Anchoring the north end of the mall was a Chicago-based Marshall Field & Company. The 289,000 square foot store opened in February 1959, 3 months after the mall was officially dedicated. 
Photo from the L.L. Cook Company


Marshall Field's MAYFAIR unit included the upscale Linden Room restaurant.
Photo from the L.L. Cook Company


The North Mall concourse in the open-air MAYFAIR.
Photo from the L.L. Cook Company 


At the end of the South Mall concourse was a Gimbels-Milwaukee store. Housing 210,700 square feet, it debuted in September, 1958, 3 weeks before the mall's official grand opening. The store's resident restaurant was known as Tasty Town.
Photo from the L.L. Cook Company


The 6-story Professional Building at MAYFAIR housed several dental and medical offices. The structure, which was completed in January 1959, towered over the expansive Central Park court area at the center of the center.
Photo from the L.L. Cook Company

Promoted as "The General Store of the Jet Age," MAYFAIR CENTER was built in one phase. When fully-leased, the facility housed around 778,300 square feet of selling space and contained seventy stores and services. Its split-level parking lot provided free parking for 8,000 autos.

MAYFAIR CENTER TENANTS 1959:

NORTH MALL
MARSHALL FIELD & COMPANY (with Linden Room restaurant) / Andes Candies / A.S. Beck Shoes / Chandler's Shoes / Charles of the Ritz Beauty Salon / Florsheim Shoes / Klode Furniture / MacNeil & Moore ladies' & men's wear / Mansfield's Young America children's wear / Milwaukee Gas & Light Company / Stuarts Ready-to-Wear for Ladies / Toepfer & Bellack men's wear / Youthful Shoes

CENTRAL PARK (Center Court)
KRAMBO FOODS / WALGREEN DRUG (with luncheonette) / Bond Clothes / Artiste Beauty Shop / Cobbler Shop Shoe Repair / Colonial Kitchen Delicatessen / William H. Heinemann Bakery / Loewl & Company Investments / Pan Dee Restaurant / Alan Preuss Florists / Prohaska Barber Shop / Singer's ladies' & children's wear / Smartwear ladies' & children's wear / Spic & Span Laundry & Dry Cleaning / Steinmeyer Fine Foods / Toy Fair Toys & Hobbies / Jane Winroe Card Shop

SOUTH MALL
GIMBELS (with Tasty Town restaurant) / S.S. KRESGE (with luncheonette) / Badger Paint & Hardware / Baker's Shoes / Fanny Farmer Candies / Flagg Brothers Shoes / Home Savings & Loan / Household Finance Corporation / Kay Campbell ladies' wear / Kinney Shoes / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Marcey's ladies' wear / Mary Jane Shoes / Mary Lester Yard Goods / Maxine's Gifts & Cards / Royal Crown Hosiery / Stumpf's men's & boy's wear / The Record Shop

The Mayfair Theatre was built as a northwestern outparcel of the shopping complex. Originally a single-screen venue, it opened for business in October 1963 and was the first of two movie houses to operate at the mall.
Graphic from Prudential Theatres


A 2-level, enclosed area known as The Bazaar was built at the Main Entrance of the (still) open-air MAYFAIR CENTER. This mall-within-a-mall, dedicated in October 1971, was a hip and groovy collection of boutiques catering to those on the younger side of the "Generation Gap."
Graphic from Froedtert Mayfair, Incorporated


In January 1973, work got underway on the enclosure of the entire shopping center. The "new," fully-enclosed MAYFAIR MALL was officially dedicated on October 11, 1973.
Advert from Froedtert Mayfair, Incorporated

MAYFAIR MALL TENANTS 1973:

EXISTING STORES & SERVICES
MARSHALL FIELD & COMPANY / GIMBELS / WALGREEN DRUG / Artiste Beauty Salon / Baker's Shoes / Bond Clothes / Chandler's Shoes / Fanny Farmer Candies / Flowers By Alan Preuss / Household Finance Corporation / Kinney Shoes / Klode Furniture / Lerner Shops / Leowl & Company Investments / MacNeil & Moore men's & ladies' wear / Mansfield's Young America children's wear / Mary Lester Fabrics / Mayfair Theatre (outparcel) / Prohaska Barber Shop / Stuarts Ready-to-Wear for Ladies / Schmidt-Ortew Stumpf's / The Record Shop / Toepfer & Bellack men's wear / Youthful Shoes / Jane Winroe Cards / Wisconsin Gas Company

NEWER STORES & SERVICES

American Handicrafts / Art Nook / American Family Insurance / Baldwin Music Center / Bazaar Card Shop / Richard Bennett / Boelter's Bath Room / Brass Boot / Bresler's 33 Flavors ice cream / Brides Fashions / Candle Cottage / Captain's Steak Joynt / Casual Corner / Chappie's Sports Center / Chess King / Christian Science Reading Room / Coral Reef / Chocolate Factory / Daisy Jewels / B. Dalton Bookseller / Evans-Singers / Etc. Shop / First Wisconsin Bank of Mayfair / Flanner & Hatsoos Music House / Helen Gallagher Gifts / Gingiss Formalwear / Gloria Kay Uniform Mart / B. Artin Haig / Herstof's Opticians / Hot Sam Pretzels / Joan Bari / Kovack Fabric Center / Lebott & Company / Lord Jim / Maternity Modes / Mediterranean Imports / Mutual Savings & Loan / Next Door / Orange Bowl snack bar / Palm Springs Health Spa / Pants Unlimited / Parklane Hosiery / Potpourri / Quality Candy Shoppe / The Shelf Shop / Shaw's Keepsake Diamond Center / Singer Sewing Center / Tall Styles / Thayer-McNeil Shoes  / Tie Rak / Tivoli Gifts / Travelpower / Weight Watchers


