Post-War Retail and the Birth of Northgate (1950–1970s)
When Northgate Center opened its doors in April 1950, the idea of a shopping mall—an open-air complex where people could park, stroll, and shop—was still a new one.
Developed by Allied Stores and designed by Seattle architect John Graham Jr., Northgate Center took shape on land that had once been a cranberry bog in the Maple Leaf neighborhood.
It started with 18 stores. One of the anchors was The Bon Marché, a department store chain under Allied’s umbrella.
By 1952, the mall had expanded to house more than seventy tenants.
When it was built, the site wasn’t yet part of Seattle’s city limits. It sat at the northern edge, giving rise to its name.
The shopping complex added more than just retail: a four-story medical and dental center and a Northgate Theatre with over 1,300 seats were both part of the early layout.
What made Northgate stand out even more at the time was its design—a double row of storefronts facing each other across a covered pedestrian walkway.
People called this the “Miracle Mall.”
Northgate was the first in a series of projects by Allied Stores in the region.
Graham would go on to design Tacoma Mall in 1964 and Southcenter Mall in Tukwila in 1968, both modeled after the same principles.
But Northgate came first, and it set the tone. It was also the first shopping center in the country to be called a mall in a commercial sense.
In 1952, a 59-foot cedar totem pole carved by Redmond sculptor Dudley C. Carter was installed at the mall’s central entrance.
The sculpture towered over the retail walkway, helping define the mall’s early identity.
For anyone digging into the history of things to do in Seattle, Washington, Northgate’s early days help tell a story of how suburban retail got its start.
Enclosure, Expansion, and Rebranding (1970s–1990s)
The 1970s brought a structural shift to Northgate Station.
What began as an open-air retail strip started to change in form and function.
In 1962, a partial cover called the “SkyShield” was installed over the walkways.
A decade later, that feature came down, and the entire central corridor was enclosed.
By 1974, shoppers were walking through a fully indoor space.
Along with this construction came a new name—Northgate Mall.
Retailers expanded as well. In 1965, the south end of the property got an extension, anchored by a new JCPenney and a QFC grocery store.
Best’s Apparel, already part of the Nordstrom family since 1963, moved into the new wing.
In 1967, it rebranded as Nordstrom Best, and by 1973, the signage simply read Nordstrom.
The layout started to resemble a more familiar mall design, with anchor tenants spread across a grid of specialty stores.
Lamonts joined in 1977, building a store on the north side.
That location would change hands and names over the years, but its construction in the ’70s marked a key expansion.
At the time, Seattle’s north end had fewer shopping options.
Northgate Station kept drawing customers, helped by its spot near Interstate 5 and the growing Northgate Way corridor.
By 1980, the number of tenants had climbed to 123.
The mall was no longer an experiment—it was a large-scale commercial property pulling steady traffic.
Department stores, fast fashion, and service-based shops filled the floors.
Retail Realignment and Tenant Turnover (2000s–2010s)
In the 2000s, Northgate Mall went through a period of reorganization.
Gottschalks acquired the Lamonts brand in 2000 and kept the store open until 2006 when it shut down after struggling with sales.
Around the same time, Simon Property Group started making changes to the layout and tenant mix.
Construction began in 2006 on a 100,000-square-foot expansion, pitched as a lifestyle-type addition.
This section opened in 2008 and targeted more open-concept retail and dining.
A new parking garage followed, adding five levels of capacity on the south end.
These upgrades came in response to both market shifts and Seattle’s zoning and neighborhood planning efforts in the Northgate area.
Toys “R” Us opened inside the mall in October 1997 but closed in 2012 after its lease ran out.
Nordstrom Rack took over that location the following year.
Bed Bath & Beyond opened in 2008, but like others, its future wouldn’t be permanent.
JCPenney closed in May 2019. Macy’s, which had rebranded from Bon-Macy’s in 2005, also shut down its store earlier than expected in July 2019.
