Bayfair Center
Encyclopedia
The Bayfair Center is a regional shopping mall located in San Leandro, California
. It was formerly known as the Bay Fair Mall until 2004. It is currently anchored by Macy's
, Target
, Kohl's
, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy
and Staples, along with an external Century Theatres
multiplex. The Bayfair BART station
is located in the area south of the building.
(grand opening was August 1957), this originally open-air center featured Macy's
as its key anchor. Originally named "Bay Fair Shopping Center" and developed by Macy's, in later years the center was enclosed, a second floor was added, and Montgomery Ward
built a store (which was only accessible from the second floor). In the 1980s, the mall expanded by adding a new wing east of Macy's.
With the decline of Montgomery Ward, the mall languished and the second story all but died with Macy's practically being the only tenant on the second floor. In early 2001, Century Theatres
built a multiplex
theater outside the mall. In May 2008, a Crown Books
store opened briefly on the second floor.
In late 2002, the mall was acquired by Chicago-based M & J Wilkow Ltd. Soon after Montgomery Ward closed, Target
built a new 145000 square feet (13,470.9 m²) store on the former Wards site. The updated shopping center measured 820000 square feet (76,180.5 m²). Bayfair's owner planned to remodel the ailing center into an open-air power center, renamed "Bayfair/580
," which would have several big-box
tenants and upscale "lifestyle-oriented" stores. The plan never came to fruition, and the mall was sold to Madison Marquette in late 2003.
With the announcement of the mall sale, another remodel was announced, but far different than the previous plan. About 120000 square feet (11,148.4 m²) on the north side of the center was demolished and replaced with new anchors, including Kohl's
, Bed Bath & Beyond
, Staples
and Old Navy
. Much of the interior mall was remodeled and has attracted some national retailers such as Justice and Lids
. In late 2005, Madison Marquette was given approval by the San Leandro City Council to subdivide the Bayfair Center property into four parcels. The owner has always intended to sell the mall after turning it around. As of 2008, the second floor has not been remodeled at this time, although a remodel of the food court has begun. Also in 2008, Bayfair created a Kids Club for children under 12 years of age.
Other major tenants include 24 Hour Fitness, Chili's
, Fresh Choice
, Chevys
, Starbucks
and PetSmart
. Tenants surrounding the mall include Ross Dress For Less, Michaels
, Pier 1 Imports
and Lucky
. On August 22, 2007, the Albertsons
became a Lucky
store, along with several other Albertsons locations in Northern California. A BART
station, Bay Fair, is located within walking distance.
37.700783°N 122.126234°W
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
. It was formerly known as the Bay Fair Mall until 2004. It is currently anchored by Macy's
Macy's West
Macy's West was a longtime division of Macy's, Inc. , representing one of the New York-based department store chain's earliest notable acquisitions and westward expansions...
, Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
and Staples, along with an external Century Theatres
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...
multiplex. The Bayfair BART station
Bay Fair (BART station)
Bay Fair is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station located near the Bayfair Center in San Leandro, California. The station is in BART District 3 and is represented by Bob Franklin.- Service :...
is located in the area south of the building.
History
One of the earliest shopping centers in the East BayEast Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
(grand opening was August 1957), this originally open-air center featured Macy's
Macy's West
Macy's West was a longtime division of Macy's, Inc. , representing one of the New York-based department store chain's earliest notable acquisitions and westward expansions...
as its key anchor. Originally named "Bay Fair Shopping Center" and developed by Macy's, in later years the center was enclosed, a second floor was added, and Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
built a store (which was only accessible from the second floor). In the 1980s, the mall expanded by adding a new wing east of Macy's.
With the decline of Montgomery Ward, the mall languished and the second story all but died with Macy's practically being the only tenant on the second floor. In early 2001, Century Theatres
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...
built a multiplex
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
theater outside the mall. In May 2008, a Crown Books
Crown Books
Crown Books Corporation was a bookseller headquartered in Lake Arbor, an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, near Largo and Upper Marlboro. It was founded in the Washington, D.C., metro area by Robert Haft in 1977...
store opened briefly on the second floor.
In late 2002, the mall was acquired by Chicago-based M & J Wilkow Ltd. Soon after Montgomery Ward closed, Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
built a new 145000 square feet (13,470.9 m²) store on the former Wards site. The updated shopping center measured 820000 square feet (76,180.5 m²). Bayfair's owner planned to remodel the ailing center into an open-air power center, renamed "Bayfair/580
Interstate 580 (California)
Interstate 580 is an 80-mile east–west Interstate Highway in Northern California. The heavily traveled spur route of Interstate 80 runs from San Rafael in the San Francisco Bay Area to Interstate 5 near Tracy in the Central Valley...