Meanwhile, as part of the mall's "Great Roof-Raising" renovation, a 10,000 square foot skating rink, known as the Ice Chalet, was installed in what had been the Central Park court area.
Graphic from Froedtert Mayfair, Incorporated


A vintage view inside the newly-enclosed MAYFAIR MALL.
Photo from Marshall Field & Company Annual Report 1973

The MAYFAIR Ice Chalet had fallen out of favor with mall management by the mid-1980s. It and the adjacent Bazaar were demolished as part of the shopping hub's second major renovation, which was done between March and November 1986. A 2-level Atrium was built, which extended over the central section of the complex.
Photo from www.hunzinger.com / Hunzinger Construction


Several additions and modifications are evident in a circa-1987 layout. Twin 11-story office towers now stand on the northwest and southwest corners of the site. These were completed between 1975 and 1979. The mall's new Level 2 Atrium includes a Food Court. On the south end of the complex, a vacant Gimbels has just been retenanted by the Boston Store.  

An extensive series of renovations and additions got underway at MAYFAIR MALL in early 1998. Stores such as Pottery Barn, Coldwater Creek, Talbots, Barnes & Noble and Chico's joined the tenant directory. The Mayfair Mall 18 megaplex, added to the North Wing, commenced operation in May 1999.
Graphic from the General Cinema Corporation


A second floor, built over the mid-section of the mall in the mid-1980s, was expanded as part of the turn of the century remodeling projects. Level 2 additions -on the north and south- were built between May 2000 and August 2001. These extended Level 2 over the full length of the mall.
Photo from www.hunzinger.com / Hunzinger Construction


A circa-2001 plan shows the aforementioned Mayfair Mall 18 megaplex and recently-completed Level 2 additions. The new north and south sections added 160,000 square feet of selling space to the complex. With these modifications, MAYFAIR MALL encompasses approximately 1,105,400 leasable square feet and houses 154 stores. The bi-level parking area has space for 6,533 autos.


The remodeling at MAYFAIR resumed in 2003. A Streetscape was added to the west facade of Level 1. Existing Talbots, Applebee's and Barnes & Noble stores were enlarged, with space for new Maggiano's and P.F. Chang's created. Freestanding The Cheesecake Factory and Crate & Barrel locations were completed in 2004 and 2005. The mall's first parking garage opened, on the south end of the site, in November 2005.  

A 2010s expansion of MAYFAIR MALL added Nordstrom -which was the chain's first full-line Dairy State store- and a second parking garage. The new anchor, encompassing 3 levels and 140,000 square feet, opened for business in October 2015.
Drawing from Nordstrom, Incorporated


The southeast corner of the complex was rebuilt to accommodate the new Nordstrom. With the store's completion, MAYFAIR spanned 1,265,400 leasable square feet and contained 164 stores under its roof. It surpassed the size of Greater Appleton's 1,183,900 square foot FOX RIVER MALL and was now the largest shopping mall in Wisconsin.


A recent view of the North (Macy's) Wing at MAYFAIR MALL.
Photo from www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties


The MAYFAIR Boston Store closed in August 2018, as part of the bankruptcy and liquidation of the Bon Ton Stores conglomerate. The Boston Store had anchored the south end of the mall for 31 years.
Graphic from Bon Ton Holdings, Incorporated  
MAYFAIR CENTER
North Mayfair Road (Highway 100) and West North Avenue
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

Greater Milwaukee's second mall-type shopping hub was built on a 105-acre tract, located 9.6 miles northwest of the center city, in suburban Wauwatosa. Construction on the prospective WESTGATE CENTER commenced in July 1956. Soon renamed MAYFAIR CENTER, the complex was developed by Milwaukee malting maven Kurtis R. Froedtert, Marshall Field & Company and Chicago's Philip Klutznick.

Four architectural firms had contributed to the mall's design. Milwaukee's Grassold, Johnson & Associates and Chicago's Perkins & Will conceived the inline store section. Gimbels was designed by Welton Becket & Associates of Los Angeles, while Chicago's Loebl, Schlossman & Bennett envisaged Marshall Field's.

Open-air in format, MAYFAIR CENTER was comprised of a ground level of retail and service basement. At the the south end of the complex was a 3-level (210,700 square foot) Gimbels, the third store in the Milwaukee-based division. It was dedicated September 19, 1958. Twenty-two inline stores began business on the mall's official grand opening, which was held on October 9, 1958.

The festivities, dubbed "The Wonderful World of Mayfair," had an international theme. Mary Ann Mobley, "Miss America 1959," released a white pigeon. On hand were embassy representatives from twelve nations and foreign exchange students from twenty-one countries around the world. 

The north end of MAYFAIR CENTER was anchored by a 3-level (288,500 square foot), Chicago-based Marshall Field's. This was the chain's first store outside of Illinois. It made its debut on January 7, 1959. Now fully-leased, MAYFAIR CENTER spanned approximately 778,300 leasable square feet and housed seventy stores and services. 

Charter tenants included Lerner Shops, Kay Campbell ladies' wear, Pan Dee Restaurant, Toy Fair Toys & Hobbies, Klode Furniture, The Record Shop, a Krambo Foods supermarket and S.S. Kresge 5 & 10. The mall's first cinematic venue, the Prudential Theatres Mayfair Theatre, was built in the northeast parking area. It showed its first feature on October 10, 1963, was twinned in November 1983 and shuttered in 1993.

The first anchor nameplate change at MAYFAIR CENTER had taken place in April 1962, following Gimbels' acquisition of its primary competitor, Ed Schuster & Company. Stores were rebranded as Gimbels-Schusters. This heading lasted until July 1969, After this, stores were branded and promoted as simply Gimbels.

