Bay Street Emeryville
Bay Street Emeryville is a mixed-use shopping, dining, entertainment, hospitality, and residential development in Emeryville, California.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Bay Street Emeryville is a large mixed-use development in Emeryville, California, serving the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay region. Rather than functioning solely as a conventional enclosed shopping mall, the property combines retail stores, restaurants, entertainment, a hotel, and residential housing in an open-air urban setting. Reference material describes the development as having approximately 65 stores, 10 restaurants, a 16-screen movie theater, a 230-room hotel, and about 400 residential units housing roughly 1,000 people. Its tenant mix has included national retailers, bookstores, home-furnishing businesses, apparel brands, technology stores, restaurants, and a multiplex cinema. The development occupies a historically and environmentally sensitive site associated with the Emeryville Shellmound, an Ohlone burial and cultural site. The property was also affected by the legacy of industrial contamination before redevelopment. These factors have shaped public discussion around the project, including recurring demonstrations and an annual “Don’t Buy Anything Day” organized since 2001 by Ohlone descendants and supporters who object to the treatment of the ancestral site. Bay Street is also connected to the surrounding ecological landscape: Temescal Creek passes through the property in a channelized open culvert before reaching the bay near the Crescent wetlands, and the development is located opposite the Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve. Its location is a major part of its commercial identity. Bay Street sits near Interstate 80, Interstate 580, the MacArthur Maze, and the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge. Nearby destinations include an IKEA store, Pixar, other shopping centers, hotels, and the Emeryville Amtrak station. Public transport connections have included AC Transit service, Transbay commuter routes, the Emery Go-Round shuttle network, and access to BART through regional connections. Parking was initially free but later became paid, with charges described in reference material as varying from approximately $2 to $10 depending on duration; repeated increases have generated local controversy. The property has also promoted design and sustainability features. Its West Elm location has been described as LEED certified and incorporating on-site solar generation, a grass roof that provides insect habitat, and skylights intended to reduce energy consumption. A highly visible seasonal attraction began in 2010, when artist Anthony Schmitt’s 34-foot Christmas tree made from 84 shopping carts was displayed at Bay Street. The installation had previously originated in Santa Monica and became a recurring holiday feature in Emeryville through 2014. Tenant composition has changed over time. Several Gap Inc. brands, including Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic stores, closed at the site in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Other businesses identified in reference material include Barnes & Noble, West Elm, Apple, UNIQLO, H&M, AMC Theatres, and restaurants such as California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and Rubio’s Coastal Grill, although individual occupancy has changed. In 2021, the property was sold by UBS Realty Investors and acquired by Southern California-based CentreCal Properties. The development remains an active commercial and residential destination, but its precise current tenant roster and operating statistics require verification from the official property website or current leasing materials.
History
Bay Street Emeryville developed as part of Emeryville’s transformation from an industrial municipality into a dense East Bay residential, commercial, and entertainment center. The project was built on the former Emeryville Shellmound site, an area associated with Ohlone ancestral burials and cultural remains. The land also carried a legacy of industrial contamination. Redevelopment therefore generated criticism from Ohlone descendants and other community members who argued that construction and commercial activity damaged or desecrated an important ancestral landscape. Since 2001, descendants and supporters have held a recurring “Don’t Buy Anything Day” at the site as a form of protest and remembrance. The completed development adopted a mixed-use format, bringing together open-air retail streets, restaurants, entertainment, lodging, and residential units. Reference material describes a property with approximately 65 stores, 10 restaurants, a 16-screen cinema, a 230-room hotel, and 400 residential units. This combination positioned Bay Street as more than a shopping center: it became a destination intended to support shopping, dining, recreation, tourism, and everyday residential activity. Its location near the Bay Bridge, Interstates 80 and 580, the MacArthur Maze, Emeryville Amtrak, and regional transit routes strengthened its role as an accessible destination for residents and visitors from both the East Bay and San Francisco. The development is situated within a complicated ecological setting. Temescal Creek crosses the property through a channelized, concrete-lined open culvert before continuing toward the bay and the Crescent wetlands. Bay Street is also adjacent to the Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve. These surroundings have contributed to the site’s environmental profile, alongside sustainability measures associated with the West Elm store. That store has been described as LEED certified, with some solar-energy generation, a grass roof intended to provide insect habitat, and extensive skylights designed to reduce energy use. Bay Street’s commercial identity has evolved with retail conditions. Its reported tenant mix has included Barnes & Noble, West Elm, Apple, UNIQLO, H&M, AMC Theatres, and a range of restaurants and national apparel brands. In 2020, the Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic businesses at the center closed during the COVID-19 period, illustrating the effect of the pandemic on physical retail and the development’s tenant turnover. Restaurants and other stores listed in historical reference material have also included California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and Rubio’s Coastal Grill, though occupancy is subject to change. Seasonal programming added a distinctive public-facing element. Beginning in 2010, Bay Street displayed artist Anthony Schmitt’s 34-foot Christmas tree constructed from 84 shopping carts. The installation originated in Santa Monica and was shown at Bay Street through 2014, where it functioned as both holiday decoration and a recognizable attraction for visitors. Management and ownership changed during the property’s later history. New general management took over in 2017. In 2021, UBS Realty Investors sold Bay Street Emeryville to CentreCal Properties, a Southern California-based real-estate company. The property continues to operate as an active mixed-use destination. Its current tenant list, ownership structure beyond the reported acquisition, exact residential occupancy, and current financial performance are not established by the supplied references and should be verified separately.