," which would have several big-box
Big-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
tenants and upscale "lifestyle-oriented" stores. The plan never came to fruition, and the mall was sold to Madison Marquette in late 2003.
With the announcement of the mall sale, another remodel was announced, but far different than the previous plan. About 120000 square feet (11,148.4 m²) on the north side of the center was demolished and replaced with new anchors, including Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
, Staples
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is a large office supply chain store, with over 2,000 stores worldwide in 26 countries. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, the company has retail stores, serving customers under its original name in Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Norway,...
and Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
. Much of the interior mall was remodeled and has attracted some national retailers such as Justice and Lids
Hat World
Hat World Inc. is an American retailer specializing in athletic headwear. It primarily operates under the LIDS and Hat World brands with stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. The majority of the stores operate in shopping malls and factory outlet centers. The company was founded in 1995 and...
. In late 2005, Madison Marquette was given approval by the San Leandro City Council to subdivide the Bayfair Center property into four parcels. The owner has always intended to sell the mall after turning it around. As of 2008, the second floor has not been remodeled at this time, although a remodel of the food court has begun. Also in 2008, Bayfair created a Kids Club for children under 12 years of age.
Other major tenants include 24 Hour Fitness, Chili's
Chili's
Chili's Grill & Bar is a restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine. The chain has more than 1400 casual dining restaurants, mostly located in the United States and Canada...
, Fresh Choice
Fresh Choice
Fresh Choice is a chain of buffet-style restaurants which operate in California, Washington, and Texas under the names Fresh Choice, Fresh Plus, Fresh Choice Express, and Zoopa. The first restaurant was opened in Sunnyvale, California in 1986, and as of 2010 there are 30 locations with two new...
, Chevys
Chevys Fresh Mex
Chevys Fresh Mex is a chain of Mexican-style casual dining restaurants located in the United States. The chain was founded in 1981 by Warren Simmon, Sr. and Warren "Scooter" Simmon, Jr. in Alameda, California. The chain's headquarters are currently located in Cypress, California. The chain is owned...
, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
and PetSmart
PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
. Tenants surrounding the mall include Ross Dress For Less, Michaels
Michaels
Michaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
, Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports
Pier 1 Imports Inc. is a Fort Worth, Texas based retailer specializing in imported home furnishings and decor, particularly furniture, table-top items, decorative accessories and seasonal decor. The chain operates over 1,000 stores under the name Pier 1 Imports in the United States, Canada, Mexico...
and Lucky
Lucky Stores
Lucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in Alameda County, California in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by SuperValu in Southern California and Nevada and by Save Mart in Northern California and Nevada.In 1998, Lucky's parent company, American Stores, was taken over by Albertsons,...
. On August 22, 2007, the Albertsons
Albertsons LLC
Albertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240 supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's and Super Saver Foods banners...
became a Lucky
Lucky Stores
Lucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in Alameda County, California in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by SuperValu in Southern California and Nevada and by Save Mart in Northern California and Nevada.In 1998, Lucky's parent company, American Stores, was taken over by Albertsons,...
store, along with several other Albertsons locations in Northern California. A BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
station, Bay Fair, is located within walking distance.
Current
- Bed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
- Kohl'sKohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
- LuckyLucky StoresLucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in Alameda County, California in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by SuperValu in Southern California and Nevada and by Save Mart in Northern California and Nevada.In 1998, Lucky's parent company, American Stores, was taken over by Albertsons,...
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(original anchor) - Old NavyOld NavyOld Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
- Staples
- TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
External links
- Official Website
- Westgate CenterWestgate CenterThe Westgate Center shopping mall is a mega-strip mall located in San Leandro, California. It is currently anchored by Wal-Mart, Costco, Sports Authority, The Home Depot and Office Depot. Costco, Burger King and Shell are externally located from the rest of the mall...
(another shopping center in San Leandro) - Southland MallSouthland Mall (Hayward, California)Southland Mall is a major shopping mall in Hayward, California. The mall is primarily a single-level structure, with a small lower level beneath anchor retailer JC Penney, and free standing restaurants in the outlying parking areas. The center is located off I-880 at Winton Avenue, at the western...
(a mall in Hayward)
37.700783°N 122.126234°W