# Northgate Mall

San Rafael, CA · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `n-3100190c27` · release 2026-10-20

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ca/san-rafael-northgate-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-3100190c27.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-3100190c27.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/n-3100190c27

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | partial | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop | none |
| New use | entertainment, housing, mixed, retail | none |
| What is there now | Roughly 1,400 housing units. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1965 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2026 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | MTR Properties, Inc. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Merlone Geier Partners | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Planning notes | Approved by City of San Rafael. | none |

## Anchors

Forever 21, Rite Aid, Macy's, Sears, HomeGoods, Century Theatres, The Emporium, RH Outlet

## Parties

- Merlone Geier Partners — developer (2026–)

## 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

## Deals and debt

- 2017 sale:  Merlone Geier Partners ← Macerich  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northgate_Mall_(San_Rafael,_California)

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northgate_Mall_(San_Rafael,_California)

## Sources

- Northgate Mall (San Rafael, California) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northgate_Mall_(San_Rafael,_California)
- Developer of SF housing project has big plans for Peninsula mall — https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/developer-housing-plans-peninsula-strip-mall-20822410.php
- Archived Northgate Entitlement Process - San Rafael — https://www.cityofsanrafael.org/northgate-town-square-rev/

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Northgate Mall, San Rafael, CA." Record n-3100190c27, release 2026-10-20, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ca/san-rafael-northgate-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_sanrafaelnorthgatemall,
  title = {Northgate Mall, San Rafael, CA},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ca/san-rafael-northgate-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record n-3100190c27, release 2026-10-20, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-20}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.