In this vintage view from March 1963, we see the south facade of the mall's south store block. This section of CHULA VISTA CENTER housed an S.S. Kresge 5 & dime, Harris & Frank (a men's clothier) and Marsi's (a San Diego-based dress shop). A J.C. Penney would soon be built on the left side of Kresge's.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / March 1963 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona  

In this snapshot, we see the open-air mallway, with a Marston's anchor store looming in the background.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / March 1963 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona 

Here we have a stunning view of the mall's "magnificent" Marston's.  A shopper has just exited said store though a unique "curtain of air" entrance, where there were no physical doors to pass thru. No doubt, this energy-inefficient feature was removed soon after its novelty had worn off.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / March 1963 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona  

The focal point of the original CHULA VISTA CENTER was its Juarez Fountain, which was the centerpiece of the Plaza de la Paz court. The water feature was a reproduction of a fountain in Alhambra, Spain.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / March 1963 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona  

J.C. Penney was built as a second phase of the original mall. The store, which encompassed 2 levels and 80,000 square feet, was dedicated in November 1963. It was one of the first in the chain to sport the new "Penneys" logo, which had been introduced in November 1962.
Photo from "The Webb Spinner" / November 1963 / Del E. Webb Corporation / Sun City Museum, Arizona