Westfield San Francisco Centre is an upscale, urban shopping center located in San Francisco, California, managed by The Westfield Group and co-owned by Westfield and Forest City Enterprises. It is anchored by Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's, and includes a Century Theatres multiplex, a Bristol Farms gourmet grocery store and a branch of San Francisco State University. It connects directly to the Powell Street transit station via an underground entrance.
History
Originally developed by Sheldon Gordon (co-developer of The Forum Shops at Caesars and Beverly Center) the center opened in October 1988 as San Francisco Shopping Centre with approximately 500,000 square feet (46,000 m 2 ) of space, the then-largest Nordstrom store (350,000 square feet) on the top several floors, the first spiral escalators in the United States, and connecting through 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. Going In Style Travel Accessories opened its second location here in 1992.
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.
In 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 that was unveiled September 28, 2006, includes Bloomingdale's West Coast flagship store, a nine-screen Century Theatres multiplex theater, and a satellite campus for San Francisco State University in its 1.5 million ft² of space.
The redevelopment cost $440 million. Only the front facade 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.
Anchors & Major Tenants
- Bloomingdale's (338,000 ft²; opened 2006)
- Nordstrom (350,000 ft²; opened 1988)
- Century Theatres 9-screen multiplex (53,000 ft²)
- Bristol Farms (30,000 ft²; opened 2006)
- San Francisco State University College of Extended Learning (107,000 ft²; opened 2006)
References
- ^ Westfield
- ^ http://www.goinginstyle.com, accessed November 7, 2008
- ^ http://www.thedailystylescout.com/2009/03/17/westfield-sf/
- Westfield San Francisco Centre Opening Fact Sheet
- Westfield San Francisco Centre Press Release
- International Council of Shopping Centers
External links
- Home page
Coordinates: 37°47′2″N 122°24′26″W / 37.78389°N 122.40722°W / 37.78389;
Area Guide to San Francisco - SF Guide is an information guide for ...
San Francisco Guide (sfguide) is a comprehensive online site for information about the San Francisco Bay Area including accommodations, sightseeing, city neighborhoods, dining ...
San Francisco Shopping - SF Station
San Francisco's local shopping guide including trunk shows, what's in style, weekly spa and message parlor reviews, unique small book stores and events.
san francisco association of REALTORS® - SF Info Category
Shopping. Link to web sites that will help you in your San Francisco shopping pursuits.
San Francisco Shopping
6642 businesses reviewed for Shopping in San Francisco on Yelp. Read about places like: Alisha Valverde Skincare - Medical Skin Aesthetics, Downtown Watch Repair, Eye Candy SF, Zoe ...
San Francisco, Union Square CA Shopping Packages
Enjoy a shopping spree in San Francisco’s fashionable Union Square or at the several exciting shopping centers in Downtown San Francisco - just minutes from Orchard Hotel ...
San Francisco Shopping Guide - Reviews of the Best Stores and Malls
San Francisco Shopping Guide - Reviews of the Best Department Stores and Malls
San Francisco Shopping | Best SF Shopping Spots | A Complete Guide
Get the lowdown on the world San Francisco shopping with this guide to the best stores, shopping areas and pampering places for exhausted spenders.
San Francisco Shopping - San Francisco Travel Guide - San Francisco ...
San Francisco shopping destinations are easy to find with the help of our San Franisco travel guide. Choose from San Francisco discount outlets, malls, jewlery, gift stores ...
San Francisco Shopping: Shopping in San Francisco, California
San Francisco Shopping Directory. Includes listings for Shopping in San Francisco, California
San Francisco Shopping Malls: Shopping Malls in San Francisco ...
San Francisco Shopping Malls Directory. Includes listings for Shopping Malls in San Francisco, California