Citadel Outlets
An outlet shopping center in Commerce, California, known for its castle-like former tire-factory architecture and discounted brand merchandise.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Citadel Outlets is an outlet shopping center in Commerce, California, located along the Santa Ana Freeway southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It combines discount-oriented retail with a distinctive historic setting: much of the complex occupies or incorporates remnants of the former Samson Tire and Rubber Company factory, a large 1929 industrial building designed in an Exotic Revival style inspired by the castle of Sargon II, an ancient Assyrian ruler. The architecture gives the center a recognizable identity that differs from a conventional suburban mall. The property began as an industrial site rather than a retail destination. Morgan, Walls and Clements, whose work also included Los Angeles's Mayan Theater, designed the Samson Tire and Rubber Company factory in 1929. The factory ceased operations in 1978. In 1983, the City of Commerce acquired the site for $14 million, preserving the possibility of redeveloping a prominent but underused parcel near major regional roads. In 1990, the city engaged Trammell Crow Company to redevelop the property. The reported $118 million project converted the former industrial location into an outlet center and included an adjacent 201-room hotel, originally identified as a Wyndham Garden Hotel and later operating as a DoubleTree. The development established the site's core retail and hospitality functions. Following a default by the partnership holding the ground lease, the city sold the complex to Craig Realty in July 2002 for $50 million. The transaction included a condition that the purchaser substantially enlarge the shopping center. A 157,000-square-foot expansion was completed in 2010, increasing the center's retail capacity and strengthening its position as a large outlet destination serving the Los Angeles region. The center's tenant mix is oriented toward discounted brand merchandise, including apparel and other consumer goods typically sold through outlet retail. Its location near Los Angeles makes it accessible to local shoppers, freeway travelers, and visitors seeking branded products at reduced prices. It is particularly associated with heavy holiday-shopping traffic, including Black Friday activity held on Thanksgiving, when demand has produced long lines and prompted additional security measures. Citadel Outlets has also pursued destination-making initiatives beyond ordinary discount retail. A 2019 proposal envisioned additional hotel towers, a monorail or internal connection system, new retail buildings, and an Adventure Experiential Retail facility across three development sites. The proposal was intended to connect and expand the property while adding entertainment and hospitality uses. In 2022, the center announced a seasonal sports-themed presentation called “Los Angeles: Home of Champions,” honoring Los Angeles championship teams and featuring the Los Angeles Rams after their Super Bowl LVI victory as well as World Series champions. The property is also associated with long-term regional transit planning. A station serving Citadel Outlets has been proposed as part of the Los Angeles Metro E Line Eastside Transit Corridor. The cited planning timetable anticipated construction beginning in 2029 and service commencement in 2035, although these dates describe a proposed project rather than an operating station. Overall, Citadel Outlets is best understood as a regional outlet-retail and visitor destination whose brand identity rests on discounted merchandise, freeway visibility, adaptive reuse of historic industrial architecture, and proximity to metropolitan Los Angeles.
History
Citadel Outlets occupies a former industrial property in Commerce, California, southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The site's architectural identity originates with the Samson Tire and Rubber Company factory, constructed in 1929 to designs by Morgan, Walls and Clements. The factory used an Exotic Revival vocabulary associated with the castle of Sargon II, giving the industrial building an unusually monumental and fortified appearance. The same architectural remnants later became the defining visual feature of the retail complex. Samson Tire and Rubber ceased operations in 1978. Five years later, the City of Commerce acquired the property for a reported $14 million. The purchase preserved municipal control over a strategically located but obsolete industrial site near the Santa Ana Freeway and created an opportunity for a large-scale adaptive-reuse and commercial redevelopment project. In 1990, the city hired Trammell Crow Company to undertake redevelopment. The reported $118 million project transformed the site into an outlet shopping center and included a neighboring 201-room hotel. The hotel was initially associated with the Wyndham Garden brand and later became a DoubleTree. This phase established the complex's combination of retail, hospitality, and roadside visibility. The property's ownership and development structure later changed after the partnership holding the ground lease defaulted. In July 2002, the city sold the complex to Craig Realty for a reported $50 million. The sale required Craig Realty to expand the mall substantially, with the stated objective of doubling its size. A 157,000-square-foot expansion was completed in 2010, reinforcing Citadel Outlets as a significant outlet-shopping destination in the greater Los Angeles market. The center's retail proposition is based on outlet pricing and a mix of branded merchandise. Its customer base includes residents of the Los Angeles area, freeway users, and visitors. The property is particularly visible during Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping, when discounted merchandise has drawn large crowds and long lines. Security measures have also been increased or implemented in response to the intensity of holiday traffic. Citadel Outlets has periodically explored ways to broaden its role from a shopping center into a larger visitor destination. In 2019, a proposed expansion identified three development areas and contemplated hotel towers, a monorail or connecting transportation feature, multiple new retail structures, and an Adventure Experiential Retail building. The proposal emphasized connectivity and additional entertainment or experiential uses, although the cited material does not establish that the full plan was completed. On July 1, 2022, the property introduced “Los Angeles: Home of Champions,” a limited seasonal presentation linked to the region's professional sports culture. The initiative paid tribute to Los Angeles championship teams, including the Los Angeles Rams following their Super Bowl LVI victory and World Series champions, and was scheduled to run through Labor Day, September 6. The center also appears in regional transportation planning. A station at Citadel Outlets has been proposed for the Los Angeles Metro E Line Eastside Transit Corridor. The cited projections place groundbreaking in 2029 and the start of operations in 2035, but these are future planning targets rather than evidence that the station is currently in service. Citadel Outlets therefore remains an active retail property whose evolution has combined industrial preservation, outlet commerce, hotel uses, seasonal marketing, and prospective transit-oriented expansion.
