Thursday, March 20, 2008
In our next MALL HALL OF FAME Cavalcade, we will explore the five largest shopping mall developer / owner corporations operating in the United States. These will be listed in order of the GLA (gross leasable area) owned, with only those properties within the fifty states included in calculating the total mall area of each entity.
In order to better understand our MALLMAKERS, we need to -first- familiarize ourselves with the single most important piece of jargon within the realm of retail real estate...that of the Real Estate Investment Trust / REIT [pronounced "ree-it"].
First established by an act of Congress in 1960 (with ammendments in 1986), the Real Estate Investment Trust -in a nutshell- is a tax shelter. Under the provisions of an REIT, corporate income taxes are reduced, or eliminated entirely.
There are qualifications that companies must adhere to to enjoy this tax break, including the following;
The corporate entity must...
* Be managed as a corporation, trust or association.
* Be jointly owned by at least one hundred individuals.
* Maintain at least seventy-five percent of its assets as real estate investments.
* Distribute at least ninety percent of its profits to stockholders as dividends.
However, the corporate entity must not...
* Be a financial institution or insurance company.
Of course, one could go on ad infinitum about various aspects of an REIT. Hopefully, the description above will suffice.
All of the featured MALLMAKERS had humble beginnings in the mid-20th century. Moreover, each one grew exponentially and eventually became the mega-conglomerate that we know today.
With that said...we now go on to the first REIT on our list; America's largest MALLMAKER...
In order to better understand our MALLMAKERS, we need to -first- familiarize ourselves with the single most important piece of jargon within the realm of retail real estate...that of the Real Estate Investment Trust / REIT [pronounced "ree-it"].
First established by an act of Congress in 1960 (with ammendments in 1986), the Real Estate Investment Trust -in a nutshell- is a tax shelter. Under the provisions of an REIT, corporate income taxes are reduced, or eliminated entirely.
There are qualifications that companies must adhere to to enjoy this tax break, including the following;
The corporate entity must...
* Be managed as a corporation, trust or association.
* Be jointly owned by at least one hundred individuals.
* Maintain at least seventy-five percent of its assets as real estate investments.
* Distribute at least ninety percent of its profits to stockholders as dividends.
However, the corporate entity must not...
* Be a financial institution or insurance company.
Of course, one could go on ad infinitum about various aspects of an REIT. Hopefully, the description above will suffice.
All of the featured MALLMAKERS had humble beginnings in the mid-20th century. Moreover, each one grew exponentially and eventually became the mega-conglomerate that we know today.
With that said...we now go on to the first REIT on our list; America's largest MALLMAKER...
MALLMAKER NUMBER ONE:
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP
America's largest shopping MALLMAKER was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1960. The company, known at the time as Melvin Simon and Associates, started out, as did most of our MALLMAKERS, developing small, strip-type shopping centers.
The first fully-owned Simon complex, SOUTHGATE PLAZA, opened in Bloomington, Indiana in 1960. Forming a joint venture with Chicago-based retailer Montgomery Ward, Simon built their first department store-anchored venue in Fort Collins, Colorado. UNIVERSITY CENTER was completed in 1964.
Simon chose its homebase, the "Hoosier State", as the location for its first shopping mall. Anderson's MOUNDS MALL, anchored by Ward's and Indy-based H.P. Wasson, was completed in January 1965.
The company became known by its present name in 1993. Following its merger with the Youngstown, Ohio-based DeBartolo Realty Group in 1996, the corporation became the Simon DeBartolo Group. This was used until 1998, when the official title reverted back to the Simon Property Group heading.
Sources:
www.simon.com
"Simon Property Group" article on Wikipedia
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP
America's largest shopping MALLMAKER was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1960. The company, known at the time as Melvin Simon and Associates, started out, as did most of our MALLMAKERS, developing small, strip-type shopping centers.
The first fully-owned Simon complex, SOUTHGATE PLAZA, opened in Bloomington, Indiana in 1960. Forming a joint venture with Chicago-based retailer Montgomery Ward, Simon built their first department store-anchored venue in Fort Collins, Colorado. UNIVERSITY CENTER was completed in 1964.
Simon chose its homebase, the "Hoosier State", as the location for its first shopping mall. Anderson's MOUNDS MALL, anchored by Ward's and Indy-based H.P. Wasson, was completed in January 1965.
The company became known by its present name in 1993. Following its merger with the Youngstown, Ohio-based DeBartolo Realty Group in 1996, the corporation became the Simon DeBartolo Group. This was used until 1998, when the official title reverted back to the Simon Property Group heading.
Sources:
www.simon.com
"Simon Property Group" article on Wikipedia
Copyright Simon Property Group /
See Non-free Fair Use Media Rationale
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1960
Founded By: Melvin Simon, Herbert Simon, Fred Simon
City of Origination: Indianapolis, Indiana
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana
Operations In: United States / Puerto Rico, Mexico, France, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Japan
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
*Kravco Company, 1993
*DeBartolo Realty Group, 1996
*Retail Property Trust, 1997
*Corporate Property Investors, 1998
*Chelsea Property Group, 2004
*Retail Property Trust, 1997
*Corporate Property Investors, 1998
*Chelsea Property Group, 2004
*The Mills Corporation
(joint venture with San Francisco-based Farallon Capital Management, LLC), 2007
Real Estate Portfolio:
Two hundred and five regional malls in United States
Gross Leasable Area: Two hundred and forty-two million square feet in United States
Featured Properties:
* Northgate Mall , Seattle, Washington
[August 2008 Archive]
* Southdale Center, Edina, Minnesota
* Southdale Center, Edina, Minnesota
[May 2008 Archive]
* The Galleria, Houston, Texas (joint venture)
* The Galleria, Houston, Texas (joint venture)
[June 2007 Archive]
* Lenox Square, Atlanta, Georgia
* Lenox Square, Atlanta, Georgia
[April 2008 Archive]
The founder of today's Simon Property Group,
Melvin Simon.
Photo from Simon Youth Foundation
Simon's 15-floor corporate headquarters, on Indianapolis' Capitol
Commons, was completed in 2006.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Jason 82"
A present-day layout of MOUNDS MALL. The anchors have all changed
since opening day back in 1965. However, two charter businesses, the
MCL Cafeteria and Zales Jewelers, are still in operation in their original
spaces.
MOUNDS MALL
South Scatterfield and Mounds Roads
Anderson, Indiana
Melvin Simon and Associates' first mall was also the second enclosed shopping center in Indiana. MOUNDS MALL was constructed on a 32 acre tract, located 2.5 miles southeast of downtown Anderson.
The center opened for business in January 1965. It was originally anchored by a 1-level (85,100 square foot) Montgomery Ward and 1-level (66,700 square foot), Indianapolis-based H.P Wasson. A 2-level (118,300 square foot) J.C. Penney came inline in December 1968.
Charter tenants included the MCL Cafeteria, F.W. Woolworth, Hoyt, Wright and Company and Zales Jewelers. A combination Kroger and Super X Drug served as a junior anchor.
MOUNDS MALL had no major retail rival, as it was (and is) the only mall-type center in -or around- Anderson. Moreover, the malls nearest to it, MUNCIE MALL (1970) -in Muncie- and Indianapolis's CASTLETON SQUARE (1972), were also Simon-owned.
Anchor store rebrandings at the 407,400 square foot complex were many. H.P. Wasson morphed into an Anderson-based Weiler's and Terra Haute-based Meis. It became a Dayton-based Elder-Beerman in 1989.
The Montgomery Ward structure was taken by Sears in 2001. J.C. Penney closed in May 2002 and was demolished. The Mounds Mall 10 Theatre opened on its space in April 2004. The old Kroger / Super X eventually became an Elder-Beerman Home Store.
The mall was acquired by Coral Gables, Florida-based Bayview Financial Corporation in January 2003. They initiated a renovation soon after, which included new skylights, signage and an updated Food Court.
Sources:
"Mounds Mall" article on Wikipedia
www.moundsmallanderson.com
"Mounds Mall Still Courting Customers" / The Herald Bulliten / December 9, 2007 / Neal McNamara
South Scatterfield and Mounds Roads
Anderson, Indiana
Melvin Simon and Associates' first mall was also the second enclosed shopping center in Indiana. MOUNDS MALL was constructed on a 32 acre tract, located 2.5 miles southeast of downtown Anderson.
The center opened for business in January 1965. It was originally anchored by a 1-level (85,100 square foot) Montgomery Ward and 1-level (66,700 square foot), Indianapolis-based H.P Wasson. A 2-level (118,300 square foot) J.C. Penney came inline in December 1968.
Charter tenants included the MCL Cafeteria, F.W. Woolworth, Hoyt, Wright and Company and Zales Jewelers. A combination Kroger and Super X Drug served as a junior anchor.
MOUNDS MALL had no major retail rival, as it was (and is) the only mall-type center in -or around- Anderson. Moreover, the malls nearest to it, MUNCIE MALL (1970) -in Muncie- and Indianapolis's CASTLETON SQUARE (1972), were also Simon-owned.
Anchor store rebrandings at the 407,400 square foot complex were many. H.P. Wasson morphed into an Anderson-based Weiler's and Terra Haute-based Meis. It became a Dayton-based Elder-Beerman in 1989.
The Montgomery Ward structure was taken by Sears in 2001. J.C. Penney closed in May 2002 and was demolished. The Mounds Mall 10 Theatre opened on its space in April 2004. The old Kroger / Super X eventually became an Elder-Beerman Home Store.
The mall was acquired by Coral Gables, Florida-based Bayview Financial Corporation in January 2003. They initiated a renovation soon after, which included new skylights, signage and an updated Food Court.
Sources:
"Mounds Mall" article on Wikipedia
www.moundsmallanderson.com
"Mounds Mall Still Courting Customers" / The Herald Bulliten / December 9, 2007 / Neal McNamara
PREMIER PROPERTIES
The original, 1950 facade of The Bon Marche (now Macy's) at Seattle's
NORTHGATE CENTER (now NORTHGATE MALL). Simon bought
the complex in 1987. Originally an open-air structure, it was the first
shopping mall in the nation.
Simon acquired the historic SOUTHDALE CENTER, the first fully-
enclosed, regional mall in the nation, in April 2007. The complex, which
now encompasses 1.2 million leasable square feet, originally
opened in October 1956.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Geppy"
MALLMAKER NUMBER TWO:
GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES
Next in line, in the succession of America's MALLMAKERS, is today's General Growth Properties. Formed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1954, the General Management Corporation expanded its focus from the operation of a supermarket and built its first strip shopping center in Cedar Rapids. TOWN AND COUNTRY CENTER was completed in the same year that the company was created.
A move to Bettendorf, Iowa, in 1960, was undertaken so that General Management could effectively oversee the construction and leasing of its first shopping mall, DUCK CREEK PLAZA, which came came inline during 1960.
The corporation became General Growth Properties in 1970, but was liquidated in 1984. General Management, the management arm of the company, continued to oversee the operation of some of the corporation's shopping centers.
