Santa Rosa Plaza is one of two enclosed shopping malls in Santa Rosa, the other being Coddingtown Mall, which is located 2 mi (3.2 km) north off US Highway 101.

The mall was built in downtown Santa Rosa in 1983 with Macy's, Sears, and Mervyn's as the original anchors, following the demolition of various downtown buildings as part of Santa Rosa's urban renewal project, including the landmark 1923 California Theater.

[3] Macy's, the first store in the development, opened in 1981 on the site of the former theater.

[4] Development was delayed for many years due to legal disputes between developers Ernest Hahn and Hugh Codding, the latter of whom owned nearby Coddingtown Mall.

[5] In an interview with Gaye LeBaron, Hugh Codding said the construction bonds for the Santa Rosa Plaza were paid in full with property tax revenues from the plaza businesses.