Westfield Palm Desert

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Dean
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Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

Found the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield_Palm_Desert

Can someone please confirm if I am following this correctly?!

1. The current Macy*s opened as Robinson's.
2. The vacant anchor facing 111 opened as Bonwit Teller. It is supposed to be replaced with Nordstrom.
3. The current Sears opened as May Company.
4. The current JCPenney opened as JCPenney.
5. The vacant anchor on the backside of the mall opened as Bullock's.

Whew! With all the mergers/consolidations...this was a tough one to follow.

Hahn was the original developer. There is still a Hahn street name entrance from Monterey Avenue.

Jeff, I noticed you listed some information under the Bullocks Wilshire thread...in regards to this location. Possibly you can confirm all the above!

Thanks!
Last edited by Dean on 20 Jul 2009 10:16, edited 1 time in total.
Jeff
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Jeff »

I used to go to this mall a lot when I was young. My grandparents lived out in Banning and this was their mall of choice.

The mall had at one point 5 department stores, today there are three, with a 4th on the way. I could have sworn that ROBINSONS was the SOUTH EAST anchor and MAY CO was the West anchor.

Going from west to east:
MAY CO used to be the western anchor. This was then turned into a Robinsons-May, and now MACYS.

BONWIT-TELLER was the north anchor (behind the mall). This was short lived and became BULLOCKS WILSHIRE. Later, it was to be a I MAGNIN store for a short time, then BULLOCKS MEN/HOME, then MACYS MEN/HOME before closing. This was torn down and is to become NORDSTROM. This store for a long time had a roof covering their doors so cars can pull up under the roof and the passengers could get out without getting wet.

BULLOCKS was the south-west anchor. This became MACYS. The Mens and Home moved to the former I Magnin store around 1994. This store closed and is vacant.

ROBINSONS used to be the south-east anchor. This became a 2nd ROBINSONS-MAY store that lasted until they consolidated the two stores to the former MAY CO. It became a SEARS.

JCPENNEY was always JCPENNEY

MACYS FURNITURE on the first level of the mall, I dont remember what was there, but this was never an anchor pad.

This mall for the longest was never fully leased too. It always had empty stores and had trouble trying to keep stores in. For a majority of its life, it was an upscale mall with the selection of department stores and inline stores. This has not seemed to be the case lately with SEARS moving in. A HAMBURGER HAMLET used to be upstairs next to Robinsons-May.
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

As always, thanks Jeff!

Wow...I couldn't follow what had happened!

This mall has really seen quite a change over the years with all the mergers/consolidations.

Sears
When it became Sears, do you recall if it had maintained the Robinson's upscale feel? The store probably needed a full remodel...yet, wonder if any Robinson's touches continued...or continue today. I will have to check it out. This reminds me of the JCPenney @ the Brea (CA) Mall. Robinson's had JUST opened a site...when the chain merged with May Co. The NEW Robinson's was converted to JCPenney...and it seemed so "high class" !

Nordstrom
Wonder if the economy has stalled the movement to build the site. Interesting that they would select the site on the "back", versus the site facing 111. You'd think they'd want to be seen better from the highway.

Macy*s
Just looking at the building from the outside, you can tell it is a massive site. According to the listing from the site I copied above...it is about 197,000 sq feet! This is comparable to a Wal*Mart Supercenter!
Found this as a comparison: Wal-Mart Supercenters are hypermarkets with size varying from 98,000 square feet (9,104.5 m2) to 261,000 square feet (24,247.7 m2), with an average of about 197,000 square feet (18,301.9 m2).[38]
Jeff
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Jeff »

They had actually doubled the size of the Robinsons-May store. It was a smaller store before. The old Robinsons used to be 3-levels if I remember correctly.

I havent been to that mall in about 8 years, so I cant remember everything lol.
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RXSQ
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by RXSQ »

Dean wrote: Nordstrom
Wonder if the economy has stalled the movement to build the site. Interesting that they would select the site on the "back", versus the site facing 111. You'd think they'd want to be seen better from the highway.
Nordstrom did in fact recently scale back some of their short-term expansion plans. From what I've heard, this store is on the hold list.
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

The Wikipedia listing states:

The transaction was completed in 1999, and the center was then renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Palm Desert", dropping the "Shoppingtown" name in June 2005.