CAPITOL COURT {3.3 miles northeast, in Milwaukee} began business in August 1956 and was the earliest competitor of MAYFAIR CENTER. Next was BROOKFIELD SQUARE {3.6 miles southwest, in Brookfield}, which opened, as the region's first fully-enclosed shopping center, in October 1967. This was followed by NORTHRIDGE MALL {7.9 miles northeast, in Milwaukee}, which was dedicated in August 1972.

With two interior malls in its midst, MAYFAIR CENTER was due for an update. An enclosed arcade area, known as The Bazaar, had been built in the mall's front center section. This mall-within-a-mall opened on October 7, 1971. Some its tenants were Mediterranean Imports, Daisy Jewels, Soap Opera and The Hollow Tree.

Renovations resumed at MAYFAIR CENTER in January 1973. A 3 million dollar remodeling project enclosed courts and concourses. The Central Park area at the center of the center was rebuilt as the Ice Chalet, a 10,000 square foot skating rink. A Wall of Lights flashed -in rhythm- to prerecorded music.

During the enclosure, the North Mall and South Mall concourses were refitted with artificial streams, filled with live fish. These ran the length of each mallway and separated the east and west store blocks. A park-like atmosphere was created, complete with trees, shrubs, foot bridges and fountains.

A 2-level Greenhouse, providing plants for the entire mall, was a new feature on the North Mall. The South Mall had an Old Time Band Stand, with a glass floor covering part of the fish stream below. The Ice Chalet opened pn September 13, 1973. A wall-wide re-dedication took place on October 11, with the official name of the complex being changed to MAYFAIR MALL.

Unfortunately, the novelty of the Ice Chalet was short-lived. It hosted its final skaters on March 21, 1986 and was demolished as part of a 15 million dollar mall remodeling. A 78,000 square foot Atrium was created at the center of the mall, taking in some of the old Bazaar area. It encompassed 2 levels and featured a small Food Court. The artificial streams, in the North and South Malls, were also filled in.

MAYFAIR MALL held its second re-dedication ceremony on November 6, 1986. The center now housed approximately 945,400 leasable square feet and contained 109 stores and services. 1986 was also the year in which the Gimbels chain was divested. The MAYFAIR MALL location was shuttered and converted to a Milwaukee-based Boston Store. It debuted on August 1, 1987.

In early 1998, a third reconfiguration of MAYFAIR MALL got underway. This would add new Pottery Barn and Learningsmith locations, an enlarged Eddie Bauer, and 2-level Barnes & Noble. These opened between June and November 1998. The General Cinema Corporation Mayfair Mall 18 was added to the mall's northeast corner. This megaplex was dedicated on May 14, 1999.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties had purchased the mall, in a joint venture with Canada's Ivanhoe Cambridge, in June 1998. GGP established 100 percent ownership of the shopping center in July 2003.

Meanwhile, a fourth renovation had commenced in May of the year 2000. During this project, the Upper Level (a part of the Atrium) was extended toward the north and south. 160,000 square feet of new retail space was created. This became two teen apparel wings, with stores such as Aeropostale, Abercrombie Kids, Delia's and Zutopia. Moreover, the existing Food Court was doubled in size, to a 14-bay facility. The newly-refurbished mall was dedicated on August 15, 2001.

Remodeling resumed in late 2002. An exterior-entranced Streetscape was attached to the mall's west-facing facade. This added 20,000 square feet to the Lower Level. Existing Talbot's and Applebee's locations were expanded. Moreover, new restaurants joined the retail roster. P.F. Chang's China Bistro welcomed first diners in July 2003. Maggiano's Little Italy did so in August of the same year. MAYFAIR MALL now encompassed approximately 1,125,400  leasable square feet.

The General Cinema Corporation chain had been acquired by AMC (American Multi-Cinema) in March 2002. The theater at MAYFAIR MALL was rebranded as the AMC Mayfair Mall 18. An IMAX auditorium was added in 2009.

The early 21st century expansion and refurbishment of MAYFAIR MALL continued with the addition of two freestanding stores. A (10,200 square foot) The Cheesecake Factory opened on October 26, 2004, followed by a 2-level (34,000 square foot) Crate & Barrel. This store began business on August 31, 2005. On September 9, 2006, the mall's Marshall Field's was rebranded by Macy's.

In January 2014, another remodeling of MAYFAIR MALL began. It added a 3-level (140,000 square foot) Nordstrom and 2-level parking garage. During this project, the southeast corner of the complex was gutted and rebuilt, with ten inline stores having been displaced.

Exquisite Threading and PayLess ShoeSource closed for good. Coldwater Creek, Champs Sports, GameStop and Spencer Gifts moved to other locations in the mall. Loft, Wet Seal, PacSun and Express temporarily relocated in the mall, but eventually occupied stores in the reconfigured Southeast Wing. Nordstrom opened its doors on October 23, 2015. MAYFAIR MALL now encompassed approximately 1,265,400 leasable square feet and housed 164 stores and services.

As the Nordstrom addition was progressing at MAYFAIR MALL, a new shopping venue was evolving in its vicinity. MAYFAIR COLLECTION {.7 mile northwest, in Wauwatosa}, was the first phase of THE DISTRICT, a retail-based redevelopment of existing warehouse buildings. The initial stage was dedicated in April 2014.

Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, MAYFAIR MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio. 

Due to the bankruptcy of Bon Ton Stores, the Boston Store was shuttered in August 2018. The vacant building was auctioned in July 2022, with the Wauwatosa Community Development Authority assuming ownership. A plan for redevelopment of the structure is being drawn up.

