:30 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to be open until 7:00 PM.

Westfield San Francisco Centre in San Francisco now has the following hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 9:30 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Saturday, the mall used to open at 9:30 AM and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to open at 10:00 AM.

Westfield Downtown Plaza in Sacramento now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to open an hour earlier at 11:00 AM.

Westfield Roseville Galleria in Roseville now has the following hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Previously, the mall opened at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday and stayed open until 9:00 PM. On Sunday, the mall used to stay open until 7:00 PM.

Gottschalk's Granted Extension

Fresno-based Gottschalk's has been granted an extension to March 30 to find a buyer (Sacramento Business Journal, 2009).

The struggling retailer is on the auction block to find a buyer. The chain says it has received multiple potential buyers (Sacramento Business Journal, 2009). The highest bidder will determine the fate of the department store. Those plans will not be revealed until the deal is done.

The big question is, who is interested? Rumors range from Wal-Mart to Dillard's. It could be an investment group, like the group that bought Mervyn's. At the end of the month, we'll find out.

Scott

Reference
Sacramento Business Journal (2009). All Gottschalks gets auction extension. Retrieved March 06, 2009, from http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/03/02/daily79.html?ana=e_du_pub

Circuit City Closing Permanently on Sunday March 8th

It's official, Circuit City is closing all remaining stores this Sunday, March 8, 2009 (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 2009).

Once the nation's second largest consumer electronics store (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, 2009), Circuit City's demise leaves just one major player, Best Buy. Many smaller chains, like Fry's, serve smaller markets to keep Best Buy from becoming a monopoly.

On Sunday, we say farewell.

Scott

Reference
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (2009). All Circuit City stores to shutter permanently on March 8. Retrieved March 06, 2009, from http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/03/02/daily117.html?ana=e_du_pub

Gottschalks Granted a Reprieve

Looks like Gottschalks is safe, at leat for now, due to a $125 million debtor-in-possession credit agreement (Johnson, 2009). The additional money will allow Gottschalks to continue operations during its reorganization process.

What we expect is store closures to boost Gottshalks' balance sheet. The real question is, which ones? Smaller stores are likely targets; even if profitable. Revenues from smaller stores typically aren't enough to keep a company Gottschalks' size afloat.

Stay tuned for more Gottschalks' information as it becomes available.

Scott

Reference
Johnson, K. (2009). Gottschalks gets court's OK on $125M credit line. Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved from http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/02/16/daily68.html?ana=e_du_pub

Taubman's Unethical Act in Walnut Creek

In an earlier post regarding the petition in Walnut Creek to stop Neiman Marcus from joining Broadway Plaza, the financial backer of the signature gathering effort has been revealed. Unsurprisingly, it's the Taubman Group... owner of nearby Sunvalley Mall in Concord.

According to Elisabeth Nardi, the reporter at the Contra Costa Times covering the issue, Taubman spent nearly $95,000 to fund the petition (Nardi, 2009).

Taubman filed a campaign statement with the city on the 2nd of February. The statement showed nearly $80,000 was paid to Al Abrams, a public relations consultant, who misrepresented himself to Walnut Creek residents by claiming to be a real estate journalist when trying to persuade residents to reject the project (Nardi 2009). The sticking point was the popular "parking issue" that Neiman Marcus would bring to downtown Walnut Creek.

The campaign statement went on to state Taubman's new reason for stopping the project was due to, "fundamental fairness" (Nardi). Taubman claims that it "wanted to make sure it was a level playing field for all local development interests and were concerned about a bad precedent being set by the special approvals Broadway Plaza received in Walnut Creek" (Nardi, ¶ 6).

Mayor Gary Skrel is optimistic about the project and has faith in Walnut Creek resident being "smart enough to know what is really going on" (Nardi, 2009, ¶ 9).

Taubman, possibly encouraged from the recent election that demonstrated out-of-state special interest groups can use the intiative process to determine California's future, is sending a powerful message to Walnut Creek residents. Simply said, Michigan-based Taubman, who has no business in Walnut Creek, has decided it has the moral authority to decide what Walnut Creek should do and believe. The recipe is simple. Add one part deception (misrepresentation), a heaping of fear ("parking will get worse!") and a liberal dose of secrecy to manipulate voters to seal the deal.

Unfortunately for Taubman, Californians are an educated bunch that ultimately learn the truth and do the right thing.

Scott

Reference
Nardi, E. (2009, February 02). Rival mall company financed campaign against Neiman Marcus. Contra Costa Times. Retrieved February 05, 2009 from: http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_11611447?source=rss