A new REIT, known as General Growth Properties, was formed in 1993. In 1995, the corporate offices moved from Des Moines to Chicago. With its acquisition of the Homart Development Corporation -also in 1995- GGP became the nation's largest shopping mall owner-operator.
However, one year later, the Simon Property Group's buyout of the DeBartolo Realty Group moved that REIT into the number one position.
GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES
Next in line, in the succession of America's MALLMAKERS, is today's General Growth Properties. Formed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1954, the General Management Corporation expanded its focus from the operation of a supermarket and built its first strip shopping center in Cedar Rapids. TOWN AND COUNTRY CENTER was completed in the same year that the company was created.
A move to Bettendorf, Iowa, in 1960, was undertaken so that General Management could effectively oversee the construction and leasing of its first shopping mall, DUCK CREEK PLAZA, which came came inline during 1960.
The corporation became General Growth Properties in 1970, but was liquidated in 1984. General Management, the management arm of the company, continued to oversee the operation of some of the corporation's shopping centers.
A new REIT, known as General Growth Properties, was formed in 1993. In 1995, the corporate offices moved from Des Moines to Chicago. With its acquisition of the Homart Development Corporation -also in 1995- GGP became the nation's largest shopping mall owner-operator.
However, one year later, the Simon Property Group's buyout of the DeBartolo Realty Group moved that REIT into the number one position.
News of GGP's financial woes began to circulate in late 2008. The problems were the result of the meltdown of the financial system, in general, and also due to GGP's overly-aggressive buy-outs of several smaller mall operating companies during the 1990s and 2000s.
A chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed on April 16, 2009 which could send massive repercussions throughout the entire shopping center industry.
Sources:
www.ggp.com
"General Growth Properties" article on Wikipedia
Copyright General Growth Properties /
See Non-free Fair Use Media Rationale
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1954
Founded By: Martin Bucksbaum, Matthew Bucksbaum
City of Origination: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
Operations In: United States / Joint ventures in Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Turkey
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
* CentreMark Properties (40 % interest / later sold to Westfield Group), 1989
* Homart Development Corporation, 1995
* US Prime Property, 1998
* JP Realty, 2002
* Victoria Ward, Limited, 2002
* The Rouse Company, 2004
Real Estate Portfolio:
Two hundred and twenty regional malls in United States
Gross Leasable Area: Two hundred million square feet
See Non-free Fair Use Media Rationale
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1954
Founded By: Martin Bucksbaum, Matthew Bucksbaum
City of Origination: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
Operations In: United States / Joint ventures in Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Turkey
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
* CentreMark Properties (40 % interest / later sold to Westfield Group), 1989
* Homart Development Corporation, 1995
* US Prime Property, 1998
* JP Realty, 2002
* Victoria Ward, Limited, 2002
* The Rouse Company, 2004
Real Estate Portfolio:
Two hundred and twenty regional malls in United States
Gross Leasable Area: Two hundred million square feet
in United States
Featured Properties:
* Mondawmin Mall, Baltimore, Maryland
Featured Properties:
* Mondawmin Mall, Baltimore, Maryland
[June 2009 Archive]
* Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
* Ala Moana Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
[April 2009 Archive]
* Oakwood Center, Gretna, Louisiana
* Oakwood Center, Gretna, Louisiana
[September 2007 Archive]
* North Star Mall, San Antonio, Texas
* North Star Mall, San Antonio, Texas
[June 2009 Archive]
The Bucksbaum Brothers, Martin and Matthew, formed the General
Management Corporation (parent company of GGP) in 1954.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
Opening day festivities at General Management's first strip plaza,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa's TOWN AND COUNTRY SHOPPING CENTER.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
110 North Wacker Drive, in the Chicago Loop. GGP made it its new
corporate headquarters in 1998.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
Bettendorf''s Duck Creek Plaza
A physical layout of General Management's first mall-type center.
Starting out -in 1960- as an open-air complex, the structure was
expanded, with an enclosed wing, in the 1970s...and was completely
roofed-in by the mid-1980s.
A physical layout of General Management's first mall-type center.
Starting out -in 1960- as an open-air complex, the structure was
expanded, with an enclosed wing, in the 1970s...and was completely
roofed-in by the mid-1980s.
Two views of Bettendorf's DUCK CREEK PLAZA power
center, which replaced the former enclosed mall in 2003.
Photos from Ruhl and Ruhl Commercial Company website
DUCK CREEK PLAZA
Middle and East Kimberly Roads
Bettendorf, Iowa
General Management Corporation's first shopping mall was an open-air complex. Known as DUCK CREEK PLAZA, it occupied a 24 acre plot, 1.4 miles northwest of the Central Business District of the "Quad City" of Bettendorf.
The single-level center was completed during 1960. A 1-level (60,000 square foot), Des Moines-based Younkers ["yunk-erz"] was its original anchor. Inline stores included Bishop's Buffet, Walgreen Drug and an Eagle's supermarket.
DUCK CREEK PLAZA became freeway-friendly with the completion of the Spruce Hills Drive / US 6-to-Kimberly Drive stretch of Interstate 74, which opened to traffic on September 2, 1971.
In 1972, a Davenport-based Petersen Harned Von Maur (fashioned out of several smaller stores within the mall) opened. It was also around this time that a fully-enclosed addition was built on the back side of the complex. This new wing included the Duck Creek Plaza Twin Cinema, Aladdin's Castle, and (multi-story) Bettendorf Bank and Trust.
For 13 years, DUCK CREEK PLAZA had been the only shopping mall in the Quad Cities region. This changed with the completion of NORTHPARK MALL (in Davenport) in 1973 and SOUTHPARK MALL (in Moline) in 1974.
In the early 1980s, the original, open-air part of DUCK CREEK PLAZA was enclosed. Also, its Eagle's supermarket closed and was replaced by a Framingham, Massachusetts-based Marshalls.
However, by the mid-1990s, the shopping center was in decline. Petersen Harned Von Maur (whose name had been shortened to simply Von Maur in 1989) was shuttered in 1999. This was followed by the closing of Younkers in January 2001.
Long since sold off by the corporation that developed it, DUCK CREEK PLAZA had been bought -for payment of its delinquent back taxes- in 1998.
In November 2001, its new owners, a joint venture of Chicago-based Dalan Development Corporation and the Daly Group Limited Liability Company -along with Davenport-based Ruhl and Ruhl Commercial Company- announced plans to demall the forty-one year-old shopping center.
Demolition commenced in March 2003. The cinema building, bank and an outparcel structure were left standing. Home Depot, the first store in a new -300,000 square foot- DUCK CREEK PLAZA power center, opened in December of the same year.
Tenants from the old mall, such as Walgreen Drug and Marshalls, were also relocated to the new complex. A 63,000 square foot Schnucks Marketplace joined the retail roster on May 24, 2005.
Sources:
Comment post by Blaine
ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
www.dot.state.ia.us
Cinema Tour
"Younkers" article on Wikipedia
www.thedalygroup.com
www.ruhlcommercial.com
Middle and East Kimberly Roads
Bettendorf, Iowa
General Management Corporation's first shopping mall was an open-air complex. Known as DUCK CREEK PLAZA, it occupied a 24 acre plot, 1.4 miles northwest of the Central Business District of the "Quad City" of Bettendorf.
The single-level center was completed during 1960. A 1-level (60,000 square foot), Des Moines-based Younkers ["yunk-erz"] was its original anchor. Inline stores included Bishop's Buffet, Walgreen Drug and an Eagle's supermarket.
DUCK CREEK PLAZA became freeway-friendly with the completion of the Spruce Hills Drive / US 6-to-Kimberly Drive stretch of Interstate 74, which opened to traffic on September 2, 1971.
In 1972, a Davenport-based Petersen Harned Von Maur (fashioned out of several smaller stores within the mall) opened. It was also around this time that a fully-enclosed addition was built on the back side of the complex. This new wing included the Duck Creek Plaza Twin Cinema, Aladdin's Castle, and (multi-story) Bettendorf Bank and Trust.
For 13 years, DUCK CREEK PLAZA had been the only shopping mall in the Quad Cities region. This changed with the completion of NORTHPARK MALL (in Davenport) in 1973 and SOUTHPARK MALL (in Moline) in 1974.
In the early 1980s, the original, open-air part of DUCK CREEK PLAZA was enclosed. Also, its Eagle's supermarket closed and was replaced by a Framingham, Massachusetts-based Marshalls.
However, by the mid-1990s, the shopping center was in decline. Petersen Harned Von Maur (whose name had been shortened to simply Von Maur in 1989) was shuttered in 1999. This was followed by the closing of Younkers in January 2001.
Long since sold off by the corporation that developed it, DUCK CREEK PLAZA had been bought -for payment of its delinquent back taxes- in 1998.
In November 2001, its new owners, a joint venture of Chicago-based Dalan Development Corporation and the Daly Group Limited Liability Company -along with Davenport-based Ruhl and Ruhl Commercial Company- announced plans to demall the forty-one year-old shopping center.
Demolition commenced in March 2003. The cinema building, bank and an outparcel structure were left standing. Home Depot, the first store in a new -300,000 square foot- DUCK CREEK PLAZA power center, opened in December of the same year.
Tenants from the old mall, such as Walgreen Drug and Marshalls, were also relocated to the new complex. A 63,000 square foot Schnucks Marketplace joined the retail roster on May 24, 2005.
Sources:
Comment post by Blaine
ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
www.dot.state.ia.us
Cinema Tour
"Younkers" article on Wikipedia
www.thedalygroup.com
www.ruhlcommercial.com
MAJOR MALLS
GGP acquired Wisconsin's 1,110,000 square foot MAYFAIR MALL
in 1998.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
GGP acquired Wisconsin's 1,110,000 square foot MAYFAIR MALL
in 1998.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
Hawaii's ALA MOANA CENTER, spanning 2,070,000 square feet, is
GGP's largest mall, as well as the largest open-air shopping center in the
world.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
MALLMAKER NUMBER THREE:
CBL AND ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES
Originating as an operator of motion picture theaters in the Chattanooga area, Independent Enterprises was formed in 1961. The company used the site of one of its drive-ins for the location of EASTGATE CENTER, its first shopping mall, which opened (in East Ridge, Tennessee) in 1962.
Independent Enterprises merged with the Arlen Realty and Development Corporation in 1970. Eight years later, CBL and Associates Properties was formed.
Sources:
http://www.cblproperties.com/
"CBL and Associates Properties" article on Wikipedia
"CBL and Associates Properties" article on Wikipedia
Copyright CBL and Associates Properties /
See Non-free Fair Use Media Rationale
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1961
Founded By: Moses Lebovitz, Charles Lebovitz, Jay Solomon
City of Origination: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Operations In: United States
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
*Arlen Realty, 1970
*The Jacobs Group, 2001
Property Portfolio:
Seventy-nine regional malls in United States
Gross Leasable Area: eighty-five million square feet
in United States
Featured Properties:
* Saint Clair Square, Fairview Heights, Illinois
[November 2007 Archive]
* Asheville Mall, Asheville, North Carolina
[November 2007 Archive]
* Westgate Mall, Spartanburg, South Carolina
[November 2007 Archive]
* Parkway Place Mall, Huntsville, Alabama
[April 2007 Archive]
CBL Center, the company's corporate headquarters,
was completed in 2002.
