Watt and El Camino Avenues
Sacramento County, California
Three shopping malls opened for business in -or around- California's capital during the years 1960 and 1961. The first inline stores in SOUTHGATE CENTER debuted in October 1960. The first in ARDEN FAIR CENTER opened in April 1961, with the first in COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA being inaugurated in August 1961.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was developed, by Beverly Hills-based Earl Cohen, on a 29.5-acre plot, located directly across Watt Avenue from COUNTRY CLUB CENTRE. The site was located 7 miles north of downtown Sacramento.
The first PLAZA structure was built at the south end of the mall site. It housed a Stop -n- Shop Market grocery, Gourmet Lane food court, Arthur Murray Dance Studio and eleven other tenants. Most of these opened for business on November 19, 1958.
A 4-level (169,000 square foot), Sacramento-based Weinstock-Lubin was built on the north end of the site. This store, which was the first branch in the Weinstock-Lubin chain, opened for business on March 4, 1961. It was accompanied by an open-air block of stores, which included Lerner Shops, Chandler's Shoes and an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. The first of these stores were dedicated on August 20, 1961.
A third store block was completed in the spring of 1962. The fully-realized COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA spanned approximately 317,900 leasable square feet and contained twenty-nine stores and services beneath its awnings.
Weinstock-Lubin morphed into a standard Weinstock's on July 2, 1967. In the early 1970s, the shopping complex was given a 10 million dollar renovation. Two eastern store blocks were built, along with an enclosed and air-conditioned shopping concourse. The Stop -n- Shop building was razed and replaced by a 2-level (194,000 square foot) J.C. Penney.
The climate-controlled mall was decorated in a Southern Garden motif. Tile flooring was used extensively and several large planters were surrounded with Astroturf carpeting. The concourse was lined with simulated gas streetlamps. A Gazebo was placed at the main mall entry and a lion statue, from Great Britain, stood at the center of the South Court.
An official dedication for the new and improved COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was held on August 13, 1970. New inline stores included Waldenbooks, Mother To Be, Pied Piper Toys & Gifts, Julius' men's wear and Country Casuals ladies' wear. The new J.C. Penney opened its doors on July 28, 1971. With all construction work completed, the PLAZA encompassed approximately 503,600 leasable square feet. There were thirty-five stores and services. A basement cafe opened at Weinstock's in late 1978.
Shopping centers in the vicinity of COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA included TOWN & COUNTRY VILLAGE (1947) {1.1 miles northwest, in Sacramento County}, ARDEN FAIR CENTER (1961) {2.3 miles southwest, in Sacramento County} and SUNRISE MALL (1972) {7.3 miles northeast, in Sacramento County / Citrus Heights}.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was in a downward spiral by mid-1980s. This was exacerbated by competition from a revitalized -and greatly expanded- ARDEN FAIR, who snatched the 23-year-old J.C. Penney from COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA on July 27, 1994. The vacant anchor at the PLAZA re-opened, as a Fresno-based Gottschalks, on November 1, 1994.
Los Angeles-based Carter-Hawley-Hale Stores, which owned the Weinstock's chain, was sold to Cincinnati-based Federated Stores in August of 1995. The COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA Weinstock's was "Macy-ated" in May of 1996.
Still struggling and in need of repairs, COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was acquired by Scottsdale-based Arizona Partners in February 2001. A 25 million dollar "remalling" began in early 2003. This project entailed the partial demolition of the existing mall, leaving its two anchor stores and west store blocks standing.
A new, enclosed structure was built, with an additional 100,000 square feet of retail area added on the east side. A revitalized COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA debuted on November 15, 2003. It now featured big box stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Sport Chalet and Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse. The facility now encompassed over 700,000 leasable square feet and housed fifty-two tenant spaces.
The center was sold to Manhattan Beach, California-based LaeRoc Partners, in 2006. Hard times hit the retail industry 2 years later, due to The Great Recession. Inline stores at COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA, such as American Eagle Outfitters and Pac Sun, were shuttered. Gottschalks closed in April 2009. A plan for Forever 21 to lease the vacant store space was nixed by Macy's, whose lease stipulated that the they had the final say in who could -or could not- occupy a vacant south anchor building.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA struggled to keep what tenants it had. The owner defaulted on their loan in November 2009. The complex was put up for sale in early 2010 and -again- in May 2013. There were no takers. Meanwhile, news surfaced of another prospective tenant for the empty Gottschalks. Boise-based Winco Foods was to acquire the building and remove its upper level. They would then renovate and occupy the remainder of the structure.
A third store block was completed in the spring of 1962. The fully-realized COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA spanned approximately 317,900 leasable square feet and contained twenty-nine stores and services beneath its awnings.
Weinstock-Lubin morphed into a standard Weinstock's on July 2, 1967. In the early 1970s, the shopping complex was given a 10 million dollar renovation. Two eastern store blocks were built, along with an enclosed and air-conditioned shopping concourse. The Stop -n- Shop building was razed and replaced by a 2-level (194,000 square foot) J.C. Penney.
