Great Mall of the Bay Area
A large indoor outlet shopping mall in Milpitas, California, developed from a former Ford automobile assembly plant.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Great Mall of the Bay Area, commonly known as Great Mall or The Great Mall, is a large indoor outlet shopping center in Milpitas, California. It occupies the site of a former Ford Motor Company automobile assembly plant and is recognized for its unusually large, single-level oval layout. The mall is positioned at the intersection of Great Mall Parkway and Montague Expressway, in the southern San Francisco Bay Area, and is served by nearby light rail, bus, and regional rail connections. The property originated as an industrial redevelopment project. Ford's San Jose Assembly Plant opened on the site in 1955, but the facility closed in 1983 amid increasing competition from Japanese automobile manufacturers. Ford Motor Land Development Corporation later joined with Petrie Dierman Kughn to convert the former industrial property into a major retail complex. Great Mall opened to the public on September 22, 1994. At opening, approximately 68 percent of its space was leased. The building's physical form reflects its manufacturing history. Rather than being constructed as a conventional multilevel shopping center, the mall retained a broad, flat, racetrack-style plan based on the existing assembly-plant structure. Its interior was originally divided into themed courts associated with forms of transportation and leisure, including Great Autos, Great Railroads, Great Ships, Great Planes, and Great Eats. The Great Autos area incorporated mid-century automotive motifs, vintage-style gas pumps, Coca-Cola machines, and a 1957 Ford Skyliner displayed on a rotating platform. Great Mall developed as an outlet-oriented destination with a broad tenant mix spanning apparel, department-store outlets, sporting goods, home furnishings, entertainment, food, and family attractions. Major or historically notable anchors and large tenants have included Century Theatres, Kohl's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Home Interiors Furniture, Q, Saks Off 5th, Marshalls, Burlington, Dave & Buster's, and Legoland Discovery Center. Neiman Marcus Last Call formerly operated at the property. The mall also includes a food court and multiple internal neighborhoods arranged along its oval circulation route. The property changed ownership in the 2000s. The Mills Corporation acquired Great Mall in 2003, and Simon Property Group acquired it in April 2007. Under Simon ownership, the center continued to operate as a major outlet and value-retail destination for the Bay Area. It has been described as the largest outlet mall in California by gross leasable area and, at one point, the largest mall in Northern California, although its relative ranking has changed as other regional shopping centers expanded. Great Mall underwent a renovation announced in 2016 and completed in time for the 2016 holiday season. Tenant changes during that period included the departure of Sports Authority following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and the subsequent opening of Dick's Sporting Goods in the former space in June 2017. The center's regional accessibility increased further when Bay Area Rapid Transit opened service to the nearby Milpitas station on June 13, 2020, connecting with Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority services and improving access to the mall.
History
Great Mall was built on the former San Jose Assembly Plant site in Milpitas. Ford Motor Company constructed the automobile plant in 1955, but it closed in 1983, partly because of intensifying competition from Japanese automobile manufacturers. The closure left a large industrial property available for redevelopment in a region experiencing substantial commercial and population growth. Ford Motor Land Development Corporation and Petrie Dierman Kughn subsequently formed the development partnership that transformed the site into a major indoor shopping center. Great Mall opened on September 22, 1994, with approximately 68 percent of its retail space leased. Its design retained the broad, flat structure associated with the former assembly plant rather than using the multistory configuration common among many regional malls. The resulting plan is a single-level oval or racetrack layout divided into six neighborhoods. The original interior emphasized transportation-themed environments. Courts called Great Autos, Great Railroads, Great Ships, and Great Planes reflected the property's automotive and industrial associations, while Great Eats focused on dining. The Great Autos court included period-inspired automotive displays and a 1957 Ford Skyliner placed on a rotating platform. These design elements gave the center a distinctive identity beyond its tenant mix. The mall changed ownership in 2003 when it was acquired by The Mills Corporation. Simon Property Group acquired the property in April 2007. During its operating history, the center assembled a mix of outlet retailers, department-store-format merchants, apparel and footwear stores, sporting-goods retailers, home-furnishing businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues, and family attractions. Its historically identified large tenants have included Century Theatres, Kohl's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Home Interiors Furniture, Q, Saks Off 5th, Marshalls, Burlington, Dave & Buster's, and Legoland Discovery Center. Neiman Marcus Last Call formerly occupied space at the mall. Great Mall's location at Great Mall Parkway and Montague Expressway supports access from across the South Bay and wider Bay Area. The property is near the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's Great Mall station, where VTA bus routes and an AC Transit route also serve the area. BART's opening of service to Milpitas station on June 13, 2020, added a regional rail connection through links with local transit services. In 2016, Simon announced a renovation program for the center. The work was completed in time for the 2016 holiday season. That period also brought tenant turnover: Sports Authority announced that it would close its store after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, and Dick's Sporting Goods subsequently opened in the former space in June 2017. Great Mall continues to operate as a large indoor outlet and value-shopping destination, with a gross leasable area of approximately 1.4 million square feet according to the cited reference material.
