The San Francisco Centre mall in downtown San Francisco has recently experienced another closure, adding to the growing list of empty spaces within the shopping complex. On Sunday, the large department store shut its doors, closely following the previous closure of Nordstrom Rack just a block away at 901 Market St. The once vibrant wing of the mall, which previously housed Nordstrom, now stands desolate, guarded by a security officer stationed at the imposing, gold-plated gates designed to dissuade curious onlookers.
To leave no doubt about its permanent closure, plain white signs declaring “Nordstrom is permanently closed” have been plastered across the entrances of the store. As a further precautionary measure, caution tape obstructs access to the curved escalators that once carried shoppers from the fourth to the eighth levels, where Nordstrom once thrived. Adding to the eerie atmosphere, Ebar, a coffee stand previously operated by Nordstrom, now sits vacant beside the dormant elevators that once transported customers to the store.
This closure further accentuates the rapidly changing landscape of the San Francisco Centre mall, which underwent a significant operational shift in June when operator Brookfield Properties relinquished control to the lender. As a visible sign of this transition, the iconic Westfield logos that had adorned the building’s exterior for many years were abruptly removed last month, symbolizing the mall’s readiness for its next evolution.
With the recent closure of the department store, the San Francisco Centre mall finds itself grappling with an uncertain future. As the building stands adorned with blank walls and guarded gates, it remains to be seen what will come next for this once bustling shopping destination. The fate of the mall, now in the hands of new overseers, holds the intrigue and anticipation of what lies ahead for this prominent hub in the heart of San Francisco.