The San Francisco Centre mall, once a premier shopping destination in the heart of the city, has permanently closed — two days earlier than planned.
The mall was originally set to close on Monday. However, when KTLA sister station KRON4 visited over the weekend, the gates were already shut and the building sat in darkness. By Saturday, the expansive Market Street property, located directly across from the Powell Street cable car turnaround, had been fully vacated, with its food court completely cleared out.
Just one solitary tenant remained.
Photos captured by visitors in the days before the shutdown revealed an empty, stripped-down interior — a dramatic contrast to the lively shopping hub it had been since opening in 1988.
The mall’s downturn intensified after Nordstrom, its long-standing anchor tenant, shut its doors in 2023. That exit sparked a wave of closures among smaller retailers, many pointing to declining foot traffic, safety concerns, and changing consumer behavior.
While nearby Union Square has shown signs of revival, San Francisco Centre continued to falter in a post-pandemic landscape shaped by remote work and the steady rise of online shopping.
“They’re closing the mall because you’re on Amazon buying everything,” said a visitor who identified himself as BigFolksPop. “You’re not coming in here spending money at the businesses no more.”
Others spoke about the emotional impact of losing a space that had long functioned as a community gathering place.
“I did grow up here,” said Kasan, another resident. “Now the memories are coming in … just a place to go to, literally a public space.”
What lies ahead for the massive property, which spans an entire city block, remains uncertain.