Walk down Market Street today and the vibe is... different. If you haven't been to the area lately, you might still call it the Westfield Mall San Francisco CA, but that name is technically a ghost. It’s San Francisco Centre now. Or just "the mall at 865 Market." Whatever you call it, the massive dome is still there, even if the world around it has shifted under its feet.
It’s complicated.
For decades, this place was the undisputed heavy hitter of West Coast retail. You had the spiral escalators—those architectural marvels that made you feel like you were ascending into a consumerist heaven—and the massive Bloomingdale’s that anchored the whole operation. It wasn’t just a place to buy socks. It was a status symbol for a city that felt invincible during the tech booms.
Then came 2023.
That was the year Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield basically handed the keys back to the lenders. They walked away. You don't see that every day with a property of this scale. It wasn't just about "the internet" or "Amazon." It was a perfect storm of remote work hollowing out the Financial District, safety concerns that became national news headlines, and a debt load that didn't make sense in a high-interest-rate world.
The Identity Crisis of San Francisco Centre
When Westfield bailed, people acted like the building was going to be boarded up overnight. That didn't happen. In fact, if you walk in today, the lights are on. The security guards are patrolling. But the energy is thinner.
The mall is currently under the management of a receiver, Gregg Williams of Trident Real Estate Group. His job is basically to keep the patient alive while the city and the owners figure out what the heck to do with 1.5 million square feet of prime real estate. It’s a weird, transitional phase. Some stores, like the massive Nordstrom, are gone—leaving huge holes that feel like missing teeth in a smile.
But it’s not empty.
American Eagle is still there. Shake Shack still flips burgers. Look, retail isn't dead in San Francisco, but the "mega-mall" model is definitely on life support. The struggle for the Westfield Mall San Francisco CA site is a microcosm of every urban struggle in America right now. Can a downtown space survive if people don't have to go to an office five days a week?
Why the "Doom Loop" Narrative is Only Half Right
You’ve probably heard the term "Doom Loop." It’s the idea that fewer workers lead to fewer shops, which leads to more crime, which leads to even fewer workers. It’s a scary cycle. And yeah, the area around 5th and Market has had its share of issues. Open-air drug use and retail theft aren't just myths cooked up by cable news; they’ve been real challenges that the mall's management had to fight daily.
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However, calling the mall a failure ignores the sheer resilience of the physical space. The architecture is world-class. That Emporium dome, which survived the 1906 earthquake, is still a masterpiece of glass and steel. You can’t just "delete" a building like that.
The real story isn't about a building dying; it's about an old business model being evicted.
What’s Actually Inside Right Now?
If you're planning a visit, don't expect the 2015 experience. It's quieter. Honestly, it’s kinda peaceful if you hate crowds, but it’s haunting if you remember the holiday rushes of yesteryear.
- The Food Court: Surprisingly, the lower level still draws a crowd. It’s one of the few places in the area to grab a quick lunch that isn't a $20 salad.
- The Big Players: Bloomingdale’s remains the primary anchor. It’s a weird feeling—this high-end luxury fortress standing tall while other storefronts sit behind plywood or "coming soon" signs that never seem to change.
- The Cinema: The Cinemark theater on the top floor is still a major draw. Seeing a movie under that roof is still one of the better theater experiences in the city.
The vacancy rate is the elephant in the room. When Nordstrom pulled out—occupying more than 300,000 square feet—it wasn't just a loss of shoes and handbags. It was a loss of foot traffic that fueled the smaller kiosks and specialty shops.
The Pitch for Innovation
Mayor London Breed and various city planners have tossed around some wild ideas for the site. A soccer stadium? A lab space for biotech? A giant e-sports arena?
Some of it sounds like desperate brainstorming. But some of it makes sense. The future of the former Westfield Mall San Francisco CA probably isn't 100% retail. It can't be. We’re likely looking at a "mixed-use" future. Imagine a world where the top floors are high-end condos or tech incubators, and the ground floor is a curated market of local SF brands rather than the same Gap or H&M you can find in a suburban mall in Ohio.
