The Flood That Changed Everything
The water came fast—pushing through streets, swallowing homes, ripping apart businesses.
On February 20, 1986, a levee breach on the Yuba River sent floodwaters rushing into Linda, California, catching thousands off guard.
The Peach Tree Mall, once a busy shopping center, took the hit hard. Stores filled with water, merchandise floated through corridors, and ceilings caved under the weight of debris.
By the time the floodwaters drained, Peach Tree Mall was beyond saving. Stores emptied out, leaving behind shattered windows, waterlogged floors, and shelves stripped of merchandise.
For years, the building stood in limbo—too damaged for retail and too intact to tear down.
But in the late ’80s, the focus wasn’t on what would happen to the ruined mall—it was on where to shop next.
Retailers needed a new home, and developers saw an opportunity.
That’s when Stanley W. Gribble and Associates stepped in with a plan: a new, bigger, and better shopping center in a location less prone to flooding.
The project took shape quickly. The site? Yuba City, just across the Feather River.
The design? A single-level enclosed mall. Construction moved fast, and by early 1990, stores were getting ready to open.
The Mall at Yuba City wasn’t just replacing the Peach Tree—it was meant to dominate retail in the Yuba-Sutter region.
The doors opened on March 7, 1990. JCPenney, Gottschalks, and Sears were at the helm, pulling in crowds eager to shop in a modern space.
At first, it worked. The mall had what people needed—department stores, fashion retailers, a food court, and places to gather. For a while, it felt like a fresh start.
But the retail world doesn’t stand still. Stores come and go, trends shift, and what worked in 1990 will not last forever.
The Boom Years and First Big Shifts
The mall had momentum. By the mid-1990s, The Mall at Yuba City was the retail hub of the region.
On weekends, shoppers packed the parking lot, moving between Gottschalks, JCPenney, and Sears, the three department stores that anchored the space.
Smaller shops filled the corridors—local boutiques next to national chains, a few electronics stores, a bookstore, and the kind of jewelry shops that did well around the holidays.
It wasn’t just about shopping. Families came for the food court, a mix of fast food and sit-down spots where parents could keep an eye on their kids.
Teens treated it like a weekend hangout, moving between the arcade, record stores, and the latest shoe releases at Foot Locker.
For a while, the formula worked. Department stores still controlled the retail world, and malls were where people shopped.
Then came the shift. Big-box stores started moving in along Highway 99. Target, Walmart, and Home Depot offered lower prices, pulling traffic away from the mall.
Some of the smaller stores inside struggled. By the early 2000s, a few spaces sat empty longer than before.
To stay relevant, the mall underwent a mild renovation in 2005 and was rebranded as Yuba Sutter Mall.
The name change reflected its role as a shopping destination for both Yuba and Sutter counties. But updating the signage didn’t change retail trends.
Then came the first major blow. In March 2009, Gottschalks, one of the mall’s original anchors, went bankrupt.
The chain closed all its stores, leaving a large, empty space right in the middle of the mall. What had been a reliable draw for shoppers turned into a reminder that retail was changing fast.
For a while, it looked like a quick fix was in place. In August 2009, Forever 21 moved into the old Gottschalks space, drawing in younger shoppers. But it wasn’t the same.
A department store carried everything—clothes, cosmetics, housewares. A fast-fashion retailer was more specialized, with fewer reasons to visit regularly.
It bought the mall time, but it wasn’t a long-term solution.
Closures, Replacements, and a Changing Retail Landscape
For the next few years, the mall held steady. JCPenney and Sears kept pulling in customers, and Forever 21 helped fill the gap left by Gottschalks. But retail was still shifting.
By the mid-2010s, national chains started closing locations at malls across the country, and foot traffic was down.
Then another hit. Forever 21 shut down in April 2016, leaving the Gottschalks space empty again. It had only lasted seven years.
The closure wasn’t just about this mall—Forever 21 was struggling nationwide. But locally, it meant another large vacancy.
In 2017, two new businesses moved into that space—Planet Fitness and Smart & Final. This was a different approach.
Instead of replacing one retailer with another, the mall added a gym and a grocery store, breaking away from the traditional mall model.
It worked for a little while. But in 2019, Smart & Final closed, leaving another empty storefront. Sears was also looking weaker.
Across the country, the once-dominant department store was shutting down locations.
Then came March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the mall to close temporarily.
When it reopened on May 6, 2020, it had a new name: Yuba Sutter Marketplace. The rebrand wasn’t just about fresh signage.
The owners were trying to position the mall as something adaptable, a place that could evolve with retail trends.
But reality was catching up. Sears announced its closure on June 19, 2020. It had been part of the mall since day one, a steady presence even as retail changed.
On September 6, 2020, Sears closed for good, leaving only JCPenney as the last original anchor.
Two major new tenants arrived in 2022. Hobby Lobby opened on May 9, 2022, taking over the old Sears space.
Burlington moved into the former Smart & Final location on July 15, 2022. Both were discount-driven retailers, a sign of how consumer habits had shifted.
Retail had changed, and the mall had changed with it. But whether it was enough—that was still the question.
In April 2023, Yuba City officials recognized Ethan Conrad Properties for upgrading the Yuba Sutter Marketplace.
The improvements went beyond surface changes. Hobby Lobby and Burlington became anchor stores, filling long-empty spaces.
The mall’s exterior got a fresh look—new signage, updated landscaping, and a complete remodel.
The investment was meant to do more than just attract shoppers. It was about keeping the marketplace relevant in a fast-shifting retail world.
By the fall of 2024, the lineup inside continued to evolve. Five Below opened inside the same building as Planet Fitness and Burlington, offering low-cost finds that catered to younger shoppers and bargain hunters.
A few months later, Carter’s joined the mix, giving families another option for kids’ clothing.
The marketplace wasn’t just adding stores—it was focusing on what worked: discount retail, practical shopping, and stores that drew steady traffic.