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Hillsdale Shopping Center

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Hillsdale Shopping Center is a major enclosed shopping mall in San Mateo, California, anchored by Macy's and Nordstrom.

Last updated October 14, 2026

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Overview

Hillsdale Shopping Center, commonly known as Hillsdale, is a regional shopping mall in San Mateo, California, at the intersection of Hillsdale Boulevard and El Camino Real, or California State Route 82. The property is adjacent to the Hillsdale Caltrain station and near the former Bay Meadows Racetrack site. It serves the San Mateo and wider San Francisco Peninsula market and has historically combined department stores, specialty retail, restaurants, entertainment, and public-oriented gathering spaces. The center is currently anchored by Macy's and Nordstrom and features more than 130 stores and restaurants. The property grew out of land assembled by developer David D. Bohannon. Between 1939 and 1940, Bohannon acquired approximately 848 acres from Burleigh H. Murray in the Beresford neighborhood, an area later associated with the Hillsdale name. Early development included the Andrew Williams Grocery Store, whose construction began in 1941. Sears selected the location for one of its early suburban stores in 1948, and a broader Hillsdale master plan was completed in 1952. Bohannon's planning was reportedly influenced by Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City, one of the Bay Area's early suburban retail centers. Hillsdale opened in December 1954 as an open-air shopping center. Its initial major anchors included Sears, whose store had been completed in 1949, and the first suburban branch of Macy's San Francisco. The center later added Emporium in 1962. Sculptures by California artist Benny Bufano were commissioned for the property during the 1950s, giving the center an element of civic and cultural identity beyond its commercial function. By 1970, Hillsdale contained more than 150 stores. During the 1960s and 1970s, its location also made it the northern terminus of a popular Friday-night cruising route along El Camino Real. A major transformation occurred in the early 1980s. The arrival of the competing Fashion Island shopping center less than two miles away prompted Hillsdale to reposition itself under the leadership of Frances Bohannon Nelson, David Bohannon's daughter. The original outdoor center was substantially redeveloped into a modern, two-level enclosed mall. The remodeled property retained Macy's and Emporium and added Mervyn's and Nordstrom, the latter becoming Northern California's first Nordstrom location. Fashion Island ultimately struggled and closed in 1996, while Hillsdale continued to operate as a significant regional destination. The center's anchor mix changed repeatedly as department-store retail consolidated. Following the 1995 merger involving Emporium parent Broadway Stores and Macy's, Emporium closed. Sears exchanged its building across from the mall for the former Emporium space and moved into the mall proper in 1996. Mervyn's entered liquidation in 2008, after which its former building was subdivided among The Cheesecake Factory, H&M, and Forever 21. Crate & Barrel, which had opened at Hillsdale in 1996, closed in 2011; Paul Martin's American Grill later occupied the former space. Hillsdale undertook another major repositioning in the 2010s. Initial plans proposed replacing Sears with a large Target store, adding a luxury cinema, and relocating the food court to improve circulation between the northern and main mall blocks. Those plans were placed on hold in late 2013 because of changing market conditions, then revised after Target withdrew from the proposal. The final concept emphasized entertainment, dining, and experiences rather than simply adding conventional retail floor area. It included a luxury nine-screen cinema, a bowling facility, a fitness center, and a new dining area. The plans were approved in 2016, Sears closed in April of that year, and demolition of the former Sears building began in August. The cinema opened in late 2017, and the new dining area opened in November 2018. The replacement North Block buildings were planned to pursue LEED Gold certification. Hillsdale remained independently owned by the Bohannon family for most of its history. In late 2021, real estate firm Northwoods Investors acquired a stake with an intention to help remake the property as a mixed-use project. The center's long-term positioning therefore combines established department-store anchors with food, entertainment, transit access, and possible future mixed-use redevelopment. Its history illustrates the evolution of suburban American retail from an open-air postwar shopping center to an enclosed mall and then to an experience-oriented destination responding to department-store contraction and online commerce.

