North Carolina's Southpark

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*

Charlotte's first regional-class shopping venue encompassed over

one million leasable square feet and featured three anchor stores.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot

A map showing shopping malls existing in Charlotte, circa 1969. The city

had hosted the South's very first fully-enclosed shopping center in 1959.

Ten years later, three more malls (albeit small, community-class

venues) were in business.

CHARLOTTETOWN MALL, the first enclosed shopping complex in the
South. After several years in dead mall status, it was demolished and
replaced with the New Urbanism-style METROPOLITAN complex.
Photo from David Gwynn

COTSWOLD CITY, Charlotte's second shopping mall, came inline in

1963. It was basically a strip-type complex, with a small interior mall-

way. The center was anchored by Ivey's, with A and P and Harris

supermarkets. Today, the demalled retail hub is known officially as

COTSWOLD VILLAGE SHOPS.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com/ / Pat Richardson

TRYON MALL, the city's third mall-type center, was dedicated in 1967.
Its primary draws were Woolco and A and P. After foundering in the mid-
1990s, it was reinvented as ASIAN CORNER.
Photo from http://www.live.com/

TYVOLA MALL came along in 1968. Another hybrid, strip and enclosed

structure, it was also anchored by Woolco, with Colonial as its grocery

store. The complex presently encompasses 182,200 leasable square feet.
Photo from http://www.live.com/

A 1964 rendering of the retail complex being developed by the J.B.
Ivey and Belk chains. The design depicted here was to be altered
substantially before construction on the "Regional Shopping Center"
began.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com/ / Pat Richardson

By 1968, the final design for BelVey Corporation's regional shopping

mall had been established. Construction on the project, to be known as

SOUTHPARK, was well underway by 1969.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com/ / Pat Richardson

A shot of the SOUTHPARK grand opening festivities, which were held

February 12, 1970.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com / Pat Richardson

Venturing into the SOUTHPARK Record Bar on grand opening day, one
would have found the Billboard Top 5 singles listed above on sale...
probably for 79 cents each. The number one piece of analogue vinyl
would have been by The Hague's Shocking Blue. Ironically, the mall
was to be owned by a Dutch company between 1996 and 2002.

A circa-'70 site plan of Charlotte's new SOUTHPARK. The original mall
encompassed 1,070,000 leasable square feet, with ninety-two stores
and services.


SOUTHPARK TENANTS 1970 (PARTIAL LIST):

BELK / IVEY'S / SEARS (with outparcel Auto Center) / F.W. WOOLWORTH (with Harvest House Cafeteria) / MORRISON'S CAFETERIA / SOUTHPARK CINEMAS I and II (outparcel) / COLONIAL supermarket (outparcel) / Baker's Shoes / Baskin Robbins Ice Cream / Brittain's / Casual Corner / Chess King / Coplon's Shoes / Docktor Pet Center / Eckerd Drug / Florsheim Shoes / Foxmoor Casuals / The Gap / GNC / Hahn Shoes / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Jack and Jill Toys / John Simmons / J.O. Jones Men's / Julie's / Kinney Shoes / Merle Norman Cosmetics / Montaldo's / Pet-A-Rama / Radio Shack / Record Bar / J. Riggings / Regal Shoes / Richman Brothers / Sharon Luggage, Limited / Slug's Choice Restaurant / SouthPark Barbers / SouthPark Hallmark / Stride Rite Shoes / Susie's / Thom McAn Shoes / The Tinder Box / Zale's Jewelers

A cut-away view of the 1970 complex, showing the orientation of its
single level of retail and parking deck down under.

The Fountain Court, focal point of the original mall.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com / Pat Richardson

Mini-skirted customers browse the selection of coats in the Ivey's ladies'

department. Obviously, BIG hair was in vogue!
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com/ / Pat Richardson

Three shots of the 1970s contemporaries of SOUTHPARK. At the top is

FREEDOM MALL, which opened in 1973. In the middle, we have

EASTLAND MALL, dedicated in 1975. Lastly, we see NORTHPARK

MALL, which came along in 1977.
Photo 1 from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"
Photo 2 from Wikipedia / "CantNot"
Photo 3 from www.loopnet.com

A 1988 physical layout of SOUTHPARK. An addition had just come
inline which included a Richmond-based Thalhimers and approximately
fifteen inline stores. The gross leasable area of the mall now measured
1,244,000 square feet.


SOUTHPARK TENANTS 1988:

BELK / IVEY'S (with Arthur's Restaurant and Wine Shop) / SEARS (with outparcel Auto Center) / THALHIMERS / F.W. WOOLWORTH / MORRISON'S CAFETERIA / SOUTHPARK CINEMAS I, II, III (outparcel) / HARRIS TEETER supermarket (outparcel) / Accessory Lady / Afterthoughts / Alanby / American Athletics / American Express / Ann's Hallmark / Audrey Jones / August Max / Bailey, Banks and Biddle Jewelers / Baker's Shoes / Baskin Robbins Ice Cream / Benetton / Brooks Fashions / Bubba's / Bush Stationers / Butterfields / Carlyle and Company / Caswell Massey / Casual Corner / Charley's / Chaz / Chess King / Chick-Fil-A / Churchill Galleries / The Closet / Connie Shoes / Dana / Docktor Pet Center / Eckerd Drug / Everything Yogurt / Fifty's / First Citizens Bank / First Federal Savings and Loan / Florsheim Shoes / Foxmoor Casuals / Gantos / The Gap / Garibaldi and Bruns / GNC / Great Steak and Fry / Hahn Shoes / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Hot Dogs and More / Intimate Bookshop / Jeans West / Jessica's Cookies / Johnston and Murphy / J.O. Jones / Just Pants / Julie's / Kinney Shoes / Kirklands / Laura Ashley / Mother and Child / Leather 'N Wood / Manchu Wok / Merle Norman Cosmetics / Montaldo's / Naturalizer Shoes / Pappagallo / Paul Simon / Perry's Emporium / Petite Sophistocate / Radio Shack / Record Bar / J. Riggings / Regal Shoes / Robby's Sports / Sbarro / Sharon Luggage / Sno White / Soft Shoes / SouthPark Barbers / SouthPark Optical / Stride Rite Shoes / Stuart's / Susie's / Taco Bell / T. Edwards / Teddy Bear's Friend / This End Up / Thom McAn Shoes / Tinder Box / Todd's Flowers / Trocadero / Tweed Shop / Units / Victoria's Secret / Wolf Camera / Wooden Spoon / Zales Jewelers

As a facet of the 1988 expansion, a Food Court was established
in the mall's West Court.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com / Pat Richardson

By the late '80s, the Queen City reigned over four directionally-desig-
nated shopping centers. Of course, SOUTHPARK had been the first, in
1970. Next came EASTLAND, in 1975, and then NORTHPARK and
WESTPARK, in 1977.

A rendering of the original Belk at SOUTHPARK.
Photo from http://livemalls.blogspot.com / Pat Richardson

The present-day appearance of the building, following its early 2000s

renovation and expansion.
Photo 1 from www.rogersbuilders.com
Photo 2 from "CantNot"

The Belk mallway entrance.
http://livemalls.blogspot.com/ / Steven Swain

That well-known, Seattle-based mercantile established a presence at

SOUTHPARK in March 2004.
Photo from "OutItsThorough"

Two views of the mall's northeast anchor, originally an Ivey's. In the

first, we see the store with its original (1970) facade, albeit with the

Dillard's nameplate installed in June 1990. The second shot is of the

same store, following its 2006-2007 makeover.
Photo 1 from "CantNot"
Photo 2 from http://livemalls.blogspot.com/ / Steven Swain

The Symphony Park bandshell, a 2003 addition to the mall and a venue

for Summer Pops concerts by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
Photo from http://www.concordengineering.com (CESI Land Develop-

ment)

SOUTHPARK, 2009. A large-scale expansion, done between 2001 and
2007, added 550,000 square feet of retail area, including two new anchor
stores, three parking garages and several peripheral structures. The
mall proper now encompasses 1,794,000 leasable square feet and one
hundred and thirty-five stores and services. Needless to say, it is the
largest mall in the state.

SOUTHPARK
Sharon and Fairview Roads
Charlotte, North Carolina

The Tar Heel State's "Queen City" is noteworthy for having the first fully-enclosed shopping mall in the Southland. CHARLOTTETOWN MALL [June 2009 archive], a 256,000 square foot, community-sized center, was officially dedicated in October 1959.

It was followed by COTSWOLD CITY, a 247,300 square foot strip and enclosed complex, completed in 1963. Next came the 318,700 square foot TRYON MALL (another interior / exterior-oriented venue) in 1967. A third hybrid-type shopping complex, the 182,200 square foot TYVOLA MALL, began business in 1968.

By the mid-1960s, the region was poised to take the next step in mid-20th century shopping centers...namely, the fully-enclosed, regional-class mall.

Charlotte's two major department stores, Belk and J.B. Ivey, formed the BelVey Corporation and planning got underway for a regional retail hub, to be anchored by Belk and Ivey's, for the city's southern environs.

Originally, a plot 9 miles south of downtown was chosen. However. it was later deemed to far out in the city's periphery. A second, 95 acre, site was selected, which was only 3.8 miles south of the urban core. Construction commenced in 1968.

Modeled after Dallas' NORTHPARK CENTER [September 2007 archive], Charlotte's mall-to-be, christened SOUTHPARK, was to encompass 1,070,000 leasable square feet and feature ninety-two stores and services.

On grand opening day, February 12, 1970, the center, consisting of a single retail level and 1-level subterannean parking deck, was anchored by a 3-level (165,000 square foot) Belk, 3-level (165,000 square foot) Ivey's and 2-level (168,000 square foot) Sears.

Inline stores included Pet Bazaar, Kinney Shoes, Richman Brothers, Size 5-7-9 Shops, Docktor Pet Center, Eckerd Drug, Brittain's, Morrison's Cafeteria and an F.W. Woolworth 5 and dime.

A northwest outparcel structure (completed in June 1970) included a Colonial supermarket, twin-screen cinema, Budget Uniform Shop and Hector's Restaurant.

The first regional-class competitor, EASTLAND MALL, located 5.6 miles northeast, in Charlotte, was dedicated in 1975. CAROLINA PLACE MALL, 5.1 miles southwest, in Pineville, came along in 1991.

SOUTHPARK was not physically expanded until September 1986, when Belk completed a new fourth level, increasing its floor area to 260,000 square feet. With this renovation, the downtown location was shuttered and the SOUTHPARK store became the chain's flagship.

A subsequent enlargement of the mall, undertaken in 1987, added a 34,000 square foot (twelve store) Northwest Wing. It was anchored by a 2-level (140,000 square foot), Richmond, Virginia-based Thalhimers, which was officially dedicated August 25, 1988.

A Food Court was also installed in the West Court area of the existing shopping center structure. Lord and Taylor, a prospective fifth anchor, also planned to build at the mall, but this never materialized.

Thus far, there have been three anchor store rebrandings at the mall. The first, involving the conversion of Ivey's to Dillard's, took place June 4, 1990. The second saw Thalhimers rebranded as an Arlington, Virginia-based Hecht's, February 2, 1992. Lastly, Hecht's received a Macy's nameplate February 1, 2006.

