Macdonald 80 Shopping Center
| Location | Richmond, CA, USA |
|---|---|
| No. of stores and services | 12 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 1 |
| Total retail floor area | 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Parking | 2,300 spaces |
Macdonald 80 Shopping Center or simply Macdonald 80 is a 200,000 sq. ft. (18,580m³) regional shopping mall in the North & East neighborhood[1] in Richmond, California, anchored by a Target store.[2][3] The center was largely demolished and rebuilt after suffering from urban decay and blight.[4] It is the only entirely LEED certified mall. It is anchored by a large, "sprawling" Target store.[5]
History
The mall was built in the 1950s and was originally anchored by a Montgomery Wards department store and a ToysЯus toy store.[6] At the time it was the only modern shopping center in the general area as Hilltop Mall, Pinole Vista, and Bay Street had not yet been built. The toy store relocated to Pinole Vista Shopping Center in the 1990s while the department store went bankrupt company-wide and closed its location.[3] The site fell into disuse and only supported a Mechanics Bank and some small ma 'n pa local businesses.
In 2004 as part of redevelopment efforts to revitalize the city's "Main Street" - Macdonald Avenue the city began to contemplate the revival of the center. [7] This was envisioned as a way to ameliorate the budget deficit by acquiring additional sales tax revenues.[7] controversially used eminent domain to demolish the entire mall, except the former toy store Mechanics Bank sites.
A new shopping center with modern central parking surrounded by shopping; as opposed to the classical retail architectural model of a centrally located retail structure building. The site is located between Macdonald Avenue, Interstate 80, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) tracks and the Richmond-Contra Costa County Health Center.
The city plans to expand the center by demolishing the health center and former toy store building and constructing a Lowe's home improvement store and garden center. The county health center would be relocated to Doctor's Hospital in San Pablo.
A Target Greatlands was originally envisioned however it was scaled down to a regular Target due to the state of the economy.[4] Therefore a nearby Target in El Cerrito that had decayed over the years was relocated to this site.[8] It is both the only LEED certified and only Target with its own built-in police substation.
In 2011 the Richmond Police Department's police activities league held its annual Shop With a Cop event here, and the Target store gave an additional $10 to each child's $100 shopping budget in addition to comping the sales tax.[5]
Transportation
A fork was added to the Richmond Greenway trail to connect with the mall. The mall is accessible by Macdonald Avenue, Interstate 80 and AC Transit bus lines 72M and 800 directly, while routes 7, 72 the 72R BRT line stop within one block.[9] It is also within walking and biking distance from the del Norte BART station through the Ohlone and Richmond Greenway trails.[9]
References
- ↑ North & East Neighborhood Council page, City of Richmond website
- ↑ Macdonald 80 Shopping Center, Richmond California Business, access date 26-02-2009
- 1 2 Macdonald 80 Shopping Center, city of Richmond website, access date 26-02-2009
- 1 2 Retailer targets Richmond site for new store, Target Greatland would be built at Macdonald Avenue center, which officials hope will be revitalized, West County Times, February 13, 2004, access date 04-03-2009
- 1 2 Richmond kids ‘Shop with a Cop’, Robert Rogers, Richmond Confidential, 17-12-2011, access date 25-12-2011
- ↑ Target to anchor shopping center, Cecilia M. Vega, San Francisco Chronicle, 24-08-2004, access date 25-12-2011
- 1 2 Richmond projects bright future ahead, new housing, eateries and retailers may help with city's $35 million budget shortfall, Contra Costa Times, April 26, 2004, access date 04-03-2009
- ↑ El Cerrito Target store likely shut for good, by Shelley Meron, West County Times, 01-01-2009, access date 04-03-2009
- 1 2 AC Transit system map, AC Transit website, access date 04-03-2009
 Target store |
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