Sources:

The Milwaukee Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
http://www.retro.com / Milwaukee Memories / "In 1951, Southgate Changed Shopping" / by John Gurda
http://www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
http://www.hunzinger.com / Hunzinger Construction Company
http://www.preservenet.cornell.edu
https://onmilwaukee.com
https://www.businesswire.com
https://www.bizjournals.com
http://www.hsacommercial.com / HSA Commercial Real Estate
"Mayfair Mall" article on Wikipedia
Phoenix's Park Central Shopping City


A gathering of (now) classic cars fill the parking lot at the Grand Canyon State's very first shopping mall. In 1957, the parking area could accommodate 5,000 autos at one time.
Photo from Phoenix Public Library Collection / Petley Studios, Incorporated 

Our first PARK CENTRAL plan dates to 1957, the year that the shopping complex was officially dedicated. At this time, it spanned approximately 483,000 leasable square feet and contained forty-two tenant spaces.

PARK CENTRAL SHOPPING CITY TENANTS 1957:

GOLDWATERS (with Beauty Salon) / DIAMOND'S (with Beauty Salon and Garden Center) [Diamond's Tea Room added in 1960] / EL RANCHO MARKET / J.J. NEWBERRY 5 & 10 (with Snack Bar and Cafeteria Luncheonette) / Andersen's Store for Men / Berner-Judd ladies' & children's wear / Bill's Record Shop / Coffee Dan's cafe & Geronimo Room restaurant / David's Florist / David's Shoes / Doctor Harold Goodman, Optometrist / Expectation Shop maternity wear / Gallenkamp Shoes / Grayson's ladies' wear / Green Feather Book Shop / Guggy's Coffee Shop / House of Fabrics / Kay's children's wear / Lawson's Jewelers / Leonard's Luggage & Leather Goods / Lewis Shoe Salon / Mr. Phoenix Barber Shop / Marizon Specialty Shop for Women / Old Woman in a Shoe Nursery (outparcel) / One-Hour Valet / Pancho's Gifts & Southwestern Wear / Park Central Photo / Park Central Sportswear / Pinney & Robinson Sporting Goods / Remer's Distinctive Gifts / Slenderella Figure Salon / Skomer's men's wear / Taylor's Candies / Tony's Shoe Repair / Walgreen Drug (with Walgreen Grill) / Yoshi's Oriental Shoppe 


The PARK CENTRAL mall was just 2 years old when its first expansion was started. The Goldwaters and Diamond's anchor stores were enlarged by 37,000 and 76,000 square feet, respectively. Moreover, a courtyard was filled in with a block of inline stores. With these improvements, the facility encompassed around 614,300 square feet.
Photo from Phoenix Public Library Collection / Petley Studios, Incorporated 


The second Phoenician shopping mall opened nine months after the April 1957 dedication of PARK CENTRAL SHOPPING CITY. Initial stores in CAMELBACK TOWN & COUNTRY VILLAGE commenced operation in January 1958.
Photo from the Phoenix Public Library Collection / Petley Studios, Incorporated

"The Sun Worshiper," a 19-foot-high bronze sculpture, depicted a Native American tribesman. This work, created by Walter Emery of Phoenix, was installed at the mall in 1968. It was unceremoniously removed during a mid-1980s renovation (but was re-installed at the mall in 2019).
Photo from Phoenix Public Library Collection / Petley Studios, Incorporated


Meanwhile, the mall was expanded in the late 1960s. A full-line "Penneys" was built, along with a bi-level parking deck. PARK CENTRAL now encompassed around 835,300 leasable square feet and over sixty stores and services. As a matter of note, the "Shopping City" name was dropped in 1972, with the facility being promoted, henceforth, as PARK CENTRAL CENTER.


A face lift renovation was performed between March and October of 1985. A new mall entry was cut through the northeast store block and "Picnic in the Park" Food Court created. The shopping hub was also renamed PARK CENTRAL MALL. The logo montage above features stores operating in the complex during the mid-to-late 1980s.

Competition from newer suburban malls, and the general decline of center city retail, sent PARK CENTRAL MALL into a downward spiral. Its anchor stores pulled up stakes in 1990 and 1995. By this time, the situation appeared so bleak that an ad was run in local newspapers, reminding Phoenicians that the (anchor-less) shopping center was still in business.
Advert from the Lehndorff Group


The foundering retail complex was converted into a mixed-use office, retail, restaurant and hotel hub between mid-1997 and late 1999. An abandoned J.C. Penney became a call center for Samaritan-Banner Health Systems. The old Diamond's-Dillard's morphed into a Catholic Healthcare West facility. By late 2008, the revitalized complex was known as simply PARK CENTRAL.


Revenue service commenced on Phoenix's Valley Metro light rail system in December 2008. The Osborn / Central Station, which is adjacent to PARK CENTRAL, opened as part of the 19.7-route-mile inaugural segment. It could be opined that the mall's proximity to modern transit train transport helped to save it from being shuttered and demolished.
Photo from https://phoenix.org

As part of the late '90s renovation and repositioning, PARK CENTRAL buildings were given new Post Modern facades. The old Goldwaters department store was refurbished and divided between Office Depot, Jamba Juice and Johnston & Tenet Physicians Services.
Photo from www.parkcentralphx.com


In this snapshot, we see an open-air concourse in the revitalized PARK CENTRAL complex.
Photo from www.parkcentralphx.com


This structure housed J.C. Penney between August 1968 and July 1990.
Photo from www.parkcentralphx.com

A joint venture of two companies acquired the PARK CENTRAL property in September 2017. A 57 million dollar mall makeover was soon underway.
Photo from http://parkcentralphoenix.com


Our final PARK CENTRAL site plan depicts the Grand Canyon State's first shopping mall as it stood after its latest renovation was completed. A total of 337,000 square feet has been remodeled. Four areas -The Yard, The Hub, The Porch and The Link- are focal points of a "dynamic new mixed-use development."


