Inland Center

Inland Center is a regional shopping mall in San Bernardino, California, near the city’s southwestern boundary and adjacent to Interstate 215. The center serves communities in the southern San Bernardino area, including San Bernardino, Colton, Redlands, and Loma Linda. It is a single-level enclosed mall with department-store anchors, specialty retailers, services, food offerings, and substantial surface parking. The property is owned and operated by Macerich. The mall was developed by Homart Development Company and opened in 1966 on the site of the former Urbita Hot Springs lake. Victor Gruen Associates designed the center. Its original opening was staged over several weeks: The Broadway opened on August 29, May Company opened on September 6, Sears opened on September 28, and the central mall concourse opened on October 12. The completed project had approximately 70 stores and parking for about 5,000 vehicles. The original department-store lineup reflected the dominant role of traditional regional and national department stores in American shopping-center development during the period. Inland Center’s anchor roster changed repeatedly as department-store companies consolidated or entered liquidation. May Company became Robinsons-May after a corporate merger, and the former May space was later occupied by Gottschalks. The Broadway was acquired by Macy’s in the 1990s, while a newer Robinsons-May building was added near the principal entrance in 1998. After Federated Department Stores acquired May Department Stores, Macy’s consolidated its presence in 2006 by using the newer Robinsons-May building and closing the former Broadway location. The older space was subsequently associated with a proposed Mervyn’s conversion and later with Forever 21. The mall also experienced the broader disruption affecting department stores and specialty retail in the late 2000s and 2010s. Gottschalks entered liquidation in 2009, after which JCPenney announced and eventually opened a store in the former Gottschalks space in 2016. Sears, an original anchor, closed in February 2020 after Sears Holdings announced a national round of store closures. Forever 21, which had occupied the former Broadway-area space, was reported as facing closure during the retailer’s restructuring and ultimately closed in 2025 according to the supplied reference material. Macy’s and JCPenney are identified in that material as the mall’s continuing principal department-store anchors. Inland Center has undergone physical and operational changes as well. Entrances were renovated around 2000 with landscaping, benches, and updated signage, and the food court was remodeled. Underused portions of the mall’s lower level were sealed from public access in the late 2000s, with a children’s play area later created near the former vertical circulation area. Road and parking changes accompanied the Interstate 215 expansion, including temporary use of portions of the mall’s parking areas and the reopening of the Inland Center Drive overpass in 2010. Macerich installed more than 4,000 rooftop solar panels in 2013 and added electric-vehicle charging stations in major parking areas. The property remains an operating regional shopping center, although its tenant mix and anchor spaces have evolved with changes in the U.S. department-store and specialty-retail sectors.

Inland Center was developed by Homart Development Company and opened in 1966 in San Bernardino, California. The mall was built on the former Urbita Hot Springs lake, and its design was attributed to Victor Gruen Associates of Beverly Hills. Its opening took place in stages. The Broadway began trading on August 29, followed by May Company on September 6 and Sears on September 28. The approximately 70-store concourse opened on October 12. The original complex occupied about 63 acres and provided parking for approximately 5,000 cars. The center’s original architecture included a distinctive central cement vault that functioned as a principal entrance before later renovations. The original anchor buildings represented the era’s department-store-centered mall model. During the 1990s, the property’s tenant structure changed substantially. May Company disappeared as a standalone name after a merger that produced Robinsons-May, while the former May space was later occupied by Gottschalks. Macy’s acquired The Broadway in 1996 and converted its store operations. In 1998, Robinsons-May added a newer anchor building near the main entrance, giving the mall an additional large-format department-store presence. The 2000s brought further consolidation. Entrances were updated in 2000, including trees, benches, new signage, and a remodeled food court. After Macy’s acquired Robinsons-May in 2006, Macy’s consolidated into the newer building and closed the older Broadway facility. A proposed Mervyn’s conversion of the older space did not come to fruition after Mervyn’s entered bankruptcy and liquidation. Forever 21 later announced plans to use the partially renovated space. The mall also restricted access to an underused lower level, removed some obsolete circulation features, and created a children’s play area with a U.S. Route 66 theme. Gottschalks closed during its 2009 liquidation. JCPenney eventually opened in the former Gottschalks building in 2016. Other physical changes included the removal or sale preparation of nearby pad sites and transportation-related modifications associated with the Interstate 215 expansion. The Inland Center Drive overpass near the mall reopened in April 2010. Macerich introduced sustainability and infrastructure improvements during the 2010s. In 2013, it installed more than 4,000 solar panels on the mall’s corridor rooftops and added electric-vehicle charging stations in parking areas. Sears’ property interest was transferred to Seritage Growth Properties in 2015 as part of Sears Holdings’ real-estate spinoff. H&M was announced as a new tenant in 2018 and opened later that year. The mall continued to experience anchor turnover in the 2020s. Sears closed in February 2020 following a national closure announcement. JCPenney was initially included in a 2020 closure plan but was later removed from the list supplied in the reference material. Forever 21 was associated with another nationwide closure plan in 2025 and subsequently vacated its Inland Center location according to the supplied material. The center continues to operate as a regional enclosed mall, with Macerich as owner and operator.

