Mission Valley (shopping mall)

{{more citations needed section|date=July 2015}}

1950s

In early 1958, May Centers proposed rezoning {{convert|90|acre|m2}} in the then sparsely-populated Mission Valley area of San Diego to build a shopping mall.{{Cite news

|title=Deja Vu in Mission Valley

|author=Roger Showley

|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080622/news_1h22smokes.html

|newspaper=The San Diego Union-Tribune

|date=June 22, 2008

}} In June 1958, the San Diego City Council unanimously voted in favor of rezoning the {{convert|90|acre|m2}} for the May plan.

File:Mission Valley Center, 1965 (3313719525).jpg

1960s

By 1959, the mall was under construction, and it was completed in late 1960. The grand opening of the Mission Valley Center was held on February 20, 1961.https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2021/02/21/mission-valley-center-opened-in-1961/ Designed by the San Diego–based architectural firm Deems-Lewis, the mall contained two large anchor spaces, occupied by Montgomery Ward, and May Company, 70 inline stores, as well as a large central courtyard. Due to its location in the floodplain of the San Diego River, the mall was designed with stores on the level above the parking garage. Presumably, in the event of a flood, only the parking garage would be flooded, with the retail level untouched. It was San Diego's second mall, following the opening of the College Grove Center in 1960.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} National General Theatres Valley Circle Theater, part of the Mission Valley West strip center, opened on December 23, 1966.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

1970s

The mall underwent its first expansion in 1975, with the completion of a new 3-story Bullock's.

1980s

In 1983, the mall underwent a significant remodel, with a new northeast wing built, which also added a two-story Saks Fifth Avenue.{{cite book |title=Mission Valley Community Plan |date=June 1985 |publisher=City of San Diego |page=48 |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/mission_valley_cp_060613_0.pdf |access-date=14 April 2019}} This helped mitigate the effect of a Mexican economic crisis and peso devaluation, as Mexican customers, who were estimated to make up about 15% of sales, were able to obtain fewer dollars with their pesos and thus had less to spend.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/390390575/ Barbara Bay, "2 Shopping Centers Step Up Competition", The Los Angeles Times , 7 Dec 1982, Tue, Page 31]

1990s

In 1993, May Company rebranded as Robinsons-May as the chain merged with J.W. Robinson's. Robinson's had a location at the nearby Fashion Valley Mall that also rebranded to that new name. IN 1994, the Australian Westfield Group acquired the mall. They undertook another major renovation of the mall, with a new AMC Theatres 20-screen multiplex built atop the south parking lot. The renovation project also retrofitted several new stores in existing space in the northeast wing, including Michaels, Nordstrom Rack, Loehmann's, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Additionally, a large central courtyard, originally constructed as a children's playground, was covered over to provide space for a Ruby's Diner. Around this time, Macy's acquired the Bullock's chain of department stores, which led to a rebranding of the Bullock's as a Macy's (later became a Macy's Home and Furniture store since chain replaced The Broadway a month later at the nearby Fashion Valley Mall, moving all fashion departments to that location).{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} Borders, Marshalls, DSW, The Good Guys, and Old Navy were added in 1995 in the adjacent power center, Mission Valley West. In 1998, the mall was renamed Westfield Shoppingtown Mission Valley

File:Westfield Mission Valley.jpg

2000s

In 2001, one of the mall's original tenants, Montgomery Ward, was shuttered when the chain went bankrupt. A year later, Target opened in the former Ward's space. The Good Guys closed in 2005, and it was replaced by Golfsmith a year later in the power center. In June 200, the "Shoppingtown" moniker was dropped, and the mall became Westfield Mission Valley. In 2006, Macy's completed its acquisition of May Company, and the former Robinsons-May store was subsequently rebranded as Macy's.{{Cite web|title=MAY ROB MAY HS|url=https://www.macysnet.com/mdocweb/documents.aspx?document=MAY%20ROB%20MAY%20HS|access-date=2021-06-23|website=www.macysnet.com|language=en}} In August 2008, Westfield Group applied for a major renovation to the Westfield Mission Valley shopping center. The project envisioned a {{convert|500000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} expansion of retail space for stores, {{convert|50000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of commercial space, adjacent condominiums and parking. Real estate industry experts expect the project to be long-term, and development to last five to ten years. However, as of 2021 renovations proposed in 2008 have not been done to Westfield Mission Valley.{{cite news|author1=Penni Crabtree|author2=Roger Showley|date=August 6, 2008|title=Westfield files plan for condos, offices in 'village'|newspaper=San Diego Union-Tribune|url=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080806-9999-1n6mission.html}}

