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San Francisco Centre

Coordinates	37°47′2″N 122°24′26″W / 37.78389°N 122.40722°W / 37.78389; -122.40722
Address	865 Market Street San Francisco, California 94103
Opening date	October 1988
Developer	Sheldon Gordon - Gordon Group Holdings
Management	JLL
Owner	Trident Pacific
No. of stores and services	74
No. of anchor tenants	2 (1 open, 1 vacant)
Total retail floor area	1,564,533 sq ft (145,349.9 m) (retail) 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m) (office)
No. of floors	9 (5 in former Nordstrom, 5 in Bloomingdale's) Former Nordstrom levels closed to Public.
Public transit access	Powell Street station
Website	www.shopsanfranciscocentre.com

Emporium Centre San Francisco is a shopping mall located in San Francisco, California, United States. Best known by its former name, San Francisco Centre, it is anchored by Bloomingdale's. It connects directly to the Powell Street station via an underground entrance on the concourse floor.

History

Early years

Originally developed by Sheldon Gordon (co-developer of The Forum Shops at Caesars and Beverly Center), the nine-story mall opened in October 1988 as San Francisco Shopping Centre with approximately 500,000 square feet (46,000 m) of space, the then-largest Nordstrom store (350,000 square feet (33,000 m)) on the top several floors, the first spiral escalator in the United States, and a connector to the adjoining Emporium-Capwell flagship store.

After a slow start, it soon became one of the top-performing shopping centers in the country. In 1996, the adjoining Emporium (it had dropped the Capwell name by then) was shuttered in the wake of Federated Department Stores' buyout of its parent, Broadway Stores. The vacated store was temporarily used as a Macy's furniture store while it renovated its Union Square flagship in 1997.

In May 1997, Urban Shopping Centers, Inc., a real estate investment trust, acquired a half-interest and management of the center. This was followed by Urban's own buyout by Rodamco North America N.V. (a European property firm primarily invested in the United States) in October 2000 and Rodamco's subsequent sale to a consortium including the Westfield Group in January 2002. Westfield acquired its initial 50% stake in the center at this time and soon bought the rest.

Expansion

In February 2003, Forest City, which had acquired redevelopment rights to the long-vacant Emporium store from Federated, reached an agreement with Westfield to jointly redevelop the two properties.

The newly expanded mixed-use Westfield San Francisco Centre opened on September 28, 2006. Designed by the Kohn Pedersen Fox architectural firm, with Kevin Kennon as the Design Principal, the mall included Bloomingdale's West Coast flagship store, a nine-screen Century Theatres multiplex theater featuring 2 XD screens, a 30,000 square feet (2,800 m) Bristol Farms gourmet supermarket, and the Downtown Campus for San Francisco State University in its 1.5 million+ ft² of space.

The redevelopment cost $440 million. Only the front façade and landmark dome of the original structure were preserved; the rest of the structure was completely gutted and replaced. Upon completion of the project, Forest City became an equity partner and along with Westfield assumed responsibility for day-to-day management. In March 2009, it was announced that Westfield San Francisco Centre shopping center was named as one of nine finalists vying for the title of “World’s Best Shopping Center” as part of the International Council of Shopping Centers Inc.’s inaugural “Best-of-the-Best” awards. Westfield San Francisco Centre ended up winning the "Best-of-the-Best" award for design and development; it was one of only four shopping centers in the world to win.

In 2011, the San Francisco Police Department considered putting a substation in the mall to prevent rampant shoplifting.

The Bristol Farms store closed on January 27, 2017. In the summer of 2021, a Shake Shack opened in the former Bristol Farms space.

Decline

In June 2023, Westfield and Brookfield announced that, due to plunging post-pandemic sales, occupancy and foot traffic at the mall, they would stop making loan payments and cede the property to their lenders. The Century Theatres multiplex closed on June 15, 2023. In July 2023, the Westfield branding was removed from the mall, which was renamed San Francisco Centre. Nordstrom closed on August 27, 2023, leaving Bloomingdale's as the only anchor store, at which point the mall's occupancy level had fallen to 55%. Mayor London Breed suggested that the mall could be redeveloped for another use, such as a soccer stadium, while others suggested it be used as food halls, pickleball courts, and animal shelters.

