Malls · California
Northgate Mall (San Rafael)
Partial 2026 retrofit: 1,400 housing units + mixed-use, approved by city, 2017 sale from Macerich. · summary, model-written
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile12 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Macy's
This site: Macy's wikipedia · all sites with thisSears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with this30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road
This site: 168,000 on 101 fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisCounty lost 10%+ of retail establishments since 2012
This site: -12% census-cbp · all sites with thisCounty typical rent $2,000+
This site: $3,865/mo zillow · all sites with thisInterstate or freeway within 600 m
This site: 101 fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisShrinking county
This site: -0.6% census-acs · all sites with thisRedeveloped
This site: Roughly 1,400 housing units. record · all sites with thisEntertainment and sports
This site: …new_use field newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisHousing
This site: Roughly 1,400 housing units. Approved by City of San Rafael. newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisMixed use
This site: …new_use field newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field newtypes-extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Partly retrofittednewtypes-extraction reported |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Partial RedevelopedWikipedia no source |
| New uses | entertainment, housing, mixed, retailWikipedia no source |
| What is there now | Roughly 1,400 housing units.newtypes-extraction reported |
| Retrofit year | 2026newtypes-extraction reported |
| Redeveloper | Merlone Geier Partnersnewtypes-extraction reported |
Planning
| Planning notes | Approved by City of San Rafael.Wikipedia no source |
|---|
Deals and debt
| Date | Event | Price | Parties | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sold | — | Merlone Geier Partners ← Macerich | Wikipedia |
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Northgate Mall” and “San Rafael” (74 hits, first 74 sampled, 8 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (weak) | MACERICH CO (MAC) | 55 | 2001-03-29 to 2020-02-25 | 8-K 25, 10-K 22, 10-Q 6, 8-K/A 1 |
As reported by the owner
Property tables from the owner's annual report (Form 10-K, Item 2) on EDGAR, one row per filing year. GLA, occupancy and anchors are the filer's own figures at that year end; “leased” counts signed leases, “occupied” counts open stores; ownership is the filer's share. Matched by name and place, unreviewed; the verbatim table row is in sec_facts.csv.
| Year end | Filer | Name in filing | GLA sq ft | Occupancy | Years | Share | Sales psf | Anchors listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Macerich 10-K, 2010-02-26 | Northgate Mall San Rafael, CA match: exact | 712,771 in-line 242,440 | 10.0% leased | built 1964 / acquired 1986 | 100.0% | Kohl's, Macy's, Sears | |
| 2006 | Macerich 10-K, 2007-02-27 | Northgate Mall San Rafael, CA match: exact | 731,803 in-line 261,472 | 90.7% leased | built 1964 / acquired 1986 / renovated 1987 | 100.0% | $388 | Macy's, Mervyn's, Sears |
Site context
| Housing permits, Marin County (CA), 2024 | 0 units in 5+ unit buildings, 7 in 2–4, 151 single-family; 2023: 115 in 5+Census BPS |
|---|---|
| Other atlas sites nearby | 2 within 10 km, 3 within 25 km: Northgate Town Square (3.5 km); Shuttered Macy’s location (9.0 km)computed |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 12,979 jobs in 844 establishments; average annual pay $58,970; employment location quotient 1.19; employment -1.7% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 4,363 jobs; 463 in retail trade, 290 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 06041108202)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 48th income percentile as adults; 2.1% incarcerated at the 2010 count (347 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 10.1%; median family income $126,364; 86 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | San Rafael City High School District (09-12); 6 public schools within 1 mile: Marin County ROP; Vallecito Elementary; Terra Linda High; Phoenix AcademyNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 35 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 115 county-logged events: 73 flood, 21 debris flow, 11 hail, 3 flash flood; $10,870 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 94903, 2026-09 | median list price $846,250 (-27.9% on the year); 52 active listings; median 46 days on market; 13% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 923 establishments (-12%); 14,242 jobs (-0%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $1.5M (+5% 1 yr, +8% 5 yr); typical rent $3,865/mo (+8% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 168,000 vehicles a day on 101 (freeway or expressway, 8 lanes); 4,145 trucks; 26 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Northgate Mall (opened 1965) is undergoing partial redevelopment. Merlone Geier Partners acquired it from Macerich in 2017 and plans to transform it into a mixed-use project with entertainment, housing (1,400 units), and retail by 2026. The City of San Rafael approved the plan in 2024. The mall was previously managed by Macerich and featured anchors like Macy's and RH Outlet. Current status: partial retrofit (some retail operations likely ongoing).
