The Shops at Tanforan
Encyclopedia
The Shops at Tanforan is a redeveloped, regional shopping mall
in San Bruno, California
. It is located in the Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area
, 10 miles south of San Francisco. It is served by the adjacent San Bruno
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
station, as well as several local SamTrans
bus lines and the Brisbane Shuttle
. The complex is located minutes away from San Francisco International Airport.
The mall underwent a 3-year reconstruction, and reopened in 2005. It continues to be anchored by its original major retailers Sears, Target
, and JCPenney
, as well as a Century Theatres
that opened in 2008.
was built in 1899. It was named after Toribio Tanforan, the grandson-in-law of Jose Antonio Sanchez, the grantee of Rancho Buri Buri
. Horse
, dog, motorcycle, and auto
races were held year round at the track. One of Tanforan's most famous residents while it was used as a racetrack was Seabiscuit
, who was stabled there for a time. Today, a statue of Seabiscuit may be found on the grounds of the Tanforan mall.
The site found other uses after 1909, when the state of California banned all gambling at racetracks.
anchored in San Francisco Bay
. This marked the second successful shipboard aircraft landing. A plaque on the grounds commemorates this event.
Tanforan was temporarily converted into a military training center during World War I
.
During World War II
, Tanforan was used as a Japanese American internment center
. Tanforan was one of 17 "Civilian Assembly Centers", where internees were sent before being relocated to more permanent (and remote) "relocation centers". Horse stalls were used as housing. About 8,000 people were kept at Tanforan during the war. A plaque outside the mall notes this history.
Ironically, a number of soldiers who were once interned at Tanforan are buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery
, which is located on a nearby hill that overlooks the Tanforan site.
After the war, Tanforan returned to its former role as a race track, with a golf course in the center of the track. The track went into decline in the 1950s due to competition from Bay Meadows, then burned down on July 31, 1964.
In 1999, the mall was purchased by real estate developer Wattson Breevast LLC, who planned to redevelop it. There were many issues the new owners had to overcome: lawsuit involving BART
, getting consent from existing anchors, moving out long-term tenants, existing building materials, and other city issues. It would be four years before the project's operations were ready to begin.
After resolving a string of legal, construction, and administrative issues, renovations finally began in 2003. Most of the existing structure - with the exception of the anchor buildings - was razed and underwent a major reconstruction. Altoon + Porter Architects was hired for the mall's new design, and the $140 million project was completed after 20 months. In 2005, the new mall opened as The Shops at Tanforan.
On April 18, 2008, Century Theatres
had its grand opening at this location, with a skybridge between the mall and theater connecting the two structures.
The bottom floor of the garage also serves as a walkway to both the San Bruno Police Department and the BART station.
A two-level Barnes & Noble
bookstore is located at the center of the El Camino Real
entrance.
, which has corporate headquarters about 0.5 mile (800 m) away on Cherry Ave and 15 minutes downtown to Folsom St. in San Francisco. The concept launched in March with a very natural design (sans the typically seen truck) and is designed to be a concept for future Old Navy stores.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in San Bruno, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located in the Peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, 10 miles south of San Francisco. It is served by the adjacent San Bruno
San Bruno (BART station)
San Bruno Station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station located adjacent to the Tanforan shopping center in suburban San Bruno, California, in northern San Mateo County...
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
station, as well as several local SamTrans
SamTrans
SamTrans is a public transport agency in and around San Mateo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It provides bus service throughout San Mateo County and into portions of San Francisco and Palo Alto...
bus lines and the Brisbane Shuttle
Brisbane Shuttle
Brisbane Shuttle is a public transit service that serves the city of Brisbane, California.-Service:The service is only available to pass holders that must either work or reside in the city. Three lines connect travelers from the city's residences, commercial district and mainly its industrial park...
. The complex is located minutes away from San Francisco International Airport.
The mall underwent a 3-year reconstruction, and reopened in 2005. It continues to be anchored by its original major retailers Sears, Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, and JCPenney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, as well as a Century Theatres
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...
that opened in 2008.
