Finally, the Mall at Northgate is remodeling!
I've scanned a brochure that is available at the mall. The good news is, the mall will remain enclosed. Originally, Macerich, owners of the mall, announced they were going to rip the roof off and make this a lifestyle center. However, it looks as if they changed their mind (and good for us). Besides, Northgate is still the only enclosed mall in Marin county.
The brochure promises the following changes:
* An interior renovation and an exciting new exterior design.
* An outdoor place with new restaurants and cafes.
* An indoor/outdoor food court near Century Theatres.
* An updated Rite-Aid.
* A new grand entrance off Del Presido.
* A new landscaped pedestrian and bike pathway - "the Promenade" around the property.
* New community gathering places for meeting, relaxing, and local events.
* New retail and dining choices geared towards the interests of San Rafael residents.
Northgate Mall is definitely overdue for a makeover. My last visit last weekend showed a tried and outdated mall. It's the only mall where I could sit at the food court an observe, all within 10 minutes: a pimp counting his hundreds, whores ordering Thai, a mentally challenged person running into a garbage can, and a drunk stumbling around. Hey, whatever floats your boat.
Renovation has already begun with the vacating of all the stores on the east side of the mall between Macy's and Sears.
Anyway, I look forward to a fancy new mall.
Scott
Read my guide to Mall at Northgate.
See the aerial view.
4 comments:
If you ever walked through Northgate Mall in the morning with the sun creating shadows inside I think you'd agree it's always been nice since the 1986 remodel.
Except for the food court, The problem has always been empty spaces. The end where the movies theatres are have never been vibrant. All I remember down there was a pet store that always had dead pets. Nice.
So now they are trying to make it look like a mall with stores and cafes that would normally follow Nordstrom coming.
I hope it works but how can it ?
I buy $2.00 shirts at Mervyn's and $6.00 pants at Sears.
They don't mix with upscale.
Even Target mixes better, oddly enough. Maybe because of the foot traffic.
I opened Sears in 1972 and it was very vibrant with a restaurant and ever department you could think of.
If you look close, there are less are about one third of the entrances still useable.
"It's the only mall where I could sit at the food court an observe, all within 10 minutes: a pimp counting his hundreds, whores ordering Thai, a mentally challenged person running into a garbage can, and a drunk stumbling around."
But wait, how you could tell it was a pimp, a whore or two, a retard, and a drunk? Well, the drunk could be pretty easy, but the others?
This is bizarre. Sears and Mervyn's are dead in the water.
Macy's is OK and full line which is a bonus, but one out three anchors won't work.
Sounds like a "lifestyle" center, but what happens to the other two anchors ?
Even though it is an enclosed area, there are many skylights which allow the sunshine to penetrate inside the mall, making the mall energy-friendly. It's perfect for a quiet weekend bonding time with the family or a pizza dinner between couples and friends.
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