An iconic shopping centre that was once a bustling holiday destination presented a ghostly, near-empty spectacle in the days leading up to Christmas. The San Francisco Centre, previously known as the Westfield Mall, has suffered a catastrophic decline, with approximately 93 percent of its storefronts now vacant.
A Drastic Decline from Luxury Hub to Ghost Town
Footage filmed just five days before Christmas laid bare the mall's stark transformation. Where nine floors once teemed with shoppers browsing luxury retailers, vast expanses now stand deserted. The complex, spanning roughly 1.5 million square feet and holding the title of San Francisco's largest mall, has been in a downward spiral since the Covid pandemic, accelerated by a major shift to online shopping.
The mall's value has plummeted dramatically. After being valued at around $1.2 billion roughly a decade ago, it was foreclosed on in November. It was subsequently sold to a consortium of lenders, including JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, for a mere $133 million.
Contrasting Visions for a Troubled Property
The banks have enlisted real estate brokerage CBRE to seek a new buyer. Kyle Kovac, an executive vice president at CBRE, suggested to CBS News that the sale could mark a fresh start. He pointed to renewed civic leadership, population growth, and surging demand from AI and tech firms as reasons for optimism, stating the property is "uniquely positioned to anchor the next chapter in downtown San Francisco's recovery."
However, local sentiment often paints a bleaker picture. Regular visitor Neil Wotherspoon, who frequents the mall roughly once a week primarily for the basement Panda Express—one of the few remaining open businesses—expressed deep pessimism about its prospects. "I think these will be the last people to put the lights out," he said.
Echoes of a Bustling Past and an Eerie Present
Long-term residents and former employees feel the loss acutely. Paula Reinda, who managed a music store in the mall during its vibrant 1990s heyday, recalled a centre so busy "you couldn't even walk." She lamented the unbelievable contrast with its current state, noting it looks worse with each visit.
For others, the experience of visiting the cavernous, empty complex is unsettling. "It's eerie, especially coming in as an outsider," Romel Pacheco told CBS. "Coming in, you're expecting so many stores, you know, like a typical mall, but it's not that at all."
Online reactions to the video of the empty mall echoed this sense of shock and sadness, with one commenter calling it "actually heartbreaking." Another observer noted it signified more than just changing shopping habits, suggesting it reflected "lost confidence, and maybe a quiet fear about safety too," alluding to well-documented challenges with crime in the city's downtown area.
The Daily Mail has approached JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, and CBRE for comment on the mall's future.
