Rebuilt Tanforan opens today

Built in the early 1970s, Tanforan was a shopping destination for Peninsula residents, but its age got the best of it as it closed its doors in 2003.

"It was a tired-looking, old 1970s shopping center,'' San Bruno Mayor Larry Franzella said Thursday. "It was one of the first enclosed malls of its time.''

The mall, which was purchased by Newport, Calif.-based development firm Wattson Breevast, was completely torn apart as developers pumped $140 million into it during a two-and-a-half-year extreme makeover, Franzella said.

Tanforan "had a minor face-lift, if you will, about 15 years ago,'' Franzella said. "But now it is just so special. It's bright, and it's really top notch."

Meeting the needs of an estimated 900,000 consumers will be new stores like American Eagle, Old Navy, Anchor Blue and Barnes and Noble, who are set to join the center's foothold stores JCPenney, Sears and Target, Franzella said.

In addition to the retail stores, 20 businesses are present in the food court, and Franzella pointed to the addition of BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse as a strong point of the center.

"BJ's is a great place for the community and for the entire Peninsula,'' Franzella said. "There's nothing like it here."

Besides the three anchor department stores, a statue of Seabiscuit and a World War II commemorative plaque appear to be all that remain from the old center, Franzella said.

"By the time they were through, there wasn't a light fixture or stray piece of wire left,'' Franzella said.

The allure of a place to shop and grab a bite to eat isn't all that appeals to San Bruno, as Franzella said the estimated revenue the stores would bring could surpass previous marks.

"The Tanforan at its peak was generating about $2 million, and at its end about $900,000,'' Franzella said. "We would expect it to surpass that, but it going to take time.''

Franzella said only time will tell if the shops will be a hit, but that the overwhelming buzz among residents is a positive precursor.

"People are excited. This is the biggest thing to happen in San Bruno in a long time," Franzella said.

Opening ceremonies for The Shops at Tanforan will take place 10 a.m. Friday in front of the center's main entrance near El Camino Real at Interstate 380 in San Bruno.

More information regarding the shops can be found at the Web site http://www.theshopsattanforan.com.