Set on a portion of the historic Rancho San Pablo, El Cerrito Plaza and Capwell's department store opened on July 9, 1958. The Plaza was developed by the Albert-Lovett Company and the Emporiun-Capwell Company.
This advertisement from the Oakland Tribune invites the public to come shop the largest store in Contra Costa County.
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The 2-level Capwell's store cost $6,000,000 and was 232,000 square feet of spacious aisles and modernistic fixtures. The exterior of the store was equally modern with its blue and brown tile. At the time, Capwell's El Cerrito was the fourth store in the chain, with other locations in Oakland (downtown), Walnut Creek (Broadway Plaza), and Hayward (downtown).
De-malling
After Capwell''s closed in 1996, the mall went into serious decline. In 2002, Capwell's was demolished and the shopping center de-malled. Although the renovation was described by urban designers as "dysfunctional and dull," today it operates as a thriving community center.
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