Bridgepointe Shopping Center
Bridgepointe Shopping Center is an open-air power center in San Mateo, California, redeveloped from the former San Mateo Fashion Island mall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Bridgepointe Shopping Center is a retail and shopping center in San Mateo, California, located near California State Route 92. The property originated as San Mateo Fashion Island, an enclosed regional mall developed by The Hahn Company and formally opened on May 2, 1982. Its original plan called for an approximately 844,000-square-foot, one-story mall with more than 140 stores and four department-store anchors: Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, Bullock's, and Liberty House. The complex also included an ice-skating rink, food court, and multiplex cinema. The mall was built on a formerly muddy site, requiring piling foundations designed to provide structural flexibility. Its location offered freeway visibility but later became difficult to access during construction work on Highway 92. The property also faced operational and competitive problems. The Bullock's store used a fabric roof whose ventilation and temperature-control problems reportedly affected the shopping environment. Nearby Hillsdale Shopping Center expanded during the 1980s, increasing competitive pressure. At the same time, the department-store sector experienced substantial change, weakening the anchor structure on which Fashion Island depended. Liberty House closed most of its California stores in 1984 but retained its Fashion Island location temporarily. Hahn placed the mall on the market in 1986 after disappointing performance. Federated Department Stores closed the Bullock's location that year, and much of the space was converted into All American Sports Club. Terranomics Development acquired a 25 percent stake in 1987, while the property was renamed The Island. The Liberty House space was subsequently sold to Whole Earth Access, although that retailer did not ultimately open at the mall. All American Sports Club later entered bankruptcy and closed its stores in 1989, and JCPenney departed in 1991. By 1993, more than 80 percent of the interior was vacant. The center had lost several major retailers, including Oshman's Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, and Pier One Imports. An attempted repositioning as an outlet center did not secure the necessary tenants. In 1995, Sand Hill Properties acquired the property and proposed replacing the enclosed mall with an outdoor power center. The redevelopment plan prompted litigation over contractual obligations, but San Mateo's city council approved demolition of the main mall structure in September 1996, with the ice-skating rink initially retained. The rebuilt property opened as Bridgepointe Shopping Center, an open-air retail center anchored by Target and The Home Depot. Over time, its tenant mix included Toys R Us, Staples, Petco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, Cost Plus World Market, and Sports Authority, among others. Several of those tenants later closed or were replaced, including Hobby Lobby in the former Toys R Us space, Ross Dress For Less in the former Staples space, and Total Wine & More in the former Sports Authority space. The ice-skating rink, one of the few surviving elements of the former mall, closed in 2013. The center contains more than 572,000 square feet of retail space and is owned and managed by CBRE Group. Target and The Home Depot remain among its principal tenants.
History
Bridgepointe Shopping Center developed through the transformation of a failed enclosed regional mall into an open-air power center. The original project was announced by California developer The Hahn Company in 1980 under the name San Mateo Fashion Island. Developers selected a site beside State Route 92 in San Mateo that had previously been a muddy field. Because of the site's conditions, Ruthroff and Engelkirk designed piling foundations beneath the structures to accommodate ground movement and provide flexibility. The planned 844,000-square-foot mall was designed by several architectural teams: Charles Kober and Associates handled the principal mall, Environmental Planning and Research worked on the Montgomery Ward and Bullock's buildings, Millard Archuleta designed JCPenney, and Chaix and Johnson designed Liberty House. The mall opened on May 2, 1982, with four department-store anchors, more than 140 planned stores, an ice rink, food court, and multiplex theater. Its early operating model depended heavily on department-store traffic, but the property quickly encountered difficulties. Liberty House underwent restructuring and closed most of its California locations in 1984. Bullock's experienced problems associated with its fabric roof and ventilation system, while Highway 92 construction made access more difficult. The expansion of nearby Hillsdale Shopping Center also intensified local competition. Hahn placed Fashion Island up for sale in 1986, but an attempted transaction with DeMonet Industries did not reach agreement. Federated Department Stores closed Bullock's that year, and Sterlik Company converted part of the building into All American Sports Club. Terranomics Development acquired a minority stake in 1987, and the property was renamed The Island. The Liberty House space was sold to Berkeley-based Whole Earth Access after Amfac closed the store, but Whole Earth Access did not open at the center. All American Sports Club later filed for bankruptcy and closed its stores in 1989. JCPenney left in 1991, leaving the mall without two of its four original anchors. Vacancies spread through the interior during the early 1990s. By 1993, the center was reported to be more than 80 percent vacant, with stores such as Oshman's Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, and Pier One Imports among those that had departed. Hahn considered an outlet-center conversion but could not secure prospective retailers. Analysts attributed the decline to the loss of department stores and the overbuilding of shopping centers during the 1980s. Sand Hill Properties purchased the site in 1995 and announced a major renovation and redevelopment. At that stage, the remaining tenants were largely limited to the ice rink, theater, Montgomery Ward, and the Tilt! arcade. Sand Hill proposed demolishing the enclosed mall and constructing an outdoor power center anchored by Target. The proposal led to a breach-of-contract lawsuit, but the San Mateo City Council approved the redevelopment in September 1996. The approved plan preserved the ice-skating rink temporarily while allowing the rest of the mall to be removed. The rebuilt center adopted the name Bridgepointe Shopping Center. Its new format emphasized large-format, destination-oriented retailers rather than enclosed-mall department stores. Target and The Home Depot became principal anchors, while other tenants over the years included Toys R Us, Staples, Petco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, Cost Plus World Market, and Sports Authority. Later replacements included Hobby Lobby, Ross Dress For Less, and Total Wine & More. The ice rink eventually closed in 2013. Bridgepointe now operates as a retail power center of more than 572,000 square feet and is owned and managed by CBRE Group.
