With the Coronavirus pandemic coming as a surprise to many, the Sunrise Mall, located in Citrus Heights, CA, was already declining way before 2020. Many people can agree that COVID-19 was simply the cherry on top to the fall of the once crowded and festive mall. It went from 51 stores down to only a little over 20, including all food stores being closed and deserted. 

Old fans of this mall have since been transferred over and began going to the Galleria Mall located in Roseville instead. The Galleria, as of 2025, has over 240 stores with 36 restaurants and wide sold food chains. This already couldn’t even compare to the single-story Sunrise Mall. 

However, all of this talk about the flashy Galleria Mall doesn’t exactly mean the Sunrise Mall is done for completely. Many of its nostalgic stores shut down because of redevelopment plans that the city of Citrus Heights has been brewing up for quite some time now. While it may not be any new mall revitalization, it sure is huge news for the local community.

According to the Economic Development Work Plan, Citrus Heights City Council aims for 70 new implementation steps to advance economic growth and development, alongside new Business Attraction Incentive Program Guidelines and Small Business Support Program Guidelines. Over the next two years, the council has goals to improve conditions in the Birdcage area, including the nearly ghosted Sunrise Mall.

The city of Citrus Heights has been in conversation and working to find an agreement upon buying a portion of the mall from its original owner, the Namdar Realty Group. The city has visions to transform the space into a mixture of new housing, retail, hotels, and brand new public spaces; this plan is called the “Sunrise Tomorrow” plan. Once in action, it would be a long-term and slow amendment, but would pay off greatly for the locals. 

So before you say goodbye to your once boosting and popular mall, save a little hope in your heart for the future of the Sunrise Mall and its potential glow up.