The Commons at Federal Way

The Commons at Federal Way is a regional shopping mall in Federal Way, Washington, and the city's only indoor shopping center. It opened on August 14, 1975, as SeaTac Mall, a joint venture of California-based Newman Properties and The Hahn Company. The original development was conceived as a major retail destination for the South King County area, with a design that incorporated Pacific Northwest architectural references, wood finishes, and Native American artwork. Nelson WallaDolle and Company was identified as the mall's designer. The site had previously been a forested, swampy pasture associated with the homestead of Mabel Webb Alexander, who had arrived in Washington in 1879. In its early years, the center used a thunderbird in its visual identity and featured a mascot named Thudius T. Thunderbird. The opening included two of four planned anchor stores, Peoples and Elvins; Lamonts and Sears were planned for subsequent expansion. The mall also became associated with local retail and food-service history: the first Cinnabon location opened there in December 1985, although Cinnabon no longer operates at the property. The name SeaTac Mall later became problematic because SeaTac was incorporated as a separate city. In November 2003, Steadfast Commercial Properties renamed the center The Commons at Federal Way as part of a redevelopment program. The change was intended to align the property more closely with Federal Way and support its repositioning as a contemporary community and regional shopping destination. The mall experienced tenant turnover during the Great Recession, when several stores and restaurants vacated. By 2010, those departures had been followed by replacement tenants. A round of improvements in 2008 was expected to support stronger sales, with year-end sales projected at approximately $25 to $30 per square foot. The property has subsequently maintained a broad tenant mix, with more than 70 stores reported in reference material. Major anchor and destination tenants have included Burlington, Century Theatres, Kohl's, and Target, alongside restaurants, specialty retailers, and service businesses. Ownership changed in March 2017, when Steadfast Companies sold the mall to San Francisco-based Merlone Geier Partners for $46.5 million. The property later underwent significant anchor-space changes. Sears announced in January 2018 that its store would close as part of a nationwide reduction, and the location shut in April 2018. The former Sears space was renovated and partly reused by Amazon Fresh, which opened in 2022 but closed in June 2025. Macy's announced in January 2021 that its location would close in April of that year. Burlington subsequently announced plans in March 2023 to occupy part of the former Sears area between Daiso and Amazon Fresh; the store opened on October 6, 2023. Dick's Drive-In opened a restaurant in the mall's west parking lot in July 2023. Dick's Sporting Goods later closed its mall store on January 3, 2026, following reports of an impending closure in late 2025. The Commons remains a physical retail and entertainment venue serving Federal Way and surrounding South King County communities. Its identity has evolved from the original SeaTac Mall name toward a location-specific community shopping center brand, while its tenant roster continues to change in response to department-store closures, grocery experimentation, new-format retail, restaurants, and entertainment demand.

The Commons at Federal Way began as SeaTac Mall, which opened on August 14, 1975, in Federal Way, Washington. The project was developed as a joint venture between Newman Properties of California and The Hahn Company. Its design, attributed to Nelson WallaDolle and Company, used regional architectural cues, including wood finishes and Native American artwork, to give the center a Pacific Northwest identity. The opening configuration included Peoples and Elvins, with Lamonts and Sears planned as additional anchors. The property occupied a site that had once been a forested, swampy pasture and the homestead of Mabel Webb Alexander, a Washington settler who arrived in 1879. SeaTac Mall developed a distinctive early identity through a thunderbird logo and a mascot called Thudius T. Thunderbird. In December 1985, the first Cinnabon store opened at the mall, although that brand is no longer present at the property. The original name eventually created geographic confusion because the City of SeaTac later incorporated as a separate municipality. During a redevelopment program, Steadfast Commercial Properties changed the name to The Commons at Federal Way in November 2003. The rebranding connected the center directly to its host city and marked an effort to modernize and reposition the property. Like many regional malls, the center faced tenant departures during the Great Recession. Several stores and restaurants left, but replacement tenants had arrived by 2010. Improvements made in 2008 were intended to improve the property's performance, with projected year-end sales of approximately $25 to $30 per square foot. The mall continued to operate as a broad retail and entertainment complex, with more than 70 stores reported and anchors or major destinations including Burlington, Century Theatres, Kohl's, and Target. A major ownership transition occurred in March 2017, when Steadfast Companies sold the property to Merlone Geier Partners for $46.5 million. Subsequent years brought substantial changes to the anchor roster. Sears closed in April 2018 after announcing the location's inclusion in a nationwide store-reduction program. The former Sears area was renovated and later used in part by Amazon Fresh, which opened in 2022. Macy's announced its closure in January 2021, with the store leaving in April of that year. The former Sears space continued to be reconfigured. Burlington announced in March 2023 that it would open a store between Daiso and Amazon Fresh, and the location began operating on October 6, 2023. Dick's Drive-In added a restaurant in the west parking lot in July 2023. Amazon Fresh subsequently closed in June 2025, while Dick's Sporting Goods, whose impending departure was reported in late 2025, closed on January 3, 2026. The Commons' history reflects the changing role of enclosed regional malls: an initially ambitious suburban development, a locally oriented rebrand, a period of recession-related tenant churn, and continuing adaptation through anchor replacement, grocery retail, restaurants, and entertainment. Its present identity is tied to Federal Way rather than the former SeaTac name, and its tenant mix remains subject to ongoing retail-market changes.