- 2013
Ice-skating rink closes
[1]The ice-skating rink, a surviving feature from the original mall, closed.
- 1997
Bridgepointe Shopping Center opens
[1]The rebuilt property opened under the Bridgepointe Shopping Center name as an open-air power center.
- 1996
Demolition and power-center redevelopment approved
[1]San Mateo's city council approved demolition of the main mall structure and redevelopment around an outdoor center anchored by Target.
- 1995
Sand Hill Properties acquires the mall
[1]Sand Hill Properties purchased the property and proposed replacing the enclosed mall with an outdoor power center.
- 1993
Interior occupancy falls sharply
[1]More than 80 percent of the mall was reported vacant, and an attempted conversion to an outlet center failed to secure prospective retailers.
- 1991
JCPenney departs
[1]JCPenney left the property, leaving two of the original four anchor spaces vacant.
- 1989
All American Sports Club enters bankruptcy
[1]All American Sports Club filed for bankruptcy and closed its stores, further weakening the center's anchor and specialty-retail base.
- 1987
Property renamed The Island
[1]Terranomics Development acquired a 25 percent stake, and the center was renamed The Island as its former Liberty House space was repositioned.
- 1986
Bullock's closes
[1]Federated Department Stores closed the Bullock's anchor, after which part of the building was converted into an All American Sports Club store.
- 1984
Liberty House reduces California presence
[1]Liberty House closed nine of its ten California stores during a restructuring, leaving its Fashion Island location as the only one retained in the state.
Products and positioning
A large, convenience-oriented open-air power center serving San Mateo and nearby communities through major-format anchors, specialty retailers, home-improvement stores, and everyday consumer services.
General merchandise anchor
Target
Target is one of Bridgepointe's principal anchor tenants and provides a broad assortment of general merchandise, including apparel, household goods, groceries, health and beauty products, and seasonal merchandise. Its presence reflects the center's post-redevelopment focus on large-format, everyday retail destinations.
Home improvement anchor
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is a major anchor at Bridgepointe Shopping Center, serving homeowners, contractors, and do-it-yourself customers with building materials, tools, appliances, hardware, garden products, and related services.
Historical retail offering · 1982
Former enclosed-mall retail mix
The original San Mateo Fashion Island format combined four department-store anchors with more than 140 specialty stores, a food court, multiplex cinema, and ice-skating rink. This enclosed-mall offer was replaced after prolonged vacancy and anchor-store departures.
Specialty retail
Former and replacement specialty tenants
Over its history, the property has hosted or accommodated retailers including Toys R Us, Staples, Petco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, Cost Plus World Market, and Sports Authority. Later occupants in some spaces included Hobby Lobby, Ross Dress For Less, and Total Wine & More.
Brand decisions
1995
Conversion from enclosed mall to power centerStrategyBackground
The property had suffered extensive vacancy after losing several department-store anchors and specialty retailers. Sand Hill Properties therefore pursued a fundamental change in format rather than another conventional enclosed-mall renovation.
Action taken
The redevelopment plan called for demolition of the enclosed mall, retention of the ice rink at the initial stage, and construction of an outdoor shopping center anchored by Target.
Aftermath
The plan was approved by the San Mateo City Council in 1996, and the rebuilt property opened as Bridgepointe Shopping Center, later operating with major tenants including Target and The Home Depot.
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