Before Southland Mall opened in 1964, Bay Area shoppers moved between stores under the sun and rain. Southland changed that. As the San Francisco Bay Area's first enclosed shopping mall—and at the time the largest enclosed mall in the western United States—it introduced a new way of shopping: climate-controlled, comfortable, and designed as a destination rather than a collection of stores.
Inside were features that felt futuristic to mid-century shoppers: indoor fountains, aviaries filled with chirping birds, soaring chandeliers, and eventually even an ice rink. Southland wasn't just a place to buy things. It was an early showcase for suburban California's new indoor lifestyle.
 |
| Annotated Apple Maps view of Hayward showing the location of Southland Mall, positioned off I-880 and Winton. |
1957–1963: From Palma Ceia to Southland
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.
Plans called for a massive open-air retail center featuring three department stores: Sears, JCPenney, and Kahn’s of Oakland.
This ambitious project was touted as the largest shopping center on the West Coast and the sixth largest in the United States.
 |
| Artist’s rendering of Palma Ceia Shopping Plaza, March 1958. This early concept envisioned an open-air shopping center in Hayward, anchored by Sears and planned as one of the largest retail complexes on the West Coast—years before it evolved into the enclosed Southland Mall. |
The first major piece of the shopping center arrived first: Sears opened on November 6, 1958, anchoring the developing retail district. The store was among the largest Sears locations in the country at the time, and for several years, stood on its own as the centerpiece of the Palma Ceia commercial area.
In 1963, the project took a dramatic turn when developers Arthur Rubloff and A. Alfred Taubman invested in the shopping center. Their vision reshaped Palma Ceia into a fully enclosed shopping mall, a concept growing in popularity across America.
With that change came a new name: Southland Shopping Center.
The open-air plan was scrapped, and the ambitious idea of an enclosed mall emerged.
1964: The future arrives in Hayward
On October 22, 1964, Southland Shopping Center officially opened its doors to the public. Anchored by Sears and a newly constructed JCPenney, the project brought together dozens of shops beneath one roof in a fully enclosed, climate-controlled environment.
Today, an enclosed mall hardly seems remarkable. In 1964, however, it represented the future. Southland was the first enclosed shopping mall in the San Francisco Bay Area and, at the time of its opening, the largest enclosed mall in the western United States. It was designed by John Graham & Associates, known for projects like Seattle’s Northgate Mall and the Space Needle.
The timing was no accident. Across postwar America, suburban housing developments were spreading rapidly beyond traditional downtowns. Families wanted places to shop, gather, and spend their leisure time closer to home. Southland answered that demand by offering something previous shopping centers could not: a comfortable indoor environment where visitors could browse, socialize, and escape both summer heat and winter rain.
Developers promoted Southland as more than a collection of stores. It was an experience. Shoppers entered a world of fountains, skylights, landscaping, and carefully designed public spaces that encouraged people to linger. The mall reflected a growing belief that shopping could be entertainment, and that retail centers could serve as the social heart of a suburban community.
For East Bay residents, Southland wasn't simply another shopping center. It was an introduction to a new way of life—one that would soon be replicated across Northern California as enclosed malls became the dominant form of suburban retail development.
 |
| From an April 1965 Oakland Tribune ad—Southland billed as the West's largest, climate conditioned mall. |
Inside Southland's indoor world
Southland's designers understood that the mall's biggest attraction wasn't necessarily the merchandise. It was the environment itself. Families could stroll beneath skylights, relax beside fountains, listen to birds in decorative aviaries, and enjoy year-round comfort regardless of the weather outside. These features helped transform shopping from an errand into a leisure activity—one of the defining characteristics of postwar suburban culture.
Oversized chandeliers hung in the center court, in front of Penney's, reinforcing the sense that Southland was designed as a destination rather than simply a place to shop.
One of the most memorable family-oriented attraction was Mallbert, a dragon-themed children's play area that became a fixture for generations of East Bay families.
 |
| From a May 1965 Architectural Record—the Sunburst fountain in front of Sears where shoppers would throw pennies. |
 |
| From a May 1965 Architectural Record—the aviary at Southland near JCPenney added chirping birds to the set of familiar sounds of the mall. |
 |
| From a May 1965 Architectural Record—spectacular sunburst chandeliers brightened the center court in front of JCPenney. |
1972: Southland grows up
Just eight years after the mall opened, Southland was already expanding. The fourth and final phase arrived in 1972 with a major mall addition, a new Liberty House department store, and the Southland Ice Arena, further cementing Southland's role as one of the East Bay's premier shopping destinations. Its grand opening was a frosty affair, complete with a 100-pound ice sculpture of an ice skate standing four feet tall.
The expansion also reflected the promotional flair of the era. When construction began in 1970, mall officials staged a groundbreaking ceremony featuring singer Don Domani and a mock volcano that spewed imitation lava. Visitors could even take home a souvenir: one of 50,000 bags of "genuine Southland dirt."
