South Azusa Avenue and Colima Road
City of Industry, California
Plans for an eastern San Gabriel Valley shopping hub were announced in August 1972. A fully-enclosed venue would occupy a 94-acre tract, located 21 miles east of center city Los Angeles. The site, within the City of Industry, was adjacent to the recently-opened Pomona Freeway.
The complex was designed by Victor Gruen Associates, of Los Angeles, and built by a joint venture of El Segundo, California's Ernest W. Hahn, Incorporated and Western Harness Racing, Incorporated. When fully realized, the 40 million dollar PUENTE HILLS MALL encompassed 2 levels and approximately 1,180,200 leasable square feet.
A 3-level (160,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based The Broadway was dedicated on February 18, 1974. J.W. Robinson's, also based in Los Angeles, opened a 2-level (158,000 square foot) location on March 11, 1974. A 2-level (129,000 square foot) Sears was dedicated on April 17th. The fourth -and final- anchor, a 2-level (150,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, welcomed its first shoppers on April 16, 1975.
A 3-level (160,000 square foot), Los Angeles-based The Broadway was dedicated on February 18, 1974. J.W. Robinson's, also based in Los Angeles, opened a 2-level (158,000 square foot) location on March 11, 1974. A 2-level (129,000 square foot) Sears was dedicated on April 17th. The fourth -and final- anchor, a 2-level (150,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, welcomed its first shoppers on April 16, 1975.
PUENTE HILLS MALL housed 125 stores and services. Charter tenants included Harris & Frank men's wear, Florsheim Shoes, Rebel Shops men's wear, The Gap, Security Pacific Bank, and Pasadena Federal Savings. There were also outparcel businesses, such as a Sears Auto Center, Broadway Tire Center, Penney's Auto Center and a Bank Of America branch.
The freestanding American Multi-Cinema Puente Mall 6 opened on December 22, 1974. This multiplex was joined by a second freestanding venue, the AMC Puente East 4, which was inaugurated on April 4, 1980. In 1984-'85, PUENTE HILLS MALL was used during on-location filming for "Back To The Future." In the film, it became the TWIN PINES MALL / LONE PINE MALL.
The primary retail rivals of PUENTE HILLS MALL were WHITTWOOD CENTER (1956) {4.8 miles southwest, in Whittier}, WEST COVINA FASHION PLAZA-WESTFIELD WEST COVINA (1962) {5 miles north, in West Covina} and BREA MALL (1977) {5.5 miles southeast, in Orange County}. The opening of MONTEBELLO TOWNE CENTER (1988) {9 miles northwest, in Montebello} substantially hurt business at PUENTE HILLS, starting a long cycle of decline.
As this was playing out, the mall's first anchor store conversion transpired. May Company California absorbed J.W. Robinson's stores, with May and Robinson's locations rebranded as Robinsons-May on January 31, 1993. Federated Department Stores of Cincinnati bought Los Angeles' The Broadway chain, with the PUENTE HILLS store being shuttered in February 1996. A slow downward spiral of the mall was hastened.
South San Francisco's Krausz Company acquired the shopping hub, now 50 percent vacant, in August 1996. A 35 million dollar renovation started, which included demolition of the vacant The Broadway. It was replaced with a new Entertainment Wing, anchored by the American Multi-Cinema Puente Hills 20 and 9-bay Food Court. The state-of-the-art megaplex showed its first features on April 18, 1997.
J.C. Penney's closing, in the fall of 1996, had caused the Southeast Wing of the mall to die. The vacant store was gutted and reconfigured as part of a Power Center Wing, housing several big box tenants. An (82,200 square foot) Burlington Coat Factory opened in October 1998, along with a (59,400 square foot) Linens 'n Things. The Spectrum Club fitness center, occupying 2 levels and 47,200 square feet, was dedicated in May 1999.
Focal points of the original mall's Fountain Court were a polished granite fountain and octagonal skylight. The area was remodeled in 1991, when a 1907-vintage carousel was installed. This was removed during the late '90s renovation and replaced by Sundance, a solar spectrum apparatus. This directed a ray of sunlight into the court area, where there was now a stream, waterfall and koi pond.
The revitalized property was sold to a joint venture, headed by Santa Ana, California's Passco Real Estate Enterprises, in May 2003. The mall changed hands again in November 2005, when it was acquired by Columbus, Ohio's Glimcher Realty Trust.
The Robinsons-May store was rebannered by Macy's in September 2006. Soon after, Glimcher Realty Trust embarked on a 16 million dollar mall renovation. New hardwood floors, carpeting, landscaping and soft seating areas were installed and the Food Court refurbished. The solar and water features were also removed.
This renovation catered to the region's Asian community. Certain aspects of the mall were redesigned to comply with "feng shui" ["fang-shway"], the ancient Chinese practice of building cities and structures to better integrate humans within their environment. The renovation and remarketing proved successful, as nearly all of the mall's 155 store spaces were soon leased.
Over the years, Power Center Wing tenants have come and gone. Linens 'n Things gave way to Warehouse Furniture Outlet. A Round 1 Bowling & Amusement Center opened in the store space in August 2010. The Spectrum Club morphed into a 24 Hour Fitness, with Venetian Furniture Gallery being proceeded by Toys "R" Us.
In May 2014, the Simon Property Group created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust. Known as the Washington Prime Group, it merged with the Glimcher Realty Trust in early 2015. PUENTE HILLS MALL was sold to Arcadia, California's Kam Sang Company in May of the same year. A major renovation and expansion was envisaged by the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank firm, of Newport Beach.
