[citation needed] The area once featured major department stores and other chains such as J.C. Penney, Macy's, S. H. Kress & Co., and Sears before Hilltop Mall was built in the 1970s.

[citation needed]The area is currently undergoing a revitalization effort by the city, which has included the Richmond Shopping Center anchored by a supermarket.

It was built on the former parking lot and an adjacent vacant parcel of the Richmond BART and Amtrak (Capitol Corridor) station.

The project consists of multi-level row houses, some of which come with a ground floor area with a free business license, in addition to commercial space, a planned parking garage, parks, and a greenway path connecting the station with the downtown area, in particular the Social Security Administration building and Kaiser Hospital.

The plan also included the remodeling of the approach to the station which was seen as antagonizingly suspicious and met with apprehension due to the recessed entry which is being presently replaced with a more modern escalator-driven, well-lit entrance with a police substation to provide peace of mind to passers-by.