Photo from CBL and Associates Properties website
Chattanooga's Eastgate Center
*
The Scenic City's first shopping mall...also the first to be developed
by Independent Enterprises, the parent company of today's CBL and
Associates Properties. Here we see the north facade of the original
complex, which opened in 1962.
The open-air EASTGATE in 1966, with a new addition indicated in light
gray. The venue now encompassed 650,000 square feet. It was
adjacent to the newly-completed Interstate 24 expressway.
The southwest corner, following the mid-'60s expansion. Loveman's
(seen here) was added, along with J.C. Penney and a single-screen
cinema.
EASTGATE's original Cinema. I saw the first runs of several films here.
There was "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii"
(in 1973), "Star Wars" (in 1977) and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
(in 1979). Back in the anything goes 1970s, people would smoke weed
while watching movies here. Nobody batted an eye back then...
An circa-1997 aerial of the mall, just before its renovation into the
EASTGATE TOWN CENTER. The store originally occupied by
Loveman's is seen in the lower left corner.
Photo from Dover, Kohn and Partners website
Outpositioned to the status of a dead mall by the mid-90s, EASTGATE
was reconfigured as a mixed-use complex in 1997-98, taking on the
name EASTGATE TOWN CENTER. Most of its retail area was converted
to offices, with a new Food Court, and smattering of inline stores, in the
new marketing mix.
The TOWN CENTER's east-facing facade. Foot Locker was a Record
Bar in the 1970s center.
Photo from Robbins Properties website
Knoxville-based Goody's Family Clothing built a new store on the
northwest corner of EASTGATE TOWN CENTER. The location
was shuttered -along with the entire chain- in early 2009.
Photo from Robbins Properties website
A view of the main mallway in the renovated EASTGATE.
Photo from Robbins Properties website
A second interior view of the present-day complex.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Jason Trew"
EASTGATE CENTER
Brainerd Road East and Eastgate Loop
East Ridge, Tennessee
Independent Enterprises built their first shopping mall on a 65 acre parcel, in suburban East Ridge, 5 miles southeast of Chattanooga's city center.
The first phase of EASTGATE CENTER was completed in late 1962 and included a Chattanooga-based Miller Brothers department store, G.C. Murphy 5 and 10 and supermarket.
A second construction phase, completed in 1965, added a Loveman's of Tennessee, J.C. Penney, and single-screen cinema. With this expansion, EASTGATE encompassed 650,000 leasable square feet, and -for a time- was Tennessee's largest shopping center.
The opening of NORTHGATE MALL [February 2008 Archive] -in March 1972- provided direct competition to EASTGATE. To keep up with the newer center, the older venue was enclosed and climate-controlled and renamed EASTGATE MALL. Its cinema was also expanded; at first, to two screens, and then to three.
The two Chattanooga area malls -built 9 miles apart- successfully coexisted through the 1970s. However, the 1980s and 1990s were years of upheaval for EASTGATE. Proffitt's, of Alcoa, Tennessee, bought the Loveman's chain in 1986, and the Miller Brothers/Miller's chain in 1992.
By the mid-1990s, EASTGATE MALL was in trouble. The occupancy rate hovered at around 27%, its anchor stores were gone and a glitzy, new, superregional mall had been built only 4 miles away.
HAMILTON PLACE MALL (developed by CBL and Associates Properties) opened in August 1987. It featured 1,145,000 leasable square feet with one hundred and sixty inline stores. The older and substantially smaller EASTGATE could not compete, and quickly declined into a dead mall.
A bold plan was put forth in 1997. The virtually abandoned "greyfield" shopping center was reconceived as a mixed-use, office and retail town center.
30 million dollars was invested in a renovation, which entailed reconfiguring interior retail spaces into offices and remodeling the exteriors of the old J.C. Penney and Miller Brothers stores with brick and mortar,"small town Main Street", facades.
Other changes were made to EASTGATE, such as refitting the old cinema into a YMCA and installing a new Food Court. However, a more radical plan to cut a street though the center of the mall was not carried out.
The new EASTGATE TOWN CENTER was dedicated in 1998. The Miller's store had become an AT & T/Convergys call center. The Penney's housed offices for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee.
There was also a branch of Chattanooga State Technical Community College, a senior citizen recreation center and retail stores in the newly-configured, 848,300 square foot complex. These included Goody's Family Clothing, Waldenbooks, Foot Locker, Afterthoughts and Metabolife.
The high vacancy rate of the old-style mall had been reversed, and the newly-configured center did receive accolades and lots of press coverage. However, the impetus to do further changes, and make it less of an obsolete 1960s mall, and more of a suburban downtown, died out. Whatever the case, the once dead mall enjoyed some degree of success in its TOWN CENTER incarnation.
In June 2005, the complex was acquired by California-based Cal X Properties, who operate the center under the Eastgate Town Center, Limited Liability Company. Leasing is handled by Nashville-based Robbins Properties.
Sources:
"Eastgate" article on Wilipedia
"Loveman's" article on Wikipedia
"Proffitt's" article on Wikipedia
HSV Movies.com / Historical Information: Chattanooga, TN
"Living On Earth" website
http://www.transwestern.net/
www.robbins-properties.com
Brainerd Road East and Eastgate Loop
East Ridge, Tennessee
Independent Enterprises built their first shopping mall on a 65 acre parcel, in suburban East Ridge, 5 miles southeast of Chattanooga's city center.
The first phase of EASTGATE CENTER was completed in late 1962 and included a Chattanooga-based Miller Brothers department store, G.C. Murphy 5 and 10 and supermarket.
A second construction phase, completed in 1965, added a Loveman's of Tennessee, J.C. Penney, and single-screen cinema. With this expansion, EASTGATE encompassed 650,000 leasable square feet, and -for a time- was Tennessee's largest shopping center.
The opening of NORTHGATE MALL [February 2008 Archive] -in March 1972- provided direct competition to EASTGATE. To keep up with the newer center, the older venue was enclosed and climate-controlled and renamed EASTGATE MALL. Its cinema was also expanded; at first, to two screens, and then to three.
The two Chattanooga area malls -built 9 miles apart- successfully coexisted through the 1970s. However, the 1980s and 1990s were years of upheaval for EASTGATE. Proffitt's, of Alcoa, Tennessee, bought the Loveman's chain in 1986, and the Miller Brothers/Miller's chain in 1992.
By the mid-1990s, EASTGATE MALL was in trouble. The occupancy rate hovered at around 27%, its anchor stores were gone and a glitzy, new, superregional mall had been built only 4 miles away.
HAMILTON PLACE MALL (developed by CBL and Associates Properties) opened in August 1987. It featured 1,145,000 leasable square feet with one hundred and sixty inline stores. The older and substantially smaller EASTGATE could not compete, and quickly declined into a dead mall.
A bold plan was put forth in 1997. The virtually abandoned "greyfield" shopping center was reconceived as a mixed-use, office and retail town center.
30 million dollars was invested in a renovation, which entailed reconfiguring interior retail spaces into offices and remodeling the exteriors of the old J.C. Penney and Miller Brothers stores with brick and mortar,"small town Main Street", facades.
Other changes were made to EASTGATE, such as refitting the old cinema into a YMCA and installing a new Food Court. However, a more radical plan to cut a street though the center of the mall was not carried out.
The new EASTGATE TOWN CENTER was dedicated in 1998. The Miller's store had become an AT & T/Convergys call center. The Penney's housed offices for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Tennessee.
There was also a branch of Chattanooga State Technical Community College, a senior citizen recreation center and retail stores in the newly-configured, 848,300 square foot complex. These included Goody's Family Clothing, Waldenbooks, Foot Locker, Afterthoughts and Metabolife.
The high vacancy rate of the old-style mall had been reversed, and the newly-configured center did receive accolades and lots of press coverage. However, the impetus to do further changes, and make it less of an obsolete 1960s mall, and more of a suburban downtown, died out. Whatever the case, the once dead mall enjoyed some degree of success in its TOWN CENTER incarnation.
In June 2005, the complex was acquired by California-based Cal X Properties, who operate the center under the Eastgate Town Center, Limited Liability Company. Leasing is handled by Nashville-based Robbins Properties.
Sources:
"Eastgate" article on Wilipedia
"Loveman's" article on Wikipedia
"Proffitt's" article on Wikipedia
HSV Movies.com / Historical Information: Chattanooga, TN
"Living On Earth" website
http://www.transwestern.net/
www.robbins-properties.com
PRIME PROPERTIES
Nashville's COOLSPRINGS GALLERIA was developed by
CBL and Associates. The 1,125,900 square foot mall was
completed in 1991.
Photo from CBL and Associates Properties Portfolio
Nashville's COOLSPRINGS GALLERIA was developed by
CBL and Associates. The 1,125,900 square foot mall was
completed in 1991.
Photo from CBL and Associates Properties Portfolio
MALLMAKER NUMBER FOUR:
MACERICH COMPANY
Currently the nation's fourth-largest MALLMAKER, the Macerich Company began business -as the MaceRich Real Estate Company- in New York City, in 1964.
The company's focus shifted from its initial emphasis on developing smaller, community-sized strip centers in September 1972. It was at this time that the previously-existing WHITE LAKES MALL (in Topeka, Kansas) was acquired, which was MaceRich's first regional-class shopping center.
The second regional mall acquired by the corporation was LAKEWOOD CENTER (1951) [February 2007 Archive], in Lakewood, California. Under the auspices of MaceRich, the struggling, past its prime, open-air complex was renovated, expanded and enclosed...becoming (for a time) one of the premier malls in Southern California. Following this successful turnaround, the company became known as the "Mall Doctor".
After the purchase of LAKEWOOD CENTER, in 1975, the home offices of Macerich (small "r" by then) were moved to Santa Monica, California.
Sources:
www.macerich.com
"Macerich Company" article on Wikipedia
MACERICH COMPANY
Currently the nation's fourth-largest MALLMAKER, the Macerich Company began business -as the MaceRich Real Estate Company- in New York City, in 1964.
The company's focus shifted from its initial emphasis on developing smaller, community-sized strip centers in September 1972. It was at this time that the previously-existing WHITE LAKES MALL (in Topeka, Kansas) was acquired, which was MaceRich's first regional-class shopping center.
The second regional mall acquired by the corporation was LAKEWOOD CENTER (1951) [February 2007 Archive], in Lakewood, California. Under the auspices of MaceRich, the struggling, past its prime, open-air complex was renovated, expanded and enclosed...becoming (for a time) one of the premier malls in Southern California. Following this successful turnaround, the company became known as the "Mall Doctor".
