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 improve parking access
This ambitious project was touted as the largest shopping center on the West Coast and the sixth largest in the United States.
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| 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. |
1958: Sears opens first at Southland
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.
1963: a new vision with Taubman and Rubloff
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 a road slicing through the property was abandoned. Southland Drive, which was intended to connect through the site to Calaroga Avenue, was rerouted and now makes a sharp curve towards Hesperian Boulevard.
1964: Southland Mall officially opens
On October 22, 1964, Southland Mall officially opened its doors to the public. The final version included:
A newly built JCPenney
The existing Sears
Dozens of new enclosed shops in a climate-controlled setting
It was immediately recognized as one of the most modern shopping destinations in the Bay Area, offering a year-round retail experience in a comfortable indoor environment.
The future had no doors
Featured in the May 1965 edition of Architectural Record, Southland Mall was celebrated for a novel idea: an enclosed mall with open store fronts. Imagine! No doors to fumble with, no gusts of wind while trying to window-shop. This midcentury marvel was all about breezy convenience and bold design.
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| Southland Mall and Sears in 1965—where midcentury dreams met suburban shopping. |
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| Aviaries and chandeliers: Southland Mall’s enclosed mall elegance in full swing. |
Oversized multi-light chandeliers—especially those that hung proudly in the Penney’s court—stood as glowing testaments to 1960s optimism. Not to mention the bird cages, or more specifically, aviaries, that were part of the mall’s unique decor. They delighted shoppers well into the 1970s.
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| From an April 1965 Oakland Tribune ad—the West's largest, climate conditioned mall. |
Ice, ice, Southland
In 1972, Southland expanded and added a local favorite: the Southland Ice Arena. Its grand opening was a frosty affair, complete with a 100-pound ice sculpture of an ice skate, standing four feet tall. Alongside the rink came another big addition—Liberty House, which joined as a major anchor.
When they broke ground for the addition in 1970, instead of the usual shoveling of dirt, the mall brought in singer Don Domani and built a mock volcano that spewed imitation lava. The most valuable part of the ceremony? 50,000 bags of "genuine Southland dirt" were given away as souvenirs.
What makes the addition stand out is how clearly it shows the shift in mall design between 1964 and 1972. While the original center was designed by John Graham with a boxy, utilitarian architecture of an earlier era, the addition was designed by the talented Avner Naggar, and gives way to bold 45-degree angles and storefronts designed for visibility and impact. Even the skylights became more ambitious. You can see this evolution in real time as you walk the corridor between Macy’s and JCPenney.
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| From a March 1972 Daily Review—Southland goes frosty—home to the Bay’s brief but beloved ice arena. |
Though beloved, the ice arena melted away by 1983, marking the end of Southland’s coolest chapter.
The 1980s makeover
The mall received a significant remodel in 1985, during which much of the original 1960s design—those grand chandeliers and likely the aviaries—disappeared. A new food court was added beneath JCPenney, modernizing the space for a new generation of shoppers.
Southland also got a new logo, reflecting its evolving image as it entered the late 20th century.
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| 1986 logo of Southland Mall. |
Southland Mall today
Today, Southland Mall in Hayward continues serving the community as a versatile retail and entertainment hub, with anchors like JCPenney and Macy’s, alongside a Century Theatres and a lineup of specialty stores.
Cosmetic renovations have refreshed the mall’s look and interior amenities, giving it a more modern and inviting vibe for shoppers of all ages. A notable update is the addition of a Hobby Lobby, which opened in January 2024, reinforcing the mall’s appeal as a local shopping standout.
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| Interior view of Southland Mall in Hayward, circa 2025, showcasing its refreshed center court under bright natural light—highlighting the mall’s modernized appearance and welcoming atmosphere. |
Whether shopping, dining, or catching a movie, Southland Mall still stands as a beloved community destination—evolving with the times but rooted in its East Bay legacy.
Related posts
- Exploring Southland Mall in Hayward – a look back at 1986 with the vintage directory
- Lost department stores: Liberty House (1971—1987)
- Lost department stores: Emporium-Capwell (1896—1996)
- Lost malls: Bayfair Mall in San Leandro (1957—2024)
- Lost malls: Union Square Mall in Union City (1973—1987)
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!