Blackhawk Plaza, the upscale shopping and dining center that serves as the commercial heart of Danville’s Blackhawk neighborhood, is staring down foreclosure after its lender moved to take control of the property. The legal push comes after months of tenant departures, leaving long runs of dark storefronts and several buzzy plans stuck in limbo.
Nano Banc, the lender that extended roughly $5 million to the plaza’s owners, has started nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings and asked an Orange County judge to appoint a receiver to operate the property while it is marketed or sold, according to Pleasanton Weekly. Court filings say the borrower stopped making required payments around March 10, 2025, and that the bank wants a receiver to preserve rental revenue until a sale can be worked out, per East Bay Times.
As the legal fight escalates, the tenant roster has been thinning. Danville’s Draeger’s Market closed its Blackhawk location in late January after the owner blamed declining foot traffic and the plaza’s condition, according to SFGATE. Apple Cinemas, which had long planned to open a theater at the center, recently said it will not move forward with the project amid the ownership uncertainty, Danville San Ramon reported.
What the filings say
Court papers lay out a tangled dispute. Ramanujan Group, which bought Blackhawk Plaza in 2020, denies that it has neglected the property and has filed a countersuit accusing Nano Banc of bad-faith conduct and manufacturing a default, according to East Bay Times. The bank’s complaint, on the other hand, asks an Orange County judge to appoint a receiver who could collect rents or sell the property to recoup more than $5 million in outstanding debt, per Pleasanton Weekly.
Tenants say maintenance was a problem
While the lawyers trade filings, some tenants say they have been battling basic upkeep. Complaints submitted in Contra Costa County describe cracked stairs, potholes, rusted railings, nonworking lights, and even alleged open wiring, problems that business owners say dragged down foot traffic and raised safety concerns, according to court summaries reviewed by Danville San Ramon. The plaza’s owners have pushed back in their own filings, but the disputes have cost some tenants both money and patience as they try to stay afloat.
A plaza that’s struggled for years
Blackhawk Plaza has not exactly had a smooth run in recent years. The center sold in 2020 for about $38.3 million, a change in ownership that drew local attention at the time, and real estate observers have long flagged its distance from I‑680 and competition from Bishop Ranch as structural challenges for retailers, according to reporting by Patch. Since then, the plaza has seen anchors depart and a steady churn of smaller tenants, a pattern that tends to make both lenders and potential buyers wary…