Pacific Commons

Pacific Commons is an approximately 840-acre master-planned mixed-use development in Fremont, California, at the northern edge of Silicon Valley. Developed by Catellus Development Corporation, the project occupies land associated with the former Fremont Dragstrip, Baylands Raceway Park, and Sky Sailing Airport. It combines retail, dining, entertainment, research and development, industrial, and planned commercial uses rather than functioning as a conventional standalone shopping mall. The original concept emphasized high-technology research and development facilities, supported by a more limited amount of retail and restaurant space, a convention center, and a hotel. The development was intended to benefit from Fremont’s location within the broader Silicon Valley economy. Cisco Systems once planned to relocate its headquarters and consolidate much of its Bay Area operations at Pacific Commons in a major office campus. Those plans were placed on hold during the technology-sector downturn associated with the dot-com bust. Cisco later purchased approximately 149 acres of vacant land in Fremont in 2011, most of it from Catellus, but the contemplated headquarters relocation was never established as an operating feature of Pacific Commons. Environmental mitigation has been a significant part of the project’s development. Catellus donated hundreds of acres along the southern and western boundaries to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The project also included a causeway carrying part of Cushing Parkway across wetland areas, connecting Pacific Commons toward Fremont Boulevard and Interstate 880. The retail component became the most visible part of the development. After the City of Fremont re-entitled a substantial portion of the site for retail use in early 2004, Catellus opened the regional shopping center in October of that year. Pacific Commons Retail District uses a hybrid format that combines characteristics of a regional shopping center, power center, and lifestyle center. Its tenants include large national retailers such as Costco, Lowe’s, Target, Ashley HomeStore, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington, and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, together with specialty retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues. A major expansion opened in March 2012 under the name The Block @ Pacific Commons. The expansion added a Target-anchored lifestyle center, a 16-screen Century Theatres multiplex, and a pedestrian-oriented promenade of shops and restaurants. The storefront design along Pacific Commons Boulevard was intended to evoke a traditional small-town downtown district. Following the expansion, the retail district contained just under 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable space across approximately 106 acres, making it the largest shopping center in southern Alameda County according to the referenced material. Pacific Commons also became associated with a proposed baseball and ballpark-village project. In 2006, Oakland Athletics owner Lewis Wolff presented a plan for Cisco Field on land in and around Pacific Commons. The proposal envisioned a privately financed baseball stadium, commercial and retail space, a hotel, restaurants, a cinema, parking structures, and thousands of homes. The stadium concept was not built; the arrangement fell through in 2010 as San Jose was considered as an alternative location. Pacific Commons remains an active mixed-use commercial district, with retail and dining uses operating alongside research, development, and industrial space, while some land originally intended for research and development remains undeveloped.

Pacific Commons is a master-planned development in Fremont, California, assembled on a large former industrial and aviation-related site. The approximately 840-acre property includes land associated with the former Fremont Dragstrip and Baylands Raceway Park, as well as the former Sky Sailing Airport, a glider field. Catellus Development Corporation led the project’s development. The initial planning concept reflected Fremont’s position near the northern edge of Silicon Valley. Catellus envisioned a substantial concentration of high-technology research and development activity, complemented by retail, restaurants, a convention center, and a hotel. One of the most prominent prospective occupants was Cisco Systems, which considered relocating its headquarters and bringing much of its San Francisco Bay Area operations together in a large campus containing several high-rise office buildings. The technology-market collapse and dot-com downturn caused Cisco to put that plan on hold. In 2011, Cisco acquired approximately 149 acres of vacant Fremont land, much of it from Catellus, but the referenced material does not establish that the headquarters plan was revived. Because of the scale and location of the project, environmental mitigation became a major feature of its planning. Catellus donated hundreds of acres along the southern and western edges of Pacific Commons to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. A related transportation and infrastructure measure involved constructing a causeway for part of Cushing Parkway over wetland-preserve areas, providing a connection south toward Fremont Boulevard and Interstate 880 near the Fremont Marriott Hotel. The project’s most prominent completed component became its retail district. In early 2004, the City of Fremont re-entitled a large portion of Pacific Commons for retail use. Catellus opened the regional shopping center in October 2004. Its format combined a regional shopping center with elements of a power center and lifestyle center. Early and continuing large tenants included Lowe’s, Costco, and other national chains. The district also developed a broad restaurant offering, ranging from fast-casual and quick-service restaurants to specialty food venues. A major second phase, The Block @ Pacific Commons, opened in March 2012. It added a Target-anchored lifestyle center and a 16-screen Century Theatres multiplex with a large seating capacity. A promenade of shops, restaurants, and other eateries connected the Target store and theater. Retail frontage along Pacific Commons Boulevard was designed to face sidewalks and suggest the character of a conventional small-town downtown. After this expansion, the retail district reached just under 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable space on approximately 106 acres, making it the largest shopping center in southern Alameda County in the cited description. Pacific Commons also served as the proposed setting for Cisco Field, a baseball-centered development promoted by Lewis Wolff in 2006. The proposal covered roughly 240 acres and called for a baseball-only stadium with approximately 32,000 to 34,000 seats, alongside commercial and retail buildings, housing, a hotel, restaurants, a movie theater, and parking facilities. The financing concept relied primarily on sales of surrounding residential and commercial properties rather than direct public stadium financing. Detailed plans included thousands of homes and substantial commercial floor area. The proposal did not proceed: the deal fell through in 2010 while San Jose was under consideration for the ballpark. The completed Pacific Commons has therefore evolved from a high-technology and office-oriented master plan into a diversified commercial district whose most recognizable identity is its large retail and entertainment center. The development contains more than one million square feet of research and development and industrial space, including a 500,000-square-foot Office Depot distribution center according to the referenced material. More than 100 acres designated for research and development remained undeveloped in that account. Pacific Commons continues to function as a regional shopping, dining, entertainment, and employment destination rather than as a consumer-goods brand with a single product line.

