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☆ •.¸.• EL PORTAL SHOPPING CENTER •.¸.• ☆
One of the highlights of San Pablo's history of growth and expansion was the planning, and completion by the El Portal Investment Company of its $10+M retail shopping center. The El Portal firm was organized by the same developers of the El Cerrito Plaza Shopping Center. El Portal Shopping Center was built on the former site of El Portal Park, a 50-acre parcel of land owned by the San Pablo Housing Authority that contained units of temporary war housing. The city determined the old war housing units must be removed in order to complete the newly proposed San Pablo shopping center by 1961. The construction would be done in two phases; the first, costing approximately $5.5M would include a department store, grocery, bank, drug store and a string of other retail stores to be completed and opened by October 1960. The second would be a unit of retail stores costing approximately $5M to be completed in 1961. The developers estimated that the shopping center would gross around $10M in sales initially, and $20M per year when completed. This meant San Pablo would be gaining 25 times the total retail business being done at that time. Note: Photos were taken by the City of San Pablo in 1976. ~History Rox
Grand Opening of 1st Phase
El Portal Shopping Center
Richmond Independent • 2 Nov 1961
El Portal Shopping Center
has everything your family needs!
Richmond Independent • 6 Jun1963
This photo shows the entrance to the El Portal Shopping Center at 14290 San Pablo Avenue. A Mechanics Bank is at left, and a Shell gasoline service station at right. What you see here in this photo no longer exists as El Portal was torn down and the entire area was redeveloped in the early 2000s.
The Marquee for the El Portal Cinema 1 & 2 (located at 530 El Portal Drive) lists the following attractions for that week.
Jaws (released 20 June 1975)
Airport '75 (released 18 Oct 1974)
Hustle (released 25 Dec 1975)
Framed (released 25 Aug 1975)
J. J. Newberry - El Portal Shopping Center 1986.
The Newberry Department store was part of the 2nd phase of the El Portal Shopping Center that opened March 15, 1962. Of the occupied space in El Portal, J. J. Newberry was the largest tenant with more than 70,000 square feet. Unfortunately, El Portal Shopping Center met its demise in 2003 when it was reduced to rubble after the mall’s demolition.
Longs Drug Store, 200 El Portal.
This Longs Drugs at El Portal was the largest in Northern California.
From a single store in 1938 in Oakland, founded by brothers J. M. and T. J. Long, to the present 18,500 square foot operation in El Portal, the chain has grown to its present 19 stores. Natives of California, both are graduates of the University of California and are Bay Area residents.
El Portal marks the second store in Contra Costa County. J. M. Long, president of Longs Drugs, said: "When the Albert-Lovett corporation offered us a location in El Portal Shopping Center, we quickly accepted.
Tanne Ardens Dress Shop
285 El Portal Center
Arden's Dress Shop specializes in popular priced womens ready-to-wear.
GallenKamp Shoes
295 El Portal Center
Gallenkamp was a prominent shoe store chain with locations across the United States.
Mervyn's (formerly Simon's Dept Store), 800 El Portal. This popular department store came to El Portal in October 1970. Unfortunately, the store closed in 1992 and moved over to Pinole. See article below.
Oakland Tribune - Fri, Aug 28, 1992.
El Portal Timeline
El Portal Shopping Center Tenants
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