SOUTHPARK had changed ownership in November 1996, with Rotterdam, Holland-based Rodamco acquiring the 1,244,000 square foot shopping venue. They announced a major expansion in March 1998.

The prospective project became a bitterly-contested issue, with a rezoning battle -between Rodamco and area residents- fought for the next three years. Rodamco prevailed in March 2001. A three-phase renovation and expansion of the SOUTHPARK property got underway soon after.

Phase One entailed a thorough interior remodeling of the mall and a second expansion of the Belk location. A 34 million dollar addition was built on the store's south-facing front and the interior and exterior of the building were given an upgrade. The store was rededicated October 25, 2002. It now encompassed 329,000 square feet.

Phase 2 was comprised of a 34,300 square foot East Entrance addition to the mall proper, which included Maggiano's Little Italy and Cheesecake Factory. These came inline in late 2002.

In the midst of all of the construction at SOUTHPARK was a second change in ownership. The Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group had bought the property in April 2002.

The third phase of the mall's renovation was the most ambitious aspect of the three-pronged project. A 150,000 square foot (forty store) Southwest Wing was built, anchored by a 2-level (144,000 square foot) Nordstrom, which held its grand opening March 12, 2004.

A 2-level (80,000 square foot) Neiman Marcus held its SOUTHPARK grand opening September 15, 2006. Inline stores in the new wing included Janie and Jack, Lucky Brand Jeans, L'Occitaine, Sur La Table and Brighton.

Meanwhile, Sears, outclassed by the upscaling of the mall during the 1990s and 2000s, closed their store June 28, 2003. The building was demolished, with a 54,100 square foot Lifestyle Plaza built in its place.

This included Urban Outfitters, Joseph Beth Booksellers and California Pizza Kitchen; these businesses opening in April 2005. Across the way was a 2-level (79,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods, which had come inline in October 2004. As a footnote, the mall's circa-1988 Food Court was relocated into a new 8-bay area, accessed from the Thalhimer's / Hecht's Wing.

Topping off the remarkable rejuvination of the mall were three parking garages. The Belk / Southeast structure was completed in 2002, the Nordstrom / Southwest in 2004 and Dillard's / Northeast in 2006.

Adjacent to the Dillard's parking structure was THE VILLAGE AT SOUTHPARK, a combination retail and residential complex, and 2-level (35,000 square foot) Crate and Barrel, which opened September 15, 2006.

The final facets of the mall's metamorphosis were expansions and remodelings of the Hecht's (Macy's) and Dillard's anchors. The first reopened (as a 201,000 square foot operation) March 10, 2004. The latter (now measuring 270,000 square feet) held its official rededication in early 2007.

With the construction dust finally settled, SOUTHPARK proper encompassed 1,794,400 leasable square feet and one hundred and thirty five store spaces.

Sources:

http://stevenswain.blogspot.com (Live Malls)
Info and photos from Pat Richardson
"Southpark" article on Wikipedia
Malls of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster
Comment Post by Brenda E.
www.simon.com
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina property tax assessor website

South Carolina's McAlister Square

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A contemporary photo of Greenville, South Carolina's McALISTER

SQUARE. The former regional retail center has been adapted into a

satellite college campus and office complex.
Photo from http://www.chholdings.com/ (Carolina Holdings)

The mall, as it was configured at its formal dedication in 1968.

At the time, it featured two anchor stores; Charlotte-based

Ivey's and Greenville-based Meyers-Arnold.

In 1978, the McALISTER SQUARE Ivey's opened

a branch of the renowned Arthur's Restaurant and

Wine Shop.
Photo from http://4bp.blogspot.com

A circa-1990 site plan. An addition to the mall (indicated in gray)
had been built in the early 1970s, which included a Greenville-
based Belk Simpson. By the time of this depiction, the other two
anchors had new nameplates.

A present-day view of the mall's interior.
Photo from www.chholdings.com (Carolina Holdings)

McALISTER SQUARE
South Pleasantburg and East Antrim Drives
Greenville, South Carolina

Apparently, the Palmetto State's first mall-type shopping complex was a fully-enclosed, regional-sized center. Developed by Greenville-based Caine Realty, McALISTER SQUARE was built on 49 acres, situated 1.8 miles southeast of the center city.

The 517,000 square foot, single-level mall was completed in 1968. It was anchored by a 2-level (116,600 square foot), Greenville-based Meyers-Arnold and 2-level (124,200 square foot), Charlotte-based J.B. Ivey. Charter tenants included Record Bar and Casual Corner.

A 2-level (133,700 square foot), Greenville-based Belk Simpson, and five inline stores, were added to the mall in the early 1970s, increasing its GLA to approximately 700,000 square feet.

McALISTER SQUARE was one of the preeminent shopping malls in "The Upstate" for several years. BELL TOWER MALL (1969), a 330,000 square foot inner city complex, 1.9 miles west, was no match. Retail rivalry intensified with the advent of GREENVILLE MALL (1978), 3 miles east.

The first nameplate conversion at McALISTER SQUARE occurred in 1987, when Meyers-Arnold became a Norcross, Georgia-based Upton's. Ivey's was rebranded, as a Dillard's, in June 1990. The Belk Simpson moniker was truncated to simply Belk in 1998.

With the dedication of the superregional -956,000 square foot- HAYWOOD MALL (1980), 1.6 miles west, McALISTER SQUARE had been presented with a formidable competitor. The older and smaller center began to decline.

The downward spiral of McALISTER SQUARE was given impetus by the shuttering of Dillard's in 1995. The store reopened in a new location at an expanded HAYWOOD MALL...which now encompassed 1,256,000 leasable square feet, affirming its status as the largest shopping mall in the state.

Upton's and Belk, at McALISTER SQUARE, pulled the proverbial plugs in 1999. In January 2001, the struggling shopopolis was sold to Greenville Technical College, who proceeded to convert its space to other uses.

Today, the structure houses University Center, a 7-college consortium of satellite classrooms (in the Meyers-Arnold / Upton's space), the Greenville Technical College Admissions Center and Book Store (in the old Ivey's / Dillard's), several offices and a smattering of restaurants and retail.

Sources:

www.deadmalls.com / Post by Chris Edwards
www.choldings.com
Greenville County, South Carolina property tax assessor website

Georgia's Columbus Square



A shot of the Peach State's second fully-enclosed shopping mall. The
first, Decatur's COLUMBIA MALL, had opened in 1964.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot

COLUMBUS SQUARE, circa-1965. The original mall, anchored by

Penney's and Sears, housed 294,000 leasable square feet and

thirty-eight stores and services.

COLUMBUS SQUARE, ten years later. The original structure had
been expanded with a 112,900 square foot addition. This brought
a Columbus-based Kirven's in as a third anchor.

Two exterior shots of the complex.
Photos from www.angelfire.com/weirt2/georgia ("Going, Going,

Gone" / Mike Dudley)

Three interior views of COLUMBUS SQUARE. The mid-century

shopping center was knocked down in early 2002.
Photos from www.angelfire.com/weirt2/georgia ("Going, Going,

Gone" / Mike Dudley)

The Fountain City's new COLUMBUS PARK CROSSING, which opened
in April 2003. This power center-format complex snatched the Sears
at COLUMBUS SQUARE. This wasn't really relevant, however, as the
mall -save for Sears- had been demolished a year earlier.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Self"

The 100,000 square foot Columbus Public Library, which opened, at

the old mall site, in January 2005
Photo from http://www.ramsa.com

COLUMBUS SQUARE
Macon and Rigdon Roads
Columbus, Georgia

Georgia's first fully-enclosed shopping center, COLUMBIA MALL [June 2008 archive], in Dekalb County, was completed in 1964. 1965 saw the dedication of three new interior malls in the Peach State.

The first of these, COLUMBUS SQUARE, held its official dedication March 25, making it the state's second air-conditioned shopping center. It was followed by NORTH DEKALB CENTER [November 2008 archive] in July and GREENBRIAR CENTER [November 2008 archive] in August.

COLUMBUS SQUARE was developed by West Point, Georgia-based Batson-Cook. The single-level complex, occupying 42 acres, was located 2 miles northeast of Downtown Columbus.

The original mall encompassed approximately 294,000 leasable square feet and housed thirty-eight stores and services. Anchors were a 1-level (99,300 square foot) Sears and 1-level (80,300 square foot) J.C. Penney.

Charter tenants included Walgreen Drug, Lane Bryant, Katz Home Fashions, Merry Go-Round, Foxmoor Casuals, Schwobuilt's, Tempo Fashions, Kiralfy's Women's, Record Bar, Bell Shoes and the single-screen Beverly Theater. Moreover there were an interior-entranced Colonial supermarket and Woolworth 5 and 10.

By 1975, PEACHTREE MALL, a future commercial competitor, was under construction on a site 2 miles north of COLUMBUS SQUARE. The older mall underwent its only physical expansion, which added a 1-level (65,900 square foot), Columbus-based Kirven's and 47,000 square feet of store space.

Included in the new Southeast Wing were Chick-Fil-A, Taco Casa and Circus World. COLUMBUS SQUARE now spanned 407,000 leasable square feet, with sixty-three retailers.

Sometime around 1980, the Beverly Theater inside the mall was replaced with the Columbus Square 4, a southeast parking area outparcel. The venue was expanded, into an 8-plex, in 1985. It closed in August 2005 and has since been razed.

The anchor store rebranding scenarios seen in so many other malls of the mid-century never happened at COLUMBUS SQUARE. Its department stores simply closed, on by one, and never reopened.

Kirven's was the first anchor to pull out if the mall, in early 1993. Penney's moved to a new store, in an expanded PEACHTREE MALL, in November 1994. After languishing as a dead property for over 12 years, COLUMBUS SQUARE was shuttered in May 2001 and demolished, save for Sears, in January 2002.

Columbus / Muscogee County had purchased the faltering shopping mall in May 2000. After demolishing the structure, a new 100,000 square foot Public Library was built on the site, which was formally dedicated January 3, 2005.

Sears, the only remnant of the mall left standing, remained in business until the store relocated to the new COLUMBUS PARK CROSSING power center, situated 4.6 miles north of the old mall site, in April 2003. The building was demolished in January 2008, bringing to an end Georgia's second fully-enclosed shopping mall.

Sources:

"Columbus Square" article on Wikipedia
www.angelfire.com/wierd2/georgia / "Going, Going, Gone - Columbus" / Jan / Photos by Mike Dudley
www.georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com / "J.T" webmaster
http://movie-theatre.org
Muscogee County, Georgia tax assessor website

Birmingham's Century Plaza

*

Opening in 1975, as Birmingham's second 2-level shopping

center, CENTURY PLAZA was done up in high-end, mid-

'70s style.
Photo from "Patriarca12"

A 1976 footprint, of the 743,700 square foot shopping venue, shows
the orientation of the four anchor stores and its various peripheral
structures.


