Is Five Below Expanding to East Bakersfield? the Truth About the City Lights Development
By Alexander Ross
Retail construction in Bakersfield shifted away from traditional enclosed malls toward open-air, grocery-anchored centers. Kern County added more than 350,000 square feet of commercial floor plate over the past two years, propelled by logistics jobs, residential subdivisions, and population movement from coastal California. Retailers monitor median household income and disposable retail spend carefully, dividing Bakersfield into three distinct development territories: the affluent Southwest, the established Northwest, and the expanding East Side.
| Location / Corridor | Active Five Below Presence | Primary Retail Focus | 2026 Leasing Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosedale Highway (Northwest) | Operational (Northwest Promenade) | Power center regional draw | Fully leased; stable operations |
| Gosford Village (Southwest) | Operational (Gosford Rd) | Suburban family shopping | High-traffic performer |
| City Lights Center (East Bakersfield) | None confirmed | Grocery, quick-service dining | Grand opening scheduled without Five Below |
| East Hills Mall Corridor (Mall View Rd) | Under commercial review | Mixed-use re-zoning | Long-term redevelopment stage |
The geographic distribution shows why rumors took hold. Northwest and Southwest Bakersfield already feature successful locations. East Bakersfield, home to over 140,000 residents within a five-mile trade ring, possesses the exact family demographics Five Below historically targets. The bottleneck stems from available anchor real estate rather than lack of consumer interest.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
