An extant asset
Much like those in Hawai’i with its year round warm climate, it’s no surprise that most shopping malls in the San Diego area are of the open-air variety. And one of the oldest and most established exists in a suburb to the northeast of the city in La Mesa, the Grossmont Center.
1 to 5- The front façade and entrances of Grossmont Center. 6 to 8- The flanking side of the center.
Featuring its own stop on the San Diego trolley’s gold line, the main facility is just a short walk from Grossmont Station. On a warm August morning with a thicker than normal marine layer over downtown, I walked toward the main complex under sunny southern California desert skies.
Grossmont Center lease plan ca. 1961. View the full PDF here.
I was glad to see that the profile of Grossmont Center still retained much of its mid twentieth century aesthetic. Its low slung roofline was highlighted in the center by Macy’s massively out of scale brutalist façade, still very much exemplifying retail standards from the time of its opening.
1- Target. 2- Wal-Mart. 3 & 4- The former Restoration Hardware store. 5 to 10- The classic mid-mod architecture of the Macy’s outlet at Grossmont Center.
There were two locations, however, that were not completely open to the sun. The fairly newish food court was entirely enclosed as well as climate controlled while a small portion of the main concourse close to Target was covered with a roof complete with skylights.
Grossmont Center Mallmanac ca. 2009. View the full PDF here.
Opened in 1961, Grossmont Center was built on 110 acres of land and was, at the time, the largest building project ever in the growing suburb. It was highlighted by two anchor stores, Montgomery Ward and San Diego based Marston’s in addition to junior anchors Kress, Woolworth and Longs Drugs.
1 to 4- The main entrance breezeway into Grossmont Center. 2 to 10- The eastern corridor leading to Wal-Mart.
In 1964 The Broadway, which had purchased the Marston’s company in 1961 but kept the latter’s nameplate on the façade, finally fully moved in and the Marston’s label was retired. A year later in 1965, a massive movie theater was added to Grossmont Center as well.
Grossmont Center pamphlet ca. 2017. View the full PDF here.
The seventies and eighties brought more expansions as department store Buffum’s opened in 1979 along with a new wing running perpendicular and to the south of the main concourse. Bullock’s was added to the lineup in 1983 at the far western end of Grossmont Center.
1 to 3- The western concourse. 4- The southeastern entrance. 5 & 6- The corridors leading to the food court. 7 to 9- The central walkway of Grossmont Center. 10- The side entrance leading to the food court.
During the late eighties, hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the phrase, the name was changed to Grody-to-the-mont Center. This is, of course, not true but I’m hoping my fellow kids of the 80s appreciate it. In reality, the following decade saw the closure of Buffum’s in 1990. The smaller footprint of the building later housed Oshman’s sporting goods, then Sports Authority and finally Restoration Hardware. The facility sits vacant today.
1- Heading to the food court’s back entrance. 2- The food court entrance and connected outdoor plaza. 3 to 5- The food court. The only fully enclosed, climate controlled common area of Grossmont Center. 6 to 8- The food court plaza abutting Macy’s.
Bullock’s hung on until 1993, departing Grossmont Center around the same time as Woolworth. The Los Angeles based department store was replaced two years later by Target, which still occupies the location to the present day.
Grossmont Center pamphlet ca. 2021. View the full PDF here.
Barnes & Noble added their nameplate to Grossmont Center upon taking ownership of Woolworth’s former home four years after the latter’s departure. The movie theater, located just to the west of Woolworth, closed for a short time before being replaced by an expanded cineplex in 1995.
Macy’s made their Grossmont Center debut in 1996 as their labels were placed where The Broadway’s once lay. At this time, Montgomery Ward remained as the oldest extant anchor. But their tenure would come to a close in 2000 with the company’s bankruptcy.
Grossmont Center pamphlet ca. 2023. View the full PDF here.
Four years later in 2004, Wal-Mart was added to the tenant list upon their opening in Montgomery Ward’s former digs. Still operating today, Wal-Mart is joined by Target and Macy’s as Grossmont Center’s major anchor outlets.
Center Court and the Macy’s interior entrance at Grossmont Center.
Grossmont Center was sold to a real estate investment trust in 2021, ending more than sixty years of family ownership. The center remains healthy and for much of its life had remained nearly fully occupied.
Grossmont Center Mallmanac ca. 2025. View the full PDF here.
The new owners, Federal Realty, had announced plans for a renovation in mid-2025. According to a press release, it will be a full makeover with a “consistent color palette,” which I fear means that the vibrant beauty will be whitewashed of all character.
1- Grossmont Center’s western half. 2 to 4- The portion of the concourse leading to Target with its partial covering. 5- The mall entrance next to Target. 6- The secondary front entrance to the common area.
However, there are also indications that earlier rumored redevelopments will not move forward. This shows that, at the very least, Grossmont Center will continue to welcome shopping patrons for the foreseeable future.
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