CENTURY PLAZA TENANTS 1976 (PARTIAL LIST):

SEARS (with outparcel Auto Center) / J.C. PENNEY (with outparcel Auto Center) / LOVEMAN'S OF ALABAMA / RICH'S / Alabama Outdoors / Aladdin's Castle Video Arcade / B. Dalton Bookseller / Baker's Shoes / Bookland / Bromberg's / Camelot Music / Chess King / Chick-Fil-A / Circus World / Docktor Pet Center / Frederick's of Hollywood / Hallmark Store / Hickory Farms of Ohio / India Shoppe / Jarman Shoes / KarmelKorn / Lane Bryant / Marsh Piano and Organ / McDonald's / Merry-Go-Round / Morrison's Cafeteria / Orange Julius / Radio Shack / Shoney's Restaurant / Spencer Gifts / Size 5-7-9 Shop / Stuart's / Wolf Camera / York Steakhouse (outparcel)

As one can see, the EASTWOOD MALL and CENTURY PLAZA

properties were in very close proximity to one another...seperated

only by Crestwood Boulevard. Upon its completion, CENTURY

PLAZA snatched the 15-year-old Penney's from EASTWOOD.

In 1980, the Pizitz, anchoring EASTOOD for 14 years, also defected

northwards...replacing the shuttered Loveman's at CENTURY

PLAZA.

An aerial view of the eastside shopopolis.
Photo from www.live.com

A 2003 physical layout. At this juncture, the mall was on its last legs.

Rich's-Macy's would bow out in mid-2004. McRae's would be "Belked"

in 2005 and close for good in mid-2006. Penney's was to pull their

proverbial plug in late 2006, with Sears throwing in the towel in mid-

2009.

CENTURY PLAZA
Crestwood Boulevard / US 78 and Oporto Madrid Boulevard
Birmingham, Alabama

BROOKWOOD VILLAGE CENTER, the Magic City's first 2-level shopping mall, opened in 1973. Two years later, a second double-decked retail center was dedicated.

CENTURY PLAZA, designed by the Birmingham-based Giattina Fisher Aycock firm, sat on a 34 acre plot, 4.2 miles northeast of the center city. The mall was done up in typical mid-'70s style, with dark brown tiled floors, angled fountains and bronze glass partitions.

At the center of its Center Court was a 2-level, island structure with a small selection of boutiques on the bottom and a performance stage on top, which was even with the second level of the shopping complex.

The mall encompassed 743,700 leasable square feet and was built across Crestwood Boulevard from EASTWOOD MALL (1960) [November 2006 archive], which had been the first interior mall in the state.

Anchors at CENTURY PLAZA were a 2-level (152,300 square foot) Sears [which had opened before the mall proper, in 1974], 2-level (149,500 square foot) J.C. Penney, 2-level (125,100 square foot), Birminham-based Loveman's of Alabama [the chain's fifth branch] and 2-level (70,000 square foot), Atlanta-based Rich's.

Inline stores included Morrison's Cafeteria, Camelot Music, Chick-Fil-A, Hickory Farms of Ohio, KarmelKorn and Lane Bryant. There was also an outparcel York's Steakhouse at the mall's main entryway.

In addition to EASTWOOD MALL {.1 mile southeast} and BROOKWOOD VILLAGE CENTER {4.7 miles southwest} in Homewood, there was WESTERN HILLS CENTER (1969) {11.9 miles southwest} in Fairfield.

All of these shopping venues coexisted peacably through the 1970s and mid-1980s. Then all were bested by the superregional RIVERCHASE GALLERIA {11.2 miles southwest} in Hoover, which was dedicated, with much media hooplah, in 1986.

The region's first lifestyle center, THE SUMMIT {5.4 miles south} in Birmingham, brought additional commercial competition with its 1997 grand opening.

By this time, CENTURY PLAZA was in decline. Facelifts performed in 1988 and 1994 failed to arrest the mall's downward spiral. Its series of anchor rebrandings had begun in 1980, when the Loveman's space became a Birmingham-based Pizitz.

This store was rebranded as a Jackson, Mississippi-based McRea's in 1987 and was "Belked" in late 2005. This incarnation lasted but a few months. The store closed for good in July 2006.

Rich's had morphed into Rich's-Macy's in 2003. It did not continue the logical progression to a full-fledged Macy's but was shuttered in May 2004. Its space was temporarily tenanted by 99-Cent Spot, which opened in July 2004 and closed soon after.

J.C. Penney became the next store to pull out of the mall, closing September 30, 2006. Its space was never retenanted. Sears was the last anchor to close, being shuttered June 14, 2009.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties, who had acquired CENTURY PLAZA in April 1997, closed the mall May 31, 2009. Its eventual fate is unknown, but hopefully, the site will be redeveloped some time in the near future.

Sources:

"Century Plaza" article on Wikipedia
www.georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com / "J.T" webmaster
www.ggp.com
Jefferson County, Alabama property tax assessor website

Montgomery's Normandale Shopping City



Now we travel back to the early years of mid-century malldom.
Montgomery, Alabama's NORMANDALE SHOPPING CITY, one of the
first regional shopping centers in the Southland, opened in the fall of
1954. Here we have a vintage aerial view of the center as it appeared
after an expansion built in 1956.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot

A physical layout of the complex, with the 1956 expansion shown

in gray. This addition consisted of a small, open-air mall, which

was anchored by an A and P grocery store. The combined GLA

of both shopping center segments was 330,000 square feet.

The Francis Cafeteria, a charter NORMANDALE tenant.
Photo from Alabama Department of Archives

MONTGOMERY MALL, the city's first fully-enclosed center, opened in
1968.
Photo from http://www.loopnet.com/



EASTDALE MALL was dedicated in 1977. It quickly became the
preeminent retail venue in Alabama's capital.
Photo from http://www.designinternational.com/



As one might expect, Montgomery now has its own lifestyle venue.
THE SHOPPES AT EASTCHASE came inline in 2002.
Photo from www.centro.com

Two contemporary views of Alabama's original suburban shopping
complex, now known as NORMANDALE CENTRE.
Photos from www.leased-investment.com

A circa-2009 site plan. It is hoped that a buyer from Kansas City
will complete his acquisition of the historic shopping center and do
a much-needed renovation and restoration of the property.

A rendering of a restored NORMANDALE. The two-level anchor spot,
originally housing a Loveman's of Alabama, is seen at the center of the
center.
Photo from http://www.loopnet.com

NORMANDALE SHOPPING CITY
Norman Bridge Road and East Patton Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama

The first Post-World War II shopping center in Alabama was dedicated in September 1954. Developed by Montgomery-based Aronov Realty, NORMANDALE SHOPPING CITY was built on 22.5 acres, located 3 miles south of the Alabama Statehouse.

Originally encompassing 195,000 leasable square feet, the strip-format complex consisted of a single level of retail with a small lower level section at the north end of its East Wing.

NORMANDALE was anchored by a 2-level (93,400 square foot), Birmingham-based Loveman's of Alabama, the chain's first branch store. There was also a Winn-Dixie supermarket.

A 135,000 square foot expansion was completed in 1956. Surrounding an open-air mall arcade, it included a Woolworth 5 and 10 and A & P supermarket. The retail complex now housed 330,000 leasable square feet.

Among the forty-three inline stores were Brenner's Shoe Factory, People's Bank, Gulp Piano and Organ, Hancock Fabrics, Parker-Sledge Hardware, Cohen's Records, Francis Cafeteria, Twix 'N Teens, DeShield's and Buster Brown Shoes.

MONTGOMERY MALL became the first regional retail rival upon its completion in 1968. The fully-enclosed shopping center, the city's first, was located 2.7 miles east and originally housed 360,000 leasable square feet.

The next commercial competitor for NORMANDALE came along in 1977. EASTDALE MALL, also developed by Aronov Realty, was located 6 miles northeast and encompassed 964,700 leasable square feet. It quickly assumed the position of dominant shopping center in the region.

An expansion of MONTGOMERY MALL, completed in 1988, increased its size to 726,200 leasable square feet. By this time, the region's original shopping complex, now known as NORMANDALE MALL, was in decline.

A & P had closed in the late 1970s, Loveman's in 1981. Woolworth soon followed. A tornado hit in 1995 left the southern mall arcade section severely damaged. It was fenced off and left to decay.

Over the ensuing years, the shopping center changed several times. It was owned and operated by Acadia Realty Trust, of White Plains, New York and Sabharwal Properties, of Islandia, New York.

Renovations and redevelopments were announced...but never came to fruition. A third commercial competitor, the lifestyle-format SHOPPES AT EASTCHASE {situated 7.5 miles northeast}, came inline in 2002.

At present, NORMANDALE CENTRE is 40 percent occupied, with only the original, circa-1954, strip center in use. Tenants include Calhoun Superfoods (in the Winn-Dixie space), Compass Bank, Dollar General and H & R Block.

A potential new proprietor, Kansas City's Joseph G. Arnone, is currently trying to work out a deal to finance the retail hub. If all goes as planned, repair work -on the historic, mid-century shopopolis- will begin in October 2009.

Sources:

Malls of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster / Posts by "Amy", "Anonymous", "Sonya" and "s7v7n"
www.sabharwalproperties.com
www.loopnet.com
www.montgomeryadvertiser.com

Nashville's Harding Mall



The Main Entrance into the "West Mall" at Nashville's first fully-enclosed
retail center. The community-sized complex served the southern sectors
of the city between 1966 and 2005.
Photo from "Sarabellum"

A HARDING MALL site plan, circa-1969. The center's first theatrical

venue, the single-screen Capri, had opened in March.

Fast forwarding twenty-nine years, we see the HARDING MALL
of 1998. The shopping venue was now anchored by Dillard's.
Marshalls had assumed the old G.C. Murphy space in 1983 and
A and P morphed into a 6-plex cinema. Additions (shown in
shades of gray) had been added between 1991 and 1995.

This shot shows the HARDING MALL Dillard's in operation.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

Here we see the same store after it had been shuttered, in April 2005.

Photo from "Sarabellum"

One of the mall's four outparcels, International House of Pancakes
opened in 1995.
Photo from Davidson County, Tennessee tax assessor website

The Wal-Mart SuperCenter that replaced HARDING MALL in April 2007.
Photo from Davidson County, Tennessee tax assessor website

HARDING MALL
Nolensville Pike / US 31-A and 41-A and Harding Place
Nashville, Tennessee

Two interior malls opened in the Volunteer State during 1966. These comprised its first fully-enclosed shopping centers. SOUTHLAND MALL [July 2007 archive], the state's first air-conditioned, regional-class center, was in Memphis. HARDING MALL, a smaller, community-class complex, was built in the Paragon Mills section of the "Music City".

Constructed on a 21.3 acre site, 2.7 miles south of Downtown Nashville, HARDING MALL was a single-level shopping venue, encompassing 206,500 leasable square feet. Its original anchor was a 1-level (50,500 square foot), Nashville-based Castner-Knott, the chain's second branch location.

Among the forty-five inline stores were Walgreen Drug, Mr. Neat Cleaners, Family Booterie, KarmelKorn, Port of Call Records, Ireland's Restaurant and Luby's Cafeteria. There were also a 20,000 square foot A and P supermarket and 24,600 square foot G.C. Murphy 5 and 10.

The mall's first theatrical venue, the single-screen Capri, showed its first feature film in March 1969. The cinema was twinned in 1978 and shuttered in 1989.

The first expansion of the shopping center was done in 1974. Castner-Knott had a second level added, which increased its floor area to 101,000 square feet. Soon after, G.C. Murphy was replaced by a Nashville-based Service Merchandise.