The climate-controlled mall was decorated in a Southern Garden motif. Tile flooring was used extensively and several large planters were surrounded with Astroturf carpeting. The concourse was lined with simulated gas streetlamps. A Gazebo was placed at the main mall entry and a lion statue, from Great Britain, stood at the center of the South Court.
An official dedication for the new and improved COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was held on August 13, 1970. New inline stores included Waldenbooks, Mother To Be, Pied Piper Toys & Gifts, Julius' men's wear and Country Casuals ladies' wear. The new J.C. Penney opened its doors on July 28, 1971. With all construction work completed, the PLAZA encompassed approximately 503,600 leasable square feet. There were thirty-five stores and services. A basement cafe opened at Weinstock's in late 1978.
Shopping centers in the vicinity of COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA included TOWN & COUNTRY VILLAGE (1947) {1.1 miles northwest, in Sacramento County}, ARDEN FAIR CENTER (1961) {2.3 miles southwest, in Sacramento County} and SUNRISE MALL (1972) {7.3 miles northeast, in Sacramento County / Citrus Heights}.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was in a downward spiral by mid-1980s. This was exacerbated by competition from a revitalized -and greatly expanded- ARDEN FAIR, who snatched the 23-year-old J.C. Penney from COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA on July 27, 1994. The vacant anchor at the PLAZA re-opened, as a Fresno-based Gottschalks, on November 1, 1994.
Los Angeles-based Carter-Hawley-Hale Stores, which owned the Weinstock's chain, was sold to Cincinnati-based Federated Stores in August of 1995. The COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA Weinstock's was "Macy-ated" in May of 1996.
Still struggling and in need of repairs, COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was acquired by Scottsdale-based Arizona Partners in February 2001. A 25 million dollar "remalling" began in early 2003. This project entailed the partial demolition of the existing mall, leaving its two anchor stores and west store blocks standing.
A new, enclosed structure was built, with an additional 100,000 square feet of retail area added on the east side. A revitalized COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA debuted on November 15, 2003. It now featured big box stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Sport Chalet and Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse. The facility now encompassed over 700,000 leasable square feet and housed fifty-two tenant spaces.
The center was sold to Manhattan Beach, California-based LaeRoc Partners, in 2006. Hard times hit the retail industry 2 years later, due to The Great Recession. Inline stores at COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA, such as American Eagle Outfitters and Pac Sun, were shuttered. Gottschalks closed in April 2009. A plan for Forever 21 to lease the vacant store space was nixed by Macy's, whose lease stipulated that the they had the final say in who could -or could not- occupy a vacant south anchor building.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA struggled to keep what tenants it had. The owner defaulted on their loan in November 2009. The complex was put up for sale in early 2010 and -again- in May 2013. There were no takers. Meanwhile, news surfaced of another prospective tenant for the empty Gottschalks. Boise-based Winco Foods was to acquire the building and remove its upper level. They would then renovate and occupy the remainder of the structure.
However, in June 2013, the local press announced that the deal was off. This report came on the heels of some equally distressing news concerning the Bed, Bath & Beyond and Ross Dress For Less stores that had been operating in the shopping center since the early 2000s. Both would move to new quarters in TOWN & COUNTRY VILLAGE in July 2014.
In June 2014, a buyer was finally found for the struggling COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA. San Francisco's EDM Realty bought the complex and began to retenant its vacant store space. A deal was also finalized with Winco Foods in September 2014. They would be remodeling -and retenanting- the vacant Gottschalks. Work got underway in June 2015.
A new year brought bad tidings. Cincinnati-based Macy's Inc. announced that its COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA store would be closing for good. The store went dark on March 20, 2016. The new Winco Foods was dedicated on September 1, 2016. The 13-screen Country Club Luxury Cinemas showed first features on April 25, 2019.
In June 2014, a buyer was finally found for the struggling COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA. San Francisco's EDM Realty bought the complex and began to retenant its vacant store space. A deal was also finalized with Winco Foods in September 2014. They would be remodeling -and retenanting- the vacant Gottschalks. Work got underway in June 2015.
A new year brought bad tidings. Cincinnati-based Macy's Inc. announced that its COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA store would be closing for good. The store went dark on March 20, 2016. The new Winco Foods was dedicated on September 1, 2016. The 13-screen Country Club Luxury Cinemas showed first features on April 25, 2019.
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA was sold again in April 2022. The mall structure, excluding anchor structures on its north and south ends, was sold to developer Do Van Tron, under the auspices of the San Jose-based Intelli, Limited Liability Company. Plans for the redevelopment of the vacant Macy's came to light in October 2024. If said plan is implemented, the building would be gutted and rebuilt as self storage facility, with retail stores and a hotel.
Sources:
The Sacramento Bee
"BigMallRat's Editorial Review: Country Club Plaza" / Scott P. webmaster
www.countryclubplazamall.com
https://calisphere.org
Retail Traffic / "To Demolish Or Not To Demolish" / December 2003
Retail Traffic / "To Demolish Or Not To Demolish" / December 2003
https://www.advocatesforardenarcade.com
https://www.kcra.com
"Weinstock's" article on Wikipedia