- 2020
BART service begins at Milpitas
[1]BART opened service to Milpitas station on June 13, 2020, improving public-transit access to the mall.
- 2017
Dick's Sporting Goods opens
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods opened in June 2017 in the space formerly occupied by Sports Authority.
- 2016
Renovation completed
[1]The mall completed a renovation before the 2016 holiday season.
- 2007
Simon Property Group becomes owner
[1]Simon Property Group acquired Great Mall in April 2007.
- 2003
The Mills Corporation acquires the property
[1]The Mills Corporation acquired Great Mall.
- 1994
Great Mall opens
[1]The shopping center opened on September 22, 1994, as a large indoor outlet mall developed on the former assembly-plant site.
- 1983
Assembly plant closes
[1]The Ford plant closed, partly amid growing competition from Japanese automobile manufacturers.
- 1955
Ford assembly plant opens on the site
[1]Ford Motor Company's San Jose Assembly Plant was built on the property that later became Great Mall.
Products and positioning
A large Bay Area value-shopping and entertainment destination combining outlet retail, department-store-format tenants, dining, and family attractions in a repurposed industrial building.
Apparel and general merchandise · 1994
Outlet retail
Great Mall's core offering is a broad collection of outlet and value-oriented retail. The tenant mix has included apparel, footwear, department-store merchandise, accessories, and other consumer goods, with retailers such as Saks Off 5th, Marshalls, Burlington, Kohl's, and Q identified among the mall's major or notable occupants.
Sports retail · 2017
Sporting goods
Sporting-goods retail is part of the center's large-format tenant mix. Sports Authority formerly operated at the mall before its location closed during the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. Dick's Sporting Goods later opened in the same space in June 2017.
Entertainment
Entertainment and family attractions
The mall supplements shopping with entertainment and family-oriented attractions. Historically identified anchors and major tenants include Century Theatres, Dave & Buster's, and Legoland Discovery Center, creating reasons for visitors to spend time at the property beyond retail browsing.
Food service · 1994
Dining and food court
Dining is integrated into the mall's layout through a food court and other food-service uses. The original Great Eats court formed part of the property's transportation-themed interior concept, while the current food court can be accessed through Entrance 4.
Brand decisions
2017
Replacement of Sports Authority with Dick's Sporting GoodsProduct launchBackground
Sports Authority announced the closure of its Great Mall location after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
Action taken
Dick's Sporting Goods opened in the former Sports Authority space in June 2017.
Aftermath
The vacancy was filled by another major sporting-goods retailer, preserving that category within the mall's large-format tenant mix.
2016
Renovation of the shopping centerStrategyBackground
Simon Property Group announced that Great Mall would undergo renovation during 2016 as the property continued to operate as a major outlet and entertainment destination.
Action taken
The renovation was carried out and completed in time for the 2016 holiday season.
Aftermath
The mall entered the holiday season with the renovation completed. The cited material does not provide a financial result or detailed tenant-level performance measure.
Recent events
- 2020
BART service reaches the Milpitas area[1]
Other
Bay Area Rapid Transit began service to Milpitas station on June 13, 2020, providing another public-transport connection to Great Mall through transfers with VTA and AC Transit.
- 2017
Dick's Sporting Goods opens in former Sports Authority space[1]
Product launch
Dick's Sporting Goods opened at Great Mall in June 2017, replacing the vacated Sports Authority location.
- 2016
Great Mall renovation completed for the holiday season[1]
Other
A renovation announced earlier in the year was completed in time for the 2016 holiday shopping season.
- 2016
Sports Authority location closes after bankruptcy filing[1]
Bankruptcy
Sports Authority announced the closure of its Great Mall location in connection with its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
- 2007
Simon Property Group acquires Great Mall[1]
M&A
Simon Property Group acquired the mall in April 2007, making it part of Simon's shopping-center portfolio.
- 2003
The Mills Corporation acquires Great Mall[1]
M&A
The Mills Corporation acquired the Great Mall property from its earlier development and ownership structure.
Sources1 sources
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