Fremont Gets Its Bookstore Back as Pacific Commons Trades Big Boxes for Places to Linger

Tony Gemignani has opened pizzerias all over the country. In Fremont, the city where he grew up, his first one went into a corner of Pacific Commons that used to be a Dog Haus. The Mercury News reported that the Slice House at 43456 Boscell Road is run by franchisee Pritika Rajasanshi, who also runs the Mountain View Slice House. She is a fellow Washington High School alum and a longtime friend, which Gemignani said "makes this opening even more meaningful." The menu covers New York, Sicilian, Grandma and Detroit-style pizza, sold by the slice or as whole pies. The location's page lists dine-in, takeout and delivery.

The pizza counter is part of a pattern at Pacific Commons. Over the last two years, Pacific Commons has been refilling spaces with businesses built around time spent, not just items bought. A bookstore arrives on Dec. 9. A grocery with a food hall, a bar and sit-down restaurants is planned for the old Kohl's. The center is also full enough that its owner put it up for sale this summer.

Three empty spaces and what is moving in

You can follow the change by tracking who held each space before.

The DSW move tells you the most. The shoe retailer stayed at the center in a smaller unit in the same block, and its larger space went to a bookstore.

The smaller recent openings point the same way. MINISO opened what The Registry called a 12,000-square-foot flagship at 43485 Boscell Road on Jan. 17, 2026. In May 2025, Patch reported that Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming had opened a 1,026-square-foot shop here, a business you book an appointment with, not one you pass through.

The bookstore Fremont went 16 years without

Barnes & Noble is coming back to a city it left. KRON4 reported that Fremont's earlier Barnes & Noble, on Mowry Avenue, reportedly closed in 2010. A company spokesperson gave Dec. 9 as the opening date for the Pacific Commons store, which sits next to Sephora and Old Navy. Barnes & Noble's store locator lists the address as 43598 Christy Street, opening December 2026.

The original plan was sooner. When Tri-City Voice first reported the store in July, the opening target was November. Whether it opens on Dec. 9 or a little later, the store will have been in the works for roughly half a year.

Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan welcomed the news on Instagram. As KRON4 quoted him: "It's great to see another major retailer choosing to invest in Fremont, creating more shopping options and making Pacific Commons an even stronger destination for our community." KRON4 also noted that residents responded with excitement in the comments.

The largest replacement goes into the old Kohl's

The bookstore is the most visible change for this holiday season. The biggest one is planned for the Kohl's building on the west side of the center, where Bunche Drive meets Interstate 880.

In January, Vestar, which manages the center, announced that H Mart would open its largest U.S. location there. The announcement the City of Fremont published describes a new multi-level H Mart prototype. Alongside the grocery, it will have H Mart's first food hall, with fast-casual counters, full-service sit-down restaurants, a bar and entertainment. The release calls it the largest investment in the company's history and H Mart's first store in Fremont. It said construction was expected to begin in late 2026. In July, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the 100,000-square-foot store was planned to open next year.

Vestar's vice president of leasing, Rick Hearn, explained the approach in the same release:

"Together with our partners at Heitman and the City of Fremont, we are actively adapting to our consumers' shopping preferences, focused on welcoming experiential, destination-driven concepts that energize the center and serve the broader community."

Salwan's statement in the release made the same point from the city's side. He described the project as "innovative reuse of a vacant large-format retail space" and tied it to the City's commitment to turning vacant commercial properties into destinations that bring jobs and amenities. Barnes & Noble in the old DSW space, a pizzeria in the old Dog Haus and H Mart in the old Kohl's are all examples of that kind of reuse.

A full center is a center worth selling

In its July report, the Chronicle called the 84-acre property Northern California's largest outdoor retail center and said more than 90% of its space was occupied, with Costco, In-N-Out, Sephora and Nordstrom Rack as anchors. The center is owned by Heitman and managed by Phoenix-based Vestar, and the City's release counts more than 55 retailers and restaurants, including Target and T.J. Maxx.

The same Chronicle story reported that the center had gone on the market. Commercial real estate experts quoted there said owners tend to sell their best-performing properties when those properties are worth the most. They also read the listing as a sign that investors still consider outdoor shopping centers one of retail's safer bets.

For shoppers, the occupancy figure is the part that shows up day to day. With more than 90% of the space occupied as of July, the old DSW, Dog Haus and Kohl's spaces have each been matched with a new tenant.

Dates for the next few weeks

The bookstore opens just after the busiest stretch of the holiday season. These are the dates on the center's calendar between now and then:

1. Through Nov. 22: Entries are open for the Pacific Commons Thanksgiving gift-card giveaway, with winners to be picked on or about Nov. 23.
2. Sunday, Nov. 29, 6 to 8 p.m.: The Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting takes place near Market Broiler, with Santa photos and a meet-and-greet, face painting, balloon art, holiday music, and treat bags while supplies last.
3. Wednesday, Dec. 9: Barnes & Noble's scheduled opening at 43598 Christy Street, next to Sephora and Old Navy.

For the tree lighting, Market Broiler is the meeting point, and Slice House and the MINISO flagship are both on Boscell Road. For more weekend ideas elsewhere in the city, our guide to weekends in the Niles District covers the volunteer-run calendar on the other side of town, and our Fremont neighborhood page gathers the rest.

A bookstore, a food hall and a hometown pizzeria a few minutes away make a difference in day-to-day life, and buyers looking at nearby streets notice those things too. If you live near Pacific Commons and want to know how what's opening there could figure into your home's value, Dixit Properties can walk you through it. Start with a free home valuation, or request a free consultation with Vik.