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 chain declined in the late 2000s. After Mervyn’s closed, the space was reoccupied by Kohl’s. For a time, tr...
Explore the malls, department stores, and shopping centers that helped shape postwar Northern California and the suburban communities that grew around them.