History
The site that The Shops at Tanforan mall is built on has a rich history. Prior to its reincarnation as a shopping center, Tanforan once also served as a racetrack, at various times as an airfield, a military training center, an internment camp, as well as a golf course.Racetrack
The Tanforan RacetrackTanforan Racetrack
Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California was a thoroughbred horse racing facility that operated from September 4, 1899 to July 31, 1964. Tanforan was constructed to serve a clientele from the nearby city of San Francisco. The facility was named after Toribio Tanforan, the grandson-in-law of Jose...
was built in 1899. It was named after Toribio Tanforan, the grandson-in-law of Jose Antonio Sanchez, the grantee of Rancho Buri Buri
Rancho Buri Buri
Rancho Buri Buri was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1835 by Governor José Castro to José Antonio Sánchez. The name derives from the Urebure village of the Ramaytush speaking Yelamu tribe of Ohlone people who were settled by the banks of San Bruno Creek...
. Horse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, dog, motorcycle, and auto
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
races were held year round at the track. One of Tanforan's most famous residents while it was used as a racetrack was Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
, who was stabled there for a time. Today, a statue of Seabiscuit may be found on the grounds of the Tanforan mall.
The site found other uses after 1909, when the state of California banned all gambling at racetracks.
Airfield
For a time, Tanforan served as an airfield, with the center of the original racetrack used as a runway. On January 18, 1911, aviator Eugene Ely made naval aviation history when he took off from Tanforan and made a successful landing on the USS PennsylvaniaUSS Pennsylvania (ACR-4)
The second USS Pennsylvania , also referred to "Armored Cruiser No. 4", and later renamed Pittsburgh and numbered CA-4, was a United States Navy armored cruiser, the lead ship of her class....
anchored in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. This marked the second successful shipboard aircraft landing. A plaque on the grounds commemorates this event.
Tanforan was temporarily converted into a military training center during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Tanforan Assembly Center
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Tanforan was used as a Japanese American internment center
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
. Tanforan was one of 17 "Civilian Assembly Centers", where internees were sent before being relocated to more permanent (and remote) "relocation centers". Horse stalls were used as housing. About 8,000 people were kept at Tanforan during the war. A plaque outside the mall notes this history.
Ironically, a number of soldiers who were once interned at Tanforan are buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery
Golden Gate National Cemetery
Golden Gate National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the city of San Bruno, San Mateo County, 12 miles south of San Francisco. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with San Francisco National Cemetery, which dates to the 19th century and is in the Presidio...
, which is located on a nearby hill that overlooks the Tanforan site.
After the war, Tanforan returned to its former role as a race track, with a golf course in the center of the track. The track went into decline in the 1950s due to competition from Bay Meadows, then burned down on July 31, 1964.
Shopping mall
In 1971, a new shopping mall was built on the Tanforan site. At the time of opening, it was named the Tanforan Shopping Center, and was the first major shopping center in San Mateo county.In 1999, the mall was purchased by real estate developer Wattson Breevast LLC, who planned to redevelop it. There were many issues the new owners had to overcome: lawsuit involving BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
, getting consent from existing anchors, moving out long-term tenants, existing building materials, and other city issues. It would be four years before the project's operations were ready to begin.
After resolving a string of legal, construction, and administrative issues, renovations finally began in 2003. Most of the existing structure - with the exception of the anchor buildings - was razed and underwent a major reconstruction. Altoon + Porter Architects was hired for the mall's new design, and the $140 million project was completed after 20 months. In 2005, the new mall opened as The Shops at Tanforan.
On April 18, 2008, Century Theatres
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...
had its grand opening at this location, with a skybridge between the mall and theater connecting the two structures.
The bottom floor of the garage also serves as a walkway to both the San Bruno Police Department and the BART station.
A two-level Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
bookstore is located at the center of the El Camino Real
El Camino Real (California)
El Camino Real and sometimes associated with Calle Real usually refers to the 600-mile California Mission Trail, connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions , 4 presidios, and several pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego...
entrance.
Old Navy
Tanforan is home to a concept store for Old NavyOld Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, which has corporate headquarters about 0.5 mile (800 m) away on Cherry Ave and 15 minutes downtown to Folsom St. in San Francisco. The concept launched in March with a very natural design (sans the typically seen truck) and is designed to be a concept for future Old Navy stores.
External links
- Official site
- San Bruno's History page, which reveals some of Tanforan's history