In September 2023, the owners of the American Eagle store filed a lawsuit claiming mall management had failed to "maintain the Common Areas at the mall which has poisoned public opinion" about safety.

In October 2023, Gregg Williams, the principal receiver of Trident Pacific (a receivership firm), was appointed by a judge to take possession, custody, and control of the mall.

By November 2023, and into early 2024, many stores had begun to close at the mall. This includes LEGO, two-level Adidas, Hollister, Aldo, Madewell and sister chain J.Crew, and Lucky Brand. The mall's occupancy level fell to only 25%, and its valuation had plunged 75% from its 2016 level of $1.2 billion to only $290 million.

On February 29, 2024, San Francisco Centre was renamed Emporium Centre San Francisco.

Throughout 2024, more stores continued to close as a result of decline, this time L'Occitane, Sephora, American Eagle, and Ted Baker. When American Eagle closed, with over three years remaining on its lease, it sued the mall's receivers, alleging that the building was not being maintained, leading to vermin and crime problems within the mall. The receiver threatened to countersue the store for breaking its lease. AE had already sued Westfield the previous year, alleging they had allowed the mall to decay as well. A foreclosure auction was scheduled for November 14.

Layout

The shopping center is nine stories tall and is integrated into nearby buildings anchored by Bloomingdale's, with one vacant anchor previously occupied by Nordstrom, which closed in late August 2023. The basement level is directly connected to two entrances for Powell Street station, which is served by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Muni Metro trains. The mall's owners paid $750,000 annually to BART to maintain access to the station.

Anchors and major tenants

• Bloomingdale's (338,000 ft²; opened 2006)

Former anchors and major tenants

• San Francisco State University Downtown Campus (107,000 ft²; opened 2006, closed 2021)
• Nordstrom (350,000 ft²; opened 1988, closed August 27, 2023)
• Century Theatres & XD 9-screen multiplex (53,000 ft², closed June 15, 2023)

Gallery

• 845 Market Street, anchored by Bloomingdale's
• The entrance to 845 Market Street
• The entrance to 865 Market Street
• 865 Market Street, anchored by the former Nordstrom
• Mall interior three weeks after redevelopment and reopening, 2006
• The dome within the shopping center
• Interior atrium of Nordstrom store with curved escalators, 2011

