Serramonte Center
Serramonte Center is a super-regional shopping mall in Daly City, California, serving the northern San Francisco Peninsula.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Serramonte Center is a large shopping mall at the intersection of California State Route 1 and Interstate 280 in Daly City, California. It opened in September 1968 as a retail component of the Serramonte planned community, a development associated with brothers Fred and Carl Gellert. The center was designed as a major regional shopping destination rather than a small neighborhood strip center, and its original tenant roster included 56 stores alongside department-store anchors. Early occupants included B. Dalton, Hickory Farms, Kinney Shoes, Longs Drugs, and QFI, reflecting the conventional department-store-and-specialty-retail format common to suburban American malls of the period. The property has changed ownership several times. It was sold to Capital and Counties USA in 2002 and later to Equity One in 2011. By 2021, Regency Centers owned and managed the center. These ownership changes coincided with shifts in the mall's tenant mix and physical format as department-store retail evolved and shopping centers increasingly incorporated restaurants, entertainment, services, and specialty concepts. Serramonte Center originally used a cross-shaped layout organized around a central grand court and a separate food court. The initial anchor lineup included Macy's, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward. Montgomery Ward was replaced by Target in 2002 after Montgomery Ward ceased operations. Mervyn's was replaced by JCPenney in 2011, although JCPenney later closed its location in 2019. Macy's remained one of the principal anchors. Later additions broadened the center beyond traditional apparel and department-store retail, with tenants including Dick's Sporting Goods, Dave & Buster's, Cost Plus World Market, Buy Buy Baby, Ross Dress for Less, T.J. Maxx, Party City, and Nordstrom Rack. Party City subsequently closed, while other tenant changes continued to reflect the changing retail environment. The center underwent a renovation in 2004 that incorporated feng shui-inspired design elements, including a koi pond in the central grand court. A larger redevelopment program began in the mid-2010s. The program expanded the center by approximately 200,000 square feet, including space in a new satellite building, and added a multilevel parking structure. The center also received another interior renovation in 2021. A 142-room hotel was added next to the mall, and plans for a medical office component indicated an effort to make the property more mixed-use and service-oriented. Serramonte Center is known for attracting a substantial Asian customer base, consistent with the demographic character of Daly City and surrounding communities. More recent tenant openings have included Asian-oriented retailers such as Daiso. Its current anchor and major-tenant profile combines department stores, discount and off-price retail, sporting goods, entertainment, home and specialty merchandise, restaurants, and services. The center therefore functions not only as a traditional enclosed mall but also as a broad commercial hub for residents of Daly City and the northern San Francisco Peninsula. Its present identity is shaped by continued property investment, tenant repositioning, and adaptation to changing consumer preferences rather than by a single proprietary product line.
History
Serramonte Center was developed as part of the Serramonte planned community in Daly City, California, by Fred and Carl Gellert. The center opened in September 1968 at a strategically important intersection of California State Route 1 and Interstate 280. Its location gave it access to Daly City, the northern San Francisco Peninsula, and nearby communities. At opening, the center contained 56 stores and followed the prevailing suburban mall model, combining department-store anchors with smaller specialty tenants. The original anchor stores were Macy's, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward. The early tenant list also included B. Dalton, Hickory Farms, Kinney Shoes, Longs Drugs, and QFI. The property later experienced the ownership and tenant changes typical of an established American shopping mall. In 2002, it was sold to Capital and Counties USA. That year also brought a significant anchor transition: Target replaced Montgomery Ward after Montgomery Ward's retail business ended. In 2004, the center underwent a renovation influenced by feng shui principles. The work included a koi pond in the central grand court, adding a distinctive design feature to the mall's interior. Equity One acquired the center in 2011. Around the same time, JCPenney replaced Mervyn's as an anchor tenant. JCPenney remained part of the center's anchor lineup until closing in 2019. Macy's continued to serve as a principal anchor, while the property broadened its offer with retailers and uses aimed at contemporary shopping patterns. A major expansion began in the mid-2010s. The project added approximately 200,000 square feet of retail space, including space in a separate satellite building, and created a multistory parking structure. New or expanded offerings included Dick's Sporting Goods, Dave & Buster's, Cost Plus World Market, Buy Buy Baby, Ross Dress for Less, T.J. Maxx, Party City, and Nordstrom Rack. The resulting tenant mix moved the property beyond a conventional department-store mall toward a combination of value retail, sporting goods, home-related merchandise, entertainment, and dining. By 2021, Regency Centers owned and managed Serramonte Center. The center also underwent another interior renovation in 2021. A 142-room hotel was added on an adjacent site, and a medical office was planned, supporting a broader mixed-use direction. Denny's and Firestone Tires, which had previously operated near the main mall, closed when their leases expired. Party City also subsequently closed. At the same time, the center continued to add tenants that reflected the surrounding area's customer base, including Asian retailers such as Daiso. The mall is organized in a cross-shaped plan around a grand court, with a separate food court. Its long operating history, changing department-store anchors, redevelopment program, and integration of hospitality and planned medical uses illustrate the transformation of a late-1960s regional mall into a more diversified commercial property. Serramonte Center remains an active retail destination focused on serving Daly City and nearby Peninsula communities.
- 2021
Regency Centers ownership and renovation
[1]Regency Centers owns and manages the center, which also receives an interior renovation around this period.
