Bayfair Center, originally Bay Fair Shopping Center, opened in phases between 1957 and 1959. The late 50s saw an explosion of growth in suburbs, and department stores were eager to follow suit. It was a joint venture of Macy's and the Capital Company.
The opening act (aka, before I was born)
Bay Fair Shopping Center opened in carefully choreographed phases—first with Macy’s in 1957, and then a two-level retail wonderland designed by the ever-futuristic Victor Gruen & Associates. The parking lot flowed right into two different levels. One side called the Mall Level, the other the Terrace Level, depending on where your dad could find a parking spot.
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| A bold new era in suburban shopping—Bay Fair and Macy’s debut in this 1957 grand opening ad, promising modern convenience and architectural flair to San Leandro shoppers. |
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| Phase Two begins: A 1957 article heralds the opening of Bay Fair’s sleek new two-story addition, adding 22 stores and elevating the center into a full-scale retail destination. |
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| 1957 map of Bay Fair Shopping Center in San Leandro, highlighting early tenants like Amerio's Drugs, Bay Fair Market, Hellwig's Toys, House of Fabrics, and Slenderella—capturing the charm of mid-century retail in the East Bay. |
By 1959, they added two sleek pads of stores right in front of Macy’s, turning the place into a full-fledged open-air mall. And not just any mall—the first dual-level center in the West. That meant if you were a kid with a skateboard (don’t judge), it was your racetrack.
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| A 1959 architectural illustration shows the completed Bay Fair center—modernist in design, with dual-level access and clean concrete lines. |
Bayfair Mall in the 1970s: new anchors and enclosure
The '70s gave Bayfair three gifts: Montgomery Ward in 1971, BART right next door in 1972, and in 1979... the mall was enclosed and carpeted. Yep. Full carpeting. A decision that seemed cutting-edge at the time but would later prove to be equal parts cozy and migraine-inducing.
Imagine shopping for school clothes while walking on a zig-zaggy optical illusion. Honestly, I couldn’t make it past Mrs. Field’s without feeling like I was about to fall into another dimension. But hey—at least the cookies helped.
Bayfair in the 1980s and 1990s: expansion and decline
By the mid-’80s, Bayfair was in a bit of a slump. But then Westfield swooped in like a neon-lit mall fairy godmother. They ripped out the trippy carpet and replaced it with cool earth-tone porcelain tile (very adult), and in 1989, added a 40,000 sq. ft. wing that practically glowed with 1980s optimism. Skylights! Neon strips! A new side entrance with fake ficus trees!
It was glorious. It was on the far side. And it was often... empty. But I loved it.
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| Bayfair’s 1989 expansion offered a sleek new look—neon, skylights, and high hopes. |
The 2000s: reinvention and retail struggles
The 2000s were a rollercoaster. There were remodels, ownership swaps, and more drama than a soap opera filmed in a Sears dressing room. Montgomery Ward, an anchor operating since 1971, closed down in 2001. It was later replaced by a Target Greatland the following year.
In 2005, Kohl's joined the mall in an ambitious extension on the north side. But in 2009, a bright spot: a brand-new food court. Actual good restaurants. The clunky old elevator was retired like a beloved but unreliable grandparent.
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| A fresh food court in 2009 offered renewed hope—but the mall’s best years were already behind it. |
Still, the upper level of Macy’s closed off in 2013. The writing was on the mall wall. The second floor lingered like a ghost town—part community college, part dialysis clinic, and one very lonely escalator to nowhere.
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| Bayfair Mall’s center court in 2013, already a shadow of its former self—echoing with emptiness beneath aging skylights. |
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| By 2013, Macy’s second floor had been sealed off—its closed entrance symbolizing the slow retreat of anchor tenants at Bayfair. |
The final years: Bayfair’s slow goodbye (2010s–2024)
By 2024, the last major player—Macy’s—packed up and left. COVID had accelerated the inevitable, but consumer habits had already changed. Bayfair wasn’t the Saturday destination anymore. It was a relic of another time, slowly fading behind glass and “Available for Lease” signs.
While the mall was closed, Target and Kohl’s still remain, and plans are afoot for the site’s next chapter. But for me, Bayfair was more than a mall. It was a coming-of-age stage. A Saturday hangout. A place where I once bought friendship bracelets, tried Taco Time for the first time, and played Miami Vice under those glowing neon skylights.
Bayfair Center may be gone, but the memories still echo like the PA system paging a kid who wandered off from Foot Locker. And I’ll always have that dizzy walk to Mrs. Field’s as proof I was there.
Related posts
- Exploring Bayfair Mall in San Leandro – a look back at the year 2000 with the vintage mall directory
- Lost malls: Foothill Square in Oakland (1962—2011)
- The history of Eastmont Town Center — the rise, fall, and reinvention of an Oakland landmark
- The history of Southland Mall in Hayward — chandeliers, aviaries, and an ice rink
- The history of Macy's in the Bay Area
Comments
The awkwardness of the layout may have been due to the fact that the original outdoor mall was built around a single anchor(Macys). It's sister center(Valley Fair) chose instead to demolish everything except Macys when it came time to enclose it.