Fresno's Manchester Center

Mid-Century signage, which promoted one of Greater Fresno's first major shopping centers. Its original stores opened for business between November 1953 and October 1960.
Photo from the Manchester Mortgage Company

Nino's Restaurant, serving Continental and American food, opened for business in January 1959. It was located in the Manchester Promenade, which was a freestanding group of stores in the mall's east parking area.

Rendering from Walter Wagner & Partners Architects

MANCHESTER CENTER had a sole anchor (Sears) during its early years. In March 1959, a Rhodes department store opened its doors. The two-page spread above was included in a contemporary Western Department Stores Annual Report.

Graphic from Western Department Stores Annual Report 1958

By the time of a circa-'60 layout, the basic footprint of MANCHESTER CENTER is established. The complex encompasses ten retail buildings, covers approximately 360,400 leasable square feet, and houses forty-one stores and services. Its parking area accommodates 4,200 autos.

An aerial rendering of MANCHESTER CENTER, dating to about 1969.
Drawing from http://www.flickr.com / "El Foto"

FULTON MALL was Fresno's Urban Renewal center city shopping hub. Conceptualized by renowned mall architect Victor Gruen, Fresno's FULTON was dedicated in September 1964. In 2015, vehicular traffic was returned to the pedestrian promenade.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Bryan868"

Meanwhile, in the late 1960s, MANCHESTER CENTER is still open-air. However, an adjacent strip complex has a fully-enclosed and air-conditioned concourse.

The enclosed strip center is known as MANCHESTER MALL. It occupies a city block north of the MANCHESTER CENTER Sears. This mini-mall, which included a Safeway supermarket and Manchester Mall Cinema, was built in 1967-'68. 

MANCHESTER CENTER AND MALL TENANTS 1969:

MANCHESTER CENTER
RHODES (with Beauty Salon) / SEARS (with Coffee House, Garden Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / MAYFAIR MARKET (with Bakery & Restaurant) / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Atkinson Foundations / Baldwin's Jewelers / Bank of America / Bert's Shoes / C. H. Baker Shoes / Cover Girl ladies' wear / Crocker Citizen's National Bank / Gallenkamp Shoes / Hollywood Camera Shop / Kirk's ladies' wear / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Longs Drugs (with luncheonette) / Manchester Beauty Salon / Rodder's Mademoiselle ladies' wear / Roos-Atkins apparel (with Beauty Salon) / See's Candies / Singer Sewing Center / US Post Office / Utilities Payment Office / Weil Brothers Ladies' Shop / Weil Brothers Men's Shop / Young Miss / Youngsters 

ARCADE SHOPS
Annie Laurie Konfections / Dane's Nutrition / Ennis China / Gardner's Bootery / KEAP Radio Studio / Trend-O-Fashion ladies' wear / United California Bank 

EAST PROMENADE
American Parisian Laundry / Base's Health Food / Big M Shoe Repair / Chez Renee' ladies' wear / Doctor William E. Thill, Optometrist / Eddie's Pastry Shop / Household Finance Corporation / Imhoff's Yardstick fabrics / Manchester Barber Shop / Manchester Laundramatic / Mode O'Day Frock Shop / Nanci Maternity / Party Tips / Perry Boys' Smorgy / Record Center / Sherman Clay Music Center 

MANCHESTER MALL
SAFEWAY supermarket, bakery & coffee shop / American Acceptance / Beaver's Fried Chicken / Carnation / Carpet Town / Gloria Marshall Figure Salon / Greenbriar Men's Shop / Hairmaster Barber Shop / Interior Systems / Kim's Fashions ladies' wear / Kopy Kat Knits / Lewis Jewelers / Lyle's College of Beauty / Manchester Mall Cinema / Manchester Mall Cleaners / The Gunay Sack / Unique Shop 

In October 1978, work began on a 3-year-long renovation of MANCHESTER CENTER. During the 20 million dollar project, two shopping concourses would be enclosed, a second level of retail added and third anchor store built. In the rendering above, we see a remodeled West Mall.

Drawing from Bode & Bode Architects

By mid-1981, MANCHESTER MALL has been expanded with additional stores (in light gray). A fully-enclosed concourse has also been created, leaving Sears out in the rain. The 682,200 square foot shopping venue now has two levels of shopping and a shiny new Gottschalks (a branch of Fresno's hometown department store).