• 2012

  The Block expansion opens

  [1]Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The Block @ Pacific Commons opened with Target, Century Theatres, and a lifestyle-oriented retail and dining promenade.

• 2011

  Cisco acquires vacant Fremont acreage

  [1]Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Cisco purchased approximately 149 acres of vacant land in Fremont, most of it from Catellus, although a headquarters relocation was not confirmed.

• 2010

  Cisco Field plan ends

  [1]Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  The Fremont ballpark agreement was cancelled while San Jose was being considered as an alternative site.

• 2006

  Cisco Field proposal presented

  [1]Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Lewis Wolff brought a modified ballpark-village proposal to a large Pacific Commons-area site in Fremont.

• 2004

  Retail district opens

  [1]Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  After a substantial retail re-entitlement by Fremont, Catellus opened the Pacific Commons regional shopping center in October.

• Master-planned development is conceived

  [1]Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org

  Catellus planned an approximately 840-acre mixed-use project on former dragstrip, racetrack, and glider-airport land, initially emphasizing high-technology research and development.

A large-scale, Silicon Valley-adjacent mixed-use destination combining regional retail, lifestyle shopping, dining, entertainment, and commercial employment space.

• Regional shopping center · 2004

  Pacific Commons Retail District

  The principal consumer-facing component of Pacific Commons is a large regional retail district combining warehouse clubs, home improvement, department-store, apparel, beauty, furniture, wine, and specialty retail. Major anchors and junior anchors cited for the district include Costco, Lowe’s, Target, Nordstrom Rack, Burlington, Ashley HomeStore, TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, Total Wine & More, DSW, Old Navy, Ulta Beauty, and Five Below.

• Lifestyle and entertainment center · 2012

  The Block @ Pacific Commons

  The Block is the retail district’s lifestyle and entertainment expansion. It includes a Target store, a 16-screen Century Theatres multiplex, and a pedestrian-oriented promenade lined with shops, restaurants, and other eateries. Its street-facing design was intended to resemble a traditional downtown retail environment.

• Commercial real estate

  Research, development, and industrial space

  Pacific Commons includes more than one million square feet of research and development and industrial space. The cited description identifies a 500,000-square-foot Office Depot distribution center and notes that more than 100 acres designated for research and development remained undeveloped.

• Proposed mixed-use development · 2006

  Cisco Field ballpark village

  Cisco Field was a proposed baseball stadium and surrounding village that would have combined a roughly 32,000-to-34,000-seat ballpark with commercial, retail, residential, hotel, restaurant, cinema, and parking uses. The project was proposed for the Fremont area in 2006 but was cancelled in 2010 and was never built.

• 2012

  Open The Block @ Pacific CommonsProduct launch

  Background

  The existing retail district required an expanded lifestyle and entertainment component.

  Action taken

  Pacific Commons opened The Block expansion with Target, Century Theatres, and a promenade of shops and restaurants.

  Aftermath

  The retail district grew to just under 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable space across approximately 106 acres.

  Source

• 2006

  Advance the Cisco Field ballpark-village proposalOther

  Background

  A large parcel near Pacific Commons was available for a proposed baseball-centered commercial and residential development.

  Action taken

  Lewis Wolff proposed a privately financed stadium and surrounding mixed-use district containing retail, housing, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment uses.

  Aftermath

  The Fremont agreement was cancelled in 2010 while San Jose was considered as an alternative location; the stadium was not built at Pacific Commons.

  Estimated stadium cost. (2006 proposal)

  Source

• 2004

  Shift a substantial portion of the project toward retailStrategy

  Background

  The original concept emphasized research and development, but the City of Fremont re-entitled a large portion of Pacific Commons for retail use.

  Action taken

  Catellus proceeded with a regional shopping center that opened in October 2004.

  Aftermath

  Retail became the most visible and commercially established component of Pacific Commons, later expanding through The Block.

  Source

1. 1Pacific Commonsen.wikipedia.org