- 2019
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney leaves the center after occupying the former Mervyn's anchor position.
- 2015
Expansion and redevelopment program
[1]A major redevelopment program adds approximately 200,000 square feet of retail space and a multistory parking structure.
- 2011
Equity One acquires the center
[1]Equity One becomes the owner, while JCPenney replaces Mervyn's as an anchor tenant.
- 2004
Feng shui-inspired renovation
[1]The center is renovated with feng shui-inspired design elements, including a koi pond in the grand court.
- 2002
Target replaces Montgomery Ward
[1]Target takes over Montgomery Ward's former anchor space after Montgomery Ward exits the retail business.
- 2002
Capital and Counties USA acquires the property
[1]Serramonte Center changes ownership through a sale to Capital and Counties USA.
- 1968
Serramonte Center opens
[1]The center opens in September as part of the Serramonte planned community, with 56 stores and three major department-store anchors.
Products and positioning
A large, diversified suburban shopping center positioned as a regional retail, dining, entertainment, and services destination for Daly City and the northern San Francisco Peninsula.
Department store · 1968
Macy's
Macy's is one of Serramonte Center's original and continuing major anchors. Its department-store assortment provides apparel, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and related merchandise, giving the center a broad traditional retail draw.
Mass merchandise retailer · 2002
Target
Target replaced Montgomery Ward in 2002 and serves as a major general-merchandise anchor. Its range typically spans household goods, apparel, groceries, health and beauty items, electronics, and seasonal products.
Sporting goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods broadened the center's tenant mix beyond department-store retail. The format focuses on equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories for a wide range of sports and outdoor activities.
Entertainment and dining
Dave & Buster's
Dave & Buster's adds an entertainment-led use to the property, combining arcade and game experiences with food and beverages. Its presence supports Serramonte Center's evolution into a destination for leisure as well as shopping.
Discount retail
Off-price and value retail
Ross Dress for Less, T.J. Maxx, and Nordstrom Rack represent the center's value-oriented retail offer. These stores emphasize branded apparel, footwear, accessories, home merchandise, and other goods at discounted or off-price levels.
Asian variety retail
Daiso
Daiso is among the Asian-oriented retailers associated with more recent tenant openings at the center. Its variety-store format offers household items, stationery, gifts, craft goods, and other small consumer products.
Brand decisions
2021
Move toward a mixed-use commercial destinationStrategyBackground
The center needed to remain relevant as consumer behavior shifted away from traditional department-store shopping.
Action taken
Regency Centers continued ownership and management, an interior renovation was completed around this period, and an adjacent 142-room hotel was added. Medical office development was also planned.
Aftermath
Serramonte Center expanded its role from an enclosed retail center toward a broader combination of shopping, hospitality, entertainment, and services.
2015
Expand and diversify the shopping centerStrategyBackground
Changing mall economics created pressure to add new uses and attract a wider range of customers.
Action taken
A redevelopment program added approximately 200,000 square feet of retail space, a satellite building, and a multistory parking structure.
Aftermath
The property added sporting goods, entertainment, off-price retail, home merchandise, and other uses, creating a more diversified destination.
2011
Replace Mervyn's with JCPenneyStrategyBackground
Mervyn's departure left a major anchor vacancy at the center.
Action taken
JCPenney moved into the former Mervyn's anchor position.
Aftermath
The replacement maintained a department-store presence until JCPenney closed its location in 2019.
2004
Renovate the grand court with feng shui-inspired elementsOtherBackground
The established mall required an updated interior environment and a more distinctive central gathering space.
Action taken
The center added feng shui-inspired design features, including a koi pond in the grand court.
Aftermath
The renovation gave the interior a recognizable focal point and reflected the cultural character of the surrounding market.
2002
Replace Montgomery Ward with TargetStrategyBackground
Montgomery Ward's closure created a vacant anchor position at Serramonte Center.
Action taken
Target took over the former Montgomery Ward anchor space, preserving a large general-merchandise draw.
Aftermath
The change kept the anchor lineup commercially relevant while shifting the space from a legacy department-store format to mass merchandise retail.
Recent events
- 2021
Regency Centers owns Serramonte Center[1]
M&A · Other
Regency Centers was identified as the owner and manager of the property, which also received an interior renovation around this period.
- 2019
JCPenney closes its Serramonte Center location[1]
Other
JCPenney closed its store at the center after serving as the replacement for Mervyn's.
- 2011
Equity One acquires Serramonte Center[1]
M&A
Equity One became the property's owner, while JCPenney replaced Mervyn's as an anchor tenant.
- 2010
Serramonte Center begins major expansion[1]
Other
A multiyear redevelopment program began in the mid-2010s, adding approximately 200,000 square feet of retail space and a multilevel parking structure.
- 2004
Serramonte Center receives a feng shui-inspired renovation[1]
Other
A renovation added feng shui-inspired features, including a koi pond in the central grand court.
- 2002
Target replaces Montgomery Ward at Serramonte Center[1]
Other
After Montgomery Ward left the retail market, Target took over its anchor position at the center.
- 2002
Serramonte Center changes ownership[1]
M&A
The property was sold to Capital and Counties USA.
- 1968
Serramonte Center opens in Daly City[1]
Other
The shopping center opened in September as part of the Serramonte planned community, with 56 stores and an initial anchor lineup that included Macy's, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward.
Sources2 sources
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