Vintage Faire Mall
A regional shopping mall in Modesto, California, operated by Macerich.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Vintage Faire Mall is a regional enclosed shopping center in Modesto, California, positioned alongside State Route 99 near Beckwith Road. The property serves Modesto and a wider Central Valley trade area that has historically included Turlock, Merced, Sonora, and parts of southern San Joaquin County. In addition to retail tenants, the mall functions as a dining, entertainment, and public-transportation destination; it is adjacent to State Route 99 and serves as a hub for StanRTA bus service. The mall was developed by the Hahn Company during a period when Modesto was expanding beyond its traditional downtown commercial core. Hahn proposed a large regional center on approximately 83 acres of land between Modesto and Salida. The development was closely tied to improvements to State Route 99, including the construction of a Beckwith Road interchange. Highway planning encountered environmental review and legal opposition because of concerns about the conversion of agricultural land, contributing to delays in the mall's construction schedule. Initial plans called for a two-level enclosed mall with approximately 130 specialty shops, three major department stores, and two junior anchors. The project was provisionally referred to as Modesto Mall during planning. A 1974 naming contest produced Village Faire Mall, a name intended to evoke the vineyards and agricultural character of the surrounding San Joaquin Valley. The project ultimately opened in March 1977 as a major retail destination for the region. Its original anchor lineup included Sears, JCPenney, Weinstock's, and Gottschalks, with the department-store buildings varying in ownership and leasing arrangements. The architectural concept sought a consistent exterior across the mall and its anchor buildings. The center used light cocoa-colored brick with off-white and beige trim, an approach intended to avoid the fragmented appearance that could result when large department stores imposed unrelated designs. The original plan also contemplated satellite uses such as a bank, savings institution, and movie theater, in addition to the enclosed retail space and a community room. Macerich later invested substantially in the property. A major renovation completed in 2001 reportedly cost approximately $10 million and updated the interior and exterior through new escalators, second-floor railings and carpeting, first-floor tile, lighting, signage, and a centrally located elevator. Part of the second floor was converted into a food court, helping reposition the mall around a broader mix of shopping and food-service uses. In 2008, the property expanded beyond its traditional enclosed format with The Village at Vintage Faire Mall, an outdoor lifestyle-center area created on former parking-lot space between a mall entrance and the former Forever 21 location. The addition brought new retailers and gave the property a more mixed indoor-outdoor configuration. The Sears real-estate component later became connected to the broader restructuring of Sears Holdings: in 2015, Sears Holdings transferred 235 properties, including the Vintage Faire Sears location, into Seritage Growth Properties. The mall itself remains an active regional retail property under Macerich's operation.
History
Vintage Faire Mall originated in the early 1970s, when the Hahn Company sought to develop a major regional shopping center east of State Route 99 near Beckwith Road, between Modesto and Salida. The proposed site covered approximately 83 acres and was selected to serve a substantial Central Valley population extending beyond Modesto to communities such as Turlock, Merced, and Sonora, as well as areas in southern San Joaquin County. Hahn also promoted improvements to State Route 99, including the conversion of the highway to freeway standards and construction of a Beckwith Road interchange. The transportation project became an important part of the development's schedule. The California Highway Commission accepted $1 million from the company in 1973 to advance the highway work, which involved widening the route and building the interchange. Environmental review and legal challenges from opponents concerned about the loss of farmland delayed the highway project and, in turn, postponed the mall's anticipated opening. Ernest W. Hahn obtained approval from the Modesto Planning Commission in January 1973. The planned center, initially described in working documents as Modesto Mall, carried an estimated development cost of $45 million. Hahn obtained a $28.3 million interim construction loan from Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, and additional funds were made available to selected tenants for interior completion. A naming competition held in 1974 resulted in Village Faire Mall, a reference to the vineyards of the surrounding San Joaquin Valley. The original design consisted of a two-level enclosed shopping center with around 130 stores, alongside three major and two junior department-store spaces. The specialty shops were planned on both levels, and the upper floor included a community room. Architects Eddy, Paynter, and Renfroe of Bakersfield developed a unified architectural treatment using light cocoa-colored brick and pale trim. The design attempted to coordinate the appearance of the principal department-store buildings, despite the separate requirements of their operators and owners. Construction began with grading work in August 1974, including the raising of the northern parking area. Work on the main mall structure began in September 1975. Because of the highway delays, the planned opening moved back by approximately a year. The center finally opened in March 1977. Its early department-store lineup included Sears, JCPenney, Weinstock's, and Gottschalks. Sears and Weinstock's owned their respective buildings, while the Hahn Company developed and leased the JCPenney and Gottschalks spaces. Negotiations for an additional anchor involved retailers such as Dunlaps, Liberty House, and Macy's, although the fifth anchor plan did not immediately result in a confirmed tenant. The mall became an important retail node for Modesto and its surrounding communities. Over time, the department-store landscape changed as national and regional chains altered their operations, but Vintage Faire continued to operate as a regional shopping center. In 2001, Macerich undertook an extensive renovation reported at approximately $10 million. The work modernized the mall's finishes and circulation systems, added a central elevator, improved lighting and exterior signage, and converted part of the upper level into a food court. A further change came in 2008 with the opening of The Village at Vintage Faire Mall. Built on former parking-lot space between an entrance and the former Forever 21 location, the outdoor lifestyle-center expansion introduced additional retailers and created a more varied indoor-outdoor shopping environment. In 2015, Sears Holdings spun off a portfolio of 235 properties into Seritage Growth Properties, including the Sears property at Vintage Faire. Vintage Faire Mall continues to operate as a Macerich-managed retail destination in Modesto, with shopping, dining, and transit functions.
- 2015
Sears real-estate asset transferred to Seritage
[1]The Sears Holdings property at the mall was included in a portfolio transferred to Seritage Growth Properties.
- 2008
The Village at Vintage Faire Mall opens
[1]The property expanded with an outdoor lifestyle-center section and additional retail space.
- 2001
Major renovation completed
[1]Macerich completed a broad modernization program covering finishes, escalators, lighting, signage, elevators, and food-service space.
- 1977
Mall opens
[1]Vintage Faire Mall opened in March with several department-store anchors and approximately 130 planned specialty-shop spaces.
- 1975
Mall structure construction begins
[1]Construction of the main shopping-center structure started in September after earlier grading work.
- 1974
Village Faire Mall name selected
[1]A public naming contest selected Village Faire Mall, a name associated with the vineyards of the San Joaquin Valley.
- 1974
Construction begins
[1]Initial grading and site work began for the planned regional mall.
- 1973
Hahn Company development approved
[1]Ernest W. Hahn secured approval from the Modesto Planning Commission for a large regional shopping-center project near Beckwith Road.
Products and positioning
A broad-based regional shopping and dining destination serving Modesto and the surrounding Central Valley, combining an enclosed mall with an outdoor lifestyle-center component.
Retail property · 1977
Enclosed regional shopping mall
The core Vintage Faire Mall is a two-level enclosed retail center designed for department stores, specialty shops, services, dining, and community-oriented uses. Its original plan called for approximately 130 stores distributed across the two floors, supported by multiple anchor buildings and extensive surface parking. The enclosed format remains the property's principal shopping environment.
Outdoor lifestyle center · 2008
The Village at Vintage Faire Mall
Opened in 2008, The Village at Vintage Faire Mall added an outdoor retail component on land that had previously been used for parking. The expansion broadened the property's tenant mix and introduced a lifestyle-center format alongside the traditional enclosed mall, creating additional storefront visibility and a more open-air customer environment.
Dining · 2001
Food court
A portion of the mall's second floor was converted into a food court during the 2001 renovation. The food court forms part of the property's dining offer and supports longer visits by combining multiple quick-service options within the enclosed shopping environment.
Brand decisions
2015
Transfer of the Sears property to SeritageM&ABackground
Sears Holdings reorganized a large portfolio of real-estate assets as part of its broader property strategy.
Action taken
The Sears property at Vintage Faire Mall was included among 235 properties spun off into Seritage Growth Properties.
Aftermath
The Sears store's real-estate ownership became distinct from the mall's Macerich-operated property structure.
2008
Add an outdoor lifestyle-center componentProduct launchBackground
The mall pursued a broader retail format and sought to use former parking-area space for additional stores.
Action taken
The Village at Vintage Faire Mall opened between a mall entrance and the former Forever 21 location.
Aftermath
Vintage Faire gained an outdoor retail district and a more mixed indoor-outdoor tenant environment.
2001
Undertake a comprehensive mall renovationStrategyBackground
Macerich sought to modernize the aging regional shopping center and improve customer circulation, interior presentation, and dining capacity.
Action taken
The company updated escalators, flooring, railings, lighting, signage, and elevators, while converting part of the second floor into a food court.
Aftermath
The renovation refreshed the mall's physical environment and expanded its food-service function.
Reported renovation investment. $10 million (2001)
Sources2 sources
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