After the purchase of LAKEWOOD CENTER, in 1975, the home offices of Macerich (small "r" by then) were moved to Santa Monica, California.
Sources:
www.macerich.com
"Macerich Company" article on Wikipedia
Copyright Macerich Company /
See Non-free Fair Use Media Rationale
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1964
Founded By: Mace Siegel, Richard Cohen
City of Origination: New York, New York
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Santa Monica, California
Operations In: United States
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
*Westcor Partners, 2002
*Wilmorite Properties, 2004
Real Estate Portfolio:
Fifty-nine regional malls in United States
Gross Leasable Area: Seventy-six million square feet
in United States
Featured Properties:
*Lakewood Center, Lakewood, California
[February 2007 Archive]
*Scottsdale Fashion Square, Scottsdale, Arizona
[October 2007 Archive]
*Tysons Corner Center, McLean, Virginia
[November 2007 Archive]
* Metrocenter Mall, Phoenix, Arizona
[August 2007 Archive]
The man who put the Mace in
Macerich...Mace Siegel. He and
Richard Cohen founded the company
in 1964.
Photo from Toconline.com
A circa-'64 site plan. The footprint of the present-day
mall is virtually unchanged. There were two very minor
additions over the years; one at the southwest entrance
and another onto the southwest corner of the old Fal-
ley's Market
The Fox White Lakes, an outparcel located across Southwest Croix
Street from the mall proper.
Photo from Shawnee County, Kansas tax assessor website
The southwest mall entrance. The upper level of the old J.C. Penney
is seen in the background. The entire mall is presently for sale. If you
have always wanted to own a mid-century mall, here is your chance!
Check it out at http://www.1031nnn.com/.
Photo from Shawnee County, Kansas tax assessor website
Originally a Sears, this store was leased by Kansas City, Missouri-
based Sutherlands Lumber between 1992 and 2002. Presently,
it is occupied by a printing company.
Photo from Triple Net Properties website
WHITE LAKES MALL
Southwest Topeka Boulevard and Southwest 37th Street
Topeka, Kansas
The first shopping mall in the Sunflower State's capital was constructed 4 miles south of the center city, on a site previously occupied by the White Lakes Country Club. Named after its primary owner, J.M. White, the property included 3 small lakes...hence the name WHITE LAKES MALL.
The 440,789 square foot, fully-enclosed shopping venue was developed by Keith Meyers and completed in 1964. It was anchored by an 85,000 square foot Sears -with attached Auto Center- and 52,300 square foot J.C. Penney.
The original complex also included a Walgreen Drug, Hat Box, Falley's Market grocery, Command Performance Beauty Salon, Town and Country Restaurant and Toy and Hobby Mart. The Fox White Lakes Cinema, located north of the mall proper on Southwest Croix Street, was dedicated in 1967.
Although appearing to be a rather unimportant, '60s-era shopping center in this day and age, WHITE LAKES MALL was, in fact, something of a pivotal property in the retail scheme of things.
In September 1972, the eight year-old center was acquired by the MaceRich Real Estate Company, then primarily involved in developing smaller, community-type, strip shopping centers.
With their acquisition of WHITE LAKES MALL, MaceRich advanced into the realm of managing regional shopping malls. Under their ownership, the shopping center prospered...that is, until something new, bigger and better came along. This occurred in 1988, with the completion of WEST RIDGE MALL.
Soon, the two anchors stores at WHITE LAKES MALL had moved to larger quarters in WEST RIDGE. The Sears at WHITE LAKES sat vacant until being leased to Kansas City, Missouri-based Sutherlands Lumber. This location opened in 1992 and closed in 2002.
The mall had changed hands during 1993. Macerich sold the property to Lawrence, Kansas-based Main Street Investors who -in turn- sold to Santa Ana, California-based Triple Net Properties, in March 2000.
By this time, WHITE LAKES CENTER, as it was being referred to, had become primarily an office complex, with a smattering of retail stores and services.
Presently, its roster of tenants includes Walgreen Drug (a charter tenant), Electronic Data Systems, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Kansas Children's Services League, the State of Kansas, Mainline Printing (who leased the old Sears/Sutherlands building in 2005), a day care center, fitness center, beauty salon and several eateries.
Sources:
Malls Of America Blogspot / Keith Milford, webmaster
Comment post by "Dee4life"
Topeka Capital-Journal / August 5, 2001 / "White Lakes Survives In Shopping Mall Afterlife" / Alicia Henrikson
Topeka Capital-Journal / February 22, 2003 / "White Lakes Mall Reinvents Itself" / Shayne Sawyer & Mike Shepherd
Shawnee County, Kansas tax assessor website
Cinema Treasures
Southwest Topeka Boulevard and Southwest 37th Street
Topeka, Kansas
The first shopping mall in the Sunflower State's capital was constructed 4 miles south of the center city, on a site previously occupied by the White Lakes Country Club. Named after its primary owner, J.M. White, the property included 3 small lakes...hence the name WHITE LAKES MALL.
The 440,789 square foot, fully-enclosed shopping venue was developed by Keith Meyers and completed in 1964. It was anchored by an 85,000 square foot Sears -with attached Auto Center- and 52,300 square foot J.C. Penney.
The original complex also included a Walgreen Drug, Hat Box, Falley's Market grocery, Command Performance Beauty Salon, Town and Country Restaurant and Toy and Hobby Mart. The Fox White Lakes Cinema, located north of the mall proper on Southwest Croix Street, was dedicated in 1967.
Although appearing to be a rather unimportant, '60s-era shopping center in this day and age, WHITE LAKES MALL was, in fact, something of a pivotal property in the retail scheme of things.
In September 1972, the eight year-old center was acquired by the MaceRich Real Estate Company, then primarily involved in developing smaller, community-type, strip shopping centers.
With their acquisition of WHITE LAKES MALL, MaceRich advanced into the realm of managing regional shopping malls. Under their ownership, the shopping center prospered...that is, until something new, bigger and better came along. This occurred in 1988, with the completion of WEST RIDGE MALL.
Soon, the two anchors stores at WHITE LAKES MALL had moved to larger quarters in WEST RIDGE. The Sears at WHITE LAKES sat vacant until being leased to Kansas City, Missouri-based Sutherlands Lumber. This location opened in 1992 and closed in 2002.
The mall had changed hands during 1993. Macerich sold the property to Lawrence, Kansas-based Main Street Investors who -in turn- sold to Santa Ana, California-based Triple Net Properties, in March 2000.
By this time, WHITE LAKES CENTER, as it was being referred to, had become primarily an office complex, with a smattering of retail stores and services.
Presently, its roster of tenants includes Walgreen Drug (a charter tenant), Electronic Data Systems, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Kansas Children's Services League, the State of Kansas, Mainline Printing (who leased the old Sears/Sutherlands building in 2005), a day care center, fitness center, beauty salon and several eateries.
Sources:
Malls Of America Blogspot / Keith Milford, webmaster
Comment post by "Dee4life"
Topeka Capital-Journal / August 5, 2001 / "White Lakes Survives In Shopping Mall Afterlife" / Alicia Henrikson
Topeka Capital-Journal / February 22, 2003 / "White Lakes Mall Reinvents Itself" / Shayne Sawyer & Mike Shepherd
Shawnee County, Kansas tax assessor website
Cinema Treasures
PRESTIGE PROPERTIES
Macerich acquired Arizona's SCOTTSDALE FASHION SQUARE
in 2002.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Flyer84"
TYSONS CORNER CENTER is the nation's eighth-largest
enclosed shopping mall and the largest complex in the
Macerich property portfolio.
Photo from Wikipedia / "TheCellistStarlet"
Macerich acquired Arizona's SCOTTSDALE FASHION SQUARE
in 2002.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Flyer84"
TYSONS CORNER CENTER is the nation's eighth-largest
enclosed shopping mall and the largest complex in the
Macerich property portfolio.
Photo from Wikipedia / "TheCellistStarlet"
MALLMAKER NUMBER FIVE:
WESTFIELD GROUP
Our fifth MALLMAKER, touted as the world's largest operator of shopping centers, had humble beginnings in Sydney, Australia, in 1960.
The name Westfield Development Corporation, was created as an amalgamation of "west" (its first "centre" being west of Sydney) and "field" (the shopping venue was built on a previously undeveloped piece of farmland).
Its first shopping complex, WESTFIELD PLACE, opened in Blacktown (a suburb of Sydney) in July 1959. In 1977, the corporation, by then known as Westfield Holdings, acquired TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK, in Trumbull, Connecticut, which was its first property in the United States.
In 1999 a massive rebranding campaign was undertaken, whereby all Westfield properties were saddled with the lengthy "Westfield Shoppingtown..." prefix. The "Shoppingtown" subheading was finally dropped in mid-2005.
In the previous year, the corporation had come under the present-day, Westfield Group, heading.
Sources:
www.westfield.com
"Westfield Group" article on Wikipedia
WESTFIELD GROUP
Our fifth MALLMAKER, touted as the world's largest operator of shopping centers, had humble beginnings in Sydney, Australia, in 1960.
The name Westfield Development Corporation, was created as an amalgamation of "west" (its first "centre" being west of Sydney) and "field" (the shopping venue was built on a previously undeveloped piece of farmland).
Its first shopping complex, WESTFIELD PLACE, opened in Blacktown (a suburb of Sydney) in July 1959. In 1977, the corporation, by then known as Westfield Holdings, acquired TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK, in Trumbull, Connecticut, which was its first property in the United States.
In 1999 a massive rebranding campaign was undertaken, whereby all Westfield properties were saddled with the lengthy "Westfield Shoppingtown..." prefix. The "Shoppingtown" subheading was finally dropped in mid-2005.
In the previous year, the corporation had come under the present-day, Westfield Group, heading.
Sources:
www.westfield.com
"Westfield Group" article on Wikipedia
Copyright Westfield Group /
See Non-free Fair Use Media Rationale
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1960
Founded By: Frank Lowy, John Saunders
City of Origination: Sydney, Australia
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Operations In: United States, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
*CentreMark Properties, 1994
*TrizecHahn Corporation, 1998
Real Estate Portfolio:
Fifty-nine regional malls in United States
Sixty-five million square feet gross leasable area
FACT SHEET
Corporation Started In: 1960
Founded By: Frank Lowy, John Saunders
City of Origination: Sydney, Australia
Present-day Corporate Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Operations In: United States, Australia, United Kingdom and New Zealand
Major Mergers and Acquisitions:
*CentreMark Properties, 1994
*TrizecHahn Corporation, 1998
Real Estate Portfolio:
Fifty-nine regional malls in United States
Sixty-five million square feet gross leasable area
in United States
Featured Properties:
* Westfield Old Orchard, Skokie, Illinois
[January 2008 Archive]
* Westfield Valley Fair, San Jose/Santa Clara, California
[October 2007 Archive]
* Westfield Century City, Los Angeles, California
[July 2007 Archive]
* Westfield Connecticut Post, Milford, Connecticut
[April 2007 Archive]
Featured Properties:
* Westfield Old Orchard, Skokie, Illinois
[January 2008 Archive]
* Westfield Valley Fair, San Jose/Santa Clara, California
[October 2007 Archive]
* Westfield Century City, Los Angeles, California
[July 2007 Archive]
* Westfield Connecticut Post, Milford, Connecticut
[April 2007 Archive]
The very first WESTFIELD "centre", WESTFIELD PLACE,
which opened -in suburban Sydney- in July 1959.