History

Hillsdale Shopping Center originated in the large-scale suburban development activity of David D. Bohannon in the San Mateo area. Bohannon acquired roughly 848 acres from Burleigh H. Murray between 1939 and 1940 in the Beresford neighborhood, later associated with Hillsdale. His first documented commercial development in the area was the Andrew Williams Grocery Store, begun in 1941 at Hillsdale Boulevard and El Camino Real. Sears selected the area for an early suburban store in 1948, and its building was completed in 1949. A comprehensive master plan for Hillsdale was completed in 1952, reportedly drawing inspiration from Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City. The shopping center opened in December 1954 as an open-air development. Its early anchors were Sears and Macy's San Francisco, with Macy's establishing what was described as its first suburban branch store. Emporium joined the center in 1962. During the 1950s, the property commissioned sculptures by Benny Bufano, adding a public-art dimension to the commercial environment. Hillsdale expanded rapidly and had more than 150 stores by 1970. In the 1960s and 1970s, it also became associated with a Friday-night cruising route along El Camino Real, with young drivers traveling north to the center. Hillsdale faced a serious competitive challenge in the early 1980s when The Hahn Company developed Fashion Island less than two miles north. Under Frances Bohannon Nelson, the Bohannon family responded with a fundamental physical and commercial transformation. The open-air center was demolished and replaced by a two-level enclosed mall. Macy's and Emporium remained, while Mervyn's and Nordstrom were added as new anchors. Nordstrom's arrival was particularly notable because the location was the chain's first in Northern California. Fashion Island eventually declined and closed in 1996, but Hillsdale continued as a leading retail destination. Department-store consolidation subsequently reshaped the anchor lineup. In 1995, the merger involving Emporium parent Broadway Stores and Macy's resulted in Emporium's closure. Sears exchanged its original building across from the mall for the former Emporium space and relocated into the mall in 1996. Mervyn's later entered bankruptcy and liquidation, closing its Hillsdale location in October 2008. Its building was divided among The Cheesecake Factory, H&M, and Forever 21. Crate & Barrel, which had opened in 1996, closed in 2011 after larger company stores opened in San Francisco and Palo Alto. Paul Martin's American Grill subsequently occupied the former Crate & Barrel location in 2013. The next major phase began with planning documents filed in March 2013. Bohannon proposed replacing the Sears building with a three-story Target store, adding a nine-screen luxury cinema, moving the food court to a second-story bridge over 31st Street, and constructing another building at the northwest corner of El Camino Real and 31st Street once a tenant had been secured. The project was paused in December 2013 as market conditions changed. Target later withdrew from the concept, prompting a revised plan presented in 2014 and 2015. The new approach reflected the mall's effort to compete with online shopping by emphasizing experience, dining, entertainment, and fitness rather than conventional retail alone. The revised plan substituted a bowling alley and fitness center for the proposed Target building and was approved in March 2016. Sears announced the closure of its Hillsdale store in April 2016, and demolition of the former building began on August 25 of that year. Construction of the replacement North Block was expected to continue through 2018, with buildings planned to achieve LEED Gold certification. A luxury cinema opened in late 2017, while a new dining area opened on November 17, 2018. These changes reinforced Hillsdale's transition from a department-store-centered mall into a broader retail, dining, leisure, and entertainment destination. The property remained in Bohannon family ownership for decades. In late 2021, Northwoods Investors acquired a stake with the stated intention of helping transform Hillsdale into a mixed-use project. The center remains active, with Macy's and Nordstrom as its principal department-store anchors and a broader tenant mix spanning specialty retail, restaurants, entertainment, and services. Its development history reflects several phases of American retail real estate: postwar open-air suburban commerce, enclosed-mall expansion, department-store consolidation, and experience-oriented redevelopment.

  • 2021

    Northwoods Investors acquires a stake

    [1]

    Northwoods Investors took a stake in the property with plans to pursue a mixed-use transformation.

  • 2018

    North Block dining area opens

    [1]

    A new dining area opened on November 17 as part of the property's experience-oriented redevelopment.

  • 2017

    Luxury cinema opens

    [1]

    The new North Block luxury cinema opened late in the year.

  • 2016

    Sears closes and demolition begins

    [1]

    Sears closed in April, and demolition of its former building began on August 25 to make way for North Block redevelopment.

  • 2013

    North Block redevelopment is proposed

    [1]

    The initial plan called for a Target replacement, luxury cinema, relocated food court, and additional development at the northwest corner.

  • 2011

    Crate & Barrel closes

    [1]

    Crate & Barrel shuttered its Hillsdale store after the company opened larger locations in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

  • 2008

    Mervyn's closes and its building is subdivided

    [1]

    Following Mervyn's bankruptcy and liquidation, its former anchor building was divided among The Cheesecake Factory, H&M, and Forever 21.

