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

Step back in time to April 19, 1972, when Sunrise Mall opened its doors in Citrus Heights, just outside of Sacramento, California. Developed by Ernest W. Hahn and Cordano Associates, the mall quickly became a cornerstone of suburban life—a place to shop, socialize, and make memories. At its height, Sunrise Mall was the premier shopping destination in the Sacramento area, anchored by beloved department stores: Weinstock’s to the north, JCPenney and Liberty House to the east, and Sears to the south. These four anchors shaped the mall experience for decades of shoppers. A look back: postcards and Krypton ceilings A 1970s postcard captured the interior of Sunrise Mall in its earliest years, showing a sleek, modern design. The caption proudly boasts: “Ultra modern, enclosed air conditioned complex affords shopping in comfort. Citrus Heights, California.” Postmarked 1987, the image likely shows the Macy’s court, looking north toward Weinstock’s. The mall’s geometric ceiling patterns and...

From mid-century marvel to modern marketplace El Cerrito Plaza in El Cerrito, California, opened its doors on July 9, 1958, marking a major moment in East Bay retail history. Set on a portion of the historic Rancho San Pablo, this open-air shopping center was a joint development between the Albert-Lovett Company and the Emporium-Capwell Company, designed to serve a growing suburban community. At the heart of it all stood Capwell’s, a bold two-story department store that instantly became a Contra Costa landmark. A store built to impress The new 232,000-square-foot Capwell’s cost $6 million to build—a modern marvel at the time. Designed with clean lines and eye-catching blue and brown tile, the building reflected the optimism and flair of 1950s retail architecture. Inside, wide aisles, bright lighting, and futuristic fixtures created an environment tailored for leisurely shopping. At the time, this was Capwell’s fourth location, joining the flagship store in downtown Oakland, Broadw...

From urban revival to arena dreams In the early 1990s, Sacramento set out to reinvent its downtown core—and at the center of that vision was Downtown Plaza, a massive open-air shopping mall designed to bring energy back to the K Street corridor. Opening in 1993, this ambitious project was developed by Ernest Hahn, the same mind behind San Diego’s successful Horton Plaza. With 1.2 million square feet of retail space, Downtown Plaza was a bold fusion of urban retail, modern architecture, and destination design. The peak of Downtown Plaza View of the Downtown Plaza sign when it was owned by Westfield. At its height, Downtown Plaza was home to major national retailers and the largest Macy’s in the Sacramento region—with separate buildings for Men’s and Furniture departments. Its central architectural showpiece was a futuristic steel-framed rotunda, which hosted laser light shows that lit up the skyline and added a theatrical flair to downtown nights. Downtown Plaza’s central open-air...

Tucked in West San Jose, Westgate Mall is a shopping center that continues to quietly defy the odds. First opening in 1961, it was once the second-largest mall in San Jose, a distinction many may not realize as they stroll its now-relaxed, low-key corridors. In a retail landscape where similar-sized malls have vanished or struggled to stay relevant, Westgate is not only open—it’s thriving. A modest giant in San Jose’s retail history Developed by Morris Stulsaft during the postwar suburban boom, Westgate Mall opened as an open-air center—one of the first major postwar shopping complexes in the South Bay. In its early years, it competed with other major malls like Stevens Creek Plaza and Valley Fair, and hosted anchors like JCPenney (opened October 12, 1961), Thrifty, Purity Stores, and eventually Montgomery Ward. In 1967, the shopping center kicked off a major renovation and expansion. It was enclosed and air-conditioned, JCPenney vacated their 62,000 sq. ft. store and built a new, la...

Tucked along Story Road in San Jose’s Little Saigon, Grand Century Shopping Mall is more than just another micromall—it’s a reflection of the community it serves. Originally opened in 2000, Grand Century was founded by Lap Tang, a Vietnamese-American entrepreneur and television station owner. Built in a repurposed Costco, the mall was conceived as a hub for Vietnamese-owned businesses, offering everything from bridal gowns to bánh mì. By 2009, when these photos were taken, Grand Century was thriving. With 74 shops, it felt like a self-contained city: get your hair cut, your teeth cleaned, pick out a diamond ring, and then enjoy a big bowl of phở with friends. Exterior entrance of Grand Century Shopping Mall in 2009—modest signage, but a gateway to a thriving Vietnamese-American retail community. A look inside (2009) The food court—stretching along the west side of the building—was packed during lunch hour. The smell of grilled meats and herbs filled the air, and nearly every tray c...

