Westfield Valley Fair

Westfield Valley Fair, commonly called Valley Fair, is a major enclosed shopping mall in Silicon Valley, California. Although its official address and much of its eastern section are in Santa Clara, the property also occupies substantial territory in San Jose. The unusual municipal boundary means that the center is subject to two city governments and generates sales-tax revenue for both jurisdictions. The present mall evolved from two separate open-air shopping centers established in the late 1950s. Valley Fair Shopping Center opened in 1958 on the San Jose side with Macy's and approximately 40 additional stores, including Joseph Magnin. Across Stevens Creek Boulevard, in Santa Clara, Stevens Creek Plaza operated with The Emporium and I. Magnin as anchors. The two centers were acquired and consolidated by The Hahn Company in 1986, creating a two-level enclosed mall known simply as Valley Fair. Nordstrom joined the tenant mix the following year, strengthening the property’s department-store and fashion positioning. Westfield America, a predecessor of Westfield Group, acquired an interest in the property in 1998. The center briefly carried the name Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair, but Westfield dropped the Shoppingtown designation in 2005. A major two-phase redevelopment begun in 2001 invested approximately US$165 million in a new dining terrace, about 80 additional stores, parking structures, and a new three-level Nordstrom store. A second phase converted the former Nordstrom and food-court areas into additional retail space and added a Cheesecake Factory restaurant. The mall continued shifting toward luxury, dining, and entertainment. A planned 2007 expansion was delayed during the recession, while a substantial remodeling program beginning in 2013 refreshed the dining terrace, reorganized tenants, and created a luxury-focused wing featuring brands such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Prada, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Versace, and Giorgio Armani. In 2015 Westfield proposed a much larger redevelopment with Bloomingdale’s, a luxury cinema, more than 500,000 square feet of retail space, an outdoor restaurant district, and thousands of additional parking spaces. The resulting expansion opened on March 5, 2020. It added a third interior shopping route, a prominent outdoor dining area, a three-level Bloomingdale’s, new retailers, and expanded parking. Retailers including Apple and Tiffany & Co. opened larger or relocated stores, and Eataly later opened a major food hall and market on June 16, 2022. The cinema component was initially operated by Showplace ICON, which closed in 2024 after its parent company ceased operations; Alamo Drafthouse subsequently took over the location and opened in 2025. Valley Fair is positioned as a luxury-oriented regional destination rather than merely a neighborhood shopping center. It combines department stores, specialty fashion, high-end accessories, restaurants, food halls, entertainment, and visitor-oriented amenities. Reference material describes it as Northern California’s largest mall by area and among the highest-performing malls in California by sales. By 2023, reported sales had recovered strongly from the COVID-19 disruption, reaching 66 percent above 2019 levels. Its success has also drawn retailers and shoppers away from San Francisco’s Union Square and Westfield San Francisco Centre, reinforcing the mall’s role as a leading retail destination in the Bay Area.

Westfield Valley Fair originated as two independent open-air shopping centers built in the 1950s. Valley Fair Shopping Center opened in 1958 on the San Jose portion of the site. Macy’s served as its principal anchor, alongside roughly 40 stores and an outdoor plaza that included Joseph Magnin. Stevens Creek Plaza operated separately across the property in Santa Clara, anchored by The Emporium and I. Magnin. Their location across a municipal boundary shaped the property’s later governance, taxation, and operating identity. The Hahn Company acquired and merged the two centers in 1986, replacing them with a two-level enclosed shopping mall called Valley Fair. Nordstrom joined as an anchor in 1987. I. Magnin closed in 1992, and its building passed through later uses before ultimately being demolished or redeveloped. In 1996, the former Emporium became a second Macy’s location focused on men’s and home merchandise. Westfield America, an earlier name in the Westfield corporate lineage, acquired the property jointly with partners in 1998. The mall was temporarily branded Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair, but the Shoppingtown wording was removed in 2005. A major redevelopment launched in 2001. Its first phase added a second-level dining terrace, approximately 80 stores, three parking garages, and a new three-level Nordstrom store of about 230,000 square feet. The second phase reused the former Nordstrom and food-court areas for around 30 more stores, including a retail wing facing Forest Avenue, and added a Cheesecake Factory. In 2007 Westfield proposed another major expansion, including Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, additional stores, and a 3,000-space parking structure. Although San Jose approved the project, the recession led to its postponement in 2009. During the same period, the mall’s location in two cities produced a notable labor and policy issue. When San Jose adopted a higher minimum wage than Santa Clara in 2012, employees working on different sides of the mall could technically fall under different wage rules. A Gap store straddling the city boundary chose to pay the higher rate across its operation rather than track employees’ time by jurisdiction. A comprehensive remodeling program began in 2013. It refreshed the dining terrace, rearranged tenants, renovated Nordstrom, and created a luxury retail collection in the lower-level Nordstrom wing. New luxury tenants included Mulberry, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Tory Burch, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Prada, joining established names such as Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. Westfield presented a substantially revised expansion in 2015. The plan included a three-level Bloomingdale’s, a luxury cinema, over 500,000 square feet of new interior retail space, more than 100 additional shops, an outdoor restaurant district along Stevens Creek Boulevard, and more than 3,000 new parking spaces. Showplace ICON became the first tenant in the redeveloped former I. Magnin building in 2019. The broader expansion opened on March 5, 2020, adding a third interior circulation route, new anchors, specialty stores, dining, and parking. The opening occurred just before widespread COVID-19 restrictions disrupted retail operations. The center subsequently recovered. Eataly opened on June 16, 2022, adding a large-scale food market and dining concept. The mall also introduced paid daily and monthly parking in 2022, prompting criticism from employees. By 2023, reference material stated that sales were 66 percent above 2019 levels. Valley Fair’s strength contrasted with the struggles of some San Francisco retail districts, and several retailers moved to or concentrated their Northern California presence at the Silicon Valley property. Showplace ICON closed in June 2024 after its parent company ceased theater operations. Alamo Drafthouse later assumed the space and opened a replacement theater in June 2025. On November 28, 2025, a shooting during Black Friday shopping injured a man, a woman, and a 16-year-old girl. Police said the incident began with a verbal dispute, that the female victims were apparently struck by stray shots, and that it was not an active-shooter situation. The mall reopened the following day, and police announced a suspect arrest on December 1.