See also

• San Francisco Bay Area portal

References

Notes

1. "Shaping Communities Nationwide | WSP".
2. "Westfield San Francisco Centre" (PDF). JCDecaux. February 9, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
3. Sachner, Paul M. "Two on the Town: Heritage on the Garden, in Boston, and San Francisco Centre, in San Francisco", Architectural Record, vol. 177, no. 6, May 1989: 122–127.
4. "Forest City, Westfield to develop San Francisco retail venue". February 7, 2003.
5. Dorning, Amy Weaver (November/December 2006) "Department Store: 110-Year-Old Glamour" Archived October 20, 2007, at archive.today American Heritage Magazine
6. Susan Saperstein. "Emporium Dome Celebrates 100". Retrieved May 10, 2018.
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 23, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. "ICSC announces Best-of-the-Best Award winners". May 18, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
9. Aldax, Mike (February 22, 2011). "Mall shoplifting pinches police". San Francisco Examiner. p. 5.
10. Duggan, Tara (January 11, 2017). "Bristol Farms to close lone SF store Jan. 27". Sfgate.
11. Wells, Madeline (June 21, 2021). "Shake Shack in San Francisco's Westfield mall opens Monday". SFGATE. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
12. Guerrero, Susana (February 21, 2022). "This SF mall became a foodie paradise. Could it lead by example?". SFGATE. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
13. Li, Roland (June 12, 2023). "Westfield giving up S.F. mall in wake of Nordstrom closure, plunging sales and foot traffic". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
14. Horowitch, Rose (June 12, 2023). "Westfield mall firm gives up San Francisco center as Nordstrom closes". The Guardian. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
15. "Westfield Mall's Century Theater Closing Permanently on Thursday". June 14, 2023. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
16. McLean, Tessa. "Westfield pulls logos from downtown SF mall". Sfgate.
17. "'A sad day': Nordstrom officially closes San Francisco flagship store". August 29, 2023.
18. Gaus, Annie; Truong, Kevin (May 3, 2023). "Nordstrom's Exit From San Francisco Calls Downtown Mall's Future Into Question". The San Francisco Standard. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
19. "Nordstrom closes its San Francisco store after 35 years". CNN. August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
20. Council, Stephen (June 22, 2023). "London Breed suggests tearing down SF's Westfield Mall, replacing with soccer stadium". SFGate. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
21. McLean, Tessa (May 18, 2023). "Pickleball? A dog shelter? What is the future of Westfield San Francisco Centre?". SFGate. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
22. Baker, Alex (September 12, 2023). "Westfield mall operators sued by American Eagle over 'rampant criminal activity'". KRON4. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
23. "Who We Are - Trident Pacific Real Estate Group". tridentpacificreg.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
24. Li, Roland (October 10, 2023). "S.F.'s Westfield mall has new management. Here's who it is". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
25. Flores, Jessica (December 3, 2023). "Lego latest retailer to leave troubled San Francisco Centre". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
26. "Adidas store at San Francisco Centre set to close". KRON4. January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
27. Vaziri, Aidin (January 8, 2024). "Hollister closes at San Francisco Centre". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
28. Li, Roland (January 16, 2024). "S.F.'s biggest mall will lose another shoe store next week". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
29. Li, Roland (January 18, 2024). "S.F.'s biggest mall loses another store, its fifth closure this month". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
30. "San Francisco mall loses fifth store this month, occupancy dips to 25%". January 19, 2024.
31. "Value of Westfield San Francisco Mall Cut by $1B". January 12, 2024.
32. D’Onfro, Jillian (February 29, 2024). "Beleaguered downtown SF mall gets new name, plan for future". SFGATE. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
33. McLean, Tessa. "Two more stores shutter in downtown San Francisco mall". Sfgate.
34. Seldom, Aja. "American Eagle joins exodus from San Francisco mall". KTVU Fox 2.
35. https://www.costar.com/article/465830238/additional-retailers-to-exit-high-profile-san-francisco-mall-as-new-owners-shift-leasing-strategy
36. Mense, Ryan (June 13, 2024). "Several new retailers opening in San Francisco Centre". KRON4. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
37. Hoge, Patrick (July 12, 2024). "Emporium Centre could take tenant to court". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
38. Pawlowska, Kasia (October 21, 2024). "Dying downtown SF mall heads to auction". SFGate.
39. Narayan, Shwanika (December 5, 2019). "Malls are yielding to office space. SF's Westfield is the latest example". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
40. Cano, Ricardo (June 14, 2023). "Westfiel's S.F. mall benefits from a rare arrangement with BART. Here's how much it costs the mall". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
41. "San Francisco State University Downtown Campus: Facilities & Services". cob.sfsu.edu. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
42. Berlin, Kyran. "SF State evaluates new locations for Downtown Campus". Golden Gate Xpress. Retrieved December 21, 2023.

Sources

• Westfield San Francisco Centre Opening Fact Sheet
• Westfield San Francisco Centre Press Release
• International Council of Shopping Centers

External links

• Official website

v t e Westfield Shopping Centers in the United States
California	Northern California Galleria at Roseville Oakridge Valley Fair Southern California Century City Culver City Fashion Square Plaza Bonita Topanga UTC
Illinois	Old Orchard
Maryland	Montgomery Wheaton
New Jersey	Garden State Plaza
New York	World Trade Center ‡ Fulton Center ‡
Washington	Southcenter Mall
‡ Managed with no ownership interest. World Trade Center space is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Fulton Center space is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

• Shopping malls in San Francisco
• Market Street (San Francisco)
• Union Square, San Francisco
• Westfield Group
• Brookfield Corporation
• Shopping malls established in 1988