Broadway Plaza arrives (1951)
Broadway Plaza, originally called Broadway Shopping Center, opened on November 8, 1951 in Walnut Creek, California. Built by MacDonald Products Company, it featured iconic stores like JCPenney, Woolworths, Sears, Joseph Magnin, and Lucky's. The opening ceremonies included none other than the legendary Harpo Marx and Mary Fenn in two stage performances.
Broadway Plaza originally referred to a short street that connected Main Street to South Broadway. Running perpendicular to it, South Broadway featured shops on its east side, like Lucky's and Capwell's, with parking lots occupying the west. As the area redeveloped over time, the street names and layout were reconfigured: a new South Broadway was established east of the shopping center, where it remains today. The original South Broadway was renamed Broadway Plaza, while the original Broadway Plaza street was permanently closed to vehicular traffic, transforming it into a more pedestrian-friendly, mall-like environment.
The center got a big boost in 1954 when Capwell's department store opened its first suburban branch.
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| Grand opening ad for Capwell’s at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, March 19, 1954—promising convenient and pleasant shopping, ample free parking, and easy credit plans for East Bay suburban shoppers. |
Expansion and department store growth (1960s—1970s)
During the 1960s and 1970s, Broadway Plaza expanded alongside Walnut Creek itself. What began as a modest suburban shopping center gradually evolved into a larger regional destination, attracting department stores that were once concentrated in downtown Oakland and San Francisco.
San Francisco luxury retailer I. Magnin opened across from Capwell's in March 1967. When the brand was phased out, it would be replaced by a Macy's Men's and Junior's until the building was replaced entirely by new shops.
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| The I. Magnin building at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, pictured in 2006 during its time as Macy’s. Originally built for I. Magnin, the building was later demolished as part of the shopping center’s redevelopment. |
The arrival of Los Angeles-based Bullock's in 1973 marked another turning point. Long associated with upscale fashion and luxury retail, the department store helped elevate Broadway Plaza's profile and signaled its growing importance as a regional shopping destination.
By the 1980s, Broadway Plaza was no longer simply a suburban shopping center. It had become an increasingly important retail anchor for downtown Walnut Creek, setting the stage for decades of redevelopment and expansion.
Reinvention as a downtown retail destination
Over the following decades, Broadway Plaza continued to evolve. Safeway eventually gave way to a bank, After Bullock's closed, the building was later occupied by Nordstrom, which became one of Broadway Plaza's defining anchors. Surface parking gradually gave way to larger parking structures, while additional retail buildings filled former open spaces. Even specialty concepts such as Mervyn's For Kids briefly appeared, operating from 1985 until 1990.
By the early twenty-first century, Broadway Plaza had become the centerpiece of Walnut Creek's downtown retail district.
Luxury retail and the modern era
A major milestone came in 2012 with the arrival of Neiman Marcus, signaling Broadway Plaza's growing focus on luxury retail. The addition helped attract other high-end brands and further distinguished the center from traditional suburban malls.
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| Broadway Plaza directory from March 2011, before Neiman Marcus opened. |
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Neiman Marcus under construction in 2011. The store opened the following year as part of Broadway Plaza's luxury retail expansion and became one of the center's most ambitious redevelopment projects. |
Legacy of Broadway Plaza
Unlike many postwar shopping centers that were enclosed, expanded, and eventually declined, Broadway Plaza followed a different path. By remaining connected to Walnut Creek's downtown core and continually reinventing itself, it evolved from a suburban shopping center into one of Northern California's most successful open-air retail destinations.
Today, little remains of the original 1951 center beyond its location and name. Yet Broadway Plaza continues to reflect the same forces that shaped its creation: population growth, changing retail trends, and Walnut Creek's emergence as one of the Bay Area's most important commercial centers.
Comments
On the upper(north) side of that picture is a Lucky supermarket. It was that building that was torn down for Bullocks and is where Nordstrom is today. David M Brian is in the old Penney's and the Crate & Barrel building was formerly Joseph Magnin and before that a Sears store, believe it or not.
Broadway Plaza has no doubt benefitted from being in a very affluent area. However, the strong sense of community in Walnut Creek may really be what has kept this center thriving. Between nearby Sunvalley and Stoneridge malls, this center could have easily rolled over and died a long time ago, but it didn't
Scott