The Shoppingtown name is still being utilized. It is on the main signs at the entrances.
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

Current Sears

I'd say the marble-type tile on each side of the exterior entrance is a carry-over from Robinsons.

The elevator reminds me of the elevator at the Robinsons (now Macy*s) in Puente Hills. It was "exposed", and was glass...so you could see out while going up or down. I wonder if this Palm Desert elevator was "exposed" as well...and later "concealed" with drywall. Sure looks like it was.

The auto center appears as though it was added when the site was converted to Sears. I don't believe any of the original anchors had auto centers. Plus this current Sears auto center is in the extreme opposite corner of the parking lot from where Sears stands!
Jeff
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Jeff »

Dean wrote:Current Sears

I'd say the marble-type tile on each side of the exterior entrance is a carry-over from Robinsons.

The elevator reminds me of the elevator at the Robinsons (now Macy*s) in Puente Hills. It was "exposed", and was glass...so you could see out while going up or down. I wonder if this Palm Desert elevator was "exposed" as well...and later "concealed" with drywall. Sure looks like it was.

The auto center appears as though it was added when the site was converted to Sears. I don't believe any of the original anchors had auto centers. Plus this current Sears auto center is in the extreme opposite corner of the parking lot from where Sears stands!
I think it was before. The same design as Cerritos (torn down), Arcadia (removed when the store expanded in 1992), and Westminster. Later designed stores like Brea and Santa Ana didn't have this.
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

Shoppingtown
Noticed that their website, literature, and ads inside the site are simply Westfield Palm Desert. Yet, the signs on the street still have Shoppingtown listed.

Bullocks turned Macy*s now vacant
It is vacant upstairs. Noticed that downstairs is currently Macy*s Swim. Solely swimwear. The majority of the area is being utilized. They have placed a partition around the back. I peaked through, and can see that they are using it for storage. The escalators are idled. The old signage from Macy*s is still in place. A bit of Macy*s furniture migrates into this area, and the area is connected to Macy*s Furniture Gallery via a doorway.

Macy*s Furniture Gallery

The Wikipedia site does not mention that this had been an anchor, and you stated the same Jeff. I am wondering tho...if Barnes & Noble was the upstairs of this site. The map of the site depicts that this could have been the case. Or, I wonder if Bullocks/Macy*s had created/utilized this site at one time, including the "passage" between the buildings. Possibly for furniture the entire time?
Jeff
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Jeff »

Dean - I think I remember what the Macy's Furniture store was prior to it being that. If I remember correctly, there was a movie theatre, like a 4 screener located off the main walkway on that side of the mall. It later (early 90's) moved and expanded to a 10 screener by the Ice Rink. Does that ring a bell?
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

Jeff wrote:Dean - I think I remember what the Macy's Furniture store was prior to it being that. If I remember correctly, there was a movie theatre, like a 4 screener located off the main walkway on that side of the mall. It later (early 90's) moved and expanded to a 10 screener by the Ice Rink. Does that ring a bell?
Quite possibly!

The steps that lead down to the Furniture Gallery could very well be such an entrance.

I had no contact with the mall site back then...so I am following your lead!

Much thanks, as always!
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

Dean wrote:The Wikipedia listing states:

The transaction was completed in 1999, and the center was then renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Palm Desert", dropping the "Shoppingtown" name in June 2005.

The Shoppingtown name is still being utilized. It is on the main signs at the entrances.
They have just changed the signs on the street to Westfield Palm Desert.

The floor mats as you enter the mall entrances still say Westfield Shoppingtown.
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

Just noticed that B U L L O C K ' S is still visible on the side of the vacant building facing Highway 111.

Each letter is painted over...yet still evident.
Dean
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Dean »

As Jeff stated, Robinsons-May had doubled the size of the store.

You can tell in the current Macy*s where the store was extended. There is a prominent "double line" in the flooring.
Jeff
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Re: Westfield Palm Desert

Post by Jeff »

I remember when the store wasthe original small size.
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