Commercial competitors of HARDING MALL were all regional-class centers and all within the corporate confines of Davidson County / Nashville. 100 OAKS MALL (1968) was situated 2.5 miles northwest. MALL AT GREEN HILLS (1968 and 1991) sat 5.1 miles northwest. HICKORY HOLLOW MALL (1978) was 4.1 miles southeast.

HARDING MALL underwent a facelift-type renovation in 1989 and was physically expanded in 1991. Two additions were built onto the structure; a 15,000 square foot area on the north and 25,000 square foot area on the south. The mall now spanned 300,000 leasable square feet. Inline stores included Sam Goody, Bookland, Dress Barn and the Family Christian Store.

Castner-Knott, a subsidiary of Fairfield, Ohio-based Mercantile Stores, was sold to Little Rock-based Dillard's. The HARDING MALL location reopened, as a Dillard's, August 13, 1998.

Service Merchandise had been replaced by a Framingham-Massachusetts-based Marshalls in 1983. A and P morphed into Cloth World Fabrics and then reopened, as the Harding Place 6 multiplex, May 4, 1990.

This cinematic venue, which had been acquired by the Carmike chain, closed August 24, 2000. It became the Barnabas Cinemas El Cine, the city's first ethnic movie house, November 2, 2002. It was shuttered permanently within a few years.

By the mid-2000s, HARDING MALL was well past its prime. A demolition plan was announced in July 2004. Luby's Cafeteria served its last lunch in September 2004, Dillard's went dark in April 2005.

Four outparcel structures, Firestone, International House of Pancakes, Athlete's Foot and Mattress Firm remained in business. The mall proper was shuttered, with demolition commencing in August 2005. A 1-level (205,200 square foot) Wal-Mart SuperCenter opened on the site April 18, 2007.

Sources:

www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"
www.deadmalls.com
www.cinematreasures.com
Nashville / Davidson County tax assessor website

Nashville's 100 Oaks Mall

The capital's second fully-enclosed shopopolis was dedicated two years

after its HARDING MALL, in 1968. 100 OAKS, a regional-class complex,

was a whopping 640,000 square feet larger than its two year-old

predecessor.

Photo from

http://nashville.metblogs.com/2006/09/19/100-oaks-to-get-revamped/

100 OAKS MALL, as it appeared upon its grand opening in the late '60s.
It was the Music City's first major shopping center.
Photo from http://nashlinks.com/remember.htm

A circa-'68 rendering of Central Court, on the mall's Upper Level.
Photo from http://nashlinks.com/remember.htm

Site plan of the original center. The double-decked,
three anchor retail hub featured J.C. Penney, Woolco
and Nashville-based Harvey's. Its outparcels were a
Penney's Auto Center, bank branch, Giant Foods
supermarket and single-screen Martin Theatre.

100 OAKS MALL, circa-1998. By this time, the

complex had been through two downward spirals

and reinventions. In this late '90s incarnation, the

Lower Level had become big box stores (indicated

in dark gray type). The Upper Level had new

Penney's Clearance Center, Reebok and Saks Off

Fifth locations, as well as a Food Court.

" Nashvegas' " 100 OAKS in 2002. The ginormous Regal Hollywood 27
multiplex is seen at bottom / center.
Photo from Belz Enterprises website

In 2008 and 2009, the mall was given its third renovation /

reinvention. This time around, some of the vacant big box

space on the Lower Level was retenanted. Most retail on the

Upper Level was relocated down below, with the Upper Level

renovated into the Vanderbilt (University) Oaks Wellness Center,

a consortium of nineteen medical clinics.
Renderings from Vanderbilt University

100 OAKS MALL
Thompson Lane and Powell Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee

Named for the 100 Oaks Thompson Mansion that it replaced, Nashville's second fully-enclosed shopping center, it's first regional-class interior mall, occupied 51.7 acres, 2.7 miles south of the center city.

The 850,000 square foot complex was developed by Memphis-based Belz Enterprises and opened in 1968. Its anchors were a 2-level (112,300 square foot), "new look" J.C. Penney, 1-level (122,500 square foot) Woolco and 2-level (64,800 square foot) Nashville-based Harvey's.

Charter tenants in the bi-level structure included Spencer Gifts, Morrison's Cafeteria, Paas Pets, Family Bootery, Port of Call Records, House of Bamboo Outlet, Sergeant Pepper's Boutique, Zimm's Jewelers, Baker's Shoes, Cotton Patch apparel, Tall Gals apparel and Casual Corner.

The Martin Theatre, a single-screen venue, had opened, on the southeast corner of the future mall site, December 25, 1966. It was twinned in 1978 and closed in 1989. Other outparcels were a Giant Foods supermarket, Penney's Auto Center and bank. The mall proper also included the 5-story 100 Oaks office tower.

The site of 100 OAKS was adjacent to the newly-opened Interstate 65 expressway. Oddly enough, there were no local interchanges with said highway constructed for several years.

The early commmercial competitors of 100 OAKS MALL were RIVERGATE MALL (1971), 13.7 miles northeast, in Goodlettsville, and HICKORY HOLLOW MALL (1978), 6.7 miles southeast, in Antioch.

In the late 1970s, 100 OAKS MALL began its first downward spiral. Penney's bailed out and the Harvey's and Woolco chains went out of business. In 1983, the mall was shuttered.

The construction of new Interstate 65 interchanges at Thompson Lane and Armory Oaks Drive brought new access to the abandoned shopping venue. It was revived in the late 1980s with the opening of a new Burlington Coat Factory (in the old Woolco) and MegaMarket (in the old Giant Foods).

However, newer and larger malls were being built. These included BELLEVUE CENTER (1990) 10.2 miles southwest, near Belle Meade, MALL AT GREEN HILLS (1991) {a redevelopment of a 1950s strip center}, 2.6 miles west, in Nashville, and COOL SPRINGS GALLERIA (1991), 10.5 miles south, in Franklin.

By the mid-1990s, 100 OAKS was in a second state of decline. It was shuttered, as it had been ten years earlier. Only its Burlington Coat Factory and Firestone Tire (in the old Penney's Auto Center) remained in business.

Belz Enterprises embarked upon a redevelopment of the existing mall, as an outlet-type shopping center, in 1996. The refurbished -and retenanted- complex reopened in the late 1990s.

Stores in the newly-fashioned 100 OAKS MALL included big box retailers, such as CompUSA, Michaels Arts and Crafts, T. J. Maxx, PetsMart, Media Play and Luxury Linens. These filled the gutted and rebuilt Lower Level. Saks Off Fifth, J.C. Penney Outlet, Reebok and the Food Factory Food Court were some of the occupants of the Upper Level.

As an adjunct of the renovation, a freestanding Regal Hollywood 27 multiplex opened in April 1998. It was billed as the largest movie theater in the eastern United States.

Unfortunately, the opening of OPRY MILLS MALL, 7.4 miles northeast, in 2000, caused most Upper Level tenants at 100 OAKS to move to locations within the new mall. Soon, 100 OAKS was in a third downward spiral.

Dallas' Tony Ruggeri and Frank Mihalopoulis purchased the struggling mall in December 2006. 440,000 square feet of the complex was leased to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in July 2007.

The bulk of the Upper Level was renovated into the Vanderbilt Oaks Wellness Center. The first of nineteen clinics opened in late 2008, with the remainder being in operation by February 2009. The office tower space became administrative offices.

A 90 million dollar interior and exterior facelift got underway in April 2008. The front-facing facade of the mall was completely remodeled, with new landscaping and parking area entrances added. On the interior of the Upper Level, new flooring, seating, windows and skylights were installed.

Along with these renovations came shutterings of several of the Lower Level leasees. Media Play closed in early 2006. CompUSA and Luxury Linens followed in 2007. Some of the vacant area was taken by Reebok and the K and G Fashion Superstore, which were relocated from the Upper Level.

Other new tenants at the rejuvinated 100 OAKS included Einstein Brothers Bagels, Logan's Restaurant and Cheeseburger Charlie's. These opened their doors during 2009.

Sources:

"100 Oaks Mall" article on Dead Malls.com / Zack Bennett's commentary
NashvilleLinks.com / Chip Curley
www.NashvillePost.com / "100 Oaks Mall Has A New Owner" / Richard Lawson / December 6, 2006
CinemaTreasures.com / "Martin Theater" and "Regal Hollywood 27" articles / Jack Coursey and M. Horner
http://hsvmovies.com TheDrySpot.com
www.vanderbilthealth.com

Memphis' Raleigh Springs Mall



An aerial of Memphis' new RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL, taken soon after
its August 1971 dedication.
Photo from http://www.mallmemories.com/pmwiki.php/Main/RaleighSpringsMall

A 1971 physical layout of RALEIGH SPRINGS. Encompassing 861,100
leasable square feet, the complex featured four anchors and fifty-five
stores and services.

The mall's Main Entrance was remodeled during a 2000-2001
renovation.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"

A 2001 physical layout. By this late date, the center was in a downward
spiral that it was never to recover from. Its Penney's and Dillard's had
been downsized into clearance / outlet centers. Within two years, they
-along with the Goldsmith's anchor- would be shuttered entirely.

A shot of the mall entrance into the center's only remaining anchor store.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"

RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL
Austin Peah Highway and Yale Road
Memphis, Tennessee

Youngstown, Ohio's Edward J. DeBartolo [July 2008 archive] was perhaps the mid-20th century's most prolific shopping mall developer. After opening his first, Mentor, Ohio's GREAT LAKES MALL, in 1961, DeBartolo established a shopping center empire of over thirty-five regional-class retail complexes. These eventually stretched between South Florida, New York State, Washington State and Southern California.

Number 16 on the list of DeBartolo-developed retail hubs was a single-level complex constructed upon 63.5 acres, 9.3 miles northeast of center city Memphis. RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL, officially dedicated in August 1971, encompassed 861,100 leasable square feet and housed approximately fifty-five inline stores.

Its anchors were a 2-level (168,000 square foot), Memphis-based Goldsmith's, 3-level (95,500 square foot), Memphis-based Lowenstein's, 2-level (141,700 square foot) J.C. Penney and 1-level (110,200 square foot) Sears.

Charter tenants included Merry-Go-Round, Card Cage, Lerner Shops, Richman Brothers and County Seat. Moreover there were the twin-screen Raleigh Springs Cinema I and II and an F.W. Woolworth 5 and 10.

For its first ten years of existence, RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL was the preeminent shopping center in the Memphis metropolitan area. Its only fully-enclosed counterpart, SOUTHLAND MALL (1966) [July 2007 archive], was located a substantial distance away, 14.8 miles to the southwest.

In 1981, two new regional retail centers were dedicated. HICKORY RIDGE MALL, 10.7 miles southeast, and MALL OF MEMPHIS, 10.1 miles south. These were joined by OAK COURT MALL, 6.8 miles south, in 1988.

The first anchor nameplate change at RALEIGH SPRINGS took place in March 1982, when the Lowenstein's chain was absorbed by Dillard's. Apparently, Dillard's closed the store, expanded it to 149,000 square feet (with additions to the northeast and southwest), and rebranded and reopened the location. This increased the mall's GLA to 914,600 square feet.

1997 brought the dedication of the most formidable commercial competitor to date. WOLFCHASE GALLERIA, located 6.6 miles southeast, in unincorporated Shelby County, quickly assumed the position of dominant shopping center in the region. RALEIGH SPRINGS was soon in decline.

J.C. Penney closed and downsized its store, reopening as a Clearance Center in March 1999. Dillard's followed suit, with its Regional Sale Center coming inline August 27, 1999.

The Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group had acquired the RALEIGH SPRINGS property as a facet of their 1996 merger with the DeBartolo Realty Group. In an attempt to reverse the mall's downward spiral, Simon announced an 11 million dollar makeover in February 2000.

New floors, ceilings and entrances were installed and the Woolworth space, sitting vacant since late 1993, was renovated into the Malco Cinema 12 multiplex, which held its grand opening July 4, 2001. Unfortunately, the renovation was to prove unsuccessful.

The J.C. Penney outlet closed for good January 25, 2003. This was followed by the shutterings of Goldsmith's and Dillard's in April. This left the mall with only Sears and the Malco multiplex to sustain it.

A deal with Wal-Mart, who was going to raze the vacant Penney's and replace it with a SuperCenter store, fell through in June 2009. This makes the present outlook for the mall appear rather bleak.

Sources:

www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"
"Raleigh Springs Mall" article on Wikipedia
Shelby County, Tennessee tax assessor website
www.cinematreasures.com

Knoxville's Downtown Shopping
Center / Oak Ridge Mall



Opening, in October 1955, as a Miller's of Tennessee, the store seen
here was an anchor of the "Secret City's" DOWNTOWN SHOPPING
CENTER, which morphed into the fully-enclosed OAK RIDGE MALL
between 1989 and 1991. After a 7-year stint as Hess's, the store was
rebranded by Proffitt's in 1993 and Belk in 2006.

A circa-1976 site plan of Oak Ridge's DOWNTOWN
SHOPPING CENTER. By this time, the 21 year-old
retail hub featured Miller's, Proffitt's, J.C. Penney,
Sears Catalogue and Appliance and a J.G. McCrory
five and dime.

In August 1991, the previous open-air shopping plaza

reopened as the 740,000 square foot OAK RIDGE MALL.

Miller's was now Hess's, J.C. Penney had expanded its

location and Sears had relocated into an entirely new, full-

line store. Wal-Mart came onboard, as a fifth anchor, in

the late 1980s.

A circa-1999 physical layout. OAK RIDGE MALL now
had plural Proffitt's, expanded Wal-Mart and Sears
locations, Goody's Family Clothing and the Cinemark
Tinseltown 14 megaplex. Unfortunately, these could
not save the complex from its impending demise.

A rendering of OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER, a prospective redevelop-
ment of OAK RIDGE MALL.
Drawing from www.oakridgecitycenter.com

A plan of the lifestyle center-to-be, or is it? The

redevelopment of the mall, first put forward in 2001,

has met enumerable snags and false starts over the

eight years that have passed. It would appear that the

reinvention of the virtually vacant mall is probably

not to be...at least anytime in the foreseeable future.
Drawing from www.oakridgecitycenter.com

DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER
Oak Ridge Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Tennessee's "Secret City" was built, as part of the US Government's Manhattan Project, in 1942 and 1943. Originally referred to as simply the Clinton Engineering Works, the community was incorporated as the City of Oak Ridge in 1959.

A 260,000 square foot retail complex had opened, in October 1955, at the center of the Oak Ridge townsite. Occupying 65 acres, 17.8 miles northwest of downtown Knoxville, this commercial hub was known as the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER.

Knoxville's Guilford Glazer had developed the open-air, single-level structure. He later went on to create Los Angeles County's DEL AMO FASHION CENTER (1981) [October 2007 archive], which -for eleven years- was the nation's largest fully-enclosed shopping complex.

The DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER in Oak Ridge was originally anchored by a 1-level (34,200 aquare foot), Knoxville-based Miller's of Tennessee and 1-level (41,600 square foot) {dry goods only} J.C. Penney.

The complex also included Downtown Hardware, Walgreen Drug, Gateway Books, Federal Bakery, the Laughing Monkey Hobby Shop, Sears Catalogue and Appliance and a J.G. McCrory 5 and 10. There was also an outparcel A and P supermarket and the Ark Bowling Lanes.

In 1974, a predominantly 1-level (50,000 square foot), Alcoa, Tennessee-based Proffitt's was built as an addition to the existing center. It was the chain's second branch store. Other businesses in operation at the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER at the time included Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Otasco, Dollar General Stores and the United American Bank.

The first anchor store nameplate alteration at the complex took place in 1986, when Allentown, Pennsylvania's Hess's performed a hostile takover of the Miller's of Tennessee chain.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania's Crown American Corporation, who also owned Hess's, acquired the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER in early 1989. By the end of the year, work was underway to renovate and expand the structure into a fully-enclosed shopping mall.

Sears, which had relocated into a new, 1-level (51,300 square foot) store in the 1980s, was to anchor the new mall, along with Hess's, Proffitt's and Penney's. A 1-level (117,300 square foot) Wal-Mart, built as an outparcel to the shopping center in the late 1980s, was also to be included in the retail mix.

A pre-grand opening soiree was held August 1, 1991. The new OAK RIDGE MALL encompassed 740,000 leasable square feet and housed one hundred and twenty-five store spaces.

As part of the 40 million dollar renovation, Penney's had expanded its store to 64,100 square feet. Proffitt's now encompassed 59,200 square feet; Hess's, 40,000. New tenants included KB Toys, Champs, Lady Foot Locker, Lerner's New York, Dollar Tree, Afterthoughts and Lane Bryant.

Unfortunately, the mall, much ballyhooed at the time, was never to be fully-leased. Several stores in the original DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER, such as Otasco and Downtown Hardware, had moved to peripheral locations, rather than pay the hefty "enclosing fee" required to become part of the mall.

Moreover, the completion of Pellissippi Parkway, connecting Oak Ridge with the western environs of Knoxville, substantially shortened the travel time between the two points. WEST TOWN MALL (1972) [February 2008 archive], 13.4 miles southeast, was now a short drive from Oak Ridge.

In spite of this, new tenants were signed for OAK RIDGE MALL and older tenants revamped their stores. Goody's Family Clothing opened October 9, 1991. Sears expanded to 76,300 square feet, with a grand re-opening held September 5, 1992. The Hess's, bought by Proffitt's, had additional retail space built, emerging, as a 61,200 square foot location, in mid-1993.

With the Hess's acquisition, OAK RIDGE MALL became anchored by a plural Proffitt's configuration. The old Miller's / Hess's became a Proffitt's Women's and Children's store; the original Proffitt's was reconfigured to sell Men's and Clearance merchandise. Wal-Mart also enlarged their location, into a (210,400 square foot) SuperCenter-format store, in 1996.

A new Cinemark Tinseltown 14 multiplex opened December 11, 1998. It had been built to the northwest of the mall proper, on space originally occupied by Goody's. As part of this addition, Goody's relocated to the opposite end of the complex, opening their new (22,000 square foot) location November 6, 1997.

Still, the mall had way too many vacant spaces. It wasn't long before the complex, less than ten years old, was considered obsolete. A plan to redevelop the redevelopment surfaced in late 2001. Spearheaded by Chattanooga's Steve Arnsdorff, it proposed to open the interior mall, build streets through the site and create a lifestyle-type town center.

A referendum was held in August 2002, to approve a bond issue to help finance the 40 million dollar demalling. The measure did not pass. Meanwhile, an altered redevelopment plan evolved.

The mall was sold to an entity known as Oak Ridge City Center, Limited Liability Company in June 2003, with the name of the shopping venue officially changing to OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER in July. The bequest of an 800,000 dollar federal grant, to assist with the demalling, was announced.

However, no visible progress on the deconstruction could be seen. A few peripheral structures were demolished in October 2005 but this was not enough to attain the federal money. The prospective grant was suspended in March 2007.

The acquisition of the Proffitt's chain, by Charlotte-based Belk, resulted in the rebranding of the Women's and Children's store, as a Belk, March 8, 2006. The Men's and Clearance store had been shuttered between 1999 and 2001.

Goody's Family Clothing's liquidation, in January 2009, left the moribund mall with yet another vacancy. To add insult to injury, there are now rumblings that Sears may also pull the plug on its store. Currently, the official website lists thirty-three inline tenants.

And so, the redevelopment of OAK RIDGE MALL into OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER is on hold indefinitely...with no concrete plan for work to get underway.

Sources:

"Oak Ridge, Tennessee" article on Wikipedia
Oak Ridge, Tennessee tax assessor website
Memories of B. Stilz, former Oak Ridge resident
Comment post by Brian
www.oakridgecitycenter.com
The Oak Ridger archive

The City of San Francisco played host to the second shopping mall built in the Golden State, and the very first in the Bay Area. STONESTOWN CENTER, in the southwestern reaches of the corporate limits, opened for business late in 1952.

Some of the more noteworthy shopping malls that dotted
the landscape in -and around- Tony Bennett's "City by the
Bay" during the 1950s, '60s and '70s. As a matter of note,
by the mid-1990s, thirty-five mall-type shopping complexes
had been built in the region.

Fourteen open-air complexes would be developed in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin and Solano Counties before the region was to be bestowed its first fully-enclosed, climate-controlled retail complex, which opened for business (in the East Bay burg of Hayward) in the fall of 1964.

By the dedication of San Jose's EASTRIDGE CENTER, in March 1971, San Francisco and its environs could boast of eight roofed retail hubs. Within a few years, two originally open-air ones had also been renovated into interior malls...following the trend toward fully-enclosed shopping spaces that swept that nation in the 1970s and '80s.

So, follow along now as we review some of the more important mid-20th century merchandising meccas of Northern California's Bay Area.

San Francisco's Stonestown Center



"The Big E", San Francisco's Emporium department store, was the
original anchor of STONESTOWN CENTER. The 777,000 square foot,
open-air complex was the city's -and region's- first mall-type shopping
venue. It was officially dedicated November 6, 1952.

See October 2009 archive for the complete article

The West Bay's Hillsdale Center

Nighttime nameplates at HILLSDALE, which was the second shopping
mall in Northern California's Bay Area. Originally encompassing 500,000
leasable square feet, the complex was officially dedicated in December
1954.
Photo from "Shopping Can Be Fun" video

The Sears and Roebuck at HILLSDALE actually predated the Macy's-

anchored mall.

Photo from "Shopping Can Be Fun" video

The original, mid-'50s footprint of HILLSDALE CENTER. The open-
air mall was situated around its 185,000 square foot Macy's. Its free-
standing Sears was to the south. The Farmer's Market made up the
north end of the complex.


HILLSDALE CENTER TENANTS 1955 (PARTIAL LIST):

MACY'S (with Garden Restaurant; Dining Room, Coffee Shop, Green Room and Cloud Room Cocktail Lounge) / SEARS / MAYFAIR MARKET / FARMER'S MARKET / J.J. NEWBERRY / Leeds Qualicraft Shoes / GallenKamp Shoes / C.H. Baker Shoes / Thom McAn Shoes / Hartfield's apparel / Harris and Frank apparel / Hagen's ladies apparel / Melart's ladies apparel / H. Liebers ladies apparel / The Colony / National Shirt Shop / Kay Jewelers / Cretan's Fashion Jewelry / Hearth and Home housewares / Moar's Cafeteria / See's Candies / Douglas Shaw's Candies and Ice Cream / Lo Reene's Bakery / Collins Pharmacy / Barry's Super Rexall / First Western Bank

Two newspaper ads announcing the grand opening of

the HILLSDALE Macy's, in November 1954. The store

was the Macy's San Francisco chain's first suburan shop-

ping center branch and the first Macy's to anchor a mall-

type complex.

