Northgate Mall is a shopping mall located in the
Terra Linda neighborhood of
San Rafael, California
San Rafael ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Raphael (archangel), St. Raphael", ) is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), ...
, north of the
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...
. It's the largest of three shopping centers in San Rafael called Northgate. It was managed by
The Macerich Company
Macerich ( ) is a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers. It is the third-largest owner and operator of shopping centers in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned interests in 52 properties comprisi ...
until 2017 and is now managed by Merlone Geier Partners. It is the only enclosed regional shopping center in
Marin County
Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
. The mall's anchors are
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
and
Kohl's
Kohl's (stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain, operated by Kohl's Corporation. it is the largest department store chain in the United States, with 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawai ...
with a vacant anchor last occupied by
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
. It also contains a
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain that operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In its later years, it had expanded into the inter-mountain states, ...
multiplex, a food court, and more than 90 specialty stores, services, and restaurants.
The original anchor in the corner, now occupied by Macy's, was
The Emporium, which opened in 1964. When the rest of the mall opened in 1965, it had an open-air design. The mall was enclosed when it was renovated in 1987.
MTR Properties
MTR Properties and MTR Property Management of the MTR Corporation are responsible for managing apartment buildings it developed, shopping malls at some of its stations, and collaborate with land developers in projects near its stations. It made ...
, Inc. was the original owner of the mall.
Macerich
Macerich ( ) is a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers. It is the third-largest owner and operator of shopping centers in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned interests in 52 properties comprisi ...
bought the property in 1985 before selling it to Merlone Geier Partners in 2017.
On January 4, 2018, Sears announced that its store at the mall will be closing as part of a plan to close 103 stores nationwide. The store closed in April 2018. Around the same time, plans were announced that would transform the mall into a "town center."
On November 14, 2019,
Forever 21
Forever 21 is a multinational fast fashion retailer headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. Originally founded as the store Fashion 21 in Highland Park, Los Angeles in 1984,Forever 21History & Facts, n.d. Retrieved 27 April 2014 ...
announced that the Northgate Mall location would be closing along with 21 other locations in California and 90 locations nationwide. It closed in January 2020.
Renovation
Macerich began renovating the mall in 2008. The proposed renovation has been controversial, as housing advocates have pushed for inclusion of affordable housing in the project (to replace the aging housing in San Rafael's
Canal Area), while
Macerich
Macerich ( ) is a real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers. It is the third-largest owner and operator of shopping centers in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned interests in 52 properties comprisi ...
chose to proceed without triggering a full-scale environmental review.
In November of 2009, Northgate underwent a significant overhaul that introduced features that seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor spaces. These include the Oak Plaza, a central courtyard for gatherings, open-air dining areas, and a food court near the Century Theatres that opens to both indoor and outdoor seating.
Redevelopment Project
In March of 2021, Merlone Geier Partners submitted a two-phase redevelopment project to the City of San Rafael. The first phase is proposed to begin in 2025, with demolition of the center portion of the mall, the former Sears anchor store, and the
HomeGoods
HomeGoods is a chain of home furnishing stores headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. It was founded as a small chain in 1992, and grew to include hundreds of locations throughout the United States. HomeGoods sells furniture, linens, cooking ...
store across the east entrance from the mall. The HomeGoods will be relocated to another part of the property. The first phase also includes a remodel and expansion of the existing cinema to a total of 65,000 square feet. The cinema will include an
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
theater.
In addition to the demolition and remodel projects, the first phase includes the construction of four new apartment buildings on the southeast side of the property, totaling 896 residences. One building is proposed to be four stories, while the others are proposed to be five stories. The apartment buildings will have retail spaces at the ground level, and new retail spaces are expected to be constructed across Las Gallinas Avenue.
The second phase of the project is proposed to begin in 2028, beginning with the demolition of existing mall commercial space. The demolition includes the existing Macy's and Kohl's stores, should they not renew their leases with the property. The second phase also includes the construction of two five-story apartment buildings, totaling 640 residences.
After both phases, the mall is expected to retain approximately 250,000 square feet of its original floor area. Parking is expected to reduce from the current 2,908 spaces to 2,311 spaces.
Gallery
LensCrafters San Rafael - August 2022 - Sarah Stierch.jpg, LensCrafters
LensCrafters is an international retailer of prescription eyewear and prescription sunglasses. Its stores usually host independent optometrists on-site or in an adjacent store. The company has its corporate headquarters in Mason, Ohio, a suburb ...
store at Northgate Mall in 2022.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mall at Northgate
Shopping malls in Marin County, California
Shopping malls in the San Francisco Bay Area
Buildings and structures in San Rafael, California
Shopping malls established in 1966
1966 establishments in California