The remodeled mall's Interactive Water Feature is seen in this rendering. As a point of reference, in the original SHOPPING CITY, the Diamond's store would have been on the right.
Drawing from Plaza Companies


The latest renovation replaced the mall's Post Modern design elements that were installed in the late 1990s. One wonders just what the style of architecture seen here would be called. Perhaps "Late-Post Modern?"
Drawing from Plaza Companies

Big Lots leased space originally occupied by Richway Foods. Star Clothing was a tenant in the early 2000s.
Photo from http://www.mimms.org / Malon D. Mimms Company


The current movie theater at ROSWELL TOWN CENTER has operated under five different owners, since first opening in late 1985. In chronological order, its proprietors were Interstate Theaters, Hoyts Cinemas, United Artists Theaters, StarTime Entertainment Company and Aurora Cineplex.
Photo from http://www.mimms.org / Malon D. Mimms Company


Our final TOWN CENTER plan dates to 2021. At this time, the south anchor is operational. Unfortunately, the bulk of the west anchor (last housing Hobby Lobby) is vacant, as are the old Burlington Coat Factory and Waccamaw's HomePlace spaces on the Upper Level. The Burlington basement has been leased as the Computer Museum of America.

ROSWELL MALL
Alpharetta Highway / US 19 and Holcomb Bridge Road
Fulton County (Roswell), Georgia

In May 1973, the first earth was turned at a 53-acre tract, located 19 miles north of Atlanta's Five Points, near the city of Roswell. Previously containing the Herbert Hawking family farm, the plot was being developed by North Fulton County's James Howard Chatham, under the auspices of Northside Realty Associates, Incorporated. A prospective shopping mall was being designed by Roswell's Zachary Henderson & Associates.  

As planned, ROSWELL CROSSING would encompass approximately 358,000 leasable square feet and house forty stores and services. The first operational tenant, a 1-level (88,700 square foot), Atlanta-based Richway discount mart, opened its doors on August 5, 1974. The store included an adjacent (30,000 square foot) Richway Foods supermarket.

These stores anchored an enclosed shopping mall. Its upper floor was fully-completed. However, due to the stagnant US economy of the mid-to-late '70s, the lower floor remained unfinished for several years. Inline stores in this upper level section opened for business between November 1974 and April 1976. Among these were Radio Shack, Morrison's Cafeteria, Reed Drugs and Waldenbooks.

By the mid-1970s, the shopping hub was being promoted as ROSWELL MALL. It was sold in June 1978, with the buyer being New York City's Walter Samuels. His company, a division of Wisconsin's ShopKo Corporation, developed malls and strip centers for the Kmart Corporation. Samuels convinced Kmart to build a second anchor at ROSWELL MALL.  

The (100,000 square foot) discount department store was dedicated, along with the renovated mall, on November 15, 1979. Grand opening festivities included appearances by Mickey Mouse and Chief Nockahoma and performances by a Dixieland jazz band, bagpipe band and mime troupe. There were also fireworks displays and a roller disco party. The Interstate Theatres Corporation Roswell Mall Cinema Centre showed its first features on December 21, 1979. The 4-screen facility, situated on the mall's upper level, was expanded into a 5-plex in 1983.

The history of movie theaters that have operated in the North Fulton County shopping complex is confusing and -at times- poorly documented. We will do our best to tell the story as accurately as possible from this point onward. 

Interstate built a new movie venue, on the lower level of the mall, in conjunction with a new Norcross-based Uptons department store. The 3-screen theater, which debuted in December 1985, operated in conjunction with the upper level 5-plex. Both complexes were promoted as the Roswell Mall Cinema 8. The (50,000 square foot) Uptons, on the upper level, incorporated existing mall space and a 25,000 square foot addition. The store was completed in August 1986.

Stores in the Richway chain were sold to Minneapolis' Dayton Hudson Corporation in 1987. The ROSWELL MALL Richway closed in September 1988. It was remodeled and re-opened, as a Target, on April 26, 1989. At this juncture, ROSWELL MALL was in decline, with its shopping concourse flanked by several vacant storefronts. Retail industry insiders considered it "unused and non-functional."

This situation had been exacerbated by the proliferation of community-class shopping centers in the vicinity. Moreover, larger complexes had also contributed to the failure of the mall. First was TOWN CENTER AT COBB {12.5 miles west, in Cobb County}. Then came the too-close-for-comfort NORTH POINT MALL{2.5 miles northeast, in Alpharetta}.  

Interstate Theatres expanded the lower level complex into the Roswell Mall 10, with the upper level 5-plex being shuttered. The venue was acquired, and rebranded, by Hoyts Cinemas in May 1988 and United Artists Theatres in July 1993. 

ROSWELL MALL was sold to Talisman Companies, of Coral Gables, Florida, in April 1994. An official name change, to ROSWELL TOWN CENTER, was instituted in August of the same year. A 10 million dollar  renovation and reconfiguration commenced in January 1995. The mall section was gutted and rebuilt as an open-air power center. Various sections of the old ROSWELL MALL were left unscathed, including Big Kmart, Target and a vacant Uptons.  

A new and improved ROSWELL TOWN CENTER spanned approximately 505,700 leasable square feet. By the fall of 1997, new stores were up and running. These included a 2-level (107,800 square foot) Burlington Coat Factory, 1-level (50,000 square foot) Waccamaw's HomePlace (which had assumed the old Uptons space), Jo-Ann Fabrics and Party City.

