Hilltop Mall
Encyclopedia
Hilltop Mall is a mall
in the Hilltop
neighborhood of Richmond, California
. Hilltop is managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group
, and is anchored by longtime tenants JC Penney
, Macy's
, Sears
, and lastly Wal-Mart
, a 2007 addition.
, who also developed several other shopping malls in the East and South Bay Area, including Eastridge Center
in San Jose, Stoneridge Shopping Center
in Pleasanton and Sunvalley Mall
in Concord. Originally it was anchored by a bright red-tiled Capwell's, JCPenney and Macy's
soon followed, closing their neighboring store in downtown Richmond at the same time. Capwell's changed its name to Emporium-Capwell in 1979, before becoming simply Emporium in 1990. Sears was also added in 1990, the last expansion of this property.
Once opened the mall attracted the major anchors of Richmond's downtown, which became deserted with nearly all stores closing although many acknowledge that their trend predated Hilltop due to economic and safety issues.
The mall remained largely unchanged until 1996 when the Emporium store closed following its merger with Federated, who owned Macy's. The store remained vacant until October 1998, when Macy's refurbished and relocated their existing store into the former Emporium space. However, Federated chose not to have two Macys at Hilltop (unlike Sun Valley, Stoneridge, and others) and closed the original store. That building would remain vacant until WalMart took it over in the Spring of 2007.
The Taubman shopping center interests, which had become a publicly traded real estate investment trust
in 1992, were reorganized in 1998 and the GM Pension Trust assumed full-ownership of Hilltop Mall at this time, retaining Taubman Centers
as manager. In its turn, in 2004 the GM Pension Trust sold a half-interest in a portfolio of shopping centers, including Hilltop to The Mills Corporation, which also assumed management of the center. After several years of delay, Wal-Mart
opened on April 11, 2007 on the site Macy's vacated in 1998.
In July 2007, Simon Property Group
purchased the entire The Mills Corporation portfolio including other Bay Area properties: Stoneridge Shopping Center
in Pleasanton, California and Great Mall
in Milpitas, California.
, Foot Locker
, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker
, and Shoe Palace, and athletic stores such as Champs Sports and Finish Line.
Hilltop Mall also features many other mainstream retailers such as, Claire's
, and Zumiez
. Hilltop has several big name places to eat or snack, such as Maggie Moo's Ice Cream
, Mrs. Fields Cookies
, Auntie Anne's Pretzels
, Subway
, Cazuela's Grill, and Great Khan's Mongolian BBQ.
There are also jewelry stores, stationers, luggage shops, music, video, gift and toy stores. There are also restaurants, mostly fast food, that include Burger King
, and others. Miscellaneous services include a hair salon, manicurist, portrait studios, a dentist and optometrists. There is a wide range of catering facilities and a health bar at the 24 Hour Fitness Magic Johnson
Sport gym.
American Carousel Works just opened its first Bay Area carousel at Hilltop Mall in May 2009.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in the Hilltop
Hilltop, Richmond, California
Fairmede-Hilltop, more commonly known simply as Hilltop, is a neighborhood located in the northeastern area of Richmond, California.-Overview:...
neighborhood of Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. Hilltop is managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
, and is anchored by longtime tenants JC Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
, 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...
, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
, and lastly Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, a 2007 addition.
History
Hilltop Mall opened in September of 1976, built on land previously occupied by the Chevron Oil Corporation tank farm. The mall was developed by the A. Alfred TaubmanA. Alfred Taubman
Adolph Alfred Taubman is an American real estate developer and philanthropist from Michigan. He pioneered the modern shopping mall concept and was described by CBS News as a "legend in retailing" who became wealthy developing upscale shopping malls. He built shopping mall developer Taubman Centers...
, who also developed several other shopping malls in the East and South Bay Area, including Eastridge Center
Eastridge Center
Eastridge Center is a shopping mall in eastern San Jose, California owned by General Growth Properties. The mall has an enclosed shopping area, restaurants and theaters...
in San Jose, Stoneridge Shopping Center
Stoneridge Shopping Center
Stoneridge Shopping Center is an upscale regional shopping mall located in Pleasanton, California. The mall is managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group, and is adjacent to Interstate 680.The mall is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, JCPenney, and Sears....
in Pleasanton and Sunvalley Mall
Sunvalley Mall
Sunvalley Mall is a regional shopping center located in Concord, California . Sunvalley opened in August 1967 with Sears, JCPenney and Macy's as anchor tenants...
in Concord. Originally it was anchored by a bright red-tiled Capwell's, JCPenney and 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...
soon followed, closing their neighboring store in downtown Richmond at the same time. Capwell's changed its name to Emporium-Capwell in 1979, before becoming simply Emporium in 1990. Sears was also added in 1990, the last expansion of this property.
Once opened the mall attracted the major anchors of Richmond's downtown, which became deserted with nearly all stores closing although many acknowledge that their trend predated Hilltop due to economic and safety issues.
The mall remained largely unchanged until 1996 when the Emporium store closed following its merger with Federated, who owned Macy's. The store remained vacant until October 1998, when Macy's refurbished and relocated their existing store into the former Emporium space. However, Federated chose not to have two Macys at Hilltop (unlike Sun Valley, Stoneridge, and others) and closed the original store. That building would remain vacant until WalMart took it over in the Spring of 2007.
The Taubman shopping center interests, which had become a publicly traded real estate investment trust
Real estate investment trust
A real estate investment trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporate entity investing in real estate. The purpose of this designation is to reduce or eliminate corporate tax. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their taxable income into the hands of investors...
in 1992, were reorganized in 1998 and the GM Pension Trust assumed full-ownership of Hilltop Mall at this time, retaining Taubman Centers
Taubman Centers
Taubman Centers is an owner of United States upscale regional malls and has headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The Taubman Asia subsidiary is headquartered in Hong Kong. It has the highest selling portfolio of malls in any mall company in the United States.Taubman was founded in 1950 by...
as manager. In its turn, in 2004 the GM Pension Trust sold a half-interest in a portfolio of shopping centers, including Hilltop to The Mills Corporation, which also assumed management of the center. After several years of delay, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
opened on April 11, 2007 on the site Macy's vacated in 1998.
In July 2007, Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
purchased the entire The Mills Corporation portfolio including other Bay Area properties: Stoneridge Shopping Center
Stoneridge Shopping Center
Stoneridge Shopping Center is an upscale regional shopping mall located in Pleasanton, California. The mall is managed and co-owned by Simon Property Group, and is adjacent to Interstate 680.The mall is anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, JCPenney, and Sears....
in Pleasanton, California and Great Mall
Great Mall of the Bay Area
The Great Mall of the Bay Area is a large outlet shopping mall in Milpitas, California built by Ford Motor Land Development and Petrie Dierman Kughn in 1994, then acquired by Mills Corporation in 2003, and is now owned by the Simon Property Group since April 2007.-History:Formerly a Ford...
in Milpitas, California.
Anchors
- JCPenney (207,600 ft²/19,287m³)
- Sears (135,000 ft²/12,542m³)
- Macy'sMacy's WestMacy'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...
(190,700 ft²/17,717m³) - Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
(150,000 ft²/19,935m³) - 24-Hour Fitness24-Hour Fitness24 Hour Fitness is the world's largest privately owned and operated fitness center chain, and third in number of clubs behind Gold's Gym and Fitness First of the UK. It currently has 425 clubs and over 20,000 employees in the U.S.A. The company has its corporate office located in San Ramon,...
Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
Sport (37,383 ft²/3,473m³)
Retailers
Hilltop Mall has dozens of smaller clothing boutiques for men, women, teens, and children. It has shoe stores including Shiekh ShoesShiekh Shoes
Shiekh Shoes is a West Coast footwear and apparel retailer with its headquarters in Ontario, California and operating nearly 120 stores located in California, Nevada, Washington, Arizona and Texas...
, Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
, and Shoe Palace, and athletic stores such as Champs Sports and Finish Line.
Hilltop Mall also features many other mainstream retailers such as, Claire's
Claire's
Claire's is a retailer of accessories and jewelry to girls and young women. Claire's has over 3,000 locations worldwide: their stores are in 95% of all U.S. shopping malls, and in 33 countries...
, and Zumiez
Zumiez
Zumiez is a mall-based, specialty apparel store founded by Tom Campion and Gary Haakenson in 1978, and publicly traded since 2005. "Offering gear and clothing for the skater, snowboarder, and surfer," Zumiez sells action-sports related clothing and has created an image based around action sports...
. Hilltop has several big name places to eat or snack, such as Maggie Moo's Ice Cream
MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery
MaggieMoo's Ice Cream and Treatery is a chain of independently owned and operated franchised stores that specialize in serving ice cream and other desserts. It is a franchise brand in the portfolio of Global Franchise Group. The first MaggieMoo's opened in 1989 in Kansas City, Kansas...
, Mrs. Fields Cookies
Mrs. Fields
Mrs. Fields Famous Brands is a franchisor in the snack food industry, with Mrs. Fields and TCBY as its core brands. Through its franchisees’ retail stores, it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the US and the largest retailer of...
, Auntie Anne's Pretzels
Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American chain of pretzel bakeries founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages...
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, Cazuela's Grill, and Great Khan's Mongolian BBQ.
There are also jewelry stores, stationers, luggage shops, music, video, gift and toy stores. There are also restaurants, mostly fast food, that include Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, and others. Miscellaneous services include a hair salon, manicurist, portrait studios, a dentist and optometrists. There is a wide range of catering facilities and a health bar at the 24 Hour Fitness Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
Sport gym.
American Carousel Works just opened its first Bay Area carousel at Hilltop Mall in May 2009.