During a three-phase project, over 160,000 square feet of new store space would be constructed. Open-air plazas, containing between 32,000 and 47,000 square feet of leasable area, would be added in four directions. Two parking garages would be built northwest and east of the existing mall, with new landscaping installed in all surface parking areas.
The freestanding American Multi-Cinema Puente Mall 6 opened on December 22, 1974. This multiplex was joined by a second freestanding venue, the AMC Puente East 4, which was inaugurated on April 4, 1980. In 1984-'85, PUENTE HILLS MALL was used during on-location filming for "Back To The Future." In the film, it became the TWIN PINES MALL / LONE PINE MALL.
The primary retail rivals of PUENTE HILLS MALL were WHITTWOOD CENTER (1956) {4.8 miles southwest, in Whittier}, WEST COVINA FASHION PLAZA-WESTFIELD WEST COVINA (1962) {5 miles north, in West Covina} and BREA MALL (1977) {5.5 miles southeast, in Orange County}. The opening of MONTEBELLO TOWNE CENTER (1988) {9 miles northwest, in Montebello} substantially hurt business at PUENTE HILLS, starting a long cycle of decline.
As this was playing out, the mall's first anchor store conversion transpired. May Company California absorbed J.W. Robinson's stores, with May and Robinson's locations rebranded as Robinsons-May on January 31, 1993. Federated Department Stores of Cincinnati bought Los Angeles' The Broadway chain, with the PUENTE HILLS store being shuttered in February 1996. A slow downward spiral of the mall was hastened.
South San Francisco's Krausz Company acquired the shopping hub, now 50 percent vacant, in August 1996. A 35 million dollar renovation started, which included demolition of the vacant The Broadway. It was replaced with a new Entertainment Wing, anchored by the American Multi-Cinema Puente Hills 20 and 9-bay Food Court. The state-of-the-art megaplex showed its first features on April 18, 1997.
J.C. Penney's closing, in the fall of 1996, had caused the Southeast Wing of the mall to die. The vacant store was gutted and reconfigured as part of a Power Center Wing, housing several big box tenants. An (82,200 square foot) Burlington Coat Factory opened in October 1998, along with a (59,400 square foot) Linens 'n Things. The Spectrum Club fitness center, occupying 2 levels and 47,200 square feet, was dedicated in May 1999.
Focal points of the original mall's Fountain Court were a polished granite fountain and octagonal skylight. The area was remodeled in 1991, when a 1907-vintage carousel was installed. This was removed during the late '90s renovation and replaced by Sundance, a solar spectrum apparatus. This directed a ray of sunlight into the court area, where there was now a stream, waterfall and koi pond.
The revitalized property was sold to a joint venture, headed by Santa Ana, California's Passco Real Estate Enterprises, in May 2003. The mall changed hands again in November 2005, when it was acquired by Columbus, Ohio's Glimcher Realty Trust.
The Robinsons-May store was rebannered by Macy's in September 2006. Soon after, Glimcher Realty Trust embarked on a 16 million dollar mall renovation. New hardwood floors, carpeting, landscaping and soft seating areas were installed and the Food Court refurbished. The solar and water features were also removed.
This renovation catered to the region's Asian community. Certain aspects of the mall were redesigned to comply with "feng shui" ["fang-shway"], the ancient Chinese practice of building cities and structures to better integrate humans within their environment. The renovation and remarketing proved successful, as nearly all of the mall's 155 store spaces were soon leased.
Over the years, Power Center Wing tenants have come and gone. Linens 'n Things gave way to Warehouse Furniture Outlet. A Round 1 Bowling & Amusement Center opened in the store space in August 2010. The Spectrum Club morphed into a 24 Hour Fitness, with Venetian Furniture Gallery being proceeded by Toys "R" Us.
In May 2014, the Simon Property Group created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust. Known as the Washington Prime Group, it merged with the Glimcher Realty Trust in early 2015. PUENTE HILLS MALL was sold to Arcadia, California's Kam Sang Company in May of the same year. A major renovation and expansion was envisaged by the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank firm, of Newport Beach.
During a three-phase project, over 160,000 square feet of new store space would be constructed. Open-air plazas, containing between 32,000 and 47,000 square feet of leasable area, would be added in four directions. Two parking garages would be built northwest and east of the existing mall, with new landscaping installed in all surface parking areas.
Interior spaces would also be refurbished. The Food Court -expanded from 9 bays to 19- would be joined by an Eaterie Food Hall, created out of existing Entertainment Wing space. Lastly, the adjacent Puente Hills 20 megaplex would be refurbished.
Alas, repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic -and major store shutterings- caused the renovation plans to be delayed indefinitely, if not totally abandoned. Sears pulled the proverbial plug on their PUENTE HILLS store in September 2018. Forever 21 went dark in January 2020, followed by Macy's, which closed for good in March 2022. As of mid-2023, the mall housed sixty-eight tenants, with eighty-seven vacant store spaces.
Sources:
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles County, California property tax assessor website
www.glimcher.com (Glimcher Realty Trust)
www.retailtraffic.com
www.cinematreasures.org
http://krauszcompanies.com
https://passco.com
https://www.apparelnews.net
https://csulauniversitytimes.com
https://www.puentehills-mall.com
"Puente Hills Mall" article on Wikipedia