Although ROSWELL TOWN CENTER was promoted as an open-air facility, its lower floor -or Plaza Level- was enclosed, with tenant spaces lined along a narrow hallway. The Roswell Town Center 10 was sold to El Paso, Texas' StarTime Entertainment. It had re-opened, as the StarTime Cinema 10, on May 23, 1997.

Plaza Level space adjacent to the cinema had been rebuilt as the StarTime Family Entertainment Center. The indoor portion covered 43,000 square feet and included an interactive video game arcade,  Funny Farm Comedy Club, Studio Cafe, StarTime Bar, StarTime Birthday Party Room and motion simulators. Outdoors, a 3.3-acre Fun Park featured 18-hole mini-golf, go-kart tracks and several batting cages.

The turn of the 20th century brought several store shutterings. Target went dark on February 29, 2000 and was followed by a new Value City. Waccamaw's HomePlace shut down in March 2001. Big Kmart pulled up stakes in 2002. This store was divided into a (27,000 square foot) Shoe Gallery, (63,000 square foot) Hobby Lobby, (15,300 square foot) Gold's Gym and (17,800 square foot) Rugged Warehouse.

Store defections continued into the early 2000s. Burlington Coat Factory closed for good in 2006, followed by Value City, in December 2008. The StarTime Cinema 10 and Family Entertainment Center were shuttered on April 19, 2009. On the plus side of things, Big Lots set up shop in the old Richway Foods space, with the vacant Value City being repurposed as a Floor & Decor store.

By this time, the 508,800 square foot ROSWELL TOWN CENTER had changed hands on two occasions. AEW Talisman sold the property to Atlanta-based Branch Properties in 2005. The Roswell-based Malon D. Mimms Company acquired it in 2009.

The abandoned multiplex cinema and outdoor Fun Park were renovated. They became Area 51, which included the Aurora Cineplex 10-screen theater and a downsized outdoor facility, now promoted as The Fringe. It featured just two 18-hole mini-golf courses. The complex opened for business on July 31, 2010. Plaza Level space once housing the basement floor of Burlington Coat Factory was reconfigured as the Computer Museum of America. The 44,400 square foot facility was officially dedicated on July 20, 2019. 

Sources:

The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Box Office magazine, January 1988
http://www.awetalisman.com / AWE Talisman (website on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine) / Arthur Weiner Enterprises
http://www.branchprop.com/ / Branch Properties (website on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.mimms.org / Malon D. Mimms Company
www.cinematreasures.com
https://www.appenmedia.com
https://www.bizjournals.com
http://www.auroracineplex.com
https://www.computermuseumofamerica.org
PARK CENTRAL SHOPPING CITY
North Central Avenue and West Catalina Drive
Phoenix, Arizona

The first mall-type shopping center in the Grand Canyon State was built on a 46-acre tract, which had been utilized as the Central Avenue Dairy Farm for several years. The site, 2 miles north of the Arizona State House, was located in the Encanto Village section of the city.

PARK CENTRAL SHOPPING CITY was designed by Los Angeles' Welton Becket, John Schotanus and Ralph Haver. The shopping facility was developed by the Park Central Development Company, which was a joint venture of Phoenix's Albert Behrstock and A.J. and Ralph Burgbacher.

The single-level complex was open-air in format and encompassed approximately 483,000 leasable square feet. Its first operational store, a (32,000 square foot) El Rancho Market, welcomed its first shoppers on October 31, 1956. A 3-level (83,000 square foot), Phoenix-based Goldwaters was launched on November 8, 1956.

A mall-wide dedication was held on April 1, 1957. Charter PARK CENTRAL tenants included Coffee Dan's Cafe, Expectation Shop maternity wear, Lawson's Jewelers, Andersen's Store For Men, Gallenkamp Shoes, Walgreen Drug, a Slenderella Figure Salon and 3-level (32,000 square foot) J.J. Newberry 5 & 10.

At the dedication, thirty-one stores were in operation. A ceremonial ribbon encircled the entire mall and was cut by Albert Behrstock. Attending the ceremony were A.J. and Ralph Burgbacher and several local dignitaries and department store officials. Phoenix Mayor Jack Williams arrived via helicopter. Music was provided by the North Phoenix High School Band.

A 3-level (89,000 square foot), Phoenix-based Diamond's opened for business on August 26, 1957. By this time, the mall housed thirty-five stores and services. When fully-leased, it would contain forty-two.

PARK CENTRAL was less than 3 years old when its first expansion got underway. Goldwaters was enlarged to 120,000 square feet. Diamond's built an addition and new fourth level and increased the size of their store to 165,000 square feet. A mall courtyard north of Diamond's was also filled with an (18,300 square foot) store block. When construction dust settled in 1960, the complex incorporated approximately 614,300 leasable square feet.

Major shopping hubs in the PARK CENTRAL trade area included MARYVALE SHOPPING CITY (1959) {5.3 miles west, in Phoenix}, TOWER PLAZA (1959) {4 miles southeast, in Phoenix}, CHRIS-TOWN CENTER (1961) {2.5 miles northwest, in Phoenix}, THOMAS MALL (1963) {5.1 miles southeast, in Phoenix} and EAST CAMELBACK MALL (1964) {2.3 miles northeast, in Phoenix}.

A second PARK CENTRAL expansion phase began on June 14, 1967. A 2-level parking deck was built, along with a 2-level (220,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store, designed by Al Beadle, opened for business on August 14, 1968. The newly-enlarged mall now encompassed approximately 835,300 leasable square feet.

During the next two decades, mega-sized shopping centers were built on the outskirts of the rapidly expanding Valley of the Sun metropolis. These included METROCENTER (1973) {6.4 miles northwest, in Phoenix}, PARADISE VALLEY MALL (1979) {9.6 miles northeast, in Phoenix} and DESERT SKY MALL (1981) {8.3 miles west, also in Phoenix}.

