Santa Rosa Plaza

Santa Rosa Plaza is an enclosed shopping mall in downtown Santa Rosa, California, United States. Opened in 1983, the center was developed as a major component of Santa Rosa's downtown urban-renewal program and remains one of the city's two enclosed shopping malls, alongside Coddingtown Mall. Its tenant mix has historically combined department stores, apparel retailers, specialty shops, restaurants, entertainment and service businesses. The mall's development followed the demolition of several downtown buildings, including the former California Theater, a 1923 landmark. Macy's opened on the site in 1981, before the wider shopping center was completed, and became one of the original anchors when the mall opened. The initial anchor lineup also included Sears and Mervyn's. Development was delayed by legal disputes between developer Ernest Hahn and Hugh Codding, whose nearby Coddingtown Mall competed for regional retail activity. The dispute was eventually settled in favor of Hahn's development, and the project proceeded. Santa Rosa Plaza's anchor composition changed substantially over time. Mervyn's closed in 2008 after the retail chain entered bankruptcy proceedings, and the first level of its former space was later occupied by Forever 21. Sears remained an anchor for decades, but its store was transferred to Seritage Growth Properties in 2015 as part of Sears Holdings' property spin-off. Sears subsequently announced the closure of the Santa Rosa location in 2018 and closed the store in January 2019. Home Interiors Furniture later occupied the first level of the former Sears space. The mall has also served as a downtown civic and cultural landmark. For nearly three decades, an Agraria hand sculpture stood near the B Street entrance before being removed in May 2025 for relocation to Geyserville. The former Forever 21 space was selected for a Dave & Buster's arcade and restaurant, with an opening reported for January 2026. Apple also announced plans to leave Santa Rosa Plaza for a new location in Montgomery Village, with the Plaza store scheduled to close in January 2026. In 2024, plans were announced to redevelop the former Sears space into a convention center and a 250-room hotel. The proposed convention facility was described as approximately 40,000 square feet and potentially the largest venue of its type in the area. The project was later placed on hold because of its projected cost, with consideration given to a smaller and less expensive alternative. Santa Rosa Plaza continues to function as a regional downtown shopping and entertainment destination, although its long-term tenant mix and vacant-anchor redevelopment remain subjects of ongoing planning.

Santa Rosa Plaza was built in downtown Santa Rosa as part of an urban-renewal effort intended to consolidate retail activity and stimulate the city center. The project required the demolition of a number of existing downtown structures, including the California Theater, which had opened in 1923. Macy's became the first major store associated with the development when it opened on the former theater site in 1981. The enclosed mall itself opened in 1983 with Macy's, Sears and Mervyn's as its original anchor tenants. The development process was delayed by legal conflict between Ernest Hahn, associated with the Plaza project, and Hugh Codding, the owner of the nearby Coddingtown Mall. The dispute reflected competing visions for the location of major retail activity in Santa Rosa. Codding ultimately lost the settlement, allowing the downtown project to proceed. According to comments attributed to Codding in an interview with journalist Gaye LeBaron, property-tax revenues generated by businesses at the Plaza were used to pay the construction bonds in full. For many years the mall's department-store anchors provided a conventional regional-shopping format. That structure began to change as national department-store chains faced financial and competitive pressure. Mervyn's closed in 2008 when the chain filed for bankruptcy. Two years later, the first level of the former Mervyn's space became a Forever 21 store, giving the mall an apparel-focused replacement rather than another traditional department store. Sears's position also changed during the mall's later history. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred the Santa Rosa Plaza property, along with 234 other properties, to Seritage Growth Properties in a portfolio spin-off. Sears announced in October 2018 that the Santa Rosa store would close as part of a nationwide round of closures. The location shut on January 6, 2019. Home Interiors Furniture subsequently occupied the first level of the former Sears space, while proposals for a broader redevelopment of the anchor building continued to emerge. The Plaza has also been an important public-facing landmark in downtown Santa Rosa. The Agraria hand sculpture stood near the B Street entrance for almost 30 years and became associated with the mall and the surrounding downtown district. It was removed on May 2, 2025, with plans for relocation to Geyserville. Tenant turnover continued in the 2020s. Forever 21 closed after the 2023 holiday season, and Dave & Buster's was selected for the space as an arcade and restaurant, with an opening reported for January 2026. Apple separately announced that its Santa Rosa Plaza store would relocate to Montgomery Village; the Plaza store was scheduled to close on January 21, 2026. In 2024, redevelopment plans for the former Sears space proposed an approximately 40,000-square-foot convention center and a 250-room hotel. The proposal was expected to exceed an original cost estimate of $82 million and was subsequently placed on hold because of the expense. Project sponsors continued to consider relocating the concept to a smaller, more economical site. Santa Rosa Plaza remains an active enclosed mall managed by Simon Property Group and one of two enclosed shopping centers serving Santa Rosa.