Nordstrom, which had been present since the 1950s, closed its main store on August 9, 2019.
The physical exits told part of the story. By the end of the 2010s, the mall’s original big-box anchors were gone.
Some small tenants remained open during the transition, but the realignment was underway.
The property was preparing for another major pivot.
Redevelopment Projects and Commercial Turnover (2018–2025)
In 2018, Simon Property Group announced its intention to redevelop Northgate Mall into a mixed-use property called Northgate Station.
The 55-acre site would shift toward a model that combined housing, retail, offices, hotels, and sports facilities.
The move came after most anchor stores had closed or been scheduled for demolition.
By the end of 2019, Macy’s and JCPenney had both been torn down.
Nordstrom’s building followed in 2021.
One major part of the new plan centered around the Seattle Kraken, the NHL franchise launched in 2021.
The team’s headquarters and training facility—the Kraken Community Iceplex—was approved for development on-site.
Construction started in February 2020.
The $80 million complex opened in September 2021 and features three rinks, a restaurant, a health clinic, and community skating programs.
Its main rink seats 1,000 spectators, while the two others can each accommodate 400.
Commercial demolition made way for new infrastructure.
The original Northgate Theatre and a four-story medical/dental building were cleared in the process.
In July 2024, Simon Property Group broke ground on a 234-unit seven-story apartment building at Northgate Station.
The complex is expected to be ready in 2026. It is located on land that once supported surface parking and big-box retail.
It’s one piece of a larger redevelopment strategy that includes nearly 1,000 apartment units, two hotels, office parcels, and ground-floor retail across the 55-acre site.
Current Leasing, Hospitality, and Transit Activity
As of April 2025, Northgate Station supports a mix of commercial uses.
The most visible addition is the new Residence Inn by Marriott, which opened in April 2025.
This hotel offers 167 rooms and was developed on the west side of the property.
It’s the first of two planned hotels, both operated under the Marriott brand.
The second has been approved but doesn’t yet have a public timeline.
The main anchor facility is the Kraken Community Iceplex, which also houses the 32 Bar & Grill and the Kraken Team Store.
Barnes & Noble, which opened in fall 2007, remains in operation.
Nordstrom Rack, which has been open since 2012, continues to anchor the retail side.
Food and drink options include Chipotle Mexican Grill, Red Robin, Stanford’s, and Starbucks Coffee.
These restaurants offer a mix of fast-casual and sit-down dining.
Several current tenants at Northgate Station serve everyday needs and routine errands rather than luxury shopping or fashion trends.
T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T each operate on-site stores that offer phone plans, devices, and accessories.
Bank of America and Key Bank have branch locations and offer financial services.
Xfinity also has a storefront where visitors can handle internet and cable subscriptions or troubleshoot service issues.
On the service side, Bright Now Dental, LensCrafters, and Brow Arc offer healthcare and personal care options that encourage repeat visits.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Medical Pavilion adds a medical services anchor to the mix, reinforcing that this site now serves as a practical hub for area residents.
Lacrosse and hockey gear can be found at Hockeywolf/Lacrossewolf, a specialty shop that targets youth leagues and amateur players.
Transit remains central to the property’s redevelopment.
The Northgate light rail station, adjacent to the site, connects downtown Seattle and, since August 2024, Lynnwood City Center through the Lynnwood Link Extension.
That 8.5-mile expansion added new stops in north King County and Snohomish County.
The area now features 54,000 square feet of green space, accessible to both residents and shoppers.
The new apartment construction and hotel additions have changed the property’s use profile.
It no longer functions as a mall in the traditional sense—commercial square footage is smaller than in previous decades—but still draws steady foot traffic.
City planning documents show more residential buildings and office space intended for long-term lease are in the pipeline.
Some parcels once used for surface parking have already been converted or fenced off for future use.
Other areas remain under interim use until construction phases resume.
Northgate Station now belongs in a different category—it is part housing hub, part transit point, part retail strip, and part NHL training ground.
