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

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 Center is a shopping mall that continues to quietly defy the odds. With a Thrifty Drug store opening on May 11, 1961, it was on its way to become 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 Center 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 Shopping Center 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), W. T. Grant, Thrifty, Purity Stores, and eventually Montgomery Ward. Vintage advertisement celebrating the grand opening of JCPenney at Westgate Shopping Center in San ...