OXNARD, CALIFORNIA

OXNARD CENTER COMPANY

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

SECTION 26

OUR HISTORY

OXNARD TWIN CENTERS MALL

Saviers Road and West Channel Islands Boulevard

Oxnard, California

Oxnard's first shopping mall came about as an extension of the city's SUPER SHOPPING CENTER, which had opened in stages between September 1954 and February 1956. Construction commenced, at the 32 acre OXNARD MALL site across the road, in October 1964. The land parcel, located 1.2 miles south of downtown Oxnard, was developed by George and Ronald Binder under the auspices of the Beverly Hills-based Oxnard Center Company.

The first operational store in the open-air complex, a 1-level (126,000 square foot) Unimart, began business April 21, 1966. Next came a 25,000 square foot Thrifty Drug, operated in conjunction with an older location in the SUPER SHOPPING CENTER. The new store came inline September 29.

OXNARD MALL was formally dedicated, with Sally Shops, Smarty Look women's wear, Toy World and Karl's Shoes, on November 2, 1966. The center's south anchor, a 1-level (76,000 square foot) Grant City, also rang its first sale on grand opening day.

Upon its completion in early 1967, OXNARD MALL encompassed 340,000 leasable square feet and thirty-one stores and services. As with its mall-type counterpart in the neighboring city of Ventura, the 6 million dollar shopping complex was known by a series of different names during its early years...including OXNARD PLAZA and TWIN CENTERS MALL.

A movie palace was soon built as a southwest outparcel of the mall property. The Fox Oxnard showed its first feature, "If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belgium", on May 24, 1969. The theater would be in operation until late 1982.

Unimart became the first rebranded anchor store at the TWIN CENTERS. In late 1969, Disco Fair, a division of New York City-based Beck Industries, assumed the store space. On October 24, 1973, a Two Guys discount mart moved in. This was shuttered in November 1978. On the opposite end of the mall, Grant City went dark in late 1975, Its space was renovated and re-opened, as a Mervyn's, May 1, 1976.

A renovation of OXNARD / TWIN CENTERS was undertaken in March 1979. The main mallway was enclosed and climate-controlled, with green and beige terrazzo floors installed. The 3 million dollar project culminated with a grand opening celebration held November 1, 1979.

Stores new to the retail hub included J.C. Penney (in the vacant Two Guys space) and Foot Locker, Lerner Shops, Kinney Shoes, Fashion Conspiracy, Burt's Shoes, Waldenbooks and Musicland. As part of the reinvention, the center was officially renamed CENTERPOINT MALL.

J.C. Penney pulled the proverbial plug on their CENTERPOINT MALL store November 2, 1986. The space would sit vacant until September 7, 1991, when Salt Lake City-based Smith's Food and Drug opened for business. A facet of the chain's ill-fated Southern California expansion, the store was shuttered in 1994.

Soon after, 20,000 square feet at the rear of the vacant anchor was sectioned into a facility for Ventura County Public Health. The remaining area, comprising 106,000 square feet, became an Albertsons supermarket, which was rebranded by Lucky Stores in June 2009. This operation shut down October 15, 2010.

Today, CENTERPOINT MALL is owned and operated by the Oxnard Center Company. They have recently signed a new tenant for 61,500 square feet of the vacant Albertsons / Lucky Stores space. Sante Fe Springs, California-based Superior Grocers is now open. A 31,500 square foot section will be leased as a junior department store.

Retailers currently in operation at CENTERPOINT MALL include Rite Aid Drug (in the Thirfty space), Bank Of America, Fresenius Medical Group, Fashion Point, Royal Family Shoes, Mora's Boots, Sneaker Time, Las islas Medical Group,  Daniel's Jewelers.Yoshinoya, Wells Fargo Bank, Subway, Taco Bell, Autozone and Ventura County Public Health.

Sources: The Oxnard Press-Courier and Oxnard Center Company

Vintage Photos