Sears operated at the shopping facility between May 1956 and February 2020.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"

The MANCHESTER CENTER Gottschalks was in business between October 1979 and June 2009.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"

At the time of a turn of the century plan, the complex has just been expanded for a fourth time. A new addition to the shopping concourse (in gray) connects the mall with its formerly freestanding Sears. Moreover, a 16-plex cinema has been added to the store directory.

The store strip north of Sears was promoted as the MANCHESTER MALL in the late 1960s. Its air-conditioned shopping concourse was removed in the 1970s, with all stores opened to the front parking area. Today, the 104,000 square foot complex is known as MANCHESTER NORTH.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

A Beverly Hills-based firm acquired MANCHESTER CENTER in 2011. They released details of a prospective renovation in May 2015. Here we see an exterior view of a revitalized retail center.
Drawing from Omninet Properties

By 2016, the original mall makeover plan had been altered. Here we see a more current rendering of MANCHESTER CENTER.
Drawing from http://thenewmanchester.com

In said plan, a vacant Gottschalks is transformed into a Marketplace Food Court. This "artisan food community" would house over twelve restaurants and open onto an outdoor Events Plaza.
Drawing from http://thenewmanchester.com

The renovation of MANCHESTER CENTER got underway in the fall of 2016. When construction dust settled, this is how the complex was configured. It encompassed in the neighborhood of 1,023,800 leasable square feet, with around fifty-one stores and services. The parking area now accommodated 3,200 autos.

MANCHESTER CENTER
North Blackstone and East Shields Avenues
Fresno, California

One of the San Joaquin ["wah-keen"] Valley's first major, suburban shopping centers was built on 40 acres, lying 2.6 miles north of downtown Fresno. The site had previously been utilized as part of the Markarian fig orchard.

Fresno State College had considered the property for the development of a school of agriculture, but abandoned the plan in 1949. The site was sold to Fresno's C. Arthur Berfield and his Manchester Mortgage Company in early 1952. Soon after, ground was broken for MANCHESTER CENTER. The single-level complex was designed by Walter Wagner. 

A (32,000 square foot) Mayfair Market grocery became the first operational store on November 5, 1953. A Formal Opening for the shopping complex was held on September 20, 1955, with nine operational stores. In addition to Mayfair Market, these were Mode O' Day Frock Shop, Longs Drugs, Trend O' Fashion, Gallenkamp Shoes, Freeman Shoes, Kirk's Sportswear, Cover Girl Sportswear and a (10,700 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. 

A 2-level (131,000 square foot) Sears opened its doors on May 23, 1956. This store was located north of -and across the street from- the main MANCHESTER CENTER store blocks. By November 1957, the 15 million dollar open-air mall enveloped approximately 364,400 leasable square feet and housed twenty-seven stores and services. It was now owned and operated by the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Early competitors of MANCHESTER CENTER were MAYFAIR CENTER (1949) {1.3 miles southeast, in Fresno} and FIG GARDEN VILLAGE (1956) {1.9 miles northwest, also in Fresno}. 

The MANCHESTER CENTER Sears was eventually expanded to 216,000 square feet. It was joined by a 3-level (110,00 square foot), Tacoma-based Rhodes, which welcomed its first shoppers on March 6, 1959.  Honolulu-based AMFAC (American Factors), who operated Hawaii's Liberty House chain, acquired Rhodes stores in November 1969. They promoted locations as Liberty House / Rhodes between 1970 and late 1974. After this, they took on the Liberty House brand.

Los Angeles' Fred J. Russell bought MANCHESTER CENTER in 1966. At this time, the complex was still open-air in configuration. A fully-enclosed and air-conditioned block of stores, known as the MANCHESTER MALL, was added north of the MANCHESTER CENTER Sears. MANCHESTER MALL housed seventeen stores and services, including a Safeway supermarket and single-screen movie theater. This venue, the General Cinema Corporation Manchester Mall Cinema, debuted on December 21, 1967.

