In a stark contrast to its bustling past, a once-celebrated shopping mall that used to be a hub for holiday shoppers now sits eerily deserted just days before Christmas.

Previously known as the Westfield Mall, the San Francisco Centre was renowned for its lively atmosphere, filled with customers exploring high-end goods from its vast array of luxury stores spread across nine levels.

Today, this sprawling 1.5 million-square-foot complex, the largest shopping destination in San Francisco, finds itself largely abandoned, with approximately 93% of its retail spaces unoccupied.

A recent video captured within the mall, recorded just five days prior to Christmas, vividly illustrates its significant decline. However, the exact timing of the recording remains unknown.

The decline of the mall has been ongoing since the onset of the Covid pandemic, as consumer preferences have shifted towards the convenience of online shopping.

Surging crime in San Francisco’s downtown did not help matters either, with the mall’s value plummeting. 

A video from within the San Francisco Centre showed the massive shopping center nearly vacant

Pictured: The San Francisco Center, formerly the Westfield Mall, was bustling on Black Friday in 2011

The mall, which was valued at $1.2 billion about a decade ago, was foreclosed on in November. 

It was sold to lenders including JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank for $133 million.  

The banks have hired real estate brokerage CBRE to find a new buyer for the mall – and their executive VP of CBRE, Kyle Kovac, told CBS News that the sale signals a new era for the property. 

He told the outlet:  ‘Amid renewed civic leadership, three consecutive years of positive population growth and surging demand from artificial intelligence and technology firms, San Francisco Centre & Emporium is uniquely positioned to anchor the next chapter in downtown San Francisco’s recovery.’

But others are less convinced that the mall’s much-needed comeback is tangible. 

Local Neil Wotherspoon, who told CBS in November that he visits the mall about once a week to order from the Panda Express in its basement – one of the only businesses still open – said he does not think the establishment’s future is bright. 

‘I think these will be the last people to put the lights out,’ he said. ‘I think you’ll end up with the only people who will come here will be like me to enjoy the food. Just for the Panda, that’s right.’

Others noted how unsettling shopping in the massive mall has become since it transformed into a ghost town. 

The mall was once a hub for luxury retailers (Pictured: Outside of shopping center in 2022) 

Only one store seen in the video appeared to be open, while other fronts seemed to be empty 

‘It’s eerie, especially coming in as an outsider,’ Romel Pacheco told the outlet. ‘Coming in, you’re expecting so many stores, you know, like a typical mall, but it’s not that at all.’ 

Paula Reinda said that every time she visits the San Francisco Centre, it looks worse than the time before. 

She grew up in the area and even managed a music store in the mall in the 1990s. 

‘And it was bustling. It was so busy you couldn’t even walk. So, seeing it like this is just unbelievable,’ she said. 

Commenters reacted to the video online, with one saying it was ‘actually heartbreaking’. 

‘Empty mall. That says more than any economic report. It’s more than shopping habits or economic pressure,’ another posted. ‘It feels like lost confidence, and maybe a quiet fear about safety too.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and CBRE for comment.