Located in the heart of the picturesque city of Campbell, California, the Pruneyard (originally the PruneYard Shopping Center) is more than just a commercial hub. It’s a 27-acre mixed-use property with shops, restaurants, a dine-in movie theater, a hotel and office towers, and for a lot of people who live nearby it works like the town’s living room. It’s also where a group of local high school students started a free speech fight that ended up at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Key Takeaways
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Summary: The Pruneyard is a 27-acre mixed-use center at Campbell and Bascom Avenues in Campbell, California, built on a former prune ranch and completed in 1970. Today it’s home to Trader Joe’s, a dine-in cinema, a DoubleTree hotel and office towers, and it’s where the landmark 1980 free speech case Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins began. With downtown Campbell, the Los Gatos Creek Trail, light rail and Highway 17 all nearby, the surrounding neighborhood is a popular choice for people who want everyday convenience in a suburban Silicon Valley setting.
Geographical Location
The Pruneyard is located at the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Bascom Avenue (the address is 1875 S. Bascom Avenue), just east of State Route 17 and about a quarter mile from Downtown Campbell. With Highway 17 right next door, it’s easy to reach for residents and visitors coming from San Jose, Los Gatos or the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Architectural Significance
The Pruneyard was built as a sprawling single-story, open-air shopping center. Today it has about 250,000 sq ft (23,000 m²) of retail space, plus a 171-room DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, a movie theater and office towers with more than 365,000 square feet of space. The 18-story tower, completed in 1970, is often described as the tallest building in the area outside of downtown San Jose, and it’s the landmark you see from Highway 17 when you’re coming into Campbell.
Historical Overview
The Pruneyard takes its name from the land it was built on. Developer Fred Sahadi bought the Brynteson Ranch, a prune orchard, in 1968, back when the Santa Clara Valley was still known for its fruit orchards rather than its tech companies. He designed the center as an upscale shopping destination, the first businesses opened in 1969, and the project was completed in 1970.
Ownership has changed hands several times since then. The property was owned by William Wilson and Associates and later by Equity Office Properties, which sold it to Ellis Partners and a capital partner, investment funds managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group, in October 2014. In July 2019, Regency Centers bought the retail portion for $212.5 million, while the office towers and the hotel stayed separate.
Renovations and Expansions
A significant renovation and expansion of the center began in 2017. The movie theater, which opened in 1969 as a three-screen United Artists theater and was the first business to open at the center, was later renovated and rebranded as Camera 7. It closed in April 2017 and reopened in April 2018 as the Pruneyard Cinemas, a dine-in theater with cocktails delivered to patrons’ seats and the Cedar Room restaurant next door.
The Pruneyard Case
The shopping center also has real historical significance because of a landmark free speech dispute. In 1975, a group of Campbell high school students set up a table in the Pruneyard’s central courtyard to collect signatures on a petition opposing a United Nations resolution. Security told them to leave, since the center didn’t allow any expressive activity that wasn’t related to its business. The students sued, and in 1979 the California Supreme Court ruled in their favor. The Pruneyard appealed, and on June 9, 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld that ruling in Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins. Together, the two decisions established two important principles in American constitutional law:
- Under the California Constitution, individuals may peacefully exercise their right to free speech and to petition in the common areas of private shopping centers that are regularly open to the public, subject to reasonable rules adopted by the shopping centers.
- Under the U.S. Constitution, states can give their citizens broader rights in their own constitutions than the federal Constitution does, so long as those rights don’t infringe on any federal constitutional rights, including the property rights of the shopping center owner.
That’s the reason you’ll still see petition gatherers outside some California shopping centers today, and law students across the country still read the case.
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The Pruneyard Neighborhood
Beyond the shopping center itself, the area around the Pruneyard is a comfortable blend of urban and suburban living. Trader Joe’s anchors the center, Whole Foods Market is just up Bascom Avenue, and there’s a mix of restaurants, coffee spots and everyday services like banks, fitness studios and a Sports Basement, most of it within walking distance for people who live in the nearby condos, apartments and single-family streets. If you want more ideas, take a look at my picks for the top shopping spots in Campbell and the most popular coffee shops in Campbell.