On October 8, 1978, a 20 million dollar mall expansion got underway, which was designed by Fresno's Bode & Bode Architects. The (45,000 square foot) East Promenade structure was demolished. A 2-level (86,000 square foot) Gottschalks was built, which commenced operation on October 27, 1979. The renovation's second phase enclosed shopping concourses and added a second retail level. An 8-bay Food Court was installed in the new upper floor. 

When construction dust settled, MANCHESTER CENTER covered approximately 682,200 leasable square feet and contained seventy-nine tenant spaces. Stores added as part of the remodeling included Grodin's men's wear, Granat Brothers Jewelers, Malin's Shoes, Baskin-Robbins ice cream and Valley Sports. Joseph Magnin assumed a vacant Woolworth space on September 10, 1980. 

A second expansion -costing 8 million dollars- was undertaken in August 1988. The mall proper was extended northward, taking out Dayton Avenue and connecting the existing Sears into the complex. By this time, shopping alternatives in the "Mid Valley" included FRESNO MALL (1964) {a downtown redevelopment}, FASHION FAIR MALL (1970) {1.6 miles northeast, in Fresno}, SIERRA VISTA MALL (1988) {5 miles northeast, in Clovis} and -eventually- RIVER PARK (1997) {4 miles north, also in Fresno}.

All of the commercial competition took its toll on MANCHESTER CENTER. The Liberty House location was shuttered, with Home Express taking up shop on the first level and a Gottschalks Clearance Center opening on the second. These stores were short-lived.

A 30 million dollar renovation and expansion was proposed in February 1994. This was to include a 188,400 square foot Third Level, United Artists 20-screen megaplex and parking garage. These never came to pass. By 1996, the shopping hub was in default. It was auctioned off in 1997. A new owner embarked on a transition to a mixed-use office and retail format. The vacant Liberty House was leased as offices for CalTrans.

By the turn of the 20th century, MANCHESTER CENTER was 60-percent vacant. The mall's doldrums improved a bit with the dedication of the Signature Theatres Manchester Stadium 16. The movie megaplex showed its first features on July 16, 2000. Unfortunately, as the years progressed, more stores were shuttered. Longs Drugs, a charter 1956 tenant, closed in late 2007. Gottschalks went dark, along with the entire chain, on June 28, 2009.

Beverly Hills-based Omninet Properties acquired the struggling facility in 2011. In May 2015, they released details of a major renovation and repositioning. Under this plan, the interior and exterior of the complex would be thoroughly rebuilt. An indoor Dining Court and gourmet grocery (in the old Rhodes building) were included in the prospectus.

An amended plan was announced in early 2016. The moribund mall would be redeveloped, with its focal point being a new outdoor Events Plaza. The bulk of the Lower Level would be dedicated to retail, with the Upper containing leased office space. The old Gottschalks would be gutted and rebuilt as a Marketplace of restaurants. These would include Mariscos Las Adas Manzanillo, Green's Family Grill, Pineapple Kitchen, The Smokin' Burrito and Yummz Street Treats.

Ground was broken in September 2016. The first phase of the project, a freestanding strip center housing Chipotle Mexican Grill and two additional eateries, was completed in mid-2017. At the same time, Sears downsized its store into a 132,000 square foot section. The northern end of the building was reconfigured as five store spaces.

The downsized Sears ended up closing for good on February 2, 2020. Two of the five spaces carved out of the store's north end opened soon after. A (21,000 square foot) dd's discounts rang up its first sale on September 25, 2021. Ross Dress for Less (with 23,500 square feet) began business on October 9 of the same year.

MANCHESTER CENTER now covered approximately 1,023,800 leasable square feet and contained around fifty-one stores and services. Among there were Azkara, El Rodeo, Sally Beauty Supply, Footlocker, K's Sportswear, Studio 58 and a campus for UEI College.

Sources:

The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California)

The Modesto Bee (Modesto, California)

Western Department Stores Annual Report 1958

http://www.fresno.gov / "Mid-Century Modernism Historic Context" / City of Fresno Planning & Development Department / September 2008

"Fresno Growing Up, A City Comes of Age: 1945-1985" / Stephen H. Provost / 2015  

http://www.labelscar.com

http://www.manchester-center.com

https://omni-manchester.squarespace.com

"Gottschalks Store Location Chronology & Current Statuses" / Randy Hansen

Frenso County, California tax assessor website

https://www.barrons.com 

http://thenewmanchester.com

https://thebusinessjournal.com

Tucson's El Con Center

A rendering of the first mall-type shopping center in -or around- the Old Pueblo. Its open-air shopping concourse extended for 537 feet.