Ads from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A 1962 advert announcing the opening of the center's
Emporium anchor store.
Ad from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

HILLSDALE CENTER
Shopping Can Be Fun video (1957):

*

Below is a link to a marvelous, Mid-Century film done

for HILLSDALE CENTER soon after its 1955 completion.

*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jskBw1c_lrg

Beniamino Benvenuto Bufano and his children officiate at the dedication
of the sculptor's HILLSDALE CENTER Statues, in 1956.
Photo from "Shopping Can Be Fun" video

"Bennie" Bufano checks out his Bears statue, soon after its installation
in the mall's Macy's Court.
Photo from "Shopping Can Be Fun" video

The present-day location of the Bufano Bears, in a court area in the

enclosed mall.

Photo from www.shophillsdale.com

The original location of the Bufano Cat, in the open-air mall's South
Wing.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot

A shot of the Nordstrom, added to the mall in 1982. One can see the

current location of the Bufano Cat, in the lower right corner.

Photo from www.shophillsdale.com

A physical layout of the mall, circa-1995; 40 years after the depiction
above. Several changes had -obviously- been made. An Emporium
had been added in 1962, Nordstrom and Mervyn's in 1982...and the
mall, itself, had been enclosed and double-decked, also in 1981-'82.

2 contemporary interior views of HILLSDALE CENTER.

Photos from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A circa-2008 site plan of HILLSDALE CENTER. After 55 years and
several expansions and renovations, the venue remains a viable retail
center. It weathered competition from SAN MATEO FASHION
ISLAND...and eventually eclipsed that center, which was demolished
in 1996.

HILLSDALE CENTER
South El Camino Real and Hillsdale Boulevard
San Mateo, California

Originally known as "The Heart of the San Francisco Peninsula", HILLSDALE CENTER was the second Post-World War II shopping complex built in the city's West Bay suburbs. The venue was situated on a 50 acre site, 21.9 miles south of Union Square, in the satellite city of San Mateo.

The land had been acquired by developer David Bohannon in 1939 and was to be used for the construction of housing, with a grocery and small strip center. After the war, a freestanding Sears and Mayfair supermarket were built.

These were joined by a 500,000 square foot, open-air mall, anchored by a 3-level (185,000 square foot) Macy's; the first suburban shopping center branch of the Macy's San Francisco division. The store held its grand opening November 19, 1954.

The mall, officially dedicated that December, housed ninety-four stores and services, including Harris and Frank apparel, Baker's Shoes, Moar's Cafeteria and a J.J. Newberry 5 and 10. In its northern parking area was a kiddie ride amusement area.

On the far north end of the complex (across 31st Avenue) was the 22-department Farmer's Market, including an early version of an international food court, along with a grocery, produce section and butcher shop.

A 3-level with basement (206,000 square foot), San Francisco-based Emporium opened September 12, 1962. It was the chain's fourth suburban branch and was adjacent to the Farmer's Market. At around the same time, the existing Macy's was expanded (to over 200,000 square feet) with a partial fourth level.

Later in the 1960s, a multi-level parking garage was built in the southwest parking area. Moreover, the single-screen Hillsdale Cinema opened. It was a peripheral structure, located across El Camino Real from the mall proper. It remained in business until 1998.

The next major addition to HILLSDALE CENTER was something of a keeping-up measure. The San Diego-based Ernest W. Hahn Corporation was building its new SAN MATEO FASHION ISLAND 3.2 miles northeast.

HILLSDALE CENTER reciprocated by adding a 3-level (150,000 square foot) Nordstrom and 2-level, (85,000 square foot) Mervyn's. This was Nordstrom's first Bay Area branch.

Moreover, the existing shopping center structure was fully-enclosed and refitted with an upper level of retail stores. A new Food Court was also built on the site of the old Farmer's Market and a second garage constructed in the northeast parking area. These renovations were completed in 1982.

The Emporium was shuttered in 1996. Sears moved from its original, outparcel store on the south end of the mall into the vacated building. Soon after, the old Sears was demolished and replaced with a strip shopping plaza.

Included were a Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, Romano's Macaroni Grill and CompUSA/The Good Guys!/Tower Records Megastore. These came inline during 1998.

Today, HILLSDALE CENTER spans 1.3 million leasable square feet, with one hundred and thirty inline stores. The complex, a property of the Bohannon family -its original developers- is one of the few major shopping centers in the nation that is privately owned.

The mall is doing well in these tough economic times. It is hoped that a replacement will soon be found for the Mervyn's that was shuttered December 27, 2008.

Sources:

"Hillsdale Shopping Center" article on Wikipedia
Scott P., aka "BigMallRat"
"Shopping Can Be Fun" short subject / Photographed and produced by George H. Kelley / 1957
Comment post by Randy
www.shophillsdale.com

San Jose's Valley Fair Center



The Bay Area's third shopping mall was built farther down the
Peninsula, in the western environs of San Jose. Housing 405,000
square feet and a 2-level Macy's San Francisco, the exterior mall
began business in the summer of 1956.

See May 2008 archive for the complete article

The West Bay's Stanford Center



Next in line in the succession of Bay Area Shopping Centers was Palo
Alto's STANFORD. Built by the university of the same name, it was also
open- air in format and originally spanned 536,000 square feet. Like
STONESTOWN CENTER, it was anchored by an Emporium department
store (seen on the left of this photo).
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

The "Big E" / Emporium at STANFORD. The store had 2 levels and
250,000 square feet. It was rebranded as a Bloomingdale's in late
1996.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A rendering of a tentative STANFORD CENTER, from the early 1950s.
Actually, it bears little resemblance to the shopping hub that was com-
pleted a few years later. This prospective plan was dominated by a
multi story office tower...which never came to fruition.
Photo from www.paloaltohistory.com

A STANFORD site plan, circa-1956. Aside from The Emporium, the
complex featured a 50,000 square foot I. Magnin, as well as Joseph
Magnin, Roos Brothers a Purity supermarket and Woolworth 5 and
dime. In all, there were forty-five stores and services.


STANFORD CENTER TENANTS 1956 (PARTIAL LIST):

THE EMPORIUM / I. MAGNIN / F.W. WOOLWORTH / PURITY MARKET / Bank of America / Blum's Restaurant / Chandler's Shoes / Crocker-Angio Bank / Donnelley's Hardware / Eat-Rite Restaurant / Hastings / Joseph Magnin / Lerner Shops / Livingston Brothers / Long's Drugs / Roos Brothers / See's Candies / Sommer and Kaufman Shoes / Stanford Shoe Repair / The Colony / Woodland's Restaurant

Two more shots of the 1950s mall. First, we see the main mallway,

lined with The Colony, Chandler's Shoes and Lerner Shops, to name

a few. In the second photo, we see the west end of the mallway,

which featured the center's Woolworth and Long's Drugs stores.
Photos from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

STANFORD CENTER in the early '60s. By this time, there were third
and fourth anchor department stores. A 2-level Macy's San Francisco
joined the retail roster in October 1961, followed by a 3-level Saks Fifth
Avenue, in August 1963. The Saks store was not part and parcel of the
mall proper, but was situated across the street, on an adjacent -south-
west- site.

An aerial view of the mall taken at the same time of the site plan seen
above.
Photo from www.paloaltohistory.com

By the early '70s, STANFORD CENTER featured a fifth anchor, a
San Francisco-based Bullock's North...built next to the outparcel
Saks Fifth Avenue. A repositioning of the heretofore middle market
mall got underway in the mid-'70s...going toward the upper echelons
of upscale. A new section of stores was added to the south end of the
complex and all structures were redressed with a trendy, "Tuscany
Town" motif.

A late 1980s depiction of the shopping complex, now graced by the likes
of Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. The center's affluent adjustment was
now virtually complete...except that the Woolworth dime store, a charter
tenant, refused to be bought out. It proved to be a fly in the ($75 bottle
of) ointment until its demise in 1991.

The first Bloomingdale's west of the Rockies opened (in the old Empor-
ium space) November 19, 1996.
Photo from www.paloaltohistory.com

A shot of a front-facing plaza at STANFORD CENTER, with Neiman
Marcus seen in the background.
Photo from "Benqt Bj"

A contemporary view of the main mallway at STANFORD CENTER. The

complex is renowned for its meticulously-maintained landscaping.
Photo from Wikipedia / "CoolCaesar"

Today's STANFORD CENTER encompasses 1,377,000 leasable square
feet and one hundred and forty stores and services. This is all quite a
contast to the humble, 536,000 square foot, forty-five store shopopolis
of 50 years ago. The most recent additions to the complex are indicated
here in gray. These came inline in 2001 and 2002. A subsequent expan-
sion, which would have added 240,000 square feet and a luxury hotel,
was abandoned in early 2009.

STANFORD CENTER
El Camino Real and Quarry Road
Palo Alto, California

The third mall-type retail venue in the Bay Area was designed by Los Angeles-based Welton Becket and Associates. It was constructed on 52.6 acres, located 27 miles southeast of San Fran's Union Square, in the bedroom community of Palo Alto.

Occupying a portion of property bequethed for the establishment of Stanford University in 1885, the original, open-air STANFORD CENTER was developed by the University and encompassed 536,000 leasable square feet. It was a single-level venue with many of its stores having basements.

Construction had commenced in October 1954, with Roos Brothers apparel, its first operational store, coming inline the following September. The 15 million dollar, forty-five store complex was completed in October 1956.

The original anchors at STANFORD CENTER were two San Francisco-based department stores; a 2-level (250,000 square foot) Emporium and 2-level (50,000 square foot) I. Magnin. Inline stores included Joseph Magnin, Livingston Brothers and Chandler's Shoes. There were also an F.W. Woolworth 5 and 10 and Purity Market grocery.

A 2-level (150,000 square foot) Macy's San Francisco was added in October 1961. This was followed by a 3-level (62,000 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue, which held its grand opening August 7, 1963.

The Saks store was not adjacent to the mall proper, but situated on a 15.4 acre plot southwest of the shopping center (across Arboretum Road). A 2-level (150,000 square foot), San Francisco-based Bullock's (North) was added to the Saks site, coming inline in July 1972.

Shopping malls in the vacinity of STANFORD CENTER included HILLSDALE CENTER (1954), 4.1 miles northwest in San Mateo, VALLEY FAIR CENTER (1956) [May 2008 archive], 14.4 miles southeast in San Jose, SAN ANTONIO CENTER (1957) and MAYFIELD MALL (1966), 4.1 miles southeast in Mountain View, FREMONT HUB (1961), 11.9 miles northeast in Fremont and NEWPARK MALL (1980), 10.8 miles northeast in Newark.

Conceived as a middle-market venue in the 1950s, STANFORD CENTER did not immediately adjust to the changing demographics of its surroundings. By the late 1960s, Palo Alto had evolved into a more affluent area. A new mall manager was brought in by the University to reposition their past-its-prime shopping venue.