What makes the addition especially interesting today is how clearly it illustrates the evolution of mall design between 1964 and 1972. While the original center, designed by John Graham, reflected the boxy and restrained architecture of the early enclosed-mall era, the new wing was designed by Avner Naggar and embraced the bolder aesthetic of the 1970s. Angled storefronts, dramatic sightlines, and larger skylights created a more dynamic shopping environment. The transition is still visible today in the corridor between Macy's and JCPenney, where two generations of mall design meet.
Though beloved by generations of shoppers, the Southland Ice Arena closed in 1983, bringing an end to one of the mall's most distinctive attractions.
 |
| From a March 1972 Daily Review—Southland expansion includes Liberty House and the Southland Ice Arena. |
1985: Modernizing a mall generation
By the mid-1980s, Southland faced a challenge shared by many of America's first enclosed malls: the future had caught up with them. Features that seemed cutting-edge in 1964 now appeared dated as newer malls opened with larger food courts, brighter interiors, and updated amenities.
In 1985, Southland underwent a major renovation aimed at keeping the center competitive. Much of the mall's original character disappeared during the remodel. The oversized chandeliers that once defined the interior were removed, and the aviaries that had helped make Southland a destination in its early years vanished as well. In their place came a more contemporary design and a new food court beneath JCPenney, reflecting changing expectations about how shoppers used malls.
The decade also brought changes to Southland's department store lineup. Liberty House closed in 1983, and Emporium-Capwell opened in the space, continuing the mall's evolution as retail chains expanded, merged, and disappeared across California.
By the end of the 1980s, Southland was no longer the revolutionary new mall that had captivated Bay Area shoppers in 1964. Instead, it had become something equally important: a mature regional mall adapting to a changing retail landscape.
 |
| Grand opening ad for Emporium-Capwell at Southland Mall in Hayward, which opened on October 15, 1983. The festivities brought a lively mix of fashion, food, and technology, including Phone-Mate cordless phone demos, Martin Yan cooking presentations, samples from Casa Carlita Mexican Restaurant, and a GQ Live champagne breakfast event. |
Southland Mall today
More than sixty years after opening, Southland remains one of the Bay Area's most important surviving malls—not because it is the largest or most luxurious, but because it marked a turning point. The enclosed mall that opened in 1964 helped introduce a new suburban lifestyle to Northern California, one built around comfort, convenience, and indoor public space.
The birds are gone. The fountains have changed. The ice rink melted away decades ago. Yet Southland still tells the story of the moment when shopping centers stopped being collections of stores and became destinations in their own right.
Comments
Also cool are the enormous Sears and Penney's signs inside the mall. Below the Penney's sign is the fountain and pool that extended in front of some children's stores. You can see it on the floor plan.
They must have gotton rid of the Sunburst sculpture by the time I arrived on the scene because I remember a "Wonderfall" being in that location. It still had the same railing around it. To the left side of the Sunburst fountain pic you can see the corner of the Harvest House restaurant.
The downstairs area in front of Penney's was an unusual feature of Southland. It had the management offices down there and some services, but never the stores they thought it should have. They even had huge yellow "lolly pop" shaped signs pointing the way down the stairs. The space below Penney's was vacant for the longest time. About the only thing they hosted there was the Santa display at Christmas. It eventually turned into an arcade in the mid 70's that featured a racetrack. I wish I could remember the name of it.
The ice rink wasn't added until the Liberty House expansion. It was right next door to it. The space is now a stereo store. The expansion was cool since it brought some of the modern design of Eastridge into Southland. The transition between the two was apparent and abrupt.
The mall feels a lot narrower now since they allowed the stores to expand their presence beyond the bulkheads. This was an 80's concept to give shopping malls more of a village feel. Each store had to have their own unique facade. The carts and kiosks also now clutter the space.
Besides restrooms, offices, and meeting rooms, I remember a barber shop, shoe repair, smoke shop, and maybe a florist. They also had downstairs entrances for stores like Grodins and Roos Atkins that had lower level selling space. However, the corridor was much narrower than the main mall and you have to wonder what they were thinking.
As for the space under Penneys, I never knew it existed until the arcade went in later. My guess is that it might have actually belonged to Penneys and earmarked for an expansion that never materialized.
The Southland Penneys was one of the first(if not THE first) full line mall stores in the Bay Area. SF and Oakland had large downtown stores dating back to the 30's and 40's, but all the others were small stores that sold just apparel and soft goods.
In fact, the old SF Penney building was renovated many years ago and still stands at the SW corner of 5th and Market. It was originally built for a store named Hale Bros. The Downtown Oakland store was at 13th and Washington and was demolished in the 70's for the City Center project.
