FAIRFIELD — Shopping isn’t only an American pastime, it’s a big money generator for local governments.
When people buy cars, clothes, books, hardware and other needs and luxuries, they pay sales tax. Fairfield expects to get several million dollars in sales tax this fiscal year for its general fund.
In addition, shoppers are getting new places to shop. Walmart debuted its supercenter on North Texas Street, Ford and Mercedes-Benz dealerships came to the auto mall and Lowe’s Home Improvement opened at the north end of town.
For Fairfield, the shopping centerpiece is Solano Mall and the adjacent Gateway area. The mall dates back about three decades, but is still a work in progress. It underwent $20 million in renovations in 2006 and more recently, added a new food court. This year the mall underwent a name change, an ownership change and a long-vacant anchor retail space that had been occupied by the now-defunct Mervyn’s retailer was replaced by a Sports Authority and Forever 21.
Main shopping areas in Vacaville include Nut Tree Park and the Vacaville Premium Outlets. Nut Tree Park carries on in place of the former Nut Tree restaurant, which for decades was a major stop for Interstate 80 travelers. The new version has major retailers and specialty stores, as well as restaurants, a small train and a big carousel. The Premium Outlets has 120 stores.
For those who want an old-fashion shopping experience, Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City have downtowns that date back to the 1800s. Fairfield’s downtown is along Texas Street, which in the early 20th century served as a state highway. Suisun City’s downtown dates back to the 1850s and is along the town’s waterfront. Vacaville’s downtown features not only stores and historic buildings, but also the city’s Creekwalk walking path along Ulatis Creek.
Here is information on some of the area’s major shopping destinations:
Solano Mall
1350 Travis Blvd., Fairfield
425-1164
http://www.shoppingsolanomall.com
Nut Tree Village
1681 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville
447-6000
http://www.nuttreeusa.com/#/Hompage
Vacaville Premium Outlets
321 Nut Tree Road
447-5755
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/
Downtown Fairfield
1000 Texas St., Suite D
Fairfield Main Street Association
422-0103
http://www.fairfieldmainstreet.com
Downtown Suisun City
Main Street
Suisun City Waterfront Improvement District
http://www.suisunwaterfront.com
Downtown Vacaville
Main Street and Merchant Street area
Downtown Vacaville Improvement District
451-2100
Reach Jess Sullivan at 427-6919 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jsullivandr.
