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

Foothill Square, once a vibrant shopping mall in Oakland, was a product of its time, opening in 1962 with a bold design by Welton Becket & Associates and landscaping by Lawrence Halprin & Associates. Located between MacArthur and Foothill Boulevard, the mall had a pedestrian-focused layout, featuring a central walkway—an innovative idea for the era. Newspaper artist’s rendering of Foothill Square as construction began in 1961—showing a sleek, modernist pedestrian plaza surrounded by greenery and anchored by local favorites like Lucky and Thrifty. Built by the Draper Company, Foothill Square was anchored by community staples like Lucky Stores, Thrifty Drug Store, and an S.S. Kresge Co. five-and-dime, not the department stores seen in larger malls. The center became a gathering point for locals, reflecting a time when free parking was king. In fact, to mark the beginning of construction in 1961, a ceremonial "burying of a parking meter" symbolized the mall’s commitment ...