Remaining Tenants at Former Westfield Mall Face Eviction by New Owners

Most of the remaining tenants at the former Westfield San Francisco Centre are being forced to vacate, following the mall’s recent sale to a consortium of banks. The group, which includes Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase, acquired the beleaguered downtown property last week at just 10% of its previous value.

According to a report in the San Francisco Business Times, the new owners have begun issuing notices to vacate to the handful of businesses still operating in the mostly empty mall. These notices state that the tenants’ leases were extinguished during the sale process and demand immediate departure. A letter obtained by the Business Times warns that the new owners “will not permit any holdover” and require immediate rent payment from current occupants.

“I know there was a memo that was sent to all these tenants about our last day being January 31,” a manager at shoe retailer Ecco told the Business Times. “Right now, we’re in liquidation mode.” Another anonymous employee told the paper, “The company is still trying to figure out how to get us out of here. But ‘immediately’ is not possible.”

While most remaining tenants appear to be included in the purge, there is uncertainty over who has received the eviction notices. The mall currently lists 27 tenants online, down from more than 200 before the pandemic. A report by the San Francisco Chronicle notes that some employees, including one at Sole & Laces, have stated that their leases remain in effect through next year. It’s unclear whether these tenants will eventually receive similar notices.

At the height of its decline, the mall had a reported vacancy rate of 95%. The sale of the property came after years of declining foot traffic and headline-grabbing closures, including the exits of major retailers such as Nordstrom. The new ownership group has not announced specific redevelopment plans, but commercial real estate brokers have speculated that the group intends to clear out tenants to make it easier to market the property for resale.

Previous ideas floated for revamping the space have included turning it into a stadium or other non-retail uses. But for now, the strategy appears focused on consolidation. Whether the mall will be entirely emptied remains to be seen, but the current steps point in that direction.

The situation highlights a broader shift in downtown San Francisco, where changing retail trends, economic pressures, and safety concerns have hollowed out a once-busy shopping destination. For now, the Westfield name is gone, and what little remains of the San Francisco Centre is quickly fading with it.