  • 1996

    Sears relocates into the mall

    [1]

    Sears exchanged its former building for the former Emporium space and moved into the enclosed mall.

  • 1995

    Emporium closes after department-store consolidation

    [1]

    Emporium's closure followed the merger involving its parent company, Broadway Stores, and Macy's.

  • 1982

    Major enclosed-mall redevelopment begins

    [1]

    The open-air center was replaced by a two-level enclosed mall, retaining Macy's and Emporium while adding Mervyn's and Nordstrom.

Products and positioning

A regional, transit-accessible shopping and entertainment destination serving San Mateo and the San Francisco Peninsula, with department-store anchors complemented by dining, leisure, and experiential uses.

  • Department store anchor · 1954

    Macy's

    Macy's has been associated with Hillsdale since the center's opening in 1954, when the site hosted the first suburban branch of Macy's San Francisco. It remains one of the mall's two principal department-store anchors and offers apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and related merchandise.

  • Department store anchor · 1982

    Nordstrom

    Nordstrom was added during the major early-1980s redevelopment and became Northern California's first Nordstrom location. The store expanded Hillsdale's premium department-store positioning and offers fashion, footwear, accessories, beauty products, and customer services.

  • Dining and entertainment · 2017

    North Block dining and entertainment district

    The North Block redevelopment broadened Hillsdale's offer beyond traditional retail. It introduced a luxury nine-screen cinema, a new dining area, and plans for leisure-oriented uses including bowling and fitness. The project was designed to make the center a more experience-led destination in response to online shopping and changing mall economics.

Brand decisions

  • 2021

    Bring in Northwoods Investors as a property stakeholderM&A

    Background

    After decades of independent Bohannon family ownership, the property entered a new phase of potential redevelopment.

    Action taken

    Northwoods Investors acquired a stake in Hillsdale with an intention to remake the center as a mixed-use project.

    Aftermath

    The investment created a prospective framework for further mixed-use transformation, although specific subsequent development outcomes are not established in the supplied material.

    Source

  • 2015

    Shift North Block plans from conventional retail to experiencesStrategy

    Background

    After the Target proposal was abandoned, Hillsdale reassessed how to compete with online shopping and respond to public and planning feedback.

    Action taken

    The revised plan emphasized a bowling alley, fitness center, luxury cinema, dining, and other experience-oriented uses instead of a three-story Target store.

    Aftermath

    The modified plan was approved in March 2016 and led to the eventual North Block cinema and dining development.

    Source

  • 2013

    Propose a Target-led North Block redevelopmentStrategy

    Background

    The center sought to modernize its northern section and replace the Sears building with a larger, more contemporary use.

    Action taken

    Bohannon proposed a three-story Target, a nine-screen luxury cinema, a relocated food court, and an additional building at the northwest corner.

    Aftermath

    The project was put on hold later in 2013 as market conditions changed, and Target subsequently withdrew from the concept.

    Source

  • 2008

    Subdivide the former Mervyn's anchorStrategy

    Background

    Mervyn's entered bankruptcy and liquidation, leaving a large anchor space vacant.

    Action taken

    The building was divided among The Cheesecake Factory, H&M, and Forever 21.

    Aftermath

    The conversion replaced a single department-store use with multiple retail and dining tenants.

    Source

  • 1995

    Reconfigure the department-store anchor plan after Emporium's closureStrategy

    Background

    The merger involving Broadway Stores and Macy's led to the closure of Emporium at Hillsdale.

    Action taken

    Sears exchanged its building across from the mall for the former Emporium building and moved into the mall proper.

    Aftermath

    The change preserved Sears as an anchor while adapting the property to department-store consolidation.

    Source

  • 1982

    Convert the open-air center into an enclosed regional mallStrategy

    Background

    Hillsdale faced competition from the newly developed Fashion Island shopping center nearby.

    Action taken

    Under Frances Bohannon Nelson, the property was substantially rebuilt as a two-level enclosed mall while retaining Macy's and Emporium and adding Mervyn's and Nordstrom.

    Aftermath

    The redevelopment strengthened Hillsdale's regional-market position, while Fashion Island later declined and closed.

    Source

Sources2 sources

  1. 1Hillsdale Shopping Centeren.wikipedia.org
  2. 2Hillsdale Shopping Center official websitehillsdale.com

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