BIGMallrat | lost malls, department stores, and Bay Area retail history

Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto first opened in September 1955 with Roos Brothers, then Joseph Magnin a month later. It was unlike anything the Bay Area had seen before. By February 23, 1956, The Emporium completed the vision, solidifying the shopping center as a modern retail destination. Designed by Welton Becket & Associates, with landscaping by Lawrence Halprin, the open-air design embraced mid-century modernism with tropical plantings, shaded walkways, and decorative concrete details. Vintage views of a mid-century mall These postcards highlight how Stanford Shopping Center blended luxury and accessibility—where you could buy fine fashion next to aspirin and greeting cards. Stanford Shopping Center in its mid-century prime, just after opening in the late 1950s—tropical landscaping, decorative concrete, and modernist flair. The back of the postcard reads: "One of the San Francisco Peninsula's newest and most modern shopping centers adjacent to the Stanford ...

Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton, California, opened in 1980, developed by the renowned mall builder Taubman Company and designed by Avner Naggar (who also gave us Sunvalley Mall, Eastridge Mall, Hilltop Mall, and parts of Southland Mall). Its original anchor tenants were JCPenney, Emporium-Capwell, and Macy’s, forming the foundation of what would become one of the Tri-Valley’s key retail destinations. Early planning: a mall with big ambitions Plans for a major regional mall in Pleasanton date back to 1966. By the early 1970s, plans included an ambitious proposal to bring five department stores to the region: JCPenney, Emporium-Capwell, Macy’s, Liberty House, and Sears. While space was allocated for five anchors—with potential for two additional wings—only three department stores would open with the mall in 1980. Right out of 1985, here is a promotional picture of the center court. Center court of Stoneridge Shopping Center in 1985, as featured in a promotional ad—complete wi...

Southland Mall in Hayward will always be the mall that defined my "mall senses." The swoosh of air as you opened the doors, the sound of birds chirping and water trickling, and the smell of popcorn with a hint of chlorine. 1957: the birth of Palma Ceia Shopping Plaza The story of Southland Mall begins in December 1957, when ground was broken on a new project named Palma Ceia Shopping Plaza. The developer, Branden Enterprises, was also responsible for the adjacent Palma Ceia Village, a 1,400-home suburban housing development in Hayward. The shopping center was designed by the acclaimed architecture firm John Graham & Associates, known for projects like Seattle’s Northgate Mall and the Space Needle. Plans called for a massive open-air retail center featuring: A flagship Sears store Two future department stores: JCPenney and Kahn’s of Oakland Multiple inline tenants A unique 6-lane roadway design—Southland Drive—which would originally cut through the mall to...

When NewPark Mall opened its doors on August 6, 1980, it felt like the dawn of a new shopping era for the East Bay. Developed by Homart Development Company (a division of Sears) and Calmart (from Macy’s), the mall debuted with Macy’s and Sears as its original anchors. It wasn’t long before NewPark grew: Mervyn’s and a brand-new wing arrived on October 18, 1985, relocating from Fremont. Emporium-Capwell followed on February 7, 1987, also from Fremont. And finally, JCPenney joined the lineup on November 6, 1991, rounding out NewPark’s status as a full-fledged regional shopping center. A newspaper ad announcing the grand opening of NewPark Mall on August 6, 1980, featuring Macy’s and Sears. A tale of two malls NewPark always reminded me of Stoneridge Mall’s fraternal twin—the two centers opened just a few weeks apart in 1980. While Stoneridge exuded a bright, sleek elegance with its white-on-white palette and blue accents, NewPark embraced 1980s earth tones: deep browns, muted ta...

In the early 1970s, Federated Department Stores, owners of Bullock's of Southern California, decided the Bay Area was missing something. Not sunshine. Not warmer weather. But Fashion. They quickly unfurled plans to dazzle the region by bringing Bullock's north. Bullock's opened its first store at Palo Alto's Stanford Shopping Center in 1972—polished, posh, and perhaps a bit puzzled. They brought SoCal's easy-breezy fashion vibe north, but Palo Alto wasn't quite ready for casual Fridays. Yet the ambition didn’t end there. In came Walnut Creek (1973), then Vallco (1975), Stonestown (1977), and Oakridge (1978), like a runway of retail hope. At Oakridge, we saw the latest in fashion, natural light in a department store. The fiberglass roof debuted at Bullock's Oakridge, from 1981 Progressive Architecture. The stores were well-dressed, well-placed, and well… not very well visited. Despite fancy in-store restaurants and enough chrome racks to make Studio...