• 2025

  Forever 21 space becomes vacant

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Forever 21 was reported to have closed its Inland Center location during the retailer’s United States wind-down.

• 2020

  Sears closes

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The original Sears anchor closed on February 2 following a national store-closure announcement.

• 2018

  H&M opens

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  H&M opened a new fashion store at the center after being announced as a tenant earlier in the year.

• 2016

  JCPenney opens

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney opened in the former Gottschalks building and became one of the mall’s principal anchors.

• 2013

  Solar and electric-vehicle infrastructure installed

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Macerich installed rooftop solar panels and added electric-vehicle charging stations at the property.

• 2006

  Macy's consolidates its presence

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Macy's moved its principal Inland Center operation into the newer Robinsons-May building after the Federated–May merger.

• 1998

  New Robinsons-May anchor is added

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  A newer anchor building and a parking structure were added near the mall’s main entrance.

• 1996

  Macy's acquires The Broadway location

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Macy's acquired The Broadway and converted the three-level department-store building into a Macy's location.

• 1966

  Inland Center opens

  [1]Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Homart Development Company opened the mall in stages, with The Broadway, May Company, Sears, and the central concourse becoming operational between August and October.

A community-serving regional enclosed mall offering department stores, specialty retail, services, dining, and family-oriented amenities for the Inland Empire market.

• Department store · 2006

  Macy's

  Macy's is a major department-store anchor at Inland Center, offering apparel, accessories, beauty products, home merchandise, and related seasonal categories. Its current building originated as the newer Robinsons-May anchor added in 1998 and was converted to Macy's use after the corporate consolidation of Macy's and May Department Stores.

• Department store · 2016

  JCPenney

  JCPenney occupies the former Gottschalks anchor building. The store provides department-store categories including clothing, footwear, accessories, beauty, home goods, and family merchandise, and is identified in the supplied reference material as one of the mall’s remaining principal anchors.

• Shopping-center retail · 1966

  Specialty shops and services

  Inland Center’s inline tenant mix consists of specialty retailers, restaurants, food offerings, personal services, and other consumer-facing businesses. The mall has historically accommodated roughly 110 specialty shops and services in addition to its department-store anchors.

• 2016

  JCPenney replaces Gottschalks as an anchorOther

  Background

  Gottschalks’ liquidation left a major department-store building vacant at the mall.

  Action taken

  JCPenney opened a store in the former Gottschalks building.

  Aftermath

  The move restored a department-store anchor to the southern portion of the center.

  Source

• 2013

  Renewable-energy and charging-station investmentStrategy

  Background

  Macerich sought to reduce the property’s dependence on grid electricity during operating hours and improve parking-area infrastructure.

  Action taken

  The operator installed more than 4,000 solar panels on corridor rooftops and added electric-vehicle charging stations near major entrances.

  Aftermath

  The improvements strengthened the property’s energy-efficiency and transportation infrastructure, although no financial return was supplied.

  Source

1. 1Inland Centeren.wikipedia.org