Drawing from the Magna Investment & Development Corporation / Kivel Interests of Tucson

Tucson's first shopping mall was built adjacent to the posh Hotel El Conquistador, a local landmark since 1928. In fact, the name "El Con Center" is derived from the name of the hotel. By the way, "Conquistador" is the Spanish translation of Conqueror of the West. 
Photo from http://www.ringbrothershistory.com

Our first EL CON site plan shows the locations of Hotel El Conquistador and the new shopping center built beside it. At this early date, EL CON CENTER spans around 488,000 leasable square feet and houses nineteen stores...with an eventual total of forty-two. The mall parking area has space for 3,000 autos.

EL CON CENTER TENANTS 1961:

LEVY'S (with Antoinne Beauty Salon and Budget Shop) / MONTGOMERY WARD (with Snack Bar, Optical Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / EL RANCHO MARKET / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with Luncheonette) / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with Dinette and Delicatessen) / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Coffee Dan's / Daniel's Jewelers / David's Wetherby-Kayser Shoes / First National Bank of Arizona / Gallenkamp Shoes / Grunewald & Adams Jewelers / House of Fabrics / Kinney Shoes / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Mills-Touche' men's wear / Nan's Dress Shop / National Shirt Shops / Nu-Art Photo Service / Porter's apparel / Skaggs Drug Center (with luncheonette) / Singer Sewing Center / The College Shop / Wohlfeiler's Shoes 

In a full-color photo, shoppers stroll the EL CON shopping concourse. F.W. Woolworth, on the right, was a junior anchor at the 6 million dollar complex.

Photo from Petley Studios, Incorporated

The first phase of a large-scale EL CON expansion was completed in the fall of 1969. This was built on the site of the demolished hotel and consisted of a new Levy's ["lee-veez"], relocated from a much smaller store in the original open-air mall.
Drawing from Levy's of Tucson

By 1972, the new Levy's has been joined by a 480,400 square foot interior mall (in light gray). This included J.C. Penney as an anchor. For 7 years, there were -in essence- two separate shopping centers at the site; the East Mall and West Mall. Collectively, they contained eighty-seven store spaces. Free parking was provided for 7,000 autos.

An exterior view of the EL CON MALL J.C. Penney. The store would anchor the shopping complex for over 49 years.
Photo from Pima County, Arizona

By 1979, the two structures are merged into a single entity. With the completion of the latest expansion (in light gray), EL CON MALL houses five anchors, approximately 1,023,800 leasable square feet and contains 124 stores and services. These are accessed from two fully-enclosed shopping concourses.

EL CON prospered, as the only major shopping center in town, for over 13 years. PARK MALL, the region's second enclosed retail venue, was inaugurated in May 1975. Developed by one of the owners of EL CON, PARK MALL was not a true competitor...at  least in its early years.
Graphic from the Sierra Investment Company

THE TUCSON MALL, which was completed in March 1982, was an EL CON competitor from the start.
Graphic from Forest City Rental Properties, Incorporated

Finally, there was FOOTHILLS MALL. Its grand opening was held in August 1982, providing even more retail rivalry for EL CON MALL.
Graphic from Federated Stores Realty, Incorporated

By the early 2000s, EL CON MALL has been in a downward spiral for several years. It is being reconfigured as the new EL CON MALL. Most of the 1960 structure has been bulldozed and replaced with a new megaplex and Home Depot. A vacant Montgomery Ward will soon be demolished, as well. The west anchor has gone through a succession of nameplates. At this time, it is operating as a So-Cal-based Robinsons-May.

The mall's North (Food Court) Entrance and open piazza it fronted on. This section of the former enclosed mall was torn down in 2012.
Photo from www.shopelconmall.com

The interior of the EL CON MALL Food Court. The prospective culinary complex was a 2001-2002 addition. It was never utilized and sat vacant for nearly 10 years.
Photo from www.shopelconmall.com

In late 2006, a section at the southwest corner of the mall was razed. The incomplete Ross store, seen here, was built in the space. It opened for business in November 2007.
Photo from Pima County, Arizona

That well-known Bentonville-based retailer joined the EL CON tenant list in September 2013.
Photo from www.elconcenter.com

At the time of a circa-2015 depiction, the shopping hub is once again (officially) a CENTER. The remainder of its enclosed shopping concourse has been ripped out and replaced by open-air sidewalks. A great deal of vacant inline store space has also been demolished. New stores include PetSmart, Shoe Carnival and Marshalls.