PARK CENTRAL CENTER, still an open-air venue, could not effectively compete with these trendy new air-conditioned shopping centers. The Dallas-based Lehndorff Group, who established 100 % ownership of the complex in March 1984, initiated a "keeping up" type renovation in August.

As part of the 10 million dollar project, new flooring, landscaping and seating were installed. The main entrance area between Walgreen Drug and Goldwaters was reconfigured. The Picnic In the Park Food Court was created and twelve new stores signed. Lastly, the name of the complex was changed to PARK CENTRAL MALL. A grand re-opening started on October 9, 1985.

Diamond's was rebranded by Dillard's in September 1986 and was eventually demoted to a Dillard's Clearance Center. Goldwaters became a Los Angeles-based J.W. Robinson's on February 26, 1989 and closed in August 1990. J.C. Penney had gone dark in the previous July. The Dillard's Clearance Center, which became the mall's final operational anchor store, pulled the proverbial plug on August 26, 1995.

Meanwhile, the vacant J.C. Penney building had been retenanted, as a Samaritan Health Partners call center, in 1994. This action pointed out a new direction for the failing shopping center; that of a mixed-use office, retail and restaurant facility.

A joint venture of Phoenix's Pensus Group and Jerry Moyes purchased the partially vacant complex in May 1996. Work commenced on a redevelopment and repositioning in mid-1997. The mall's exterior was refurbished using Post Modern design elements. Department store structures were opened up with windows. The project was completed in August 1999. The official name of the office mall was shortened to simply PARK CENTRAL.

New tenants included Catholic Healthcare West, Fusilli's, The Good Egg, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Jamba Juice and Starbuck's Coffee. There were also holdovers from the retail mall, such as Otto Schmeider's Jewelers (a tenant since 1965) and Green Woodpecker Gifts (in the mall since 1974). The complex was sold to Phoenix-based Mall SPE, Limited Liability Company in November of the year 2000.

PARK CENTRAL was adjacent to the initial segment of Phoenix's 19.7-route-mile Valley Metro starter line. The new light railway began revenue service on December 27, 2008.

In September 2017, PARK CENTRAL was sold again. Its new owner was a joint venture of Tucson's Holualoa Companies and Plaza Companies, based in Peoria, Illinois. A 57 million dollar revitalization was soon underway. The J.C. Penney and Diamond's buildings were not included in the sale. This left 337,000 square feet to be reconfigured, remodeled and retenanted. The two mall concourses were rebuilt, with several open-air alcoves created. New landscaping, and an "interactive water feature", were installed.

There were four office mall focal points; The Yard (a pastoral court), The Hub (which included a small amphitheater), The Porch (an al fresco luncheon terrace) and The Link (a promenade joining the complex with the adjacent light rail station). Upper Level office and studio space was renamed The Lofts.

A campus for Creighton University, and a multi-unit apartment building, were built in the periphery of the office mall. A luxury hotel was also planned for the site. An official grand opening for the new and improved PARK CENTRAL was held on April 13, 2020.

Sources:

The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona)
Phoenix Business Journal
Maricopa County, Arizona tax assessor website
www.parkcentralphx.com
www.valleymetro.org
https://azbigmedia.com
https://www.azcentral.com
https://www.roguecolumnist.com
https://azbigmedia.com
https://parkcentralphoenix.com
Mitch Glaser's Park Central memories
"Park Central Mall" article on Wikipedia
Phoenix's Metrocenter


The Grand Canyon State's first mega mall was also the nation's first five-anchor shopping venue. In its original state, METROCENTER encompassed approximately 1,391,000 leasable square feet and housed over 100 stores and services. Its vast parking area accommodated 7,000 autos at one time. 
Photo from Phoenix Public Library Collection / Petley Studios, Incorporated 


A second METROCENTER aerial view focuses on the mall's south end. A Tacoma-based Rhodes store is seen on the left, with a Los Angeles-based The Broadway store on the right.
Photo from Cards Unlimited, Incorporated / Dick Kent


Diamond's was one of the first operational METROCENTER anchor stores. The 187,000 square foot unit was the fourth branch of the Phoenix-based chain. It opened for business in October 1973.
Drawing from the Dayton Hudson Corporation

A rendering of the aforementioned The Broadway store. This high-end '70s Brutalist structure was identical to Broadway locations at PARK MALL {Tuscon}, CARSON MALL {Carson, CA}, PUENTE HILLS MALL {City of Industry, CA} and FASHION PLACE MALL {Murray, UT}.
Drawing from Broadway-Hale Stores


The fourth branch of Phoenix's Goldwaters chain was also the fourth anchor to open at METROCENTER. The store, which stood on the northeast corner of the complex, was dedicated on the same day as the mall's Broadway branch.
Drawing from the Associated Dry Goods Corporation


In  this very '70s interior view, we see the Goldwaters mall entrance. The store, which encompassed 106,000 square feet, included a Goldwaters Beauty Salon.
Photo from Westcor, Incorporated 

A 1970s exterior view shows one of the five color-coded mall entrances. This is, obviously, the "Red Entrance" which provides access to the center section of the complex. Off in the distance is the Diamond's anchor store.
Photo from Westcor, Incorporated


Apparently, METROCENTER did not have any type of formal, mall-wide Grand Opening celebration. Stores commenced operation between October 1973 and December 1974. In lieu of an official dedication, a "Salute To Arizona" fair had been held in April 1974. Sears and forty-nine inline stores were launched. With their completion, the mall housed a total of 115.