Rosemary McAndrews, taking charge in the early 1970s, began buying out leases of the center's less than tony tenants. Larger stores spaces were subdivided and retailers relocated.

Macy's had a third level added to their store in the early '70s, enlarging it to 225,000 square feet. I. Magnin expanded with a 3-level addition, into a 96,000 square foot store. Bullock's completed a third level for their building in August 1977, expanding its area to 225,000 square feet.

In July 1976, a $517,000 renovation of the mall proper got underway. The existing buildings were given facelifts, taking on a "Tuscany Town", Olde European Village look. A two store block section of new businesses was built onto the south side of the complex.

Likewise, Joseph Magnin received a small addition and expanded into adjacent space and a parking garage was built at the southwest corner of the mall site. The remodeled and repositioned STANFORD CENTER, dedicated in 1977, included the first Victoria's Secret location in the nation.

The first anchor nameplate change took place in November 1984, when the Bullock's building, vacated in 1983, reopened as a Seattle-based Nordstrom. Dallas-based Neiman Marcus dedicated a newly-built, 3-level (120,000 square foot) store August 10, 1985.

Joseph Magnin, a charter tenant, had been shuttered in the Fall of 1984. Its space was remodeled into a small "Inner Circle" galleria of sixteen stores, which opened in March 1986. By 1987, STANFORD CENTER had one hundred and fifty stores and services including a newly-opened Crate and Barrel.

F.W. Woolworth, another charter tenant, closed their STANFORD store in 1991. Saks announced the shuttering of their store in April 1994. The plan was to reopen it as a Clearance Center before pulling out of the mall entirely.

A brouhaha erupted between Saks Holdings and mall management, who argued that opening an off-price operation at the now glamorous and glitzy STANFORD would be a lease violation. The store closed early in 1995. I. Magnin shut its doors November 14, 1994 and reopened as, a Macy's Men's store, in June 1995.

The Emporium experienced the next anchor store alteration, after it closed in early 1996. Its space became the first Bloomingdale's west of the Rockies November 9, 1996.

Sitting vacant for over two years, the Saks structure was divided into two retail spaces. The first, a Berkeley-based Andronico's Market, came inline July 16, 1997. The second, a 39,000 square foot Crate and Barrel Furniture, began business October 29 of the same year.

The turn of the century brought the first physical expansion of the shopping center since 1987. An outparcel Wilkes Bashford apparel (built adjacent to Neiman Marcus) came inline in February 2001. A new store block in the north parking area housed retailers such as Coldwater Creek, Talbots, Pottery Barn and Abercrombie and Fitch. These stores began opening in November 2001.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro, in the southeast parking area, began business April 25, 2002. Lastly, a second parking garage was built, which was southeast of Macy's and Bloomingdale's. These additions increased the GLA of STANFORD CENTER to 1,377,000 square feet, with a directory of over one hundred and forty stores and services.

By decree of Leland Stanford, benefactor of Stanford University, the land on which the shopping center stands can never be sold. However, the buildings comprising the retail hub were sold to the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group in July 2003. The University now leases the land and receives a percentage of profits from the operation of the complex.

Simon announced a prospective expansion of the mall in August 2007. This was to entail the addition of 240,000 square feet of retail space, a 120 room luxury hotel and 5-level parking garage. The City of Palo Alto was slow in granting approval so plans for the project (by then a year behind schedule) were shelved indefinitely in April 2009.

Sources:

www.paloaltohistory.com / "The Stanford Shopping Center" / Matt Bowling
"Stanford Shopping Center" article in Wikipedia
Comment Post by "HushPuppy 212"
www.simon.com
www.stanfordalumni.org
http://news.stanford.edu

The East Bay's Bay Fair Center



The malling of Northern California continued -unabated- throughout
the 1950s. BAY FAIR, the first shopping mall on the region's opposite
shore, opened for business in August 1957. It included a 2-level
(213,000 square foot) Macy's San Francisco. A second stage of stores,
including Roos-Atkins and Woolworth, was completed in 1960.

See May 2008 archive for the complete article

The East Bay's Southland Center



Graphic from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A mid-'60s aerial of SOUTHLAND, which was the first shopping mall
built by Michigan's A. Alfred Taubman.
Photo from Malls of America Blogspot

1964 site plan of SOUTHLAND, which was also the Bay Area's very first
interior mall. Housing 620,700 leasable square feet, it was anchored by
Sears and Penney's. Basically comprised of a single level of retail, the
complex had a small basement, with various entertainment-oriented
accoutrements.

At SOUTHLAND, a previously-existing Sears and Roebuck became part

of an enclosed shopping mall. Here, we see Sears (on the left) and an

entry to the newly-constructed North Mall in the distance. By the way,

that's a Woolworth 5 and dime on the right.

Photo from Vano-Wells-Fagliano - Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

The interior of the North Mall / Sears Court. The centerpiece of this

area was the Sunburst Fountain (in the center) designed by Martin

Matel.

Photo from Vano-Wells-Fagliano - Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A westward view of the Penney's Court. The wood sculpture in
the foreground was carved by Francois Stahly.
Photo from Vano-Wells-Fagliano - Scott P / "BigMallRat"

Penney's Court, looking to the east. The stairway in the center accesses

an underground entertainment center with a bumper cars track, snack

bar, pinball arcade and public meeting rooms.

Photo from Vano-Wells-Fagliano - Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

In a circa-1972 physical layout, the existing mall (shown in black) has
been expanded to the west (indicated in gray). The retail hub now has
a third anchor store -Liberty House- as well as Joseph Magnin. The
Taubman company, who had opened San Jose's EASTRIDGE CENTER
in the previous year, added a Liberty House / Ice Rink combination,
similar to those built at EASTRIDGE.

The same locale in two entirely different times, The North

Mall at SOUTHLAND in 1965 and 2005.

Photo 1 Vano-Wells-Fagliano - Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

Photo 2 Scott P. / Big MallRat

The mall's Food Fair Food Court was installed during a 1984
makeover. The space, on the Lower Level, had been a Le
Mans Speedway bumper cars track in years past.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A circa-'09 site plan. The past year brought two major changes to
the mall. The Steve and Barry's University Sportswear and Mervyn's
chains went bust. The latter reopened as a Wisconsin-based Kohl's.

SOUTHLAND CENTER
West Winton Avenue and Hesperian Boulevard
Hayward, California

California's first two fully-enclosed, regional-class shopping malls opened for business during 1964. The first in the state, L.A.'s TOPANGA PLAZA [May 2008 archive], held a "soft opening" in February. The Bay Area's first interior mall was completed in the fall.

The initial phase of SOUTHLAND CENTER occupied 12 acres of a larger land parcel, located 25 miles southeast of San Fran's Union Square, in the East Bay suburb of Hayward.

The new mall was built adjacent to the previously-existing PALMA CEIA (Portuguese for "Palm Supper") CENTER, which had opened -in 1961- with a Lucky Stores supermarket, Thrifty Drug and five other tenants. With the completion of SOUTHLAND CENTER, in the east parking area, the PALMA CEIA name was dropped and that complex became an outparcel to the mall proper.

SOUTHLAND, designed by Seattle's John Graham and Company, was developed -in a joint venture- by Chicago's Arthur Rubloff, Detroit's A. Alfred Taubman and Charles Allen, Junior. It was the first enclosed mall built by Taubman's company, which eventually morphed into Taubman Centers, a major retail center developer of the late 20th century.

The mall was a fully-enclosed addition to a freestanding, 2-level (287,000 square foot) Sears. The shopping complex encompassed 620,700 square feet and included a 2-level (168,700 square foot), "new look" J.C. Penney.

There were also F.W. Woolworth, Lerner Shops, Singer Sewing Center, Smiths Mens and Boys and Grodins apparel.

SOUTHLAND had a small Lower Level, accessed from the Penney's Court. It featured the Le Mans Speedway bumper cars track, a snack bar, pinball arcade and several meeting rooms. Southland Cinemas I and II, an outparcel in the north parking area, opened in December 1967.

In 1971-'72, an extension to the mall's existing South Wing was dedicated. This included a Joseph Magnin, indoor Ice Rink and 2-level (180,400 square foot), Honolulu-based Liberty House department store, which opened August 4, 1972.

Shopping malls within SOUTHLAND's vacinity included BAY FAIR (1957) [May 2008 archive], in San Leandro, STONERIDGE (1980), in Pleasanton and NEWPARK (also 1980), in Newark.

SOUTHLAND was given a minor renovation in 1984, when the Le Mans Speedway space became the 14-bay Food Fair Food Court. Adjoining area on the Lower Level was converted to a Brisbane, California-based The Good Guys! electronics outlet...eventually morphing into a Dave and Barry's apparel and -then- a Gold's Gym.

Liberty House had been shuttered in 1984 and reopened as an Emporium-Capwell (a Bay Area division of Los Angeles-based Carter Hawley Hale Stores). This location was "Macy-ated" in 1996.

Meanwhile, Hayward-based Mervyn's, who had operated a store in downtown San Lorenzo since 1949, moved the location into a new, 2-level (98,800 square foot) flagship store at the mall. It opened for business January 14, 1995.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties established 100 percent ownership in the shopping venue in December 2002. Presently, the complex houses 1,284,500 leasable square feet, with one hundred and forty inline stores.

The latest news at the mall concerned the demise of the Mervyn's chain. The SOUTHLAND location closed and reopened, as a Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based Kohl's, in 2009.

Sources:

www.bigmallrat.com / Scott P. webmaster
www.haywardareahistory / "Palma Ceia Elementary School and Neighborhood" / Dean Dizikes
Comment posts by "Romleys", Randy , Jim and "Mr. Blue Light"
Malls of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster
www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
www.southlandmall.com
"Carter Hawley Hale Stores" article on Wikipedia
"Southland Mall" article on Wikipedia
http://www.cinematreasures.com

The East Bay's SunValley Mall



San Fran-Oakland's first megamall, soon after its Summer of Love
dedication. The center had three anchors and 2 levels of retail. The
large outparcel on the left was a Bay Area-based Baza'ar discount mart.
It was later rebranded as a Rhodesway, then Mervyn's.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A southeastern view of the north end of the megamall. In the foreground
is one of "BigMallRat's" mystery shopping carts. It is unknown why the
mall would have had carts in its parking area and interior spaces, as
there was no supermarket in the complex.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A vintage postcard photo of the interior of the circa-'60s SUNVALLEY.

Here we see the North Wing of Level 2, with the "New Look" Penney's

off in the distance. There were also bi-level bird aviaries along the mall-

way, with doves in the lower level cage and parakeets in the upper.

Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

*

*

A fountain on Level 1 of the mall.

Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

The original Penney's Court. Behind this vantage point would have been

World's Faire, a prototype Food Court. Beneath that, on Level 1, was the

mall's indoor Ice Rink.

Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

Two vintage views of the Grand Court at SUNVALLEY. Notice the lady

with the shopping cart in the first.

Photos from Scott P. "BigMallRat"

The original footprint of Level 2. The gargantuan, 1.2 million square foot
mall was hailed as the world's largest for many years. Actually, it only
held this distinction for 7 months.

