tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post8069732084312275547..comments2024-03-24T16:06:34.633-07:00Comments on BIGMallrat - Shopping Malls in the San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond: Cupertino Square on Life SupportScott Parsonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10967375949115515071noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-71498152816208229032009-12-12T20:32:35.983-08:002009-12-12T20:32:35.983-08:00I made a closer examination of the new sign today....I made a closer examination of the new sign today. This is the one on the west side of Wolfe Road, on the triangular median of the entry/exit ramp between TGI Friday's and Macy's. It's an internally illuminated monument (others around the mall are externally lit). The translucent white square on top does indeed say "Vallco Shopping Mall", but since those panels are inserted backwards, that fact is obscured.<br /><br />So, at least it's not going back all the way to a "Fashion Park". <br />I have photos if you'd like.Tupac Choprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132255725637861188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-50769259413839198602009-12-05T10:08:30.906-08:002009-12-05T10:08:30.906-08:00The Silicon Valley Business Times reported that th...The Silicon Valley Business Times reported that the new owners want to change the name back to Vallco. However, they weren't specific. Would it be Vallco Fashion Park again? Who wants a fashion park anymore? Maybe just Vallco Mall. I went yesterday and saw nothing to give me any ideas. <br />ScottScott Parsonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10967375949115515071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-62617178427869742332009-12-05T10:01:54.678-08:002009-12-05T10:01:54.678-08:00On my way to the Farmers' Market Friday, Dec. ...On my way to the Farmers' Market Friday, Dec. 4 2009, I passed a curious directional monument sign just south of the TGI Friday's. Unlike the other Cupertino Square signs in red, beige, and brown, this one was blue and white, and in the small box on the top where the other directional signs say "Cupertino Square", this one appeared to have plexiglas with the Vallco logo inserted backwards.<br /><br />I haven't heard anything in the local press about it (and not much else goes on in Cupertino worth reporting on*) but can it be that the mall is reverting back to its original name? <br /><br />*Seriously, the local weekly Cupertino Courier has to really stretch to find anything more than fluff to report on. Business reporting is usually focused on retail, and a good half of that is about the mall.Tupac Choprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132255725637861188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-36690066248068027952009-09-13T11:59:06.974-07:002009-09-13T11:59:06.974-07:00As of when I saw it last Friday, Sept 11 2009, the...As of when I saw it last Friday, Sept 11 2009, there is a banner hung on the awning in the picture, indicating there is a food court inside. It's not much but it's an improvement.<br /><br />Unfortunately, one of the big attractions to that side of the mall, the weekly farmers market, is moving to the lot outside of Sears next week. Good for the farmers market, soon to be visible from Stevens Creek Blvd, but not much help to the food court.Tupac Choprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132255725637861188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-26091470665857188502009-08-05T13:11:12.808-07:002009-08-05T13:11:12.808-07:00The city actually sued Macy's, not only for le...The city actually sued Macy's, not only for leaving the space idle after closing the Emporium, but also for initially reopening the space as a Macy's Clearance Center. The adjacent I.Magnin space was divided up: the lower level housing a Ross briefly before becoming the extant Dynasty restaurant; the upper was a Limited Express superstore (with connected Structure/Express Men and scented bath products store that I forget the name of), vacated very recently.Tupac Choprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132255725637861188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-49583393256109361812009-08-05T12:35:30.300-07:002009-08-05T12:35:30.300-07:00This has been a troubled mall for decades. A frees...This has been a troubled mall for decades. A freestanding Sears opened in 1970. Bullock's opened in 1975, followed by the mall itself and I. Magnin in 1976, IIRC. Penney's opened along with a mall expansion a few years later. Bullock's pulled out of Northern California in 1983 and The Emporium took over their space. The mall did okay until Valley Fair (less than 5 miles away) remodeled and added a Nordstrom. The Emporium folded in 1996 and their Vallco store sat empty for years. This was the pivotal anchor, located in the middle of the L-shaped mall, and having it empty really hurt. There was rumors that Dillard's wanted the space, but Macy's (having bought the Emporium chain) controlled the space. Macy's finally opened a store there, which IMHO is completely unnecessary, since they have over 700,000 square feet at Valley Fair and another 150,000 sf in nearby Sunnyvale. Even at Christmas time, Macy's Vallco is eerily quiet.<br /><br />IMHO the mall needs to dump Macy's and put in an anchor with middle-income drawing power in order to maximize the appeal of JCP and Sears. One candidate, Target, already has a store on Stevens Creek however, and Ikea is in East Palo Alto, so I really don't know who they could get to generate some excitement.Hushpuppy212https://www.blogger.com/profile/11760004451261416778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-2369459210771993702009-07-26T17:41:23.022-07:002009-07-26T17:41:23.022-07:00Cupertino has a pretty strict regulation on retail...Cupertino has a pretty strict regulation on retail square footage to parking space ratio. Any proposed expansion on retail space has to be met with a similar expansion of parking, whether or not it gets used at all. Add to that the proposals to develop the outlying parking lot areas with restaurants, a hotel, and a condo project, additional parking was seen as a prerequisite to get those approved (the condo project was overturned by the voters,though). <br /><br />Street level retail is supposed to go in the lower level of the new structure on the south side of JC Penney along Vallco Parkway, but now it just looks unfinished.<br /><br />Few locals yet refer to the mall as Cupertino Square outside of the city council meetings. It will remain Vallco for most of us at least until that highway sign gets changed out.Tupac Choprahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13132255725637861188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19322750.post-9085369288667989612009-07-26T14:10:56.433-07:002009-07-26T14:10:56.433-07:00I hate Burger King and McDonald's now for blar...I hate Burger King and McDonald's now for blaring TVs while you attempt to enjoy a nice meal. The food court does look cool, though. Maybe switch CNN to a silent closed circuit channel showing ads?<br /><br />Also, do you have any old Vallco mall directories? Just wonderin'.Pseudo3Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848368606946150471noreply@blogger.com