Buenaventura Plaza / Pacific View Mall
Shannon Menzel Kenny, January 2025
Chrisman, not just a Street name.
Gilpin Wallace Chrisman first arrived in Ventura via steamer from San Francisco in 1869. Chrisman and his wife initially settled in Saticoy, but moved to Ventura in 1874, where he immediately purchased land. Chrisman quickly became successful in farming and saw the land's potential for developing neighborhoods. He was an integral part of Ventura’s growth and development, and even constructed the city’s first electric lighting system. His legacy continued with his children, with farming and development - his daughter, Edna, helped develop the Jordan Tracts.
In the 1950s, the Chrisman brothers sold a 59-acre ranch to developer Gordon L. MacDonald. Ground was broken on August 14, 1962, for Ventura County’s first mall. The open-air complex was designed by Los Angeles' Mazzetti, Leach, Cleveland & Associates.
“The Buenaventura Center - to be the largest shopping development between Los Angeles and San Francisco.”
Developing the Buenaventura Center
The first store built in the Buenaventura Center development was Los Angeles-based, The Broadway. Thirteenth in the chain, the Ventura store was designed as a 3-level, 141,300-square-foot store with a 10-million-dollar budget. The Broadway had an exterior of specially designed concrete brick and Portuguese mocha creme marble, with windows of imported smoke topaz glass. Its interior was done in shades of gold and white.
A ribbon-cutting opening of The Buenaventura Center was held on September 28, 1963, at the “first Night Gala”. Over 3,000 people jammed through six entrances of the 10-million-dollar store for shopping, live music, and a champagne toast. A Ventura Barbershop cash register from the early 1900s was used to make the store's first purchase by Mayor Charles W. Petit. The Broadway included a formal, sit-down restaurant and an automotive shop along with all the .
The second store to be built was the two-story Barker Brothers home furnishings and appliance store. It was part of the North Mall, facing Telegraph, next to Thrifty Drug Store and Von’s Market, which was directly behind. In the South Mall section, a 2-level Joseph Magnin, a high-end specialty department store. All first-phase stores were open in the early part of 1964.
By November 1964, the Buenaventura Center was more than 75 percent complete, with forty-two stores open, including F.W. Woolworths, Kinney Shoes, Kayser’s Health Foods, House of Strauss, All American Sporting Goods, Red Balloon Restaurant, Anacapa Paint, Weir’s Barber Shop, and Lawson’s Jewelers. Stores on the brink of opening were Sally Shops, Paramount Bootery, Singer Sewing Machine, Kimo’s Polynesian Shop, See’s Candy, Party Time, Toy World, Leed’s Shoes Store, Loop’s Bakers, and Fashion Fabrics.
A 2-level (204,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, built between the North Mall and South Mall, was officially dedicated on November 10, 1965. With Penney's grand opening, the Buenaventura Center was completed, with 700,000 square feet of shopping space. The main entrance to the mall was the center of Mills, with miles of parking, trees, and shops that opened directly to the parking lots as well as facing in, in the modern open-air walkway.
20 year down the line
Twenty years later, and now called the Buenaventura Plaza, the mall was ready for an update. A Teflon-coated fiberglass Fabric canopy, spanning over 54 steel arches, was added to weatherproof and enclose the plaza. Other updates included new entrances, new flooring, a food court near The Broadway, and 40,000 square feet of tenant space in the southwest corner of the complex.
The Plaza, which had just been renovated in 1983, underwent another remodeling in 1990, when a partial upper level was added, glass ceilings installed, and the mall's center court, west and east wings were renovated. The plaza was renamed the Buenaventura Mall at this time. And into the 90’s, malls were becoming more than just a shopping center - they were becoming a cultural hub. Teens gathered at food courts for a slice of Sbarro pizza, and the smell of Mrs. Fields cookies filled the air. Friends tried on outfits at Wet Seal, Contempo Casuals or The Gap while kids begged parents for a stop at K.B. Toys. The Goldmine on a rainy day, Sam Goody, the Warehouse, and RadioShack every weekend. After school, Anacapa Middle Schoolers would flood to Thrifty’s for a 25c scoop (or two) of ice cream. If you were lucky, Mom would take you to Kayser’s. Would it be a Monkey Flip or an Orange?
The mall was not just about buying—it was entertainment.
During the 90s, after 30 years of operation, the mall began to show its age. MCA Associates, the owners at the time, made plans to renovate and expand the available retail space by adding a second level, a new parking garage, and two new anchor stores. With architectural plans, permits submitted, and legal battles in tow, the Buenaventura Mall was purchased in 1996 by The Macerich Company. Macerich was well-versed in buying and redeveloping regional shopping centers, and along with the old owners, continued to complete the project.
In 2001, Macerich finally completed the expansion project, with a $90 million renovation and a name change to Pacific View Mall. The Pacific View Ventura Mall was bright and shiny and ready for another era. Victoria's Secret, The Limited Too, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker, Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, and White Sand. Another breath of air, another generation transformed with the space.
Several renovations, design evolutions, and taste changes later, the Pacific View Mall can hardly recognize its origins.