• 2026

  Dave & Buster's opening reported

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Dave & Buster's was reported as opening in the former Forever 21 space in January 2026.

• 2025

  Agraria sculpture removed

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The Agraria hand sculpture was removed from the B Street entrance on May 2 for planned relocation to Geyserville.

• 2024

  Convention-center and hotel proposal announced

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  A proposal was announced to redevelop the former Sears space into a convention center and a 250-room hotel; the project was later paused because of cost.

• 2023

  Forever 21 exits

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Forever 21 closed its Santa Rosa Plaza store after the 2023 holiday season.

• 2019

  Sears store closes

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears location closed on January 6 after being included in the chain's nationwide closure program.

• 2015

  Sears property transferred to Seritage

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Sears Holdings spun off the Santa Rosa Plaza Sears property to Seritage Growth Properties as part of a 235-property portfolio transaction.

• 2010

  Forever 21 occupies former Mervyn's space

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The first level of the former Mervyn's location was converted for use by Forever 21.

• 2008

  Mervyn's closes

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Mervyn's closed after the retail chain filed for bankruptcy.

• 1983

  Santa Rosa Plaza opens

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed downtown shopping mall opened with Macy's, Sears and Mervyn's as its original anchor tenants.

• 1981

  Macy's opens before the mall

  [1]Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Macy's opened on the former California Theater site, becoming the first store associated with the Santa Rosa Plaza development.

A centrally located regional shopping, dining and entertainment center serving Santa Rosa and the wider Sonoma County market.

• Department store · 1981

  Macy's

  Macy's is a major department-store anchor offering apparel, accessories, cosmetics, home goods and related merchandise. It was the first store to open as part of the Santa Rosa Plaza development and remained a principal anchor of the center.

• Entertainment and restaurant · 2026

  Dave & Buster's

  Dave & Buster's combines arcade games, prize-based entertainment, food and beverages. Its Santa Rosa Plaza location was planned for the former Forever 21 space and was reported to open in January 2026.

• Home furnishings

  Home Interiors Furniture

  Home Interiors Furniture occupies the first level of the former Sears anchor location, providing furniture and home-related merchandise within the mall's post-department-store tenant mix.

• 2026

  Dave & Buster's selected for former Forever 21 spaceProduct launch

  Background

  Forever 21 left the mall after the 2023 holiday season, creating a large former apparel-store space.

  Action taken

  Dave & Buster's was introduced as an arcade and restaurant tenant, with an opening reported for January 2026.

  Aftermath

  The planned use shifted the space from apparel retail toward entertainment and dining.

  Source

• 2026

  Apple store relocationStrategy

  Background

  Apple announced that its Santa Rosa Plaza store would move to Montgomery Village.

  Action taken

  The Plaza location was scheduled to close on January 21, 2026, ahead of the announced relocation.

  Aftermath

  The move would remove a prominent technology retailer from Santa Rosa Plaza and transfer its local presence to another Santa Rosa shopping district.

  Source

• 2025

  Agraria sculpture relocationOther

  Background

  The Agraria hand sculpture had stood near the mall's B Street entrance for almost 30 years and had become a recognizable downtown landmark.

  Action taken

  The sculpture was removed on May 2, 2025, for planned relocation to Geyserville.

  Aftermath

  The entrance area no longer displays the sculpture, while the artwork's proposed new location is north of Santa Rosa.

  Source

• 2024

  Former Sears space redevelopment proposalStrategy

  Background

  The vacant or underused former Sears space was identified for a larger mixed-use redevelopment intended to add convention and hospitality capacity downtown.

  Action taken

  Plans proposed an approximately 40,000-square-foot convention center and a 250-room hotel.

  Aftermath

  The project was put on hold because of its projected cost, with a smaller and more economical alternative considered.

  Initial project cost estimate. Expected to exceed $82 million (2024 proposal)

  Source

• 2018

  Sears closure decisionOther

  Background

  Sears Holdings announced a nationwide program of store closures that included its Santa Rosa Plaza location.

  Action taken

  The Sears store closed on January 6, 2019, leaving the mall without one of its original anchors.

  Aftermath

  The first level of the former Sears space was later occupied by Home Interiors Furniture, while larger redevelopment concepts were considered.

  Source

1. 1Santa Rosa Plazaen.wikipedia.org