• 2026

  Dick's Sporting Goods closes

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  The store closed on January 3 following reports of an impending departure in late 2025.

• 2025

  Amazon Fresh closes

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  The grocery store closed in June.

• 2023

  Burlington and Dick's Drive-In join the property

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  Burlington opened on October 6, while Dick's Drive-In opened in the west parking lot in July.

• 2022

  Amazon Fresh opens

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  Amazon Fresh began operating in renovated former Sears space.

• 2021

  Macy's closes

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  Macy's departed the mall in April following a company announcement earlier in the year.

• 2018

  Sears closes

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears anchor closed in April after being included in a nationwide store-closure plan.

• 2017

  Ownership transfers to Merlone Geier Partners

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  Steadfast Companies sold the mall to Merlone Geier Partners in March.

• 2010

  Replacement tenants follow recession-era departures

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  After several stores and restaurants left during the Great Recession, new tenants had replaced many of the vacancies by 2010.

• 2008

  Shopping-center improvements

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  Improvements were undertaken with the expectation of improving sales performance.

• 2003

  Mall renamed The Commons at Federal Way

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  Steadfast Commercial Properties changed the name during a redevelopment program to remove confusion with the separately incorporated City of SeaTac.

• 1985

  First Cinnabon location opens

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  The first Cinnabon opened at SeaTac Mall in December 1985; the chain no longer operates at the property.

• 1975

  SeaTac Mall opens

  [1]The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org

  The mall opened on August 14 with Peoples and Elvins among its initial anchor stores.

A regional, community-serving indoor shopping center combining department stores, specialty retail, dining, groceries, and entertainment for Federal Way and the surrounding South King County market.

• Retail property · 1975

  Regional shopping center

  The Commons provides an enclosed shopping-center environment serving Federal Way and nearby South King County communities. Its tenant offering has included department stores, apparel and specialty retailers, home and general merchandise, groceries, restaurants, services, and entertainment. The center has been reported to contain more than 70 stores, although the exact tenant roster changes over time.

• Entertainment

  Century Theatres

  Century Theatres is identified as one of the mall's anchor or major destination tenants, adding cinema entertainment to the center's retail and food-service mix.

• Department and off-price retail · 2023

  Burlington

  Burlington opened at The Commons on October 6, 2023, occupying part of the former Sears area between Daiso and the former Amazon Fresh space. It became one of the center's significant replacement retail tenants after department-store changes.

• 2023

  Addition of Burlington and Dick's Drive-InProduct launch

  Background

  The mall was adapting its tenant mix after department-store closures and redevelopment of former anchor space.

  Action taken

  Burlington opened in October in part of the former Sears area, while Dick's Drive-In opened in the west parking lot in July.

  Aftermath

  The additions expanded the property's off-price retail and quick-service food offerings.

  Source

• 2018

  Sears anchor replacementOther

  Background

  Sears announced a nationwide store-reduction program that included its Federal Way location.

  Action taken

  The Sears store closed in April 2018, after which the space was renovated and later partly reused by Amazon Fresh and Burlington.

  Aftermath

  The former anchor area was redeveloped for new retail uses, including Amazon Fresh in 2022 and Burlington in 2023.

  Source

• 2017

  Sale to Merlone Geier PartnersM&A

  Background

  The mall changed ownership after operating under Steadfast Companies.

  Action taken

  Steadfast Companies sold the property to Merlone Geier Partners in March 2017.

  Aftermath

  Merlone Geier Partners became the identified owner of the shopping center.

  Purchase price. $46.5 million (March 2017)

  Source

• 2003

  Rebrand from SeaTac Mall to The Commons at Federal WayStrategy

  Background

  The original name was considered confusing after SeaTac became a separate incorporated city, while the property was located in Federal Way.

  Action taken

  Steadfast Commercial Properties changed the mall's name in November 2003 as part of a redevelopment program.

  Aftermath

  The property adopted a name more directly associated with its host city and continued operating as The Commons at Federal Way.

  Source

1. 1The Commons at Federal Wayen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Commons at Federal Way official websiteshopthecommonsmall.com