EL CON CENTER
East Broadway and North Dodge Boulevards
Tucson, Arizona

Hotel El Conquistador, a grand, Spanish Revival structure, opened to much fanfare in November 1928. It was situated on the western half of a 93-acre plot, located 2.6 miles east of center city Tucson. Development of the eastern half of the site commenced in April 1959. 

An open-air shopping center was built by a joint venture of John E. Papanikolas' Magna Investment & Development Corporation and Joseph Kivel's Kivel Interests of Tucson. Albert C. Martin & Associates, of Los Angeles, designed the 488,000 square foot complex.

The first operational store at EL CON CENTER was a 2-level (62,000 square foot), Tucson-based Levy's ["lee-veez"], which was formally dedicated on November 16, 1960.  A branch of the First National Bank of Arizona was dedicated on February 1st, 1961. Montgomery Ward's 2-level (150,000 square foot) unit opened for business on February 2nd.

Seven inline stores were launched on August 24, 1961. These were House of Fabrics, Gallenkamp Shoes, Lerner Shops, Kinney Shoes, an El Rancho Market grocery, (15,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth and (27,900 square foot) S.S. Kresge.

Nine stores opened their doors on November 2, 1961; Baker's Qualicraft Shoes, The College Shop, Daniel's Jewelers, Grunewald & Adams Jewelers, Mills-Touche men's wear, Nu-Art Photo Service, Skaggs Drug Center, Wohlfeiler's Shoes and David's Wetherby-Kayser Shoes. EL CON CENTER now featured nineteen stores and services. When fully-leased, the mall would house forty-two.

The adjacent hotel closed in 1964 and was razed in 1968. In its place, a new 2-level (193,300 square foot) Levy's was built. This store opened on September 15, 1969 and was expanded with a third level (to 290,000 square feet) in 1975. The original Levy's store, in the neighboring open-air center, re-opened, as a Tucson-based Steinfeld's, on March 27, 1971.

Meanwhile, a single-level, fully-enclosed mall was being built, which would be anchored by a 2-level (115,900 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store was dedicated on August 4, 1971, with its freestanding Penney's Auto Center opening for business on August 23rd. This new West Mall encompassed approximately 480,400 leasable square feet. Its first inline store, Florsheim Shoes, began business in February 1972. First National Bank relocated into the West Mall in May. Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour welcomed first customers in July 1973.

The adjacent (but separate) open-air complex was now promoted as the East Mall. It, and the enclosed West Mall, were operated as a single entity. In the mid-1970s, construction commenced on a second phase of the enclosed complex, which served to connect the two shopping centers. Encompassing 215,600 leasable square feet, the connecting section of mall was anchored by a 2-level (120,000 square foot), Phoenix-based Goldwaters, dedicated on August 14, 1978.

As the new section was being built, the existing East Mall mall was enclosed and climate-controlled. The amalgamated mall, which encompassed approximately 1,023,800 leasable square feet, held its grand opening on January 27, 1979. Among 124 stores and services were United Jewelers & Distributors, Showcase Cards, Wicks 'N Sticks, T-Shirts Etcetera, Musicland, B. Dalton Bookseller and Morrow's Nut House. The TM Theatres El Con 6 showed its first features on August 19, 1979.

The shopping hub had encountered its first competition with the completion of PARK MALL {2.7 miles east, in Tucson} in May 1975. THE TUCSON MALL {5.3 miles northwest, also in Tucson} opened for business in March 1982. FOOTHILLS MALL {9.7 miles northwest, in Pima County} was dedicated in August of the same year.

Steinfeld's became the first EL CON MALL anchor store to fold, on August 26, 1984. Its space was to sit vacant, being used, on an intermittent basis, as a Holiday Sharing Center for the needy. In November 1993, the space re-opened as the short-lived Pavilion at El Con Mall, which included a food court, farmer's market, bazaar and indoor street fair.