• 2022

  Eataly opens

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  Eataly opened a food hall and market within the expanded mall.

• 2020

  Large expansion opens

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  The redevelopment opened with Bloomingdale’s, new retail routes, dining, entertainment, and parking.

• 2013

  Luxury and dining remodel starts

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  The center began a major tenant reconfiguration and introduced an expanded luxury retail collection.

• 2001

  Major redevelopment begins

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  A two-phase redevelopment added stores, dining, parking, and a new Nordstrom building.

• 1998

  Westfield acquires an interest

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  Westfield America acquired a joint interest in Valley Fair.

• 1987

  Nordstrom joins the mall

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  Nordstrom became an anchor tenant.

• 1986

  Two shopping centers are merged

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  The Hahn Company consolidated Valley Fair Shopping Center and Stevens Creek Plaza into a two-level enclosed mall.

• 1958

  Original Valley Fair Shopping Center opens

  [1]Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org

  The San Jose-side open-air shopping center opened with Macy’s and approximately 40 other stores.

Luxury-oriented regional shopping and dining destination serving Silicon Valley and the wider Northern California market.

• Anchor retail

  Department stores

  Valley Fair’s department-store base includes Macy’s, a separate Macy’s Men’s and Home Store, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s. These anchors provide apparel, accessories, beauty, home merchandise, and broader seasonal and lifestyle assortments, while also supporting the mall’s role as a destination for high-value shopping.

• Luxury fashion retail · 2013

  Luxury Collection

  The luxury-focused wing brings together international fashion and accessories houses, including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Prada, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Tory Burch, Mulberry, and Salvatore Ferragamo. It reinforces Valley Fair’s premium positioning within Northern California.

• Food hall and market · 2022

  Eataly

  Eataly is a large Italian food hall, market, and dining concept offering prepared food, restaurants, specialty groceries, and culinary experiences. Its opening expanded Valley Fair beyond conventional mall dining and added an experiential destination intended to increase dwell time.

• Entertainment · 2019

  Cinema and entertainment

  The entertainment offer included Showplace ICON, which opened in 2019 and closed in 2024 after its parent company ceased operations. Alamo Drafthouse subsequently took over the site and opened a replacement theater in 2025. The property also added Bowlero in the former I. Magnin replacement building in 2023.

• 2025

  Black Friday shooting

  On November 28, 2025, three people were injured in a shooting during Black Friday shopping. Police said the incident stemmed from a verbal dispute and was not an active-shooter event, later characterizing it as a gang-related altercation. The mall reopened the next day, and a suspect was arrested on December 1.

  Source

Read more

• 2022

  Introduction of paid parkingOther

  Background

  The mall changed its parking model after its major expansion and pandemic-era recovery.

  Action taken

  Valley Fair began charging for daily and monthly parking.

  Aftermath

  Some mall employees criticized the new charges.

  Source

• 2015

  Approval and execution of the expanded redevelopment planStrategy

  Background

  After the earlier expansion was delayed during the recession, Westfield proposed a substantially larger redevelopment.

  Action taken

  The plan added Bloomingdale’s, a luxury cinema, more than 500,000 square feet of retail space, an outdoor dining district, new stores, and thousands of parking spaces.

  Aftermath

  The completed project opened in 2020 and created a larger luxury, dining, and entertainment destination.

  Announced expansion value. US$1.1 billion (2015 proposal)

  Source

• 2013

  Shift toward luxury and experiential retailStrategy

  Background

  Valley Fair was repositioned to attract affluent Silicon Valley shoppers and premium international brands.

  Action taken

  The mall remodeled its dining areas, reorganized tenants, renovated Nordstrom, and created a luxury retail collection.

  Aftermath

  The center increased its concentration of luxury fashion, jewelry, and premium dining concepts.

  Source

• 2001

  Launch of a major two-phase expansionStrategy

  Background

  The mall sought to increase its regional draw and modernize its enclosed retail environment.

  Action taken

  Westfield and its partners added dining, stores, parking garages, and a new three-level Nordstrom store, followed by additional retail space in the former Nordstrom and food-court areas.

  Aftermath

  The project substantially increased the mall’s retail capacity and strengthened its department-store and dining offer.

  Project investment. US$165 million (2001 expansion project)

  Source

1. 1Westfield Valley Fairen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Westfield Valley Fair official websitewestfield.com