Shopping centers in Santa Fe Springs, California

Santa Fe Springs, California has been home to two regional malls and one open-air shopping center, anchored by department stores.

Santa Fe Springs Mall

Santa Fe Springs Mall

Location	Telegraph at Carmenita, Santa Fe Springs
Coordinates	33.9400198°N 118.0486143°W / 33.9400198; -118.0486143
Opening date	1985
Total retail floor area	540,000-square-foot (50,000 m^2)

The former 540,000-square-foot (50,000 m²) Santa Fe Springs Mall, built in 1985 as a regional mall which included a Sears (relocated to Whittwood Mall in 1996) and an 8-screen Mann multicinema,^[1][2] is now the site of the Gateway Plaza power center, anchored by Target, Ross Dress for Less (formerly OfficeMax and Marshalls), El Super Super, Walmart, AT&T, and L.A. Fitness. This mall is located on Telegraph Road at the intersection of Carmenita Road.

Whittier Downs

Whittier Downs Shopping Center

Location	Washington and Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs
Coordinates	33.9729628°N 118.0731365°W / 33.9729628; -118.0731365
Opening date	1955
Closing date	1980s
Total retail floor area	200,000-square-foot (19,000 m^2)

Whittier Downs Shopping Center was a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) shopping center that served the community of West Whittier-Los Nietos, California from the 1950s through the 1980s, anchored by J. C. Penney. The center is at Washington and Norwalk boulevards and within the city limits of Santa Fe Springs. Pereira & Luckman were the architects.^[3]

The center opened in 1955 with parking for 740 cars. Unusually, shops faced both a pedestrian mall as well as the parking lot.^[4][5][6]

In the late 1980s, the mall was demolished and the site was redeveloped into the Santa Fe Springs Marketplace, a neighborhood center anchored by a Food 4 Less & Farm Fresh supermarket and large Rite Aid pharmacy (formerly Thrifty Drugs).^[7]

Santa Fe Springs Shopping Center

Santa Fe Springs Shopping Center

Location	Telegraph at Orr and Day, Santa Fe Springs
Coordinates	33.948268°N 118.089395°W / 33.948268; -118.089395
Opening date	1954

The former Santa Fe Springs Shopping Center opened in 1954 with W. T. Grant, Market Basket and David's Department Store,^[8] is now called a neighborhood shopping center, Santa Fe Springs Promenade, with 112,000 square feet (10,400 m²)^[9][10] The dedication of a 40-foot-tall sign spelling out "Santa Fe Springs" at the center in 1956 was the celebrated with a three-day city festival.^[11]

References

1. "Long Beach Naval Hospital, Disposal and Reuse Environmental Impact Statement", 1995
2. "SOUTHEAST ARea's TOP 10 SHOPPING CENTERS : 5-Year-Old Catch-22 Hurts Santa Fe Springs Stores". Los Angeles Times. 27 December 1990.
3. University of California, Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection, Whittier Downs Shopping Center, Santa Fe Springs
4. "Whittier Area Center Slated". Los Angeles Times. January 24, 1954.
5. "In New Project". The Los Angeles Times. 31 October 1954. p. 123.
6. "Project furthered". The Los Angeles Times. 2 January 1955. p. 132.
7. "Springs agency OKs move to join redevelopment land". East Review (Whittier, California}. November 17, 1988.
8. "Advertisement for Santa Fe Springs Shopping Center". Los Angeles Times. August 12, 1956.
9. Hannah Madans, "Santa Fe Springs Shopping Center Sells for $32 Million", Los Angeles Business Journal, February, 2020
10. Molina, Sandra (April 16, 2016). "Santa Fe Springs Promenade looks to expand with more stores, supermarket". Whittier Daily News.
11. "Three-Day Fete at Springs to Open Thursday". Los Angeles Times. July 8, 1956.