Outdoor Activities
For those who love the outdoors, the Los Gatos Creek Trail and Campbell Park are close by. Here, residents can enjoy picnics, bike rides and easy, mostly flat walks along the creek. The historic downtown of Campbell, just across Highway 17, adds to the neighborhood’s charm with the year-round Sunday farmers’ market and frequent community events, and the Campbell Community Center offers classes and activities for all ages. My list of fun things to do in Campbell has a few more favorites.
Accessibility
The neighborhood has great transit options, which makes it a commuter’s dream. The VTA light rail Green Line stops at Hamilton station and Downtown Campbell station, both close to the Pruneyard, and connects you to downtown San Jose and other parts of Silicon Valley. Major highways like 17, 880, 280 and 85 are only a few minutes away, so getting to the rest of the Bay Area is easy.
Community Spirit
The Pruneyard isn’t just a shopping center or a neighborhood, it’s a gathering place. People meet friends for dinner and a movie, walk over from nearby homes for groceries, and stay for a coffee in the courtyard. For many of the longtime homeowners and older adults I work with, that combination of walkable errands, a flat path to the creek trail, transit and a lively downtown is exactly what they’re looking for when they think about downsizing in Silicon Valley without leaving the area they love. If you are weighing whether to put down roots in this part of town, it helps to know what Campbell home prices look like before you start shopping, and my guide to living in Campbell, California covers the rest of the city.
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Sources
- Wikipedia. Pruneyard Shopping Center.
- Ellis Partners via PR Newswire (2014). Ellis Partners Announces Acquisition of The Pruneyard.
- Shopping Center Business (2019). Regency Centers Purchases Retail Component of Silicon Valley Mixed-Use Project for $212.5 Million.
- Justia. Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins, 447 U.S. 74 (1980).
- VTA. Hamilton Station.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where is the Pruneyard located?
The Pruneyard is at 1875 S. Bascom Avenue in Campbell, California, at the corner of Campbell Avenue and Bascom Avenue. It sits just east of Highway 17 and about a quarter mile from downtown Campbell.
Why is it called the Pruneyard?
The center was built on the former Brynteson Ranch, a prune orchard. Developer Fred Sahadi bought the land in 1968, and the name is a nod to the orchards that once covered the Santa Clara Valley.
What stores are at the Pruneyard?
Trader Joe’s is the anchor, and long-running tenants have included Marshalls, Sports Basement, Pruneyard Cinemas and a range of restaurants, cafés and service businesses. Tenants change over time, so check the Pruneyard’s online directory for the current list.
Who owns the Pruneyard?
Regency Centers bought the retail portion of the Pruneyard in 2019 for $212.5 million from a joint venture of Ellis Partners and funds managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group. The office towers and the DoubleTree hotel were not part of that sale.
What was the Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins case?
In 1975, Campbell high school students were told to leave the Pruneyard while collecting petition signatures. The California Supreme Court ruled in their favor in 1979, and the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld that decision in 1980. The case confirmed that California can protect peaceful free speech in the public areas of private shopping centers, and that states may grant broader rights than the federal Constitution.
Is there a movie theater at the Pruneyard?
Yes. Pruneyard Cinemas is a dine-in theater that reopened in April 2018 after a full renovation, with food and cocktails delivered to your seat. The theater site has been part of the center since it opened in 1969.
Can you get to the Pruneyard by public transit?
Yes. The VTA light rail Green Line stops at Hamilton station and Downtown Campbell station, both near the Pruneyard, and connects to downtown San Jose and other parts of Silicon Valley.
Is the Pruneyard area a good place for older adults to live?
For many people it is. Groceries, restaurants and the movie theater are walkable from nearby homes, the Los Gatos Creek Trail offers flat walking paths, and light rail and downtown Campbell are close. If you’re thinking about downsizing into the area, start by looking at current Campbell home prices and what’s available in condos and single-level homes nearby.
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