The next anchor alteration involved Levy's, which was rebranded by Dallas-based Sanger-Harris in September 1985 and Houston-based Foley's in July 1987. On February 2, 1997, the store morphed into a Los Angeles-based Robinsons-May. This was rebranded by Macy's, on September 9, 2006. Goldwaters became a Dillard's in September 1986. The Arkansas-based retailer pulled the plug on their EL CON MALL store on May 9, 2000.

By this time, much had changed at the mall site. The circa-1960 section, save for Montgomery Ward, had been knocked down in December 1998, taking a portion of the 1978 addition, including the shuttered El Con 6 cinema structure, along with it. The Century 20 At El Con Mall was built, which made its debut June 30, 1999. This was joined by a 1-level (123,200 square foot) Home Depot, dedicated in June 2001.

A Food Court and open piazza were installed between the new megaplex and existing J.C. Penney. Oddly enough, the Food Court was never utilized. Montgomery Ward at EL CON MALL shut down March 18, 2001. The building was bulldozed with ground broken, for a 1-level (125,000 square foot) Target, in November 2003. The store held its grand opening on July 25, 2004.

Another "anchor's away" took place in January 2008, with the shuttering of Macy's. This ended up providing a way for Wal-Mart to establish a presence at EL CON MALL...something they had been trying to do since 1999. At that time, a proposal for an EL CON Wal-Mart was met with so much community opposition that the city passed a Big Box Ordinance which temporarily stopped the Bentonville retailer from SuperCentering the mall.

A few years later, The City of Tuscon met with Wal-Mart behind closed doors and formulated a way to work around the Big Box Ordinance.  A development plan was approved by the City of Tucson in June 2011, but construction was delayed by a lawsuit filed by a "Stop Wal-Mart" citizens group in November 2011. In the meantime, the owners of the property, Tucson-based MAS Real Estate Management, worked tirelessly to reposition the shopping complex. Its long term revitalization included a new Ross Dress for Less.

Outparcel structures were also been built along the front of the site, including Office Depot, Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, Chick-Fil-A and In-N-Out Burger. Moreover, the Goldwaters / Dillard's, sitting vacant since 2000, was retenanted. Burlington Coat Factory renovated the building and opened a store, on its first level, March 5, 2010.

All legal hurdles for the construction of the EL CON WalMart were resolved in August 2012. Work on the 1-level (100,000 square foot) SuperCenter began in the fall of 2012, with its grand opening taking place September 11, 2013.

Real estate and sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke acquired EL CON MALL in May 2014. At this time, the official name reverted to EL CON CENTER. Marshalls joined the retail roster, with a (23,000 square foot) store, on August 20, 2015. J.C. Penney, an EL CON tenant since 1971, shuttered their store in late 2020.

Sources:

The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona)
The Tucson Citizen
http://www.ringbrothershistory.com
www.scribd.com/doc / "Arizona Movie Theaters"
http://www.labelscar.com
http://www.shopelconmall.com
http://pcasar.com
Pima County, Arizona property tax assessor website

www.insidetucsonbusiness.com
www.cinematreasures.org
"El Con Mall" article on Wikipedia

MAJOR PHOENIX MALLS & SHOPPING CENTERS

1. PARK CENTRAL SHOPPING CITY -1957 / open-air / PARK CENTRAL SHOPPING CENTER -1972 / PARK CENTRAL MALL -1985 / PARK CENTRAL (office complex) -1996 / Phoenix

2. CAMELBACK TOWN & COUNTRY VILLAGE 1958-1969 / open-air / TOWN & COUNTRY CENTER -1970-2009 / SHOPS AT TOWN & COUNTRY 2010- / Phoenix

3. MARYVALE SHOPPING CITY -1959 / open-air / MARYVALE MALL -1979 / enclosed / MARK T. ATKINSON and BRET R. TARVER SCHOOLS -2000-2001 / Phoenix

4. TOWER PLAZA -1959 / open-air / TOWER PLAZA MALL -1967 / enclosed / TOWER PLAZA OUTLET MART 1983-1998 / DESERT PALMS POWER CENTER -1999 / open-air / Phoenix