Photo from Westfield Derby website
Frank Lowy, who immigrated from Hungary to the "Land Down
Under" and went on to form the world's largest retail real estate
empire.
Photo from Westfield Group Annual Report 2006
Connecticut's Trumbull Shopping Park
One of two original department stores at TRUMBULL, E.J. Korvette. It
occupied the second level of a north anchor structure, with a Waldbaum's
supermarket on the first. Korvette's was shuttered in 1978. Both levels
of the store space soon reopened as a G. Fox. This morphed into Filene's
in 1993 and became the mall's second Macy's in 2006.
Photo from www.trumbullhistory.org
One of two original department stores at TRUMBULL, E.J. Korvette. It
occupied the second level of a north anchor structure, with a Waldbaum's
supermarket on the first. Korvette's was shuttered in 1978. Both levels
of the store space soon reopened as a G. Fox. This morphed into Filene's
in 1993 and became the mall's second Macy's in 2006.
Photo from www.trumbullhistory.org
The Upper Level of the original, double-decked SHOPPING PARK
center, circa 1965. The 12 million dollar, open-air complex was located
adjacent to the Connecticut 15 / Merritt Parkway highway, which had
opened between 1938 and 1940.
A 1996 site plan. The 1970s addition is indicated in dark gray. That
from the 1980s is seen in medium gray, with the 1990s expansion
shown in light gray.
The main Upper Level corridor, a part of the original, 1964
SHOPPING PARK.
Photo from The Caldor Rainbow / Nicholas Dimaio
The Lower Level's east corridor, which was built -as the first addition to
the mall- in the 1970s.
Photo from The Caldor Rainbow / Nicholas Dimaio
A circa-2008 footprint of "TRUMBULL MALL", sans the old south
anchor store, razed in 2007. In its space is a new format, 2-level
Target, that opened in October 2008. On the horizon is a 25 million
dollar mall rehab, which is scheduled to get underway in the fall of
2009.
Upper Level concourse in the circa-1986 J.C. Penney wing.
Photo from The Caldor Rainbow / Nicholas Dimaio
The Lord and Taylor, built onto the mall in 1992.
Photo from The Caldor Rainbow / Nicholas Dimaio
that will commence, at WESTFIELD TRUMBULL, in the fall of 2009.
TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK
Merritt Parkway and Main Street
Trumbull, Connecticut
Construction commenced on the second shopping mall in the Nutmeg State in September 1962. Originally known as TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK, the open-air center was built on a 66 acre site, 6.7 miles northwest of downtown Bridgeport, in suburban Trumbull.
Merritt Parkway and Main Street
Trumbull, Connecticut
Construction commenced on the second shopping mall in the Nutmeg State in September 1962. Originally known as TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK, the open-air center was built on a 66 acre site, 6.7 miles northwest of downtown Bridgeport, in suburban Trumbull.
Developed by Jack Frouge, the original 2-level complex opened in 1964. It encompassed 750,000 square feet and sixty-five stores and services. At the north end was a 1-level (100,000 square foot), New York City-based E.J. Korvette discount mart, with a Waldbaum's supermarket on the level beneath it.
The south end of the mall featured a 2-level (127,900 square foot), Bridgeport-based D.M. Read. There were also Chain Drug, Moony's Sporting Goods, Arthur's For Men and a 2-level F.W. Woolworth. Moreover, the parking lot included a kiddie ride area and outparcel, United Artists Trans Lux Theatre.
Commercial competition in the early years would have been provided by CONNECTICUT POST CENTER (1960) [April 2007 Archive], in Milford. In 1971, the community-sized HAWLEY LANE MALL, also in Trumbull, was completed. Finally, in 1986 came DANBURY FAIR, a superregional center in Danbury, which is now Connecticut's second-largest mall.
The first expansion of TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK was done in the 1970s, when a 2-level, north-south corridor was added to the east-facing front of the structure. The existing mallways were also fully-enclosed and climate-controlled at this time.
In 1977, TRUMBULL SHOPPING PARK was acquired by Westfield Holdings (precursor to today's Westfield Group), becoming the first shopping mall in the United States owned by that company. Soon after, the center was renamed WESTFIELD TRUMBULL. However, locals referred to the retail hub as "TRUMBULL MALL"...and do so to this day.
The first anchor rebranding at WESTFIELD TRUMBULL took place in 1979, when the shuttered Korvette's and supermarket became a 2-level (201,000 square foot), Hartford-based G. Fox . In turn, G. Fox was rebranded by Boston-based Filene's ["fiy-leenz"] in 1993. Also in 1979, Read's had reopened as a Boston-based Jordan Marsh. Jordan Marsh became a New York City-based Abraham and Straus in 1992 and was "Macy-ated" in 1995.
In 1986, a large, 2-level wing was constructed on the mall's west side that was anchored by a 2-level (154,800 square foot) J.C. Penney. This project included a multi-level parking garage, built in the southwest corner of the shopping center site.
The next expansion, in 1992, included eleven inline stores and a 2-level (114,000 square foot) Lord and Taylor. Four years later, a second parking structure, and outparcel Circuit City, were built in the northeast corner of the site.
With these additions, WESTFIELD TRUMBULL encompassed 1,196,000 leasable square feet and over one hundred and fifty inline stores. The mall's official moniker was changed to WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN TRUMBULL in 1999. This lengthy title was truncated back to simply WESTFIELD TRUMBULL in 2005.
With the dissolution of Filene's in 2006, Macy's moved from the mall's south anchor spot into the north. The old Read's / Jordan Marsh / Abraham & Straus / Macy's was demolished in 2007. It was replaced by a 2-level (190,000 square foot) Target, which was officially dedicated October 12, 2008.
The new discount anchor store was the first stage of a major renovation of the retail hub. A 25 million dollar facelift, commencing in the fall of 2009, will add new interior decor, mall entrances, additional skylights and a renovated Food Court. Completion is scheduled for late 2010.
Sources:
"Westfield Trumbull" article on Wikipedia
The Caldor Rainbow / Nicholas Dimaio webmaster / "Westfield Trumbull" article and posts
www.westfield.com/trumbull
WESTFIELD AROUND THE WORLD
WESTFIELD BONDI JUNCTION [that's pronounced
"bond-iy", by the way], in Sydney, Australia.
Photo from Westfield website
The new WESTFIELD DERBY, in Great Britain. Amazingly,
the corporation did not enter the UK market until the year
2000.
Photo from Westfield website
WESTFIELD GARDEN STATE PLAZA, in Paramus, New Jersey,
WESTFIELD BONDI JUNCTION [that's pronounced
"bond-iy", by the way], in Sydney, Australia.
Photo from Westfield website
The new WESTFIELD DERBY, in Great Britain. Amazingly,
the corporation did not enter the UK market until the year
2000.
Photo from Westfield website
WESTFIELD GARDEN STATE PLAZA, in Paramus, New Jersey,
is currently the company's largest American shopping center. An
expansion of San Jose, California's WESTFIELD VALLEY FAIR
will bring it into the top spot, when work is completed in 2010.
Photo from Wikipedia/"Nightscream"
Photo from Wikipedia/"Nightscream"
NON-FREE FAIR USE MEDIA RATIONALE
Purpose:
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Resolution:
The logos are of a size and resolution sufficient to maintain the quality intended by the company, without being unnecessarily high resolution.
Purpose of Use:
The image is used to identify the organization, a subject of public interest. The significance of the logo is to help the reader identify the organization, assure the reader they have reached the right article containing critical commentary about the organization, and illustrate the organization's intended branding message in a way that words alone could not convey.
Replaceability:
Because it is a logo there is almost certainly no free equivalent. Any substitute that is not a derivative work would fail to convey the meaning intended, would tarnish or misrepresent its image, or would fail its purpose of identification or commentary.
*******From Wikipedia
Purpose:
The entire logos are used to convey the meaning intended and avoid tarnishing or misrepresenting the intended image.
Resolution:
The logos are of a size and resolution sufficient to maintain the quality intended by the company, without being unnecessarily high resolution.
Purpose of Use:
The image is used to identify the organization, a subject of public interest. The significance of the logo is to help the reader identify the organization, assure the reader they have reached the right article containing critical commentary about the organization, and illustrate the organization's intended branding message in a way that words alone could not convey.
Replaceability:
Because it is a logo there is almost certainly no free equivalent. Any substitute that is not a derivative work would fail to convey the meaning intended, would tarnish or misrepresent its image, or would fail its purpose of identification or commentary.
*******From Wikipedia
Saturday, March 15, 2008
CIN-DAY CENTER MALL
Interstate 75 and Hamilton-Lebanon Road
Monroe, Ohio
Here's one to break the monotony at the Mid-Mod Mall Museum (a.k.a. the MALL HALL OF FAME). Up till now, the emphasis here has been on what was...let us now explore something that wasn't.
Back in 1973, I was a pimply-faced, bookworm type, in my second year of high school in a "po-dump", really rural, northeast Alabama town. There wasn't much in the way of entertainment, save for watching the weekly "Maude" episode, or venturing to EASTGATE MALL in (kinda / sorta) nearby Chattanooga to see a movie at its cinema.
I had just moved from The Cincinnati-Dayton area, and the change to living in the deep south had been quite a culture shock. I had no social life to speak of, so I occupied my free time doing architectural house plans, shopping mall plans and renderings. One such mall I actually worked into a scale model made of poster board.
It measured approximately 3 feet, end to end. I decided that this retail center should be located in my former homeland....smack-dab between the metropolitan centers of Cincinnati and Dayton, serving as a merchandising marriage of stores from both cities.
The geographic center point, lying between Fountain Square (in Cincinnati.) and Courthouse Square (in Dayton), falls at a point just east of the small hamlet of Monroe, Ohio. The site, conveniently adjacent to the Interstate 75 and Ohio Route 63 interchange, became the location of my imaginary CIN-DAY CENTER MALL. As proposed, it was a single-level shopping venue, featuring four anchor stores.
Perhaps a bit of background here. The first-ever shopping mall I was at (Miami Township, Ohio's gargantuan DAYTON MALL [June 2008 archive]) encompassed an astounding -for the time- three anchor stores. In the early 1970s, I thought that this was really awesome!
Of course, I did not have access to anything like the internet (a predecessor, the Arpanet, being in its infancy, and not available to the general public). So, I was unaware of even larger shopping malls such as Denver's CINDERELLA CITY (1968) [January 2008 Archive], with four anchors...or Phoenix's brand-spanking new METROCENTER [August 2007 Archive], with five.
