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 Antioch location on F Street into a 71,000-square-foot store within the new mall.
With the expansion, the center was renamed County East Mall, and its total footprint grew to approximately 450,000 square feet. Growth continued into the next decade, with JCPenney opening a major new location on the north end of the mall on March 30, 1977. This store replaced the former W.T. Grant space and marked JCPenney’s return to East County after its Pittsburg store was destroyed by fire in 1972.
1980s – revitalization and enclosure
By the mid-1980s, County East Mall was losing business to modern, enclosed shopping centers. In response, Macerich, owners of the mall, kicked off a $25 million transformation in 1988—the mall was to be fully enclosed and expanded to 540,000 sq. ft., reflecting the national trend toward climate-controlled, destination shopping environments. As part of this renovation, Gottschalks opened in 1989 as a fourth anchor, joining Sears, JCPenney, and Mervyn’s. Neon signage, skylit corridors, and seasonal events contributed to the mall’s identity as both a retail destination and a local landmark.
1990s – changing times and anchor departure
In the 1990s, the mall began to show signs of decline. JCPenney exited in 1997, following shifting demographics and increased competition from nearby shopping centers and big-box stores. While the mall attempted to maintain traffic with a variety of smaller shops, its prominence began to fade. Vacancy rates rose, and the loss of JCPenney marked the beginning of a slow downturn.
2000s – a new name and a new hope
To combat years of dwindling foot traffic and dated infrastructure, the mall underwent a cosmetic renovation in 2004 and was rebranded as Somersville Towne Center. The update included refreshed interiors, exterior signage, and landscaping aimed at modernizing the experience for a new generation of shoppers.
Most notably, Macy’s built a brand-new store on the site of the former JCPenney in 2004, signaling a hopeful new chapter. As one of the last full-line department stores to expand in that era, Macy’s brought renewed attention and investment to the struggling mall. Its arrival was seen as a major boost—potentially reversing years of decline. Unfortunately, this momentum was short-lived.
By 2009, both Mervyn’s and Gottschalks—two longtime anchors—had shuttered. Their departure left significant gaps not only in square footage but in consumer draw. Though Macy’s and Sears remained, the mall struggled to fill its vacancies and recapture its earlier energy.
2010s – the slow fade
Despite efforts to keep the mall alive, the 2010s were marked by slow but steady decline. Retail tenants came and went, and national chains continued to consolidate or close. Sears and Macy's remained open for part of the decade but eventually succumbed to the broader collapse of the brand.
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| Gottschalks' closed entrance—a sign of trouble for the mall's future. |
The mall felt eerily quiet for a Saturday. While it wasn't completely empty, the center court echoed with vacancy, and the mood felt uncertain.
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| Somersville’s center court in 2010. Deserted, but not quite dead—yet. |
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| Sears remained open in 2010, but its long-term fate was already uncertain. |
Legacy of Somersville Towne Center
By the end of the 2010s, Somersville Towne Center had become a shadow of its former self. Once home to four major department stores and a bustling retail core, the mall was now marked by shuttered anchors, dwindling foot traffic, and long-vacant storefronts. Sears closed in 2019, part of a nationwide set of store closures. Even Macy’s, which had opened in 2004 as a symbol of potential renewal, closed its doors in 2020—bringing to an end a 16-year chapter and signaling the near-total departure of traditional anchors.
While the future of Somersville Towne Center remains uncertain, its history mirrors that of many suburban malls across the country: ambitious beginnings, vibrant decades of community shopping, and a long, slow fade in the face of changing retail habits. Whether through redevelopment, reinvention, or eventual repurposing, the story of this once-thriving mall continues to evolve—just as the community around it has.
Related posts
- Exploring Somersville Towne Center in Antioch – a look back at 2010 with the vintage mall directory
- Lost department stores of the West: Gottschalks (1904—2009)
- The history of Macy's
Comments
Since all the other "big box" players are out that way as well, it makes me wonder if this is where the center of East County retail is going; especially with all the growth in Oakley and Brentwood.
Were it not for Macys, I would say that Somersville mall is pretty much done. But the Macys is a relatively new one, not to mention one they built from scratch as opposed to taking over an older building. (The old JCPenney which started out as a Grant City was demolished to make way for Macys)
Bottom line is that it's too good of a location and that something will eventually be done there. My guess is that eventually the mall gets demolished and that a mixed use lifestyle concept gets built around Macys and the other remaining anchors(which right now is just Sears)
But like everything else right now, any redevelopment of Somersville will have to wait for the economy to shake out, especially being in a town that's been hit hard by foreclosures.
It used to make sense, where you could travel from store to store all by foot.
Now it's all disjointed. The front part of the mall where 24 Hour it located seems like a separate unit until itself compared to the inside mall. When they built Gottchalks, they disrupted the parking lot so you could no longer easily drive from one side to the other.
The inside of the mall is all uneven surface. It feels like you're walking up and down when going between stores.
They're hardly any place to eat unless you want to go to Sbarros. In the hey day there was Kings Table. I also remember (a much better) Orange Julious, and Baskin Robbins.
I remember they used to have a Longs-type store (Thrifty? or Value Giant?) which brought in traffic. And JC Pennys there used to have a restaraunt.