5. WEST PLAZA SHOPPING CITY -1959 / open-air / WESTOWN CENTER -1970s / BETHANY TOWNE CENTER -1990s / Phoenix

6. CHRIS-TOWN CENTER -1961 / Arizona's first enclosed mall / PHOENIX SPECTRUM MALL -2001 / CHRISTOWN SPECTRUM MALL -2007 / Phoenix

7. SCOTTSDALE FASHION SQUARE -1959 / open-air, enclosed 1987 / merged with CAMELVIEW PLAZA 1990 / Scottsdale

8. THOMAS MALL 1963-1993 / enclosed / ARCADIA CROSSING -1995 / open-air / Phoenix

9. BILTMORE FASHION PARK -1963 / open-air / Phoenix

10. EAST CAMELBACK MALL -1964 / enclosed / SEARS-RHODES MALL -1967 / THE COLONNADE -1976 / CAMELBACK COLONNADE -1994 / enclosed & open-air / Phoenix

11. TRI-CITY MALL 1968-1999 / enclosed / TRI-CITY PAVILIONS -2000 / open-air / Mesa

12. LOS ARCOS MALL 1969-1999 / enclosed / SKYSONG GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER -2007 / Scottsdale

13. VALLEY WEST MALL -1973 / enclosed / MANISTEE TOWNE CENTER 1996-2002 / NORTHERN CROSSING POWER CENTER -2003 / Glendale

14. METROCENTER 1973-2020 / enclosed / Phoenix

15. CAMELVIEW PLAZA -1974 / enclosed / merged with SCOTTSDALE FASHION SQUARE 1990 / Scottsdale

16. PARADISE VALLEY MALL 1979-2023 / enclosed / Phoenix

17. FIESTA MALL 1979-2023 / enclosed / Mesa

18. THE BORGATA -1981 / open-air retail village / Scottsdale

19. WESTRIDGE MALL -1981 / DESERT SKY MALL -1997 / enclosed / Phoenix

20. EAST VALLEY MALL -1986 / open-air power center / Chandler

21. SCOTTSDALE GALLERIA 1990-1993 / enclosed / GALLERIA CORPORATE CENTRE -2001 / Scottsdale

22. SUPERSTITION SPRINGS CENTER -1990 / enclosed / Mesa

23. ARROWHEAD TOWN CENTER -1993 / enclosed / Glendale

24. ARIZONA MILLS -1997 / enclosed / Tempe

25. KIERLAND COMMONS -2000 / open-air lifestyle center / Phoenix

26. BELL CANYON PAVILIONS -2001 / open-air / Phoenix

27. CHANDLER FASHION CENTER -2001 / enclosed / Chandler

28. WESTGATE CITY CENTER -2005 / open-air / Glendale


[Structures indicated in bold italic have been completely demolished. Those in green have full articles on the MALL HALL OF FAME site]

Anchorage's The Mall (Mall At Sears)

This logo was used to promote Alaska's first enclosed, suburban-style shopping center. In its original state, THE MALL spanned approximately 279,400 leasable square feet and housed thirty stores and services.
Graphic from The Mall, Incorporated

A vintage view of the original east anchor. It opened, as a freestanding unit, in April 1966. With its completion, Sears had retail stores in all of the fifty states. Note: THE MALL would be added to the right (or west) side of the building.

Photo from Sears, Roebuck & Company Annual Report 1966

Sears was expanded, on two sides, in the early 1970s. By the time of this circa-1975 plan, THE MALL contained around 309,200 leasable square feet. When the complex opened in the late 1960s, its generic name could suffice. However, by the early 1980s, there were four interior malls in Anchorage. To differentiate itself, Alaska's original enclosed shopping center was renamed MALL AT SEARS.