2010s

In 2012 the Seau's restaurant closed after Junior Seau's death and was replaced by Buffalo Wild Wings in 2013.{{Cite web|date=2013-12-11|title=Seau's finally gets a replacement|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/restaurants/sdut-seaus-replaced-buffalo-wild-wings-mission-valley-2013dec11-story.html|access-date=2021-06-23|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US}} Meanwhile, at the power center Borders closed and was converted into Giant Book Sale under a short lease until 2012.{{Cite web|date=2011-10-17|title=3 must-visit independent booksellers in San Diego|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-san-diego-booksellers-cater-community-2011oct17-story.html|access-date=2021-06-23|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US}} Trader Joe's and Ulta Beauty opened up in the former Borders Books & Music location in 2013.{{Cite web|date=2012-06-20|title=Trader Joe's coming to Mission Valley|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-trader-joes-coming-mission-valley-2012jun20-htmlstory.html|access-date=2021-06-23|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US}} In 2014 Loehmann's, liquidated their location and was replaced by a Bloomingdale's the outlet store and Tender Greens restaurant a year later in 2015. In late 2016 the indoor food court by Macy's Home and Furniture was shuttered, and a few months after that Sport Chalet had filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2016 as well. In 2017, Golfsmith was converted into a Golf Galaxy store. In March 2017, the Macy's closed as the chain closed 68 stores across the country.{{cite news |last1=Showley |first1=Roger |title=Last days of Macy's in Mission Valley: Not much left but mannequins |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/retail/sd-fi-macyclose-20170317-story.html |publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=17 March 2017}} The Macy's Home and Furniture store remains open at Mission Valley and a regular Macy's store remains open at nearby Fashion Valley Mall. In April 2018 Ruby's Diner, posted on their doors that they have closed their location at the center after being there for more than 20 years.{{Cite web|last=cantaloop_island|date=2018-04-11|title=Ruby's Diner at Mission Valley Center to close|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/8bkxzj/rubys_diner_at_mission_valley_center_to_close/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=r/sandiego}} In 2018, Michaels moved into the former Sport Chalet space, taking over the part that faced the north parking lot. F21 Red (Forever 21's clearance store) also opened in the sub-divided former Sport Chalet location that year removing mall access to Michaels, but closed only a year after they had opened since they announced a restructuring of the company by closing 41 stores after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.{{Cite web|date=2019-10-02|title=Forever 21 closures: three San Diego stores on the chopping block amid bankruptcy|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/retail/story/2019-10-01/forever-21-closures-three-san-diego-stores-on-the-chopping-block-amid-bankruptcy|access-date=2021-06-23|website=San Diego Union-Tribune|language=en-US}}

2020s

In 2019, Westfield started the redevelopment of the former Michaels Arts & Crafts store, where the building was subdivided into main restaurants like Havana Grill, CAVA, Pesto Italian Craft Kitchen, and Mendocino Farms. This portion was completed in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and has some geometric inspiration after the former May Company building.{{Cite web|last=Woo|first=Candice|date=2021-05-17|title=Havana Grill Is Bringing Cuban Food and Miami Vibes to Mission Valley|url=https://sandiego.eater.com/2021/5/17/22440337/havana-grill-cuban-restaurant-miami-westfield-mission-valley|access-date=2021-06-20|website=Eater San Diego|language=en}}

In July 2023, Westfield sold both Mission Valley shopping centers to new owners for $290 million. Real Capital Solutions and Lowe bought the original Mission Valley mall, while Sunbelt Investment Holdings Inc. bought Mission Valley West. The new manager for Mission Valley is Dallas-based Centennial. As a result of the sale, Westfield branding was dropped from both centers.{{Cite web |title=Westfield sells Mission Valley shopping centers for $290 million |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2023-07-21/westfield-sells-mission-valley-shopping-centers-for-290-million |website=San Diego Union-Tribune}}

Anchor stores

{{Main|May Company Building (Mission Valley, San Diego)}}

File:May Co Mission Valley San Diego exterior.png

The original modernist May Company (later Macy's) building was designed in 1959 by William S. (Bill) Lewis, Jr. for LA-based AC Martin (later of Deems-Lewis), Frank L. Hope & Associates backstopped the project locally.Frank L. Hope & Associates It opened in 1961. It has been described by San Diego architectural photographer and historian Darren Bradley as an architectural icon, a "jewel box with a unique texture … striking architecture … the cladding all the way around the building … (is in) a modernist design that plays with light and shadow … designed to grab attention." This was part of a modernist landscape established in the area in the 1960s. As of January 2017, Westfield was considering several different plans for the use of the building.{{cite news |last1=Fudge |first1=Tom |title=Mission Valley Architectural Icon Seeks Tenant As Macy's Departs |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/jan/24/macys-clearance-sale-wont-mark-down-architectural-/ |access-date=14 April 2019 |publisher=KPBS News |date=24 January 2017}}

A 2015 study by the City of San Diego concluded that the building meets several criteria for qualification for the San Diego Resources register: an example of community development and an identifiable architectural style (Modern Contemporary Architecture of 1955–1965). However the report stated that the building did not qualify because of the lack of integrity of the original construction, due to the replacement of some original tiles, altered walls, covering up of the building by new retail space set in front of it, removal of original pop-out display windows and "May Co." signage, and demolition of the 1958 canopy and columns, thus altogether the alteration of more than 50% of the surface area of the original building exterior. It also did not qualify because it is not the "identifiable work" of a "listed Master Architect".{{cite book |date=December 2015 |publisher=San Diego Dept. of Parks and Recreation, via State of California Resource Agency |url=http://sandiego.cfwebtools.com/images/files/1702%20Camino%20Del%20Rio%20North.pdf |access-date=14 March 2023 |title=1702 Camino Del Rio North}}

• Fashion Valley Mall
• Westfield Plaza Bonita
• South Bay Plaza

{{reflist}}

• {{official|https://www.mission-valley.com/}}

{{WestfieldUnitedStates}}

{{Shopping malls in California}}

Category:Shopping malls in San Diego County, California

Category:Buildings and structures in San Diego

Category:Mission Valley, San Diego

Mission Valley

Category:Shopping malls established in 1961