THE LARGEST ENCLOSED SHOPPING
MALLS IN THE UNITED STATES, 1967:

1. SUNVALLEY MALL / Concord / Pleasant Hill, CA
2. RANDHURST MALL / Mount Prospect, IL
3. NORTHPARK CENTER / Dallas, TX
4. SEVERANCE CENTER / Cleveland Heights, OH
5. WALT WHITMAN MALL / Huntington, NY

The gaping, 50-foot-long hole that was ripped into the roof
of the mall's Macy's by a crashing airplane. This December
1985 disaster claimed the lives of seven people.
Photo from www.check-six.com

Wreckage on the floor of the Grand Court.

Photo from www.check-six.com

A circa-'08 site plan of Level 2. Here we have one of the few existing
Mid-Century malls where the original anchors are still the same. Of
course, the circa-'67 Macy's is now a Macy's Womens...but it is a Macy's,
nonetheless.

An exterior shot, showing the mall's southwest entrance. Sears is
on the right. The mall -that was added to it- is on the left.
Photo from Wikipedia / "ShakataGaNai"

SUNVALLEY'S Sears originally had a single level of retail, with an interior

entrance on Level 2 of the mall. Eventually, the basement of the store

was made into an additional sales floor, with a new interior entrance

cut through to Level 1 of the mall.

Photo from Romley's Photostream

Contemporary view of the mall's bi-level interior space. This shot was
taken in the North Wing, in roughly the same place as the vintage
North Wing postcard photo above.
Photo from Taubman Centers website

SUNVALLEY MALL
Contra Costa Boulevard and Sunnyvale Road
Concord and Pleasant Hill, California

The East Bay's fourth interior mall was constructed on a 79 acre parcel, located 27.9 miles northeast of San Francisco's Union Square. The fully-enclosed complex, developed by Michigan's A. Alfred Taubman, straddled the Contra Costa County communities of Pleasant Hill and Concord.

At its grand opening -held August 5, 1967- the 1,255,000 square foot, 2-level venue was heralded as the nation's largest enclosed shopping center. However, within months, it was surpassed by Denver's new CINDERELLA CITY [January 2008 archive] and Chicagoland's YORKTOWN MALL [May 2008 archive].

The complex was anchored by a 1-level -with basement and penthouse- (241,000 square foot) Sears, which had opened October 19, 1966. There was also a 3-level (233,000 square foot) Macy's San Francisco and 3-level (266,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. A large, 2-level parking deck was situated to the north and northeast of the shopping center structure.

Stores fronting on the 2-level mall concourse included Spencer Gifts, Kress', Kushins Shoes, B. Dalton Bookseller, Florsheim Shoes and Walgreen Drug. The twin-screen Sunvalley I and II Cinema was on Level 1 of the mall. Also on Level 1 (adjacent to the Penney's Court) were an indoor Ice Arena and World's Faire, a forerunner of the international shopping mall food courts of the 1980s.

Retail rivals of SUNVALLEY included COUNTY EAST MALL (1966) [now known as SOMERSVILLE TOWNE CENTER] in Antioch and HILLTOP MALL (1976) in Richmond.

The only expansion of SUNVALLEY was completed in 1981, when a 3-level (180,000 square foot), Bay Area-based Emporium-Capwell was added to the southeast corner. Two parking garages were also constructed; the first adjacent to the new Emporium-Capwell, the second, located in the mall's southwest parking area.

A small plane, headed for the nearby Buchanon Airfield, crashed into the roof of the SUNVALLEY Macy's on December 23, 1985. The three persons inside the plane were killed instantly, with eighty-four mall patrons injured by debris and ignited airplane fuel. Four SUNVALLEY customers eventually died as a result of the disaster.

In the present day, the mall no longer has a defined Food Court area. Its restaurants have been relocated near the various mall entrances. The Ice Arena and Cinema have also been gone for some time.

However, the shopping venue is still anchored by Sears, Penney's and Macy's...although there are now two locations of that New York City-based department store. Macy's Women's occupies the original location. Macy's Men's was set up in the Emporium-Capwell, which closed in 1996.

SUNVALLEY MALL is also still owned by the company that developed it, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based Taubman Centers (a predecessor of A. Alfred Taubman's company). The center encompasses 1,405,000 leasable square feet and houses over one hundred and sixty inline stores.

Sources:

Scott P. / "BigMallRat
"Comment Posts By "Paul" and "Randy"
"Sunvalley Mall" article on Wikipedia
www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/SunValley_Mall
www.shopsunvalley.com

San Jose's Eastridge Center

*

Michigan's Taubman Centers built the eighth interior mall in the Bay

Area on the eastern outskirts of San Jose. Here we see an interior view

of their EASTRIDGE CENTER, which would now qualify as something

of a modernist masterpiece. The tri-level mall was situated around the

spacious Grand Court, with a dramatic, multilevel fountain as its focal

point.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A digitally restored ad, announcing the May 17,
1971 grand opening of the gargantuan, 1.2 million
square foot shopping complex. Although touted as
the largest in the West, another Taubman property
in the area, SUNVALLEY, was equally as large.
Ad from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

Two more interior shots of the circa-'70s EASTRIDGE. The first shows

the mall entrance into the 3-level (185,000 square foot) Liberty House,

with Joseph Magnin visible on the right. In the photo directly above, we

see a northwestern view of the Grand Court, with the 3-level (187,000

square foot) Macy's San Francisco in the background.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

A fourth interior shot of the Mid-Mod mall, showing its post-space age,
recessed seating areas and Constructivist sculpture. Chicago's WOOD-
FIELD MALL, developed simultaneously by Taubman Centers, had
similar interior design features.
Photos from www.greatamericaparks.com / Steven Wilson

And now, a circa-'71 site plan of EASTRIDGE. Like WOODFIELD its
sister center, EASTRIDGE was situated with two full level of retail,
with two third -sub- levels inserted on two side of its Grand Court.
EASTRIDGE had an Ice Arena located adjacent to Liberty House.
At WOODFIELD, the Ice Rink was on a lower level of the mall.

Two cut-away views of EASTRIDGE, both running from southwest

to northeast. The first section shows the orientation at the center of

the complex. The second displays the inside of the southeast-facing

front of the structure.

A final 1971 interior shot, taken in the northeast -Penney's- court.
Photo from Scott P. / "BigMallRat"

*


Fastforwarding thirty-two years, we have renderings of the massive
rebuild of the mall that occurred between 2003 and 2006. The upper
shot shows a portion of the lifestyle facade that was added to the south-
east front of the complex. The lower rendering is a depiction of the
remodeled Grand Court, now referred to as the Central Plaza.
Drawings from General Growth Properties

Today's EASTRIDGE MALL. The center was not physically expanded
until the mid-2000s. In addition to the new lifestyle-format Streetscape,
there is a 15-screen multiplex and 40,000 square foot Sport Chalet.
Moreover, the interior of the mall was gutted and totally rebuilt. The
retail hub now encompasses 1,310,000 leasable square feet and one
hundred and forty inline stores.

EASTRIDGE CENTER
Tully and Quimby Roads
San Jose, California

Illinois' Homart Development and Michigan's Taubman Centers teamed up in the late 1960s, forming a joint venture to build shopping malls. Along with Marshall Field and Company, they constructed Chicagoland's 1.5 million square foot WOODFIELD [June 2008 archive], which, by the end of 1971, was the largest fully-enclosed shopping mall in the world.

Over on the "Left Coast" of the nation, a sister center, developed by the Homart / Taubman consortium, had been dedicated May 17 of the same year.

Plans for EASTRIDGE CENTER had been announced in February 1968. The 1.2 million square foot, 32 million dollar shopopolis was to occupy a 95.8 acre plot, 1.7 miles northeast of Center City San Jose.

Like WOODFIELD, EASTRIDGE featured two full levels of retail, with a third -sub- level situated at two of the corners of its spacious Grand Court. Its interior was decorated with ultramodern, Constructivist statuary and flowing, multilevel fountains.

A 3-level (187,000 square foot) Macy's San Francisco and 3-level (185,000 square foot), Honolulu-based Liberty House comprised the two central anchors.

On the southwest end was a 2-level (192,500 square foot) Sears, on the northeast, a 2-level (133,700 square foot) J.C. Penney. The EASTRIDGE Penney's was noteworthy as being one of the last "new look", '60s-era stores.

Among the mall's one hundred and sixty tenants were Joseph Magnin, See's Candies, Jarman Shoes, Petries, Size 5-7-9 Shops, Albert's Hosiery, Singer Sewing Center, Le Petit Cafe, Tiffany's Bakery and Thayer McNeil. The mall also featured an 18,100 square foot Ice Arena.

Commercial competitors included VALLEY FAIR MALL (1956), 6.7 miles west, in San Jose, WESTGATE MALL (1960), 9.5 miles southwest, in Campbell, OAKRIDGE MALL (1971), 5.4 miles southwest, in San Jose and, eventually, GREAT MALL OF THE BAY AREA (1994), 7.3 miles northwest, in Milpitas.

The almost inevitable succession of anchor store nameplate changes at the mall got underway in 1977, when the EASTRIDGE Liberty House was sold to (and rebranded by) the San Francisco-based Emporium chain. A subsequent rebranding took place two years later. This time around, the building became a Bay Area-based Emporium-Capwell.

This moniker lasted until 1990, when it was truncated back to simply The Emporium. The store closed for good January 31, 1996 and was to sit vacant for seven years.

Plans for an expansion of the mall had become a hotly-debated local issue in late 1986. Mall owners and the operators of the adjacent Reed-Hillview Airport fought back and forth for years. The mall parking lot had become rather infamous as the site for several plane crashes and missed landings.

The operators of the airport argued that an 8-screen multiplex, proposed for EASTRIDGE, would block access to their runway. The mall owners -and some citizens- stipulated that the airport constituted a safety hazard and should be shut down.

A compromise, of sorts, was finally worked out. The airfield remained in business and a new multiplex (by now to feature 15 screens) would be built. However, its location would be moved substantially to the southwest...placing it out of the trajectory of descending aircraft.

EASTRIDGE CENTER, which was remodeled in 1982, 1988 and 1995, was in need of some sprucing up by the turn of the century. Moreover, the enormous, vacant Liberty House / Emporium needed to be redeveloped.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties, who had acquired a majority interest in EASTRIDGE in October 1999, instituted a 100 million dollar mall makeover in January 2003.

The Liberty House / Emporium and adjacent Ice Arena were razed and replaced with an open-air "Streetscape" section of stores, which included Bed, Bath and Beyond and Barnes and Noble. These came inline in 2005 and 2006.

Likewise, inline stores relocated into the Penney's Wing, with the interior of the shopping center being gutted and rebuilt in stages. New stores, such as Hollister, Victoria's Secret, Vans and Old Navy, were added to the directory.

The old Grand Court was reconfigured into a new Central Plaza. Its two sublevel store sections were taken out, with the entire mall reoriented with two floors. The Food Court, on the Upper Level, was also expanded into a 9-bay operation.

Lastly, the multiplex, on the drawing boards for nearly twenty years, came to fruition as the AMC EASTRIDGE 15, which grand opened November 23, 2005.

The rejunivated EASTRIDGE MALL now encompassed 1,310,000 leasable square feet, with a retail roster of one hundred and forty stores and services.

Sources:

Scott P. / "BigMallRat"
http://www.greatamericaparks.com/ / Steven Wilson
www.eastridgecenter.com
www.ggp.com
Santa Clara County tax assessor website
Malls of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster

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