- 2022
Home of Champions presentation unveiled
[1]Citadel Outlets launched a seasonal sports-themed presentation celebrating Los Angeles championship teams.
- 2019
Mixed-use expansion proposed
[1]Plans were proposed for hotel towers, connectivity infrastructure, new retail buildings, and experiential retail uses.
- 2010
157,000-square-foot expansion completed
[1]The center completed a major expansion that increased its retail footprint.
- 2002
Craig Realty acquires the complex
[1]Craig Realty purchased the property after a ground-lease partnership default, with an expansion obligation attached to the sale.
- 1990
Outlet-center redevelopment is commissioned
[1]Trammell Crow Company was hired for a reported $118 million redevelopment into an outlet center and adjacent hotel.
- 1983
City of Commerce purchases the site
[1]The city acquired the former factory property for a reported $14 million.
- 1978
Factory operations end
[1]The Samson Tire and Rubber factory closed, leaving the site available for later municipal acquisition and redevelopment.
- 1929
Samson Tire and Rubber factory is built
[1]Morgan, Walls and Clements designed the factory in an Exotic Revival style that later became central to Citadel Outlets' architectural identity.
Products and positioning
A destination outlet-shopping center combining discounted brand merchandise with a distinctive historic industrial and castle-inspired architectural setting in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Apparel and accessories
Outlet apparel and fashion retail
The center's primary commercial offering is discounted branded fashion merchandise, including clothing, footwear, accessories, and related consumer goods sold through outlet retailers. Individual labels and inventory vary over time; the property is positioned around value-oriented shopping rather than a single proprietary product line.
Retail events and experiences · 2022
Seasonal destination experiences
Citadel Outlets supplements its retail function with seasonal displays and promotional experiences. The 2022 Home of Champions presentation used Los Angeles sports achievements as a destination-marketing theme, illustrating the center's effort to attract visitors through programming as well as merchandise.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Los Angeles: Home of Champions
United States · Los Angeles metropolitan area
A seasonal presentation celebrating Los Angeles championship sports teams, including the Los Angeles Rams after their Super Bowl LVI win and World Series champions.
Outcome. The presentation was scheduled from July 1 through September 6, 2022. No broader performance outcome is specified in the available source material.
Brand decisions
2022
Launch of Home of Champions seasonal presentationOtherBackground
The center used Los Angeles's championship sports culture to create a seasonal destination-marketing program.
Action taken
Citadel Outlets unveiled the presentation on July 1, featuring tributes to the Los Angeles Rams and World Series champions.
Aftermath
The program was scheduled to continue through September 6, 2022; no later outcome is specified.
2019
Proposed expansion into a mixed-use destinationStrategyBackground
The proposed project sought to expand the shopping center across three sites and improve links across the sprawling property.
Action taken
Plans called for hotel towers, a monorail or internal connection, additional retail buildings, and an Adventure Experiential Retail facility.
Aftermath
The available material identifies the proposal but does not confirm full construction or completion.
Recent events
- 2022
Citadel Outlets launches Los Angeles: Home of Champions[1]
Campaign
The center announced a seasonal presentation celebrating Los Angeles championship sports teams, including the Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams and World Series champions.
- 2019
Citadel Outlets plans a possible mixed-use expansion[1]
Other
A proposed redevelopment would add hotel towers, a monorail or internal connection, new retail buildings, and an Adventure Experiential Retail facility across three development sites.
- 2010
Citadel Outlets completes major expansion[1]
Product generation
A 157,000-square-foot expansion was completed, increasing the center's retail area after Craig Realty's acquisition.
- 2002
Craig Realty acquires Citadel complex after ground-lease default[1]
M&A
After the partnership holding the ground lease defaulted, the city sold the complex to Craig Realty for a reported $50 million, subject to a requirement to double the mall's size.
- 1990
Trammell Crow redevelopment project begins[1]
Other
Trammell Crow Company was hired to redevelop the former tire-factory site into an outlet center with an adjacent 201-room hotel.
- 1983
City of Commerce acquires former Samson Tire factory site[1]
Other
The City of Commerce purchased the former industrial property for a reported $14 million, creating the basis for its later redevelopment as an outlet center.
Proposed Metro station included in Eastside Transit Corridor planning[1]
Regulation
A future station at Citadel Outlets has been proposed as part of the Los Angeles Metro E Line Eastside Transit Corridor, with cited planning projections of construction in 2029 and operations in 2035.
Sources2 sources
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