San Francisco Centre, once the city's largest shopping mall, is set to close permanently on Monday, January 26, following a sharp rise in crime that led to a dramatic drop in foot traffic and a wave of store closures. The mall, located near Union Square, has seen its last remaining retail outlet confirm the closure, with the entrance to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) already sealed off to the public.
According to Alicia Trost, BART's chief communications officer, the mall's general manager informed the transit agency of the decision to close the entrance from the Powell Station concourse level. Trost noted that any new ownership could potentially reopen the entrance under a new license agreement.
The 1.5 million square foot centre, formerly known as Westfield Mall, had been a beloved destination for generations of shoppers. Former customers expressed sadness over its demise, with Ashley Fumore telling KRON4: "I get really sad thinking that nobody comes here anymore." Another shopper, Liz Ann Keys, added: "My heart was really, really sad when I saw it was leaving."
In recent years, the mall suffered from a surge in crime, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. An analysis by the San Francisco Standard in September 2024 found that while overall crime in San Francisco dropped, the southern district—where the mall is located—saw a 92% year-on-year increase. Larceny-theft reports in the district nearly doubled from 955 to 1,876 incidents between January and August 2024, compared to a 23% citywide decline.
The crime spike prompted businesses to leave, with restaurant chains like Panda Express and Shake Shack among the first to go. By late 2025, fewer than 20 businesses remained in the centre, which has capacity for around 200 stores. The mall's future is uncertain, though it was acquired last year by a group including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase for $134 million.
