Published January 10, 2008 · Updated September 21, 2026
1981: Solano Mall opens in Fairfield
Before it became Solano Town Center, it was simply Solano Mall. The mall opened its doors on March 19, 1981, bringing a new wave of suburban retail to Fairfield, California. JCPenney and Mervyn's were among its original anchors, while Sears joined the center as it expanded. Emporium-Capwell followed in March 1983, and Macy's arrived in August 1985.
Solano Mall's original interior had a distinctive architectural character. Triangular ceiling panels in warm orange and burnt sienna tones created a geometric pattern overhead, while real skylights brought natural light into the enclosed shopping center. The triangular panels themselves weren't skylights; they were artificial lighting designed to create a similar visual effect.
A postcard issued around the mall's opening captures that design particularly well. The card also stated that Solano Mall was designed to serve an "approximate population of 90,000"—a reflection of Fairfield's rapid growth and the expectation that suburban retail would continue expanding across Solano County.
 |
| 1980s postcard of Solano Mall in Fairfield, California, featuring the distinctive triangular orange lighting, the iconic Mervyn’s storefront, and a whimsical hanging airplane sculpture that once defined the mall’s interior. |
The postcard captures the warm earth-tone palette, geometric lighting, and open central court that helped define Solano Mall in its early years.
1980s: A growing regional shopping center
By the middle of the 1980s, Solano Mall had grown well beyond its original lineup. Emporium-Capwell arrived in March 1983, followed by Macy's in August 1985, joining JCPenney, Mervyn's, and Sears as major department-store anchors. A 1986 mall directory offers a snapshot of the center during this period of expansion.
2011 renovations and food court refresh
By 2011, the mall was entering its 30s, and Westfield had undertaken another round of renovations. A new food court opened near JCPenney on the upper level, modern sky bridges were installed, and the floors were refreshed.
 |
| JCPenney at Solano Mall. The store predates the mall's 1981 opening, having operated at the site since 1977. |
 |
| Skylights after the Westfield-era remodel brought in clean lines and brighter tones. The once-colorful triangular light panels were swapped for a minimalist white, giving the ceiling a lighter, more modern feel while preserving the mall’s signature geometric look. |
The legacy of Solano Mall
Solano Mall helped establish Fairfield as a regional shopping destination during a period when suburban retail was reshaping communities across the Bay Area. Its original department-store lineup, open shopping corridors, and distinctive geometric interior reflected the optimism of early-1980s mall design.
More than four decades after opening, the center has changed names, tenants, and appearance, but its role as a major shopping destination has continued. The postcard preserves a glimpse of the mall as it first appeared, while later photographs show how its architecture was adapted for a new generation. Together, they tell the story of a shopping center that has evolved without disappearing from Fairfield's retail landscape.
Collection
Shopping centers that shaped retail history across the San Francisco North Bay from the 1950s through today.
Comments
I vaguely remember seeing the Emporium-Capwell sign change to the newer (and lastly used) "Emporium" nameplate before Macy's gobbled them up. Perhaps that was NewPark.
I'm definitely sure it wasn't a Weinstocks. I have an advertisement from 1984 with the Emporium-Capwell locations (somewhere on this blog).
A was pretty sure that JC Penney was not onsite before the mall was built. Perhaps it moved from another location in Fairfield?
Dean,
If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were talking about a different mall?
Scott
Randy is right. I was truly surprised about JC Penney! Although Westfield didn't have the exact opening date, they said Penney's opened "pre-1981."
Well done Randy!
Scott
I'll be posting a mall directory shortly.
Scott
I'm sure that a mall was on the drawing boards but for some reason was delayed. Since Penneys was on the furthest end of the site from I-80, for many years it appeared from the freeway as this huge structure in the middle of an open field. I don't even think they had an exterior entrance to what would now be the mall itself.
There had been a small JCPenney on North Texas St in downtown Fairfield no more than a block or two from the "Fairfield" sign that hung over the street(and likely still does). That store closed when the Solano Mall store opened.
If you check postcards on Ebay from time to time, you'll likely run across a photo of it.
I remember the mall itself having very colorful mosaic tiled planters and seating walls inside. There were also several colorful flying "contraptions" hanging from the ceiling. I think those are all gone now.
I remember that the mall had these janky looking Wright Brothers era planes as decoration at each end in front of an anchor. Your postcard vaguely shows the one in front of Mervyns.
I love the 80's era malls with the bright orange and yellow colors that would bounce off the white lights and give it that mood lighting that just does not exist in the malls of today. For that matter, I really enjoyed the lighting of old arcades in malls. The Gold Mine in Solano was no different.
I miss the wooden handrails and the black banisters they sat on. I hate the subdued black-white-grey look of the mall now.
The old Sears building was completely demolished and they redesigned the entrances around it, so yes, that is all "new". Also, when they put in the Old Navy in the area where Arbys used to be (in your directory it is a Rax Restaurant), they reconfigured that whole end as well.
I love looking at this postcard. If you have anymore, please post it. Vintage pictures of malls make me feel like a kid again. I miss walking into an old KayBee and buying a generic Transformers toy while stopping by the Orange Julius on my way to Comix and Comix.
Those were the days.
Great site! Keep up the good work.