CIN-DAY CENTER was quite extraordinary for (what I thought was) its state-of-the art design. Moreover, the grand, 2-story, center Atrium was unique in that it was fronted by two anchor stores, each directly facing one another! I have researched a lot of (actual) shopping malls and I haven't seen one exactly like this before or since.
Of course, this design may have been terribly flawed, as it may have been impossible to sign two anchors whose stores would have been so situated. This didn't matter to me, though.
So, now we can fast-forward thirty-five years for a look at my circa-1973 brainstorm. The renderings presented here must surely look quite dated. I made every effort to make them that way.
In this mall, there would have been plenty of corduroy concrete surfaces, mansard rooflines and Moorish Modern-influenced archways. These features were the thing in newly-built malls of the late '60s/early '70s....and I wanted for CIN-DAY CENTER to have them all.
So, I hope that you all enjoy this blast from the past.
Interstate 75 and Hamilton-Lebanon Road
Monroe, Ohio
Here's one to break the monotony at the Mid-Mod Mall Museum (a.k.a. the MALL HALL OF FAME). Up till now, the emphasis here has been on what was...let us now explore something that wasn't.
Back in 1973, I was a pimply-faced, bookworm type, in my second year of high school in a "po-dump", really rural, northeast Alabama town. There wasn't much in the way of entertainment, save for watching the weekly "Maude" episode, or venturing to EASTGATE MALL in (kinda / sorta) nearby Chattanooga to see a movie at its cinema.
I had just moved from The Cincinnati-Dayton area, and the change to living in the deep south had been quite a culture shock. I had no social life to speak of, so I occupied my free time doing architectural house plans, shopping mall plans and renderings. One such mall I actually worked into a scale model made of poster board.
It measured approximately 3 feet, end to end. I decided that this retail center should be located in my former homeland....smack-dab between the metropolitan centers of Cincinnati and Dayton, serving as a merchandising marriage of stores from both cities.
The geographic center point, lying between Fountain Square (in Cincinnati.) and Courthouse Square (in Dayton), falls at a point just east of the small hamlet of Monroe, Ohio. The site, conveniently adjacent to the Interstate 75 and Ohio Route 63 interchange, became the location of my imaginary CIN-DAY CENTER MALL. As proposed, it was a single-level shopping venue, featuring four anchor stores.
Perhaps a bit of background here. The first-ever shopping mall I was at (Miami Township, Ohio's gargantuan DAYTON MALL [June 2008 archive]) encompassed an astounding -for the time- three anchor stores. In the early 1970s, I thought that this was really awesome!
Of course, I did not have access to anything like the internet (a predecessor, the Arpanet, being in its infancy, and not available to the general public). So, I was unaware of even larger shopping malls such as Denver's CINDERELLA CITY (1968) [January 2008 Archive], with four anchors...or Phoenix's brand-spanking new METROCENTER [August 2007 Archive], with five.
CIN-DAY CENTER was quite extraordinary for (what I thought was) its state-of-the art design. Moreover, the grand, 2-story, center Atrium was unique in that it was fronted by two anchor stores, each directly facing one another! I have researched a lot of (actual) shopping malls and I haven't seen one exactly like this before or since.
Of course, this design may have been terribly flawed, as it may have been impossible to sign two anchors whose stores would have been so situated. This didn't matter to me, though.
So, now we can fast-forward thirty-five years for a look at my circa-1973 brainstorm. The renderings presented here must surely look quite dated. I made every effort to make them that way.
In this mall, there would have been plenty of corduroy concrete surfaces, mansard rooflines and Moorish Modern-influenced archways. These features were the thing in newly-built malls of the late '60s/early '70s....and I wanted for CIN-DAY CENTER to have them all.
So, I hope that you all enjoy this blast from the past.
Precisely-placed at the geographic centerpoint between southwestern
Ohio's major metropolitan areas, CIN-DAY CENTER MALL would
have been 27 miles from either central city area, easily accessed by
the Interstate 75 superhighway connecting them.
One of two primary anchors, a 200,000 square foot (Dayton-based)
Elder-Beerman. Across the mall hall would have been a 210,000
square foot (Cincinnati-based) Shillito's.
A DISCLAIMER:
Please do not go Google searching...CIN-DAY CENTER
MALL does not exist...nor did it ever. This article is
only a figment of my (perhaps over-active) imagin-
ation, included here for mere entertainment value.
Please do not go Google searching...CIN-DAY CENTER
MALL does not exist...nor did it ever. This article is
only a figment of my (perhaps over-active) imagin-
ation, included here for mere entertainment value.
A very '70s (very dated) mansard-roofed Penney's. Serving as the mall's
north anchor, the store would have come in somewhere around 190,000
square feet...not including its outparcel Auto Center.
As envisioned, CIN-DAY CENTER would have encompassed
somewhere in the neighborhood of 850,000 leasable square feet,
with four (2-level) anchors and sixty-five inline stores. In keeping
with the times, the CinDay Cinema would have started out as a
single-screen venue.
The imaginary mall was to occupy a 70 acre site, located at the
southeast corner of the I-75 / Ohio Route 63 interchange. In 1973,
this plot was -technically- located in Warren County's Turtlecreek
Township. You can bet that, had a mall been built there, nearby
Monroe would have annexed it a.s.a.p. . Actually, they did annex
the area in 2003.
The mall's grand Atrium, fronted by two anchor stores. The 2-story
area featured a waterfall wall on one side and a subtropical planter
-with cabbage palms and cactii- on the other.
The Penney's Court, complete with its triple sunburst fountains! Like
other (actual) malls of the period, CIN-DAY's interior color palette
is based on dark -forboding- brown hues, accented by gaudy -bright-
oranges, reds and greens.
The McCrory 5 and dime. To get into the proper frame of mind,
imagine, if you will, the aroma of freshly-made popcorn and the sound
of the DeFranco Family blaring from a cheap phonograph in the record /
electronics department.
We now return you to the regular
-really for real- mall blog.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The open-air NORTHTOWN began with an Albertson's Food
Center, in the lower left corner, which opened in March 1951.
This was joined by a strip center (indicated in black) which was
completed between 1954 and 1956. The complex was expanded
in 1961 and '62 (the areas seen in gray). This is also when two
anchor stores -Sears and The Crescent- were added. There was
now 650,000 square feet, and fifty-three retailers, in the shopping
venue.
NORTHTOWN CENTER TENANTS 1968:
THE CRESCENT / SEARS / W.T. GRANT / Albertson's Food Center / Anita Shop / Bavarian Ski Haus / Bernard's for Ladies / Card and Candle / Casey's Gay '90s / Crystal Cleaners / Densow's / Electro-Mart / Fidelity Finance / Fidelity Savings / Galloway's Shoes / Harvey's Fine Clothing for Men / Hill's Shoes / Hol 'N One Donut / House of Fabrics / KarmelKorn / Keith O'Brien / Klothes Kloset / Leed's Qualicraft Shoes / Marshall Hardware / Mode O' Day / Paris Hats / Pay Less Drug / Pehl's Barber Shop / Pounder's Jewelry / Ray's House of Beauty / Realty Mart / Rouse Music Studio / Rusan's for Ladies / Saad Brothers Shoe Repair / Savon's / Schertle Art Galleries / Schlosser's Flowers / Seattle First National Bank / Thom McAn Shoes / Thrifty Drugs / Western Lakes Optical / F.W. Woolworth / Zale's Jewelers
NORTHTOWN MALL TENANTS 1983 (PARTIAL LIST):
THE CRESCENT / SEARS / Albertson's Food Center / Athlete's Foot / B. Dalton Bookseller / Berg's Junior Shoes / Catherine's for Ladies / Esport / Great American Cookie Company / Harvey's for Men / House of Fabrics / Import Market / Kay-Bee Toys / Leeds Shoes / Mariposa Fashions / Mother's Cupboard Natural Foods / Nagle's Shoes / National Video Rental / Northtown Hallmark / Northtown Mini-Mall / Northtowner Restaurant and Lounge / Phoenix Boutique / Rentner's Children's and Maternity / Rizzuto's Naturalizer Shoes / Savannah Shop / Skagg's Drug / The Dog's Ear T-Shirt Company / Thom McAn Shoes / The Closet Fashions / Weisfield's / Xxtra Special Large Fashions / Zales Jewelers
NORTHTOWN MALL in 1993. The orginal (circa-'62) Sears had
THE CRESCENT / SEARS / Albertson's Food Center / Athlete's Foot / B. Dalton Bookseller / Berg's Junior Shoes / Catherine's for Ladies / Esport / Great American Cookie Company / Harvey's for Men / House of Fabrics / Import Market / Kay-Bee Toys / Leeds Shoes / Mariposa Fashions / Mother's Cupboard Natural Foods / Nagle's Shoes / National Video Rental / Northtown Hallmark / Northtown Mini-Mall / Northtowner Restaurant and Lounge / Phoenix Boutique / Rentner's Children's and Maternity / Rizzuto's Naturalizer Shoes / Savannah Shop / Skagg's Drug / The Dog's Ear T-Shirt Company / Thom McAn Shoes / The Closet Fashions / Weisfield's / Xxtra Special Large Fashions / Zales Jewelers
NORTHTOWN MALL in 1993. The orginal (circa-'62) Sears had
been relocated into a new store. The old one was demolished, with
Mervyn's, Penney's and Troutman's Emporium taking its place. The
complex -which had been enclosed in 1983- had just been double-
decked. It now encompassed 943,100 square feet and one hundred
and fifty-eight stores and services.
Opening, in 1962, as a Spokane-based The Crescent, the store seen
above was rebranded, by PDX-based Frederick and Nelson, in 1988.
The chain went defunct in 1992. Gottschalks and Lamonts both nego-
tiated to buy the vacant building, but these deals fell through. Seattle-
based The Bon Marche successfully acquired the store and opened a
branch in 1993. This was fully "Macy-ated" in 2005.
Photo from Spokane County, Washington tax assessor website
Sears originally opened at NORTHTOWN in 1962. A new store -seen
here- was built in 1989.
Photo from Spokane County, Washington tax assessor website
A newly-built Mervyn's opened at NORTHTOWN in 1991. It closed in
2005 and reopened, as the Kohl's seen here, in 2007.
Photo from Spokane County, Washington tax assessor website
A circa-2008 site plan of the oft-expanded shopping center, which
is now the largest in eastern Washington State. Its most recent
expansion, completed in 2000, added new Barnes and Noble and
Nordstrom Rack stores onto the southwest corner, with a 12-screen
Regal multiplex on the upper level. This addition increased the GLA
of the complex to 1,046,000 square feet, with a directory of one
hundred and seventy-five stores and services.
Contemporary aerial view, including the new southwest addition
(at lower right), completed in September 2000.
Photo from General Growth Properties website
NORTHTOWN CENTER
North Division Street / US 2 and 395 and East Wellesley Avenue
Spokane, Washington
Eastern Washington's earliest regional shopping center was situated on a 34.4 acre city block, 3.3 miles north of downtown Spokane. It was developed by Boise's Joe A. Albertson.
The first structure built at the NORTHTOWN CENTER site, a quonset hut Albertson's supermarket, opened in March 1951. This was followed by an 8-store strip center, in 1954, which had been expanded into a 24-store, open-air shopping complex by 1956.
Tenants included F.W. Woolworth, Thrifty Drug, Bell Furniture, Rusan's for Ladies, W.T. Grant, Harvey's Fine Clothing for Men and Pounder's Jewelry.
A large-scale expansion was announced in May 1960. This was to include two new store block structures, with one including a relocated (50,000 square foot) Grant's.
The first anchor department stores at NORTHTOWN CENTER were also added at this time; a 1-level (123,000 square foot) Sears and 3-level (101,200 square foot), Spokane-based The Crescent.
On March 29, 1962, the remodeled -650,000 square foot- shopping venue was officially dedicated. The retail roster featured fifty-three stores, including Paris Hats, Kay's Shoes, Leeds Qualicraft Shoes, Marshall Hardware, Bernard's for Ladies and Zale's Jewelers.
W.T. Grant was shuttered in 1976. Its area was sectioned into an enclosed "Mini-Mall", which was completed in December of the same year. Stores in the Mini-Mall included Mrs. K's Florsheim Shoes and Lyon's Apparel.
Ground was broken for a construction project to enclose the entire shopping complex on May 23, 1983. Metal canopies were removed and new climate-controlled mallways were fitted with tile floors and skylights. The renewed retail hub was rededicated in October 1983, with a new moniker, NORTHTOWN MALL. It housed sixty-two stores and services.
In February 1989, the new owner of the center, David Sabey, announced a major renovation and expansion. This was to include the addition of a second mall level, with ninety-six new stores, plus four anchors and two parking garages (these to be located in the northeast and southeast corners of the mall site).
The initial construction project entailed relocating Sears into a newly-built, 2-level (160,400 square foot) store at the south end of the mall. The old Sears was -then- demolished to make way for a 1-level (81,900 square foot) Mervyn's, 2-level (140,800 square foot) J.C. Penney and 2-level (68,700 square foot), Eugene, Oregon-based Troutman's Emporium.
These additions were completed in 1992. NORTHTOWN MALL now housed 943,100 leasable square feet and one hundred and fifty-eight retailers.
Competing regional-class shopping malls in Metropolitan Spokane included UNIVERSITY CITY MALL (1969), in Spokane County (later City of Spokane Valley) and SPOKANE VALLEY MALL (1997), also in Spokane County (later City of Spokane Valley).
The first anchor alteration at NORTHTOWN took place August 1, 1988, when The Crescent was rebranded as a Portland-based Frederick and Nelson. This store was shuttered in early 1992.
A deal was negotiated, with Fresno-based Gottschalks, to take over the vacant store. This fell through, as did a deal with Bellevue-based Lamonts. Eventually, Seattle-based The Bon Marche bought the building. They opened their NORTHTOWN store July 28, 1993.
Salt Lake City-based JP Realty acquired NORTHTOWN in August 1998. In July 1999, a 54 million dollar expansion of the southeast corner got underway, which took space previously occupied by the Albertson's supermarket and Pay Less / Skagg's Drug.
The supermarket and drug store structure had been demolished in the late 1980s. In its place went two new, single-level junior anchors; a 26,500 square foot Barnes and Noble and 26,300 square foot Nordstrom Rack.
A 12-screen AMC multiplex was also installed on a second level, with an adjacent (third) parking garage included in the project.
The new addition was dedicated in September 2000. It increased the GLA of the mall to 1,046,000 square feet, with a directory of one hundred and seventy-five stores and services.
With the March 2002 acquisition of JP Realty, by Chicago-based General Growth Properties, NORTHTOWN was added to the GGP property portfolio.
The most recent changes at the center began in August 2003, when The Bon Marche became Bon-Macy's. The store was fully "Macy-ated" in January 2005. In the following year, Mervyn's was shuttered. The store was renovated and reopened, as a Milwaukee-based Kohl's, in late 2007.
Sources:
"Northtown Mall (Spokane) article on Wikipedia
Spokane Daily Chronicle
Comment post by Mark Bozanich
Spokane County, Washington tax assessor website
Seattle Business News
Fair use of Northtown Shopping Center and Northtown Mall logos in Northtown Center article: The graphics, from The Spokane Daily Chronicle, illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The graphics are of lower resolution than the original artwork (copies made from it will be of inferior quality). The images are not replaceable with a free-use or public-domain image. The graphics do not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the graphics in any way. The graphics are being used for informational purposes only, and their use is not believed to detract from the original artwork in any way.
North Division Street / US 2 and 395 and East Wellesley Avenue
Spokane, Washington
Eastern Washington's earliest regional shopping center was situated on a 34.4 acre city block, 3.3 miles north of downtown Spokane. It was developed by Boise's Joe A. Albertson.
The first structure built at the NORTHTOWN CENTER site, a quonset hut Albertson's supermarket, opened in March 1951. This was followed by an 8-store strip center, in 1954, which had been expanded into a 24-store, open-air shopping complex by 1956.
Tenants included F.W. Woolworth, Thrifty Drug, Bell Furniture, Rusan's for Ladies, W.T. Grant, Harvey's Fine Clothing for Men and Pounder's Jewelry.
A large-scale expansion was announced in May 1960. This was to include two new store block structures, with one including a relocated (50,000 square foot) Grant's.
The first anchor department stores at NORTHTOWN CENTER were also added at this time; a 1-level (123,000 square foot) Sears and 3-level (101,200 square foot), Spokane-based The Crescent.
On March 29, 1962, the remodeled -650,000 square foot- shopping venue was officially dedicated. The retail roster featured fifty-three stores, including Paris Hats, Kay's Shoes, Leeds Qualicraft Shoes, Marshall Hardware, Bernard's for Ladies and Zale's Jewelers.
W.T. Grant was shuttered in 1976. Its area was sectioned into an enclosed "Mini-Mall", which was completed in December of the same year. Stores in the Mini-Mall included Mrs. K's Florsheim Shoes and Lyon's Apparel.
Ground was broken for a construction project to enclose the entire shopping complex on May 23, 1983. Metal canopies were removed and new climate-controlled mallways were fitted with tile floors and skylights. The renewed retail hub was rededicated in October 1983, with a new moniker, NORTHTOWN MALL. It housed sixty-two stores and services.
In February 1989, the new owner of the center, David Sabey, announced a major renovation and expansion. This was to include the addition of a second mall level, with ninety-six new stores, plus four anchors and two parking garages (these to be located in the northeast and southeast corners of the mall site).
The initial construction project entailed relocating Sears into a newly-built, 2-level (160,400 square foot) store at the south end of the mall. The old Sears was -then- demolished to make way for a 1-level (81,900 square foot) Mervyn's, 2-level (140,800 square foot) J.C. Penney and 2-level (68,700 square foot), Eugene, Oregon-based Troutman's Emporium.
These additions were completed in 1992. NORTHTOWN MALL now housed 943,100 leasable square feet and one hundred and fifty-eight retailers.
Competing regional-class shopping malls in Metropolitan Spokane included UNIVERSITY CITY MALL (1969), in Spokane County (later City of Spokane Valley) and SPOKANE VALLEY MALL (1997), also in Spokane County (later City of Spokane Valley).
The first anchor alteration at NORTHTOWN took place August 1, 1988, when The Crescent was rebranded as a Portland-based Frederick and Nelson. This store was shuttered in early 1992.
A deal was negotiated, with Fresno-based Gottschalks, to take over the vacant store. This fell through, as did a deal with Bellevue-based Lamonts. Eventually, Seattle-based The Bon Marche bought the building. They opened their NORTHTOWN store July 28, 1993.
Salt Lake City-based JP Realty acquired NORTHTOWN in August 1998. In July 1999, a 54 million dollar expansion of the southeast corner got underway, which took space previously occupied by the Albertson's supermarket and Pay Less / Skagg's Drug.
The supermarket and drug store structure had been demolished in the late 1980s. In its place went two new, single-level junior anchors; a 26,500 square foot Barnes and Noble and 26,300 square foot Nordstrom Rack.
A 12-screen AMC multiplex was also installed on a second level, with an adjacent (third) parking garage included in the project.
The new addition was dedicated in September 2000. It increased the GLA of the mall to 1,046,000 square feet, with a directory of one hundred and seventy-five stores and services.
With the March 2002 acquisition of JP Realty, by Chicago-based General Growth Properties, NORTHTOWN was added to the GGP property portfolio.
The most recent changes at the center began in August 2003, when The Bon Marche became Bon-Macy's. The store was fully "Macy-ated" in January 2005. In the following year, Mervyn's was shuttered. The store was renovated and reopened, as a Milwaukee-based Kohl's, in late 2007.
Sources:
"Northtown Mall (Spokane) article on Wikipedia
Spokane Daily Chronicle
Comment post by Mark Bozanich
Spokane County, Washington tax assessor website
Seattle Business News
Fair use of Northtown Shopping Center and Northtown Mall logos in Northtown Center article: The graphics, from The Spokane Daily Chronicle, illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The graphics are of lower resolution than the original artwork (copies made from it will be of inferior quality). The images are not replaceable with a free-use or public-domain image. The graphics do not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the graphics in any way. The graphics are being used for informational purposes only, and their use is not believed to detract from the original artwork in any way.
Fort Lauderdale's Sunrise Center
*
An early '60s view of the open-air complex, showing its proximity
to So-Flo's Intracoastal Waterway. Gazing at this pic, one might
imagine hearing a Connie Francis soundtrack...it would be quite
fitting, matter of fact.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot
A rendering of Jordan Marsh, which was being added to the 6-year-
old shopping center as its first full-line anchor.
Rendering from http://www.dshistory.com/
A shot of the completed store, which fronted upon the palm-lined Center
Court. The 4-level, 170,000 square foot location opened in 1961.
Photo from www.dshistory.com
A visually interesting shot of SUNRISE CENTER, showing its multi-level
configuration. In the distance, a Woolworth five and dime may be seen.
This is a marked contrast to the high-end retailers at GALLERIA FORT
LAUDERDALE, a 1978-1983 remodel of the former open-air venue.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot
A physical layout of SUNRISE CENTER, apparently the first mall-type
shopping venue in the Sunshine State. The bulk of the bi-level complex
came inline in 1954.
Site plan of the modified mall, by now known as GALLERIA FORT
LAUDERDALE. The shopping center had been given a major overhaul
during the late '70s and early '80s. A new Saks (the third location in
the shopping center) opened in 1980. Neiman Marcus and Lord and
Taylor stores were added in 1982 and 1983.
The GALLERIA in 2001, with all five of its anchor stores still intact.
The venue was given a second renovation between 2002 and 2005.
However, Lord and Taylor closed in 2002...before the remodeling was
completed. Saks was shuttered in 2008. Rumor has it that Nordstrom
is going to build a new store, replacing the two vacant structures on the
mall's east end.
The recently-renewed GALLERIA. During a 2002-
2005 renovation, the former '70s-style, concrete
caisson structure was given the look of a 19th Century,
Florida hotel...such as the Ponce de Leon, in Saint
Augustine.
Photo from www.galleriamallfl.com
SUNRISE SHOPPING CENTER
Sunrise Boulevard and Northeast 26th Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Florida's first mall-type shopping center came inline in early 1954. Known at the time as SUNRISE CENTER, it was designed by Clinton Gamble. The center sat upon 48.5 acres, located 3 miles northeast of the downtown area of Fort Lauderdale.
The original, 266,000 square foot complex was open-air in format, with two levels of retail. The upper, at the east end of the structure, housed inline stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, F.W. Woolworth and Thom McAn Shoes. The lower fronted on the north and west and included House and Garden Furniture and a supermarket.
An expansion was completed in 1961. A 4-level (170,000 square foot) Miami-based Jordan Marsh of Florida was added, along with a new 1-level (30,000 square foot) Saks store.
With this addition, the center became a 436,000 square foot, regional shopping venue. A 2-level (103,000 square foot) Miami-based Burdines and twin-screen Sunrise Cinema were added later in the 1960s.
SUNRISE CENTER was given a three phase renovation between 1978 and 1983. Most of the circa-1954 shopping venue was demolished, leaving the two major anchor stores and cinema standing. These were incorporated into a newly-built, fully-enclosed mall, which was situated on top of a ground level parking garage.
The third Saks Fifth Avenue operation at the shopping venue, a 2-level (73,000 square foot) store, came inline in July 1980. The existing Burdines was expanded to 198,400 square feet.
The remodeled mall, now officially known as GALLERIA FORT LAUDERDALE, was dedicated November 11, 1980.
In 1982, a 2-level (80,600 square foot) Neiman Marcus came inline. This was followed by a 2-level (95,300 square foot) Lord and Taylor, in 1983. Jordan Marsh, shuttered in 1991, reopened as a Dillard's in 1993.
Simultaneously, the complex was purchased by Keystone-Florida Property Holdings, with Philadelphia-based Kravco (now Kravco Simon) recruited to handle management and leasing.
By the late 1990s, GALLERIA FORT LAUDERDALE was losing ground as a viable, upscale retail center. Commercial competitors, such as TOWN CENTER AT BOCA RATON (1979), in south Palm Beach County, and AVENTURA MALL (1983), in north Dade County, were drawing from the GALLERIA customer base.
A 50 million dollar renovation commenced in November 2002. The '70s style, box-like bohemoth structure was given a major exterior facelift, assuming the look of an 1880s, Henry Morrison Flagler-type, grand Florida hotel.
Moreover, interior spaces were renovated. New, glass-enclosed "escalator lobbies" connected the first level parking deck with the retail level above. A new, Palm Court was fashioned in space on the first and second levels and new flooring installed throughout the complex. The renewed, 1,047,500 square foot, one hundred and fifty store space shopopolis was dedicated in 2005.
Unfortunately, store closings in the mall multiplied. Lord and Taylor was shuttered in February 2002. Saks Fifth Avenue closed in July 2008.
However, hope springs eternal. In October 2008, it was speculated that a new Nordstrom was to open at the mall, replacing the vacant Lord and Taylor and Saks stores. At present, it is unclear whether or not this report is on the level or when such a store would come inline.
Sources:
"Galleria Fort Lauderdale" article on Wikipedia
Malls of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster
www.galleriamallfl.com
Retail Traffic/ "Retail Rebirth" / February 1, 2006
America's fourth enclosed, regional shopping
center soon after its completion nearly fifty
years ago. This depicts the mall before the Parkway
Twin was added, in 1963, as the first multiplex
theatre in the nation.
The Dillard's at WARD PARKWAY CENTER.
Originally a Saint Louis-based Stix, Baer and
Fuller, it was rebranded in 1984.
Photo from www.dillards.com
A Circa-'08 physical layout. Original parts
of the 1959 mall (what little remains of it)
are shown in black.
Renovations, beginning in the late '90s, transformed the previously-
enclosed mall into more of a big box power center. Here we see an
open promenade in the new-style shopping complex.
Photo from Madison Marquette website
An contemporary aerial view of WARD PARKWAY CENTER.
Photo from Developers Diversified Realty website
WARD PARKWAY CENTER
Ward Parkway and West 89th Street
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City -and Missouri's- first fully-enclosed shopping mall came inline during 1959. Developed by the Kroh Brothers, WARD PARKWAY CENTER was located 20 miles south of the city center, on a land parcel just east of the Kansas/Missouri boundary. The site previously served as the St. Andrews Golf Course.
Originally anchored by Montgomery Ward and a dry-goods only J.C. Penney, the fully-enclosed complex was situated on 2 levels; the lower was accessed from the east and Ward Parkway, the upper from the west and State Line Road.
Charter tenants in the complex included Woolf Brothers apparel, Wolferman's Restaurant, Jenkins Records, Eddy's Loaf and Stein and a Kroger supermarket.
Motion picture history was made when America's first multiplex cinema was added to the northeast corner of the existing mall. Durwood Theatres (a predecessor of today's AMC chain) opened the 700 seat, Parkway Twin on July 12, 1963.
Competing shopping centers on the Missouri side of the metro area included COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA (1922) and BANNISTER MALL (1980), in Kansas City. On the Kansas side, there were METCALF SOUTH CENTER (1967) and OAK PARK MALL (1975), in Overland Park.
The first of many renovations at WARD PARKWAY CENTER was completed in the 1970s. The south end of the mall was enlarged with a (4-level / 201,500 square foot) Saint Louis-based Stix, Baer and Fuller and adjacent parking garage and the original multiplex cinema was razed.
A second renovation, costing 32 million dollars, was done in 1989-1990. Around this time, a second AMC multiplex opened at the mall. Beginning as an upper level, 12-screen venue, it was expanded, with an 8-screen (lower level) addition. This 8-screen venue eventually closed. The 12-screen, upper level operation had two auditoriums added.
A third renovation of WARD PARKWAY CENTER got underway in 1998, during which large sections of the roof were removed and interior retail space rearranged. The mall, previously considered a regional-class shopping venue, began to be marketed as more of a community retail center.
New -big box- tenants were recruited, such as Dick's Sporting Goods and T.J. Maxx. The mall's charter anchors were replaced. J.C. Penney moved out in 1996. Montgomery Ward (shuttered in 2000) was razed, with a new (single-level) 118,000 square foot Target built on its spot. This store opened October 9, 2002.
In May 2003, the mall was purchased by a joint venture of Beachwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty and New York City-based Coventry Real Estate Advisors.
Within months, a fourth renovation -dubbed "Rebuilding History"- was underway. Retail space at the southwest corner of the mall (on the upper -State Line- level) was demolished, opening half of the previously-enclosed structure to the parking area.
On the lower -Ward Parkway- level, a Food Court was torn out and replaced with new big box stores, such as PetsMart, Old Navy and Staples. In essence, much of the old, inward-facing mall was reoriented toward the outside.
With its history now almost completely rebuilt and reconfigured, the 813,000 square foot complex, unrecognizable from its original 1959 incarnation, has become a new-age, "hybrid-in-fill retail center". It appears ready to embark upon its second fifty years of business.
Sources:
"Ward Parkway Center" article on Wikipedia
"AMC Theatres" article on Wikipedia
Cinema Treasures
http://www.ddr.com/
Comment post by "Anonymous"
www.wardparkwaycenter.com
Kansas City Business Journal
Historysandiego.edu
Ward Parkway and West 89th Street
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City -and Missouri's- first fully-enclosed shopping mall came inline during 1959. Developed by the Kroh Brothers, WARD PARKWAY CENTER was located 20 miles south of the city center, on a land parcel just east of the Kansas/Missouri boundary. The site previously served as the St. Andrews Golf Course.
Originally anchored by Montgomery Ward and a dry-goods only J.C. Penney, the fully-enclosed complex was situated on 2 levels; the lower was accessed from the east and Ward Parkway, the upper from the west and State Line Road.
Charter tenants in the complex included Woolf Brothers apparel, Wolferman's Restaurant, Jenkins Records, Eddy's Loaf and Stein and a Kroger supermarket.
Motion picture history was made when America's first multiplex cinema was added to the northeast corner of the existing mall. Durwood Theatres (a predecessor of today's AMC chain) opened the 700 seat, Parkway Twin on July 12, 1963.
Competing shopping centers on the Missouri side of the metro area included COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA (1922) and BANNISTER MALL (1980), in Kansas City. On the Kansas side, there were METCALF SOUTH CENTER (1967) and OAK PARK MALL (1975), in Overland Park.
The first of many renovations at WARD PARKWAY CENTER was completed in the 1970s. The south end of the mall was enlarged with a (4-level / 201,500 square foot) Saint Louis-based Stix, Baer and Fuller and adjacent parking garage and the original multiplex cinema was razed.
A second renovation, costing 32 million dollars, was done in 1989-1990. Around this time, a second AMC multiplex opened at the mall. Beginning as an upper level, 12-screen venue, it was expanded, with an 8-screen (lower level) addition. This 8-screen venue eventually closed. The 12-screen, upper level operation had two auditoriums added.
A third renovation of WARD PARKWAY CENTER got underway in 1998, during which large sections of the roof were removed and interior retail space rearranged. The mall, previously considered a regional-class shopping venue, began to be marketed as more of a community retail center.
New -big box- tenants were recruited, such as Dick's Sporting Goods and T.J. Maxx. The mall's charter anchors were replaced. J.C. Penney moved out in 1996. Montgomery Ward (shuttered in 2000) was razed, with a new (single-level) 118,000 square foot Target built on its spot. This store opened October 9, 2002.
In May 2003, the mall was purchased by a joint venture of Beachwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty and New York City-based Coventry Real Estate Advisors.
Within months, a fourth renovation -dubbed "Rebuilding History"- was underway. Retail space at the southwest corner of the mall (on the upper -State Line- level) was demolished, opening half of the previously-enclosed structure to the parking area.
On the lower -Ward Parkway- level, a Food Court was torn out and replaced with new big box stores, such as PetsMart, Old Navy and Staples. In essence, much of the old, inward-facing mall was reoriented toward the outside.
With its history now almost completely rebuilt and reconfigured, the 813,000 square foot complex, unrecognizable from its original 1959 incarnation, has become a new-age, "hybrid-in-fill retail center". It appears ready to embark upon its second fifty years of business.
Sources:
"Ward Parkway Center" article on Wikipedia
"AMC Theatres" article on Wikipedia
Cinema Treasures
http://www.ddr.com/
Comment post by "Anonymous"
www.wardparkwaycenter.com
Kansas City Business Journal
Historysandiego.edu
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