- 2021
Ownership transfers to CentreCal Properties
[1]CentreCal Properties acquired Bay Street Emeryville from UBS Realty Investors.
- 2020
Several Gap Inc. brands close
[1]Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic stores at Bay Street closed during the COVID-19 pandemic period.
- 2017
General management changes
[1]Reference material records a transition to new general management at Bay Street Emeryville.
- 2014
Shopping-cart tree display concludes at Bay Street
[1]The distinctive holiday installation was displayed at Bay Street through 2014, after originating in Santa Monica.
- 2010
Shopping-cart Christmas tree introduced
[1]Bay Street began attracting visitors with Anthony Schmitt’s 34-foot Christmas tree made from 84 shopping carts.
- 2001
Recurring Shellmound-site protest begins
[1]Ohlone descendants and supporters began holding an annual “Don’t Buy Anything Day” at the development site to protest the treatment of the Emeryville Shellmound and associated burial grounds.
Products and positioning
A regional East Bay mixed-use destination combining national retail, restaurants, entertainment, hospitality, and housing with convenient highway and public-transit access.
Retail
Retail stores
Bay Street’s retail component has included national and specialty businesses across books, home furnishings, apparel, technology, and general merchandise. Historically identified tenants include Barnes & Noble, West Elm, Apple, UNIQLO, H&M, and several Gap Inc. brands. The tenant mix changes over time as leases expire, retailers restructure, and new businesses enter the property.
Dining
Restaurants
The development has included approximately 10 restaurants and food-service businesses, combining national chains and casual dining. Historical references identify California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, and Rubio’s Coastal Grill among the restaurants associated with the property, although individual locations may have closed or changed.
Entertainment
AMC Theatres cinema
Bay Street includes a 16-screen movie theater identified in reference material as an AMC Theatres cinema. The theater forms a major entertainment component of the mixed-use destination and complements its restaurants and retail stores.
Residential real estate
Residential units
The development incorporates approximately 400 residential units. The housing component supports the property’s mixed-use model by placing residents within walking distance of stores, restaurants, entertainment, transit connections, and nearby employment and cultural destinations.
Hospitality
Hotel
Reference material describes a 230-room hotel within or associated with the Bay Street development. The hotel expands the property’s role beyond local retail by accommodating visitors to Emeryville and the wider San Francisco Bay Area.
Controversies
2001
Controversy over development on the Emeryville Shellmound
The development occupies a site associated with Ohlone ancestral burials and the Emeryville Shellmound, as well as a former toxic-waste site. Ohlone descendants and supporters have criticized the redevelopment and have held an annual “Don’t Buy Anything Day” since 2001 to protest what they regard as desecration of the site.
Parking-fee increases draw criticism
Bay Street’s shift from free parking to paid parking, followed by repeated fee increases, has been controversial among visitors and members of the surrounding community. The supplied reference does not provide a specific launch date or detailed record of the dispute.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Shopping-cart Christmas tree
United States
Bay Street presented Anthony Schmitt’s 34-foot Christmas tree made from 84 shopping carts as a distinctive seasonal attraction. The installation connected holiday programming with public art and helped draw visitors to the retail district.
Outcome. The display became a recognizable Bay Street holiday feature and continued at the site through 2014.
Brand decisions
2021
CentreCal Properties acquires Bay Street EmeryvilleM&ABackground
UBS Realty Investors owned the mixed-use property before the reported 2021 transaction.
Action taken
CentreCal Properties, a Southern California-based real-estate company, acquired Bay Street Emeryville.
Aftermath
The transaction changed the property’s ownership. The supplied sources do not establish subsequent redevelopment plans, financial terms, or changes to the tenant strategy.
2020
Retail tenant base contracts during the pandemicStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant pressure on physical retail and contributed to store closures across the United States.
Action taken
Several Gap Inc. brands at Bay Street, including Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic, closed their locations.
Aftermath
The closures reduced the development’s historical apparel-retail presence and underscored continuing tenant turnover. The sources do not specify whether the closures were permanent in every case or identify replacement tenants.
- Parking changes from free access to paid parkingPrice change
Background
Parking at Bay Street was originally free, but the property later introduced charges and subsequently increased them.
Action taken
The property adopted paid parking, with reference material describing fees of approximately $2 to $10 depending on the length of stay.
Aftermath
The parking policy and repeated increases became a source of local controversy. A precise implementation date and current fee schedule are not established by the supplied material.
Recent events
- 2021
Bay Street Emeryville property sold to CentreCal Properties[1]
M&A
CentreCal Properties acquired Bay Street Emeryville from UBS Realty Investors, changing ownership of the mixed-use development.
- 2020
Multiple Gap Inc. brands closed at Bay Street during the COVID-19 period[1]
Other
Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, and Banana Republic locations at Bay Street were reported closed during the pandemic period, reflecting broader retail disruption.
- 2017
New general management took over at Bay Street Emeryville[1]
Leadership change
Reference material identifies a change in general management at the development.
- 2010
Bay Street introduced a shopping-cart Christmas tree attraction[1]
Campaign · Other
A 34-foot holiday tree assembled from 84 shopping carts was displayed at Bay Street, attracting visitors as a seasonal public-art and retail feature.
Bay Street parking fees became a recurring local controversy[1]
Pricing · Other
Parking, originally free, was converted to a paid system with fees that were repeatedly increased, prompting criticism and public debate.
Sources2 sources
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