The downstairs was indeed (gold?)carpeted and even had a direct-to-outdoor entrance to the east. I don't remember downstairs entrances to Grodins and such but that sounds pretty neat. As a kid I was intrigued by the downstairs level. It seemed like a pretty cool place because it was....well....downstairs! :D
I wonder if downstair was attractive to services, like barbers, etc. Well, or wasn't attractive. But, certainly one couldn't count on foot traffic. I remember the Cost Plus underneath Hillsdale Mall. Guess that was an example of basement usage.
It's funny how the food court took some of the area under Penney's. You have to wonder what went on there. Last I was in Penney's, it's tight. They could use some extra space.
I read in the Southland Tenat Criteria guide that they wanted to get away from the overscale look of the Sixties. I guess they were talking about that early mall look with tall roofs and giant department store facades. That's the part I like best about classic malls!
Scott
PS - Dean, I have another article about the 1977 remodel of Stanford I'll post soon.
But I'm not living in the past, either. Today's Spanish/Tuscan look (at least in California) is beautiful. Problem is, IT"S EVERYWHERE. I think the time may be right for a return of
the Victor Gruen style.
If that's too daring, developers could try a dark brick or colonial style which is quite common in the eastern and southern US. You hardly see that in California at all.
Differentiation is the key. But right now everyone wants to do "Piazza Del Blah Blah"
The toy store by J.C. Penney used shelves built into the back side of the fountain to display large toys. There was a store opposite the toy store called Matsuri. I don’t know if it was a true head shop but it had plenty of posters, black lights, incense, and rolling papers so it could have been one.
I used to also go skating at the Ice Arena. I also remember a restaurant called Bumbleberry which had some of the best pies.
Anyone remember the big crystal thing just outside of Liberty House near the rest area?
Can anyone tell me the name of the music/organ/piano store that used to exist somewhere along the pictured corridor? In 1985 my grandfather (a classically trained pianist) gave an impromptu performance on one of the organs displayed there, attracting a small crowd. I'd very much like to get that name (and even a picture of the store) to include on granddad's blog/biography.
I was also fascinated by the glass elevators that went up & down at Liberty House with mannequins in them.
And yes I remember the diamond sculpture by the seating area in Liberty House too. Thought it was way neat/Logan's Run looking. It's really a shame they got rid of the more interesting features from way back. At least that stuff gave the mall character.
I must say LeMans Speedway was my favorite arcade EVER! Lots of classic games to be played in the late 70's/early 80's. Cool to know that the meeting rooms are still down there. I was quite amused to hear there's still an abandoned underground part of the mall near the food court. How cool would it be to have some photos of that.
If you were a kid and wanted goldfish, turtles, etc. you could go down the 2 stairways in woolworths to their pet area and get some or over to Sears garden catalog center across a roadway and get some fish there. Later on they added a nice pet shop across from Lord Byrons at the other end.
Had many fun times at Farrell's getting the clown sundae for my birthday and loved the pizza joint, too. Didn't get to skate much but, I too, remember sitting in the circle windows watching people skate. I wish they would not have closed that...who knew ice skating would eventually become popular again.
Also, those big bird cages in the mall were always fun to walk by on the way to Sears. I think they used to decorate them for holidays.
I remember how cool it was because you had to walk over a small bridge that went over a little mote that ran off of the fountain next to JCPenney.
I loved the downstairs area too.
I think there may have been a cigar store downstairs at one time too 'cuz I remember sometimes it would really stink like someone smoking a really cheep stogey.
I also remember a t-shirt shop was down there.
They also used to do the Santaland downstairs with all the cool animated elves and snowmen....That was cool.
Anyone remember "Mickey's Mods"? - The animated Disney figures that would be setup in front of a christmas tree down by the JCPenney end of the mall?
Cheers,
K
It is visible from Hesperian. I just had to drive by it on my way to work this morning after reading the post above.
I almost had an accident taking a good look at it.
Sure enough, it's exactly as I remember it from my childhood - a person laying on their back on a turtle with leg up in the air with a fish on the foot up in the air.
As silly as this may sound, seeing that again was kind of magical. Like looking through a window into my childhood.
Nice to see some things don't completely go away.
Old Southland Mall Statue
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65009677@N05/9452642185/
Even though it was generally pretty loud in the arcade, I enjoyed working there and I enjoyed the mall. There was so much to do there I usually showed up for work two hours early. I had my hair cut and styled there.I bought record albums at the record store. I used to get those delicious chocolate chip cookies at Otis Spunkmeyer's. Does anybody remember a hot dog restaurant there? You didn't have to go into the actual mall to eat there. They were connected to the mall but they had they own outside entrance. They had the best hot dogs and I used to eat there just about every day. You'd get a big hot dog, fries and a soda for $1.99. I had TWO jobs back in those days. My situation could have been so much worse but I enjoyed those days.
And then we'd go around back to the old style coke machine that had actual bottles in it. The bottle caps would be facing out so we'd pop the caps off with a crescent wrench and then drink the soda out of it with a straw.
Good times!