Abella Center
37°57′57″N 122°20′35″W / 37.96583°N 122.34306°W Abella Center formerly International Marketplace and originally El Portal Shopping Center is a mixed-use city services, business, shopping center and housing village transit-oriented development that was formerly a mall in San Pablo, California.[1][2]
History
Origins
The mall opened in the 1960s anchored originally by Simon's Department store which later became a
Redevelopment
In the early 2000s the city began a redevelopment plan to revitalize the shopping center with a consulting firm specialized in reviving dead shopping malls. The commercial center was rebranded International Marketplace and touted as an ethnic niche destination shopping area. The former Safeway was remodeled and reopened as an
The city also added its city hall to the center and attracted the Contra Costa County social services department and library locations to the marketplace.[3] The project was criticized for not displaying "San Pablo" on the archway over the avenue. The city of San Pablo began hosting public events here such as halloween events.[4]
Re-creation
By the late 2000s the city became frustrated with high vacancies and the inability of the consulting firm to attract a multiplex movie theater as promised and henceforth fired the firm. The San Pablo City Council approved a new plan demolishing more of the shopping center, adding a strip of restaurant and commuter services along San Pablo Avenue and more housing better connected with the rest of the development. At this point the city changed the signage on the gateway to state "Welcome to San Pablo" and renamed the mall to Abella Shopping Center.
Neighborhood
Abella is located adjacent to
Notes
- ^ Building Cities that Protect Streams, Bay, and Ocean San Pablo: Abella Shopping Center. Blue Green Building. 2011. Retrieved 06-04-2011.
- ^ 14272 San Pablo Avenue, San Pablo, CA
- ^ Home page Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine. Contra Costa County library website. 2011. Retrieved 06-04-2011.
- ^ Calendar of Events & Activities. Berkeley Daily Planet. 20-10-2000. Retrieved 04-06-2011.
- ^ AC Transit System Map Archived August 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. AC Transit. 2011. Retrieved 04-06-2011.
- ^ C3 schedule Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine. WestCat website. 2011. Retrieved 04-06-2011.