Saviers Road and Dempsey Road (West Channel Islands Boulevard)
Oxnard, California
One of the first post-war shopping centers in Ventura County was built on a 9.7-acre plot, located 1.2 miles south of downtown Oxnard. The SUPER SHOPPING CENTER was developed by Henry Horn of Beverly Hills. A 1-level (27,400 square foot) McDaniel's Market grocery became the first operational SUPER SHOPPING CENTER store, in September 1954.
Ten stores were dedicated as part of a center-wide grand opening, which got underway on December 3, 1954. These included Fisher Shoes, Gordon's Home Shop, Cooper's Men's & Boy's Shop, Youngsterville Infants, Children's & Maternity Wear and Lorayne's Select Confections.
During the SUPER SHOPPING CENTER grand opening festivities, there were performances by the Mackenzie Highlanders, celebrity appearances and an "outdoor teen-ager dance". Prizes were also awarded, such as a gas range, black & white television set and 1955 Ford Crown Victoria.
New businesses continued to open over the next few years. Thrifty Drug welcomed its first shoppers on December 9, 1954. A 2-level (22,000 square foot) W.T. Grant (Grants) variety store made its debut on February 16, 1956. Lastly, a covered Arcade of shops was dedicated in August 1958. Tenants included Wayne's Jewelers, Avila Shoe Repair and Arcade Flowerland. With their completion, the strip complex spanned approximately 156,000 leasable square feet. Its parking area had accommodations for 600 autos.
Oxnard's first mall-type retail hub came about as an extension of the SUPER SHOPPING CENTER. Construction commenced at a 32-acre site directly across Saviers Road in October 1964. The parcel was being developed by George and Ronald Binder under the auspices of the Beverly Hills-based Oxnard Center Company.
The first operational store in the open-air OXNARD MALL, a 1-level (126,000 square foot) Unimart, began business on April 21, 1966. Next came a (25,000 square foot) Thrifty Drug, operated in conjunction with an older location in the SUPER SHOPPING CENTER. The newer store was dedicated on September 29, 1966.
OXNARD MALL was officially dedicated, with Sally Shops, Smarty Look ladies' wear, Toy World and Karl's Shoes, on November 2, 1966. The south anchor, a 1-level (76,000 square foot) W.T. Grant, also rang its first sale on this day. The complex encompassed approximately 282,000 leasable square feet.
During its early years, the 6 million dollar shopping complex would be known by different names. Originally promoted as OXNARD MALL, it was known as TWIN CENTERS MALL by the mid-1970s. The strip complex across the road had taken the name TWIN SHOPPING CENTER. A major competitor had come on the scene in 1970. THE ESPLANADE {3.7 miles north, also in Oxnard} quickly became the area's preeminent mall, with OXNARD / TWIN CENTERS being demoted to secondary status.
By this time, a freestanding motion picture venue had been built in the southwest parking area of TWIN CENTERS MALL. The National General Corporation Fox Oxnard showed its first feature on May 24, 1969. This theater would be in operation until late 1982.
Unimart became the first anchor store at TWIN CENTERS MALL to sport a new nameplate. In late 1969, Disco Fair, a division of New York City-based Beck Industries, assumed the store space. On October 24, 1973, a Two Guys discount mart moved in. This was shuttered in November 1978. On the opposite end of the mall, W.T. Grant had been rebranded as a Grant City in 1973. The store went dark in late 1975, Its space was renovated and re-opened, as a Mervyn's, on May 1, 1976.
A renovation of TWIN CENTERS MALL commenced in March 1979. The shopping concourse was enclosed and climate-controlled, with green and beige terrazzo floors installed. The 3 million dollar project culminated with a grand re-opening celebration, which was held on November 1, 1979.
The festivities were hosted by Mayor Tsujio Kab and Marie Garcia, the reigning "Miss Oxnard 1980." New stores included J.C. Penney (in the old Two Guys space), as well as Foot Locker, Lerner Shops, Kinney Shoes, Fashion Conspiracy, Burt's Shoes, Waldenbooks and Musicland. The complex, which now spanned 340,000 leasable square feet, was officially renamed CENTERPOINT MALL.
J.C. Penney pulled up stakes on November 2, 1986. The space would sit vacant until September 7, 1991, when Salt Lake City-based Smith's Food & Drug opened for business. This store was shuttered in 1994.
Soon after, 20,000 square feet at the rear of the vacant building was sectioned into a facility for Ventura County Public Health. The remaining (85,900 square foot) portion was rebuilt into an Albertsons supermarket. This morphed into a Lucky Stores operation in June 2009, which shut down on October 15, 2010. The vacant Lucky Store was divided into two parts. Santa Fe Springs, California-based Superior Grocers opened (in 61,300 square feet) on June 22, 2011. Pleasanton, California's dd's discounts (encompassing 24,600 square feet) began business in June 2012.
Meanwhile, an adjacent 6,500 square foot section had also been renovated. It opened, as a Chesapeake, Virginia-based Dollar Tree, in September 2011. On the south end of the mall, Mervyn's went dark in December 2008. Its 78,000 square foot building was renovated and opened, as a WalMart, in January 2013.
Sources:
The Oxnard Press-Courier
http://oxnardcentercompany.homestead.com
http://www.centerpoint-mall.com
www.cinematreasures.org