The Ice Capades Chalet, an indoor skating rink, also opened during the METROCENTER "Salute to Arizona" fair. By the early 1980s, the facility had been renamed as the Ice Palace. It was operated in conjunction with a similar skating rink at Phoenix's TOWER PLAZA MALL.
Graphics from Westcor, Incorporated 


The Ice Palace at METROCENTER closed in March 1990. It was replaced by Metro Midway & Discovery Center, an elaborate video game arcade and interactive entertainment venue. The Metroport, an aviation-themed food court and cocktail lounge, was situated on a floor above the new Metro Midway. It was expanded with new restaurants and renamed as the Food Fest.
Graphic from Westcor, Incorporated


A floor-to-ceiling face lift was underway by March 1990. Metro Midway and Food Fest were added, along with new flooring, skylights, landscaping, fountains and Southwestern decor. The project wrapped up in November 1993. The mall now featured a Dillard's "double header" (established in 1988). Moreover, Goldwaters sported a Robinsons-May nameplate. For the record, there were 188 stores and services under the METROCENTER roof.

METROCENTER TENANTS 1993:

DILLARD'S Metrocenter East (with Gazebo Restaurant, Optical Department, Photo Studio and Beauty Salon) / DILLARD'S Metrocenter West (with Southwest Shop, Phoenix Cardinal's Team Shop and Dillard's Box Office) / BROADWAY SOUTHWEST (with Chafing Dish restaurant and freestanding Goodyear-Broadway Tire Center) / ROBINSONS-MAY (with Fur Salon) / SEARS (with Coffee House, Garden Center and freestanding Auto Center) / Altered States / B. Dalton Bookseller / Babahatchie Beads / Babages / Bakers Shoes / Bank of America / Beauty Boutique International / Brockman's Leather / Buffalo Wings 'N Things / Burger King / Butterfield's / Call Jewelers / Camelot Music / Captron World of Nintendo / Carimar / Carl's Junior hamburgers / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Champs Sports / Charlotte Russe ladies' wear / Chess King men's wear / Chick-Fil-A / Cinnebon / City Styles hair salon / Claire's Boutique ladies' wear / Contempo Casuals ladies' wear / Cooper's Western & Casual Wear / Copper Rivet jeans / County Seat men's wear / CPI Photo Finish / Custom License Plates, Incorporated / Custom Service Center / Dairy Queen / Daniel's Jewelers / Dee's Dancewear / Delaiz / Desert Pendelton / Dolls 'N Bearland / Easy Spirit / Eskil Berkenstock / Eternal Bookworks / Express / Expressions / Expressly Portraits / Eyemasters / Fashion Direction / Fast 1 Hour Foto / Fitting Image / Florsheim Shoes / Folkcraft / Foot Locker / Fowl Around-Chou Mongolian Barbeque-Sweet Treats / Frame Up / Fredericks of Hollywood / Fry Bread, Etcetera / Gamekeeper / GNC / Gingiss Formal Wear / Gloria Jean's Coffee Bean / Godber's Gifts / Going to the Game / Gold Art Creations / Gold Branch / Great Wraps Plus / Guess? / Gymboree / Hat Club / Head Shots / Helzberg Diamonds / Hi-Health Supermart / Hickory Farms / Hot Dog on a Stick / Hot Sam Pretzels / Hot Topic / Imaginarium / It's A Small World / J. Riggings men's wear / J.W. / Jade Express / Jarman Shoes / Jay Jacobs / Joan Bari / Journey Shoes / K-G Men's Store / Kay-Bee Toys / Kay Jewelers / Kid's Foot Locker / Kinney Shoes / Kits Camera / Knife Shop / Lady Foot Locker / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Laser Copy / Lechter's housewares / Lee Optical / Lenscrafters / Leonard's Luggage & Leather Goods / Lerner New York ladies' wear / Life Uniform / Linens Plus / Little Folks / Luby's Cafeteria / Magelby's Muffins / McDonald's hamburgers / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Merry Go Round ladies' wear / Metro Cinema 3 / Metro Jewelers / Metro Midway & Discovery Center / Metro Watch Center / Miller's Outpost / Miracle Ear / Motherhood Maternity / Mr. Bulky Treats & Gifts / Mrs. Field's Cookies / Mrs. Powell's Cinnamon Rolls / Natural Wonders / Naturalizer Shoes / New Home Concepts / Nordic Track / Oak Tree / 1 Potato 2 / Orange Julius II / Oshman's Sporting Goods / Pacific Sunwear / Paradise Bakery / PayLess ShoeSource / Petite Sophistocate / Philadelphia Hoagie / Phoenix Suns Team Shop / Pizza D'Amore / PJ's / Pop 'N Hot / Potions & Lotions / Pretzel Time / Radio Shack / Rave / Red Eye / Reiterman's Old-Time Photo / Sam Goody music / San Francisco Music Box Company / Sandman / Schroeder's Organ & Piano / Seasons Card & Gift / See's Candies / Select Comfort / Shear Performance / Shoefix / Size 5-7-9 Shops ladies' wear / Spencer Gifts / Stag Tobacconist / Steak Your Claim restaurant / Structure / Stuarts ladies' wear / Subway / Suncoast Motion Pictures / Sunflower Florists / Sungear / Sunglass Company / Sweet Factory / Switzer's ladies' wear / T-Shirt Peddler / T-Shirts Plus / Taquitos Real / The Gap / The Limited ladies' wear / The Wild Pair shoes / Things Remembered / This End Up / Thom McAn Shoes / Travelworks / US Post Office / Van's California Daze / Victoria's Secret / Video Concepts / Waldenbooks / Walgreen Drug / Weisfeld's Jewelers / Wicks 'N Sticks / Wild Life Safari / Pet Pad / Yogurt Life / Zales Jewelers