THE MALL TENANTS 1975:

SEARS (with attached Auto Center) / CARR'S FOOD CENTER / Adams Stationery / Alaska Cleaners / American Hairdressers / Andy's Sweets, Treats 'n Eats / Anita Shops ladies' wear / Bert's Pillbox Pharmacy / The Book Cache / Contact Optical / Grandma's Closet (juvenile apparel) / Harold's Shoes / The Hideout (leather accessories) / Household Finance Corporation / Island Keys Gifts / Jaspers, Incorporated ladies' wear / Jay Jacob Men's / Jay Jacob Women's / Kinney Shoes / Klopfenstein's ladies' & men's wear / Lafayette Audio Specialists / Mall Barbershop / Mall Photo Center / National Bank of Alaska / Nobby Shops ladies' wear / Russell Stover Candies / Sheffield Publick House Restaurant & Lounge / US Post Office / Wonderful World of Wigs / Zales Jewelers

Zooming through time to the early 2000s, we see contemporary MALL AT SEARS signage. This display stood along Anchorage's East Northern Lights Boulevard.
Photo from http://www.mallatsears.com

The front facade of the complex, which also faces East Northern Lights Boulevard. This image shows the appearance of the mall before a 2010s face lift was completed.
Photo from http://www.akhomeshow.com / Ryan Tollefson Real Estate Experts

MALL AT SEARS was renovated between March and June of 2011. In this snapshot, we see a newly-created South Entrance, which faces East Benson Boulevard. The SteamDot Coffee and BurgerFi stores opened in 2013 and 2016, respectively.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

Nordstrom Rack opened at MALL AT SEARS in September 2015. The store was carved out of the existing Sears, which was downsized by 35,000 square feet.

Photo from https://www.neeserinc.com / Neeser Construction Company / Ken Graham Photography

In a circa-2015 layout, we see the configuration of the new Nordstrom Rack. The store had only an exterior entry, and was not accessible from the mall's enclosed shopping concourse.

A Carrs (later Carrs-Safeway) supermarket, an original 1968 tenant, closed for good in September 2016. The building was substantially renovated. A new R.E.I. (Recreational Equipment, Incorporated) Co-op store was dedicated in early 2019.
Photo from https://midtownmall.com

Sears, another charter tenant, pulled up stakes in April 2018. The downsized store was divided three ways, with spaces for Guitar Center, Planet Fitness and a new Carrs-Safeway created. These stores were open for business by mid-2019. In the meantime, the shopping center had been renamed MIDTOWN MALL in July 2018.

THE MALL

East Northern Lights Boulevard and Seward Highway
Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska's first shopping mall was developed by real estate entrepreneur Barney Gottstein and Lawrence J. "Larry" Carr, who operated the Carr's Food Center supermarket chain. They built a fully-enclosed shopping center on a 17.6-acre site, located 1.5 miles southeast of downtown Anchorage, in the city's Midtown area.

THE MALL was added to a 2-level (139,300 square foot) Sears, which had been dedicated July 17, 1966. At its official grand opening, held on January 31, 1968, the single-level shopping complex spanned around 279,400 leasable square feet and housed thirty stores and services.

Anchoring THE MALL were the aforementioned Sears and a 1-level (41,200 square foot) Carr's Food Center. Charter inline stores included Russell Stover Candies, a Wells Fargo Bank, Sheffield Cafeteria & Pub and Ben Franklin variety store.

Within 3 years, Sears was being enlarged by 29,800 square feet. The expanded store, now spanning 163,000 square feet, was re-dedicated on July 29, 1972. THE MALL now encompassed a total of 309,200 leasable square feet.

Meanwhile, the city's second enclosed shopping complex had been completed. UNIVERSITY CENTER {.5 miles southeast} opened for business in April 1972. Next came BONIFACE CENTER {3.1 miles east}, which was dedicated in June 1976. The first stores in DIMOND CENTER {2.7 miles south} began business in August 1977, with those in NORTHWAY MALL {2.1 miles northeast} debuting in May 1980. FIFTH AVENUE MALL {a downtown development} welcomed its first shoppers in August 1987.

By this time, the official name of THE MALL had morphed into THE MALL AT SEARS. An anchor rebranding took place in April 1999, after the Pleasanton, California-based Safeway chain acquired Anchorage-based Carrs. Following the merger, stores were known as Carrs Quality Center-Safeway or simply Carrs-Safeway.

A major renovation of THE MALL AT SEARS got underway in March 2011. The project created a new south side entrance, gave face lifts to the exterior of the building, replaced flooring, ceilings and restrooms and made room for four new retail spaces. The remodeling was completed in June 2011.

A 1-level (35,000 square foot) Nordstrom Rack was dedicated September 3, 2015. The store was set up in the northeast corