Downtown Commons, formerly known as Sacramento Downtown Plaza, Westfield Downtown Plaza and Downtown Plaza, is a two-level outdoor mixed-use entertainment and shopping complex operated by JMA Ventures, LLC, located along the alignment of K Street in downtown Sacramento, California, near the State Capitol building. The complex is bordered by J Street to the north, L Street to the south, 7th Street to the east and 4th Street to the west. Downtown Commons' previous format was a mainly two-level outdoor shopping mall commonly known as Downtown Plaza, despite numerous official name changes over the years. The majority of the site has been redeveloped, centering on the Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA'sSacramento Kings. The section between 5th and 7th Streets was demolished in 2014 to make room for the Golden 1 Center, as well as The Sawyer, a 250-room boutique hotel operated by Kimpton Hotels immediately north of the arena site. The remaining standing section between 4th and 5th Streets was also redeveloped in association with the arena project.
History
Downtown Commons was originally built in 1971 as Downtown Plaza by The Hahn Company as a mixed enclosed and open-air plaza adjoining a Macy's store built in 1963. Weinstock's relocated their downtown store in 1979 to the center, and in 1981 added a Liberty House store. Liberty House closed in 1984 and was replaced by I. Magnin, which closed in 1992. The center was completely renovated in 1993, adding a second story, a food court, various upscale shops, and a United Artists Theatres with seven screens. An entertainment complex named America Live! also opened in the spot formerly occupied by I. Magnin, housing various nightclubs and bars. After Federated Department Stores acquired Broadway Stores in 1995, the former Weinstock's store became a second Macy's location in 1996, housing Macy's Men's & Furniture. In 1997, Hard Rock Cafe opened their only Sacramento restaurant at the east end of the mall where America Live! operated, which closed a year prior. The restaurant operated for 13 years before closing in 2010. The center was sold to Westfield America, Inc. in 1998 and renamed as Westfield Shoppingtown Downtown Plaza. The unwieldy "Shoppingtown" was dropped from the name in 2005. Various redevelopment proposals, including plans for a Target store and an unnamed grocery store as new anchors, never came to fruition and the center declined. Small retail and restaurant occupancy rates at the mall plummeted from 96% in 2004 to 51% in 2012. The facility also housed office space, only 53% of which was occupied in 2004, declining to 38% by 2012. On August 15, 2012, JMA Ventures, LLC of San Francisco acquired the mall from Westfield, effectively dropping "Westfield" from the name of the mall, and it was renamed Sacramento Downtown Plaza. On September 16, 2015, Sacramento Downtown Plaza was renamed Downtown Commons. Century Theatres closed the movie theater on January 11, 2016 for renovations. The renovations have added upgraded seating and two additional screens, bringing the total number of screens to nine. The theater re-opened on December 22, 2017. In 2018, redevelopment of the remaining portion of the old Downtown Plaza between 4th and 5th Streets was completed and reopened.
Arena conversion
The Sacramento Kings have built an arena where the eastern two-thirds of the former Downtown Plaza was located. Named the Golden 1 Center, it replaces the aging Sleep Train Arena in the North Natomas area of Sacramento, where the Kings had played since 1988. After a protracted battle with the owners of the Macy's Men's & Furniture store, the city took the property by using eminent domain laws, and the remaining retail stores vacated this area by April 30, 2014. The Men's and Furniture departments were then consolidated into the main Macy's store at the west end of the mall. Demolition began on this section, including the former Macy's store, in August 2014 and was complete by late 2014. The building that houses 24 Hour Fitness was left intact, unaffected by the mall-wide closure and demolition and remains open. The section between 4th and 5th Streets is being renovated in association with construction of the Golden 1 Center; tenants in that section, except for Macy's and Century Theatres, which remained open at the time, vacated the mall sometime between June and September 2015. Golden 1 Center officially opened to the public on September 30, 2016.