The Real Impact on San Francisco’s Economy
Let’s talk numbers, but not the boring kind. The loss of tax revenue from a struggling Market Street hub is a massive hit to the city's general fund. We're talking millions. When a flagship store closes, the city loses sales tax, but it also loses the "halo effect."
Think about it.
You used to go to the mall, then grab dinner at a nearby restaurant, then maybe a drink at a bar in Union Square. Now, if you aren't going to the mall, you aren't doing those other things either. That’s the real sting.
But here is the nuance: San Francisco has a habit of dying and being reborn. In the 70s, people said the city was over. In the 90s, after the quake and the dot-com bust, they said it again. Each time, it pivots. The mall's current state is just the "messy middle" of a pivot.
Expert Perspectives on Urban Retail
Economists like those at UC Berkeley’s Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics point out that "destination retail" is the only thing that survives now. You don't go to a mall to buy things you can get on your phone. You go for the experience.
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The spiral escalators are an experience. The dome is an experience. The question is whether the new management can layer enough new experiences—art installations, pop-up events, maybe even indoor pickleball—to make people hop on BART and head to 5th Street again.
Logistics: Getting There and Staying Safe
If you’re heading down, the Powell Street BART and Muni station drops you literally inside the building. It’s still the most accessible point in the city.
- Parking: The 5th & Mission Garage is right there. It’s massive. It’s also expensive.
- Safety: There is a heavy private security presence inside the mall. Outside on Market Street? Use your "city eyes." It’s urban, it’s gritty, and it’s busy.
- Hours: They’ve fluctuated lately. Always check the official "San Francisco Centre" website before you make the trip, as individual store hours can vary wildly from the mall's posted times.
It’s worth noting that the mall feels much safer inside than the surrounding sidewalk might suggest. The transition from the street to the interior is a sharp contrast in environment.
Is it still "The Westfield"?
Strictly speaking, no. The signs have been changed. The branding is being scrubbed. But for most locals, it’ll be "the Westfield" for another decade. Old habits die hard.
What we’re seeing is a slow-motion rebranding of an entire neighborhood. The "Mid-Market" area is trying to find its soul again. It’s no longer the tech-bro cafeteria it was when Twitter (now X) and Uber were just a few blocks away. It’s becoming something else—something a bit more localized, perhaps a bit more humble.
Actionable Steps for the San Francisco Visitor
If you want to support the local economy and see this landmark survive, here is how you actually do it. Don't just read about the "doom loop"—go see the reality for yourself.
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- Visit the Dome: Go to the top floor just to look at the architecture. It’s free and it’s one of the most beautiful interior spaces in Northern California.
- Eat Local-ish: Hit the lower-level dining. There are still local vendors trying to make a living in that basement.
- Validate Your Parking: If you’re driving, many of the larger remaining tenants will still help you out with the exorbitant parking fees.
- Combine your trip: Don't just go to the mall. Walk the two blocks to Yerba Buena Gardens or the SFMOMA. Make it a "downtown day" rather than just a "mall trip."
The Westfield Mall San Francisco CA isn't a carcass. It’s an organism in metamorphosis. Whether it turns into a butterfly or something else entirely depends on the next two years of city policy and private investment.
The story of 865 Market Street is far from over. It’s just starting a very weird, very San Francisco second act. If you want to see the future of American cities, keep your eyes on this block. It’s the laboratory where the new rules of urban life are being written in real-time.
To stay ahead of the changes, keep an eye on the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) reports. They provide the most granular data on how these retail transitions are actually impacting the city’s bottom line and what zoning changes might be coming to allow for non-retail uses in the mall. Check the San Francisco Centre's digital directory before visiting to verify which specific retailers have remained, as the tenant list is currently fluid. Finally, consider taking public transit via the Powell Street station to bypass the high costs of downtown parking and experience the mall as it was originally designed—as a transit-oriented hub.