I've always had a fascination with small, enclosed malls—and a few years ago, I stumbled across a particularly interesting one: Lawrence Plaza, located in the Koreatown district of Santa Clara, California. Tucked away at 3561 El Camino Real, this little gem caught my attention thanks to a big sign outside that simply read: “Food Court.” Food sounded good—so we gave it a try. The modest strip mall exterior of Lawrence Plaza in Santa Clara, marked by a prominent “Food Court” sign. First impressions: a mall within a strip mall From the outside, Lawrence Plaza looked like a typical suburban strip mall. But once inside, it revealed something more intriguing: a small, enclosed shopping center that looped around a central food court. It turns out the space was formerly anchored by large-format retailers like CompUSA or possibly a grocery store, later remodeled into a food-focused mini-mall. The indoor food court officially opened in August 2008, and it was a unique reuse of a big-box s...

Once a bustling retail hub for East Contra Costa County, Somersville Towne Center in Antioch, California began its life in late 1968 as the County East Shopping Center. Developed by Ernest W. Hahn, the original open-air center featured W.T. Grant, Safeway, and approximately 16 specialty shops, totaling 209,000 square feet—making it the largest shopping center in the region at the time. Just a year later, Montgomery Ward joined as a major anchor in 1969, further cementing the center’s growing importance. Seeking to become a full-scale regional shopping destination, the center launched an ambitious expansion in 1972 that transformed the layout into a full mall. Completed in 1973, the redevelopment introduced a 600-foot-long open-air mall wing extending from the heart of the original center. Two new anchor stores were added: Mervyn’s, which opened a 60,000-square-foot store in July 1973—the 12th location for the fast-growing chain—and Sears, which relocated from its longtime downtown Ant...

Opened in April 1977 Capitola Mall has long served the seaside communities of Capitola and Santa Cruz, California. As the only enclosed regional shopping center in Santa Cruz County, the mall played a vital role in bringing department store shopping and modern retail to the Central Coast. The mall debuted with two major anchors: Sears and Mervyn’s. In 1988, it underwent a major expansion that nearly doubled its size, adding a food court, a new JCPenney, and an expanded mix of national and local retailers. The final anchor addition, Gottschalks, opened in 1990, replacing the chain’s store in downtown Santa Cruz. Gottschalks remained in operation until July 2009, when the company went out of business. Anchor stores and shifting identities Mervyn’s was a cornerstone of Capitola Mall from day one. Its recognizable California-style signage remained in place for decades, even as the brand began to fade in the late 2000s. The store eventually closed and was later reoccupied by Kohl’s, with...

Gottschalks always felt like a retail mystery to me—one of those strange blips on the department store timeline. Though the name had long been known in the Central Valley since 1904, it didn’t make its curious debut until 1988 in the Santa Cruz area, then 1989 in the Bay Area. And when it did, it raised a few questions: What is a Gottschalks? How do you even say it? And why does their logo have a daisy on it? Was this a store or a gardening catalog? Naturally, I had to investigate. Their first Bay Area metro store bloomed quietly at Antioch’s Somersville Towne Center—though back then, it was still clinging to the name County East Mall. Freshly remodeled with enough mirrored ceilings to make Narcissus himself swoon, the mall looked ready for a new era. As for the new anchor? Well… meh. It was fine. It had clothes, cosmetics, cookware—but this was 1989, and department stores were already starting to either evolve or unravel. Gottschalks didn’t quite scream “future.” It barely whisp...

You didn’t   shop   at Mervyn’s. You   lived   at Mervyn’s. Okay, maybe not literally—but if you grew up anywhere in the Bay Area from the ’70s to the early 2000s, there’s a good chance your socks, school clothes, and maybe even your prom dress came from that magical beige-toned land of affordable clothes and lite music. It's also pretty likely your first charge card came from Mervyn's, too. A nostalgic look at Mervyn’s before its closure—once a beloved staple of affordable, family-friendly shopping. It’s hard to explain Mervyn’s to someone who didn’t grow up with it. It wasn’t fancy like Macy’s, but it wasn’t all polyester chaos like Kmart either. Mervyn’s was solid. Sensible. Slightly carpet-scented. It was the go-to department store for families who didn’t need glitz—they just needed Levi's, bath towels, and a three-pack of Mervyn's brand underwear. The entrance: doors to another dimension I remember those tinted glass doors so vividly. You’d walk in, and the ai...