The East Bay Science and Technology Center, formerly known as Hilltop Mall, is a regional shopping center in the Hilltop neighborhood of Richmond, California. Hilltop is managed and co-owned by LBG Real Estate Companies, LLC, and is anchored by tenants Macy's, Walmart and 24 Hour Fitness. Redevelopment of the East Bay Science and Technology Center is the initial phase of the new mixed-use master plan community, Hilltop by the Bay.
The Shops at Hilltop opened in September 1976, built on land previously occupied by an oil storage tank farm owned by the Chevron Corporation. The mall was developed by A. Alfred Taubman, who also developed several other shopping malls in the East and South Bay Area, including Eastridge Center in San Jose, Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton, and Sunvalley Mall in Concord. Originally, it was anchored by red-tiled Capwell's, JCPenney and Macy's. Both Macy's and JCPenney originally had stores in downtown Richmond, but while Macy's had closed its downtown store a couple of years earlier, JCPenney kept its downtown store open for a year after Hilltop opened.[2] Capwell's changed its name to Emporium-Capwell in 1979, before becoming simply The Emporium in 1990. Sears was added in 1990 in a newly built north wing addition, which was an expansion of this property.
Once opened, the mall attracted the major anchor stores from Richmond's downtown, with several major national chain stores closing downtown locations (although many acknowledge that the trend predated Hilltop due to economic and safety issues).[3][4]
The mall remained largely unchanged until 1996, when the Emporium store closed following its merger with Federated, who owned Macy's. The store remained vacant until October 1998, when Macy's refurbished and relocated their existing store into the former Emporium space and closed the original Macy's store. The space would remain vacant until Walmart took over the space in Spring 2007.
The GM Pension Trust assumed full ownership of The Shops at Hilltop in 1998, retaining Taubman Centers as manager.[5] In 2004, the GM Pension Trust sold a half-interest in a portfolio of shopping centers, including Hilltop, to The Mills Corporation, which also assumed management of the center. After several years of delay, Walmart opened on April 11, 2007 on the site Macy's vacated in 1998.
In August 2012, Greg Maloney, president of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Retail, was appointed receiver by the Contra Costa Superior Court to assume management of the property due to Simon's loan default. JLL retained Michael Piazzola as its managing receiver. The property was foreclosed upon in June 2013, and Jones Lang LaSalle was retained as the manager post-foreclosure.
On March 17, 2017, it was announced that JCPenney would be closing as part of a plan to close 138 stores nationwide. The store closed on July 31, 2017.[7]
On February 6, 2020, it was announced that Sears would be closing in March 2020 as part of the chain's plan to close dozens of stores nationwide, which will leave Macy's and Walmart as the only anchors left.[8]
Revitalization
This is what The Shops of Hilltop could look like after renovations are completed.
In July 2017, LBG Real Estate Companies, LLC and Aviva Investors announced the purchase of The Shops at Hilltop property. The property went into foreclosure by Simon Property Group in 2012 and then proceeded to be put up for auction before it was bought by LBG and Aviva. LBG has begun the process of rebranding, redeveloping and upgrading both the interior and exterior of the mall structural buildings. Working with urban planners, LBG has developed a strategy to transform the property during 2020 and beyond.[9]
In September 2017, the shopping center rebranded as The Shops at Hilltop, representing a new vision to modernize the property. The renovated shopping center will contain new dining, entertainment, office, and retail tenants. After redevelopment, The Shops at Hilltop will host 99 Ranch Market as a new anchor tenant and a variety of dining options representing many different cuisines.[10] The Shops will also contain personal care services and several entertainment options including a live theater.[11] The redevelopment will bring a mix of creative office tenants to the center connecting the shopping, dining, and cultural experiences to the workplace.
In addition to the Shops, LBG has created a master plan for the long-term, mixed-use redevelopment of the fully entitled 77-acre site which will complement the existing shopping center. This larger mixed-use development, named Hilltop by the Bay, will refer to all the development occurring on the old Hilltop Mall Property. Hilltop by the Bay will have over 3,500 housing units, as well as office, hotel, and entertainment uses.
Beyond the existing building, the Hilltop by the Bay development will build up the area to create an urban village on the Hilltop property. The site is entitled for 16.7 million square feet of overall building area, including up to 9,670 housing units. This allows for enormous expansion and development with a variety of uses including a Marriot Residence Inn.[12] The mixed-use offered by the Hilltop by the Bay development will enable a work, live, play environment for those who utilize the full breadth of options that will be offered once the development is complete.
Construction has begun on The Shops at Hilltop renovations with the initial work expected to be complete in late 2020. This preliminary work will bring in new retailers, entertainment establishments and restaurants to the shopping center. The new interior and exterior upgrades will consist of new modern mall entrances, facade improvements, an upgraded food court, illuminated signage, LED lightning, new seating, new flooring, and new landscaping.
See also: History of retail in Southern California – Note: starred (*) listings indicate former regional mall now site of strip-style community center with new name
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