Whittwood Town Center
Whittwood Town Center is a large open-air retail center in Whittier, California, occupying the site of a former enclosed shopping mall.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Whittwood Town Center is a 65-acre open-air shopping center located at the southwest corner of Whittier Boulevard and Santa Gertrudes Avenue in Whittier, in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. The center is positioned near Interstate 605, Interstate 5, and the Pomona Freeway, giving it a substantial automobile-oriented trade area and regional accessibility. It has approximately 841,936 square feet of gross leasable area and combines major national retailers, smaller shops, restaurants, services, and a bus terminal. The property opened in 1961 as Whittwood Shopping Center, or Whittwood Center, and was developed to compete with The Quad, another major shopping destination serving Whittier. Its initial anchor lineup included JCPenney, The Broadway, and Myers Whittwood, a department store operated by Boston Stores that was later rebranded Boston Stores. Other early tenants included Sav-On and Desmond's, which opened a 20,000-square-foot store in October 1962. The original center was an open-air complex and initially performed successfully. During the late 1970s, Whittwood was renovated and enclosed. Mervyn's was added as a fourth anchor during the 1980s, creating an L-shaped configuration, while a food court and additional inline retail space were introduced. Standalone restaurants also became an important component of the property. Mimi's Cafe opened in the northern parking area during the 1980s, followed by Black Angus in the 1990s and other restaurant buildings after a later redevelopment. A 10-screen Krikorian Theatres cinema opened on the back lot and was subsequently sold to Regal Cinemas, although the theater closed in the mid-1990s. Whittwood gained strategic importance after The Quad was damaged in the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake and subsequently closed. Exterior remodeling in the late 1980s was intended to attract retailers displaced by or associated with that competitive property. Department-store changes followed. Boston Store closed during the 1990s. Federated Department Stores acquired The Broadway in 1996 but did not convert the Whittwood location to Macy's; the store instead closed and was sold to Sears, which occupied the building by November of that year. The enclosed mall format ended in 2004. The central enclosed structure was demolished, while the principal anchor buildings continued operating separately. Mervyn's exited at the end of 2008, and Kohl's replaced it in 2009. The former Sav-On location ultimately became a CVS Pharmacy, which later moved into a newly constructed smaller building on the property. The redevelopment replaced the enclosed mall with a town-center layout featuring big-box retail, freestanding restaurants, and new condominium housing on the former theater site. The current center's identified anchor and major tenants include CVS Pharmacy, JCPenney, Kohl's, PetSmart, Target, and Sears. Sears has been scheduled to close its Whittwood store on July 26, 2025. Public transportation is integrated into the property through a bus terminal west of Sears, served by LA Metro route 120, Montebello Bus Lines route 10, Foothill Transit route 285, and Sunshine Shuttle routes A and B. Whittwood therefore functions less as a traditional enclosed mall than as a multi-building regional shopping center combining retail, dining, housing, and transit access.
History
Whittwood Town Center began operation in 1961 as Whittwood Shopping Center, an open-air retail development built to compete with The Quad in Whittier. Its original anchor tenants were JCPenney, The Broadway, and Myers Whittwood, a department store associated with Boston Stores. Myers Whittwood was later renamed Boston Stores. Sav-On operated near the northeast entrance, and Desmond's added a 20,000-square-foot store in October 1962. The center initially benefited from the popularity of the open-air shopping format. In the late 1970s, it was renovated and enclosed, changing the property's circulation and tenant configuration. Mervyn's became a fourth anchor during the 1980s, producing an L-shaped mall with additional small shops and a food court. Freestanding dining also expanded. Mimi's Cafe was added in the northern parking area in the 1980s, Black Angus followed in the 1990s, and further restaurant buildings were introduced during the post-2004 redevelopment. A 10-screen Krikorian Theatres complex opened on the rear portion of the site and was later transferred to Regal Cinemas. The theater closed in the mid-1990s. Whittwood's competitive position strengthened after The Quad closed following damage from the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake. Exterior work in the late 1980s sought to attract customers and businesses associated with the former competing center. Department-store ownership and occupancy changed over time. Boston Store left during the 1990s. Federated Department Stores acquired The Broadway in 1996 but did not convert the Whittwood branch into a Macy's store. The location was instead sold to Sears, which opened there by November 1996. Mervyn's ultimately ceased operations at the end of 2008, and Kohl's took over the space in 2009. In 2004, the enclosed mall was closed and the central connecting structure was later demolished. JCPenney and Sears retained standalone buildings, while the Kohl's building became freestanding as well. Sav-On's former space was ultimately occupied by CVS Pharmacy, which moved into a newer, smaller building elsewhere on the property. The former mall site was reorganized as a town center with big-box stores, freestanding restaurants, and condominiums constructed on the former theater site. The resulting property is a large open-air shopping center with approximately 841,936 square feet of gross leasable area across 65 acres. Its location near several major freeways supports regional automobile access, while a bus terminal west of Sears connects the center to LA Metro, Montebello Bus Lines, Foothill Transit, and Sunshine Shuttle services. The listed anchor and major retail tenants include CVS Pharmacy, JCPenney, Kohl's, PetSmart, Target, and Sears. Sears was scheduled to close on July 26, 2025, representing another significant change in the center's department-store history.
- 2025
Sears closure scheduled
[1]The Sears store is scheduled to close on July 26, 2025.
- 2009
Kohl's replaces Mervyn's
[1]Kohl's takes over the former Mervyn's anchor space after Mervyn's exited at the end of 2008.
- 2004
Enclosed mall closes
[1]The enclosed mall operation ends, with the principal anchors continuing separately before the connecting structure is demolished.
- 1996
Sears replaces The Broadway
[1]After Federated's acquisition of The Broadway, the Whittwood location is not converted to Macy's and is instead sold to Sears, which occupies the building by November.
- 1987
The Quad closes after earthquake damage
[1]The competing Quad shopping center closes after damage from the Whittier Narrows earthquake, increasing Whittwood's competitive significance.
- 1980
Whittwood is enclosed and expanded
[1]Late-1970s renovation work transforms the original open-air center into an enclosed mall; Mervyn's is added during the 1980s along with a food court and additional retail space.
- 1976
Myers Whittwood is rebranded Boston Stores
[1]The Myers Whittwood department store adopts the Boston Stores name.
- 1962
Desmond's opens at Whittwood
[1]Desmond's opens a 20,000-square-foot store at the center in October.
- 1961
Whittwood Shopping Center opens
[1]The original open-air shopping center opens in Whittier with JCPenney, The Broadway, and Myers Whittwood as its principal anchors.
Products and positioning
A large, automobile-accessible regional town center serving Whittier and southeastern Los Angeles County through a mix of national big-box retailers, department stores, pharmacies, restaurants, services, residential development, and public-transit connections.
Department store · 1961
JCPenney
JCPenney has been one of Whittwood's original anchor tenants since the center opened in 1961. Its department-store assortment traditionally spans apparel, footwear, beauty, home merchandise, and related consumer categories.
Department store · 2009
Kohl's
Kohl's occupies the former Mervyn's anchor space. The store provides a broad general-merchandise and department-store assortment, including clothing, household products, accessories, and seasonal goods.
General merchandise
Target
Target is identified as a major tenant at the town center, contributing general merchandise, household goods, apparel, groceries, beauty products, and other everyday consumer categories to the center's retail mix.
Pharmacy and health retail
CVS Pharmacy
CVS Pharmacy occupies a newer, smaller building on the property after replacing the former Sav-On presence and moving from the central mall building. It provides prescription services, health products, personal care, and convenience merchandise.
Pet supplies
PetSmart
PetSmart is listed among the center's major retail tenants, serving the local market with pet food, supplies, accessories, and related pet-care merchandise.
Department store · 1996
Sears
Sears took over the former The Broadway building after 1996 and operated as one of the center's major standalone anchors. Its Whittwood store was scheduled to close on July 26, 2025.
Brand decisions
2009
Kohl's replaces Mervyn'sOtherBackground
Mervyn's ended operations at the end of 2008 after serving as an anchor in the enclosed-mall era.
Action taken
Kohl's replaced Mervyn's in the anchor building.
Aftermath
The property retained a department-store anchor within its redeveloped retail mix.
2004
Conversion from enclosed mall to open-air town centerStrategyBackground
The enclosed mall format had become less suitable for the property's evolving tenant base and redevelopment plans.
Action taken
The enclosed mall was closed and its connecting structure was demolished, while anchor buildings were retained and the property was reorganized around freestanding big-box retail, restaurants, and residential development.
Aftermath
Whittwood resumed operation as an open-air town center with separate anchor buildings, new smaller retail structures, restaurants, condominiums, and improved integration with surrounding roads and transit.
Sources2 sources
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