When El Cerrito Plaza opened in 1958, it represented a new model for East Bay shopping. Anchored by a massive Capwell's department store, the center brought together department store retail, specialty shops, and convenient parking in a format designed for the rapidly growing suburbs.
 |
| Annotated Apple Maps view of El Cerrito showing the location of El Cerrito Plaza, positioned off San Pablo and Fairmount. |
From mid-century marvel to modern marketplace
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.
 |
| From a 1974 Oakland Tribune photo—the plaza was formerly the site of Victor Castro's historic adobe. After burning down in 1956, a new mall rose in its place with Capwell's at its center. |
A suburban retail destination
At the heart of it all stood Capwell’s, a bold two-story department store that instantly became a Contra Costa landmark.
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, Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, and downtown Hayward.
 |
| Grand opening announcement from the Oakland Tribune, inviting shoppers to explore the biggest department store in the county. |
Competition in the regional mall era
Once Hilltop Mall in Richmond opened in 1976, the center saw a reduction in business. Hopes to revive the plaza started in the early 80s when a new owner ambitiously announced expansion plans, including bringing Sears and Mervyn's to the line up. But due to the limited size of the center and other economic reasons, the plan never came to fruition. The final straw was the proposal to bring Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theatre to the center, replacing the beloved Kirby's and El Cerrito Station restaurants. Eventually succumbing to community pressure, Chuck E. Cheese dropped its bid for the property. The center changed hands again in late 1983 (Capwell's still owned its store and a sizable portion of the parking lot).
Capwell’s, later rebranded as Emporium-Capwell, closed for good in 1996. Without its anchor, the once-thriving Plaza entered a slow and visible decline.
A new kind of plaza
By 2002, the former Capwell’s and a number of other buildings were demolished. The mall was de-malled to make way for an outdoor shopping center. While some praised the move as a necessary evolution, urban designers at the time were less impressed, calling the redevelopment “dysfunctional and dull.”
Legacy of El Cerrito Plaza
El Cerrito Plaza's history mirrors the evolution of suburban retail in the East Bay. What began as a department-store-centered shopping center in 1958 eventually adapted to changing consumer habits, competition from enclosed malls, and later demand for open-air retail. While little remains of the original plaza today, the site continues to serve the same role it was designed for nearly seventy years ago: providing a commercial center for the surrounding community.
Comments
I didn't realize that it was the largest store in CoCo County, but I can tell you that it sat only a few hundred feet from the Alameda county line.
The EC Capwells was also an identical twin to both the Stevens Creek Emporium and the Stanford Emporium, which made for some facinating "disorientation" whenever I visited those stores and then walked outside expecting to see something different.
It was also the only Capwell store to not change its signs after the name change to "Emporium-Capwell" in the early 80's. (Even the historic Downtown Oakland flagship store did so).
One reason for this I heard was the huge rooftop "Capwells" sign. In the 1970's the city of El Cerrito made businesses get rid of tall signs in the interest of decluttering and beautification. But Capwells, being the city's largest tax revenue generator was granted an exemption. However, they were not permitted to alter it in any way. Therefore, none of the signs were changed.
It was only after the "Capwell" was dropped entirely in the 90's that the store was permitted to change the sign to "Emporium". Ironically, Federated bought and closed the store only a couple of years after the sign changed.
AND THEN, the EC Plaza kept the "Emporium" sign lit up even though the store was now closed. Undoubtedly to prevent prople from thinking that the whole mall was closed.
Having been taken to the Emporium Stanford a lot as a child, I too experienced that same 'fascinating disorientation' when I shopped at Capwell's El Cerrito. Not only was it odd walking out the doors to a different setting, it felt strange to see Capwell's name on signs and price tags, instead of the more familiar Big E.
I can remember most of what u mentioned. I remember the fabric store too. They had a clothing store & a couple of shoe stores too.
I went to stege elementary, portola jr high & elcerrito high school.
I had moved up north in the early 80's.
I moved back to the bay area in 2010.
For sum reason I had a flashback & googled capwells in elcerrito.
Class if 77.
Liz W