Why. The project aligns with the 'redevelop' strategy. Housing is a primary component (1,400 units noted in after_notes). Zillow data shows Marin County housing demand (ZHVI $1.48M, ZORI $3,865/month in 2026).
Where it stands. Approved by city (2024). Housing units and mixed-use components are confirmed. No current occupancy or tenant details provided. Nearby context: 2 proposed developments within 10km (Northgate Town Square, Corte Madera Macy's site).
For a planner
- City approved plan (2024)
- Housing focus: 1,400 units
- High freeway traffic (I-101, 168k ADT)
For a developer
- 2026 completion target
- Median rent $2,584 (recorded as drawback)
- Macerich sold to Merlone Geier in 2017
- Housing market data available (2026-09)
What we do not know yet
- Partial retrofit status (not fully transformed)
- No current tenant mix or occupancy rates
- No details on housing construction timeline beyond 2026
- No retail vacancy data
- No cost or financing details provided
Generated by qwen3-30b-a3b-64k:latest on Dell 5820 RTX 3090 (Ollama, qwen3-30b-a3b) from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- The Village at Orange, Orange, CA · Malls · opened 1971; same strategy: redevelop; also in CA
- Highland Mall, Austin, TX · Malls · opened 1971; same strategy: redevelop
- Midtown Plaza, Rochester, NY · Malls · opened 1962; same strategy: redevelop
- Summit Park Mall, Wheatfield, NY · Malls · opened 1972; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- median rent $2,584
- housing in the record
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1965newtypes-extraction |
|---|---|
| Original developer | MTR Properties, Inc.newtypes-extraction reported |
| Anchors | Forever 21, Rite Aid, Macy's, Sears, HomeGoods, Century Theatres, The Emporium, RH Outlet |
| County | Marin County |
| Census division | 9 · Pacific |
| Notes | Draft from Wikipedia, model-extracted, unreviewed: Northgate Mall, a shopping mall in San Rafael, California, is undergoing a two-phase redevelopment project to transform it into a mixed-use town center with housing, retail, and an expanded cinema, with demolition starting in 2026. |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Northgate Mall (also known as the Terra Linda Shopping Center) is a shopping mall located in the Terra Linda neighborhood of San Rafael, California, United States, 15 miles (24 km) north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the largest of three shopping centers in San Rafael called Northgate. It was managed by The Macerich Company until 2017 and is now managed by Merlone Geier Partners. It is the only enclosed regional shopping center in Marin County. The mall's anchors are Macy's and RH Outlet. It also features HomeGoods, a food court, and more than 90 specialty stores, services, and restaurants, including the sole remaining Gloria Jean's location in California.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1964 The Emporium, original anchor, opened
- 1965 Mall opened with open-air design
- 1965 Opened
- 1985 Macerich bought the property
- 1987 Mall enclosed during renovation
- 2008 Macerich began renovating the mall
- 2009 Mall underwent significant overhaul
- 2017 Macerich sold property to Merlone Geier Partners
- 2018 Sears announced closure and closed
- 2018 Plans announced to transform mall into 'town center'
- 2019 Forever 21 announced closure
- 2024 Plan approved
- 2024 San Rafael City Council approved the Northgate Town Square Redevelopment Project for key land entitlements
- 2026 Retrofit: redevelop
Sources
- Northgate Mall (San Rafael, California) · CC BY-SA 4.0
11 quoted sentences
Northgate Mall
The original anchor in the corner, now occupied by Macy's, was The Emporium, which opened in 1964.
When the rest of the mall opened in 1965, it had an open-air design.
Macerich bought the property in 1985
- Developer of SF housing project has big plans for Peninsula mall
2 quoted sentences
Northgate Mall
San Rafael also OK’d a plan late last year
- Archived Northgate Entitlement Process - San Rafael
2 quoted sentences
Northgate Mall
On December 2, 2024, the San Rafael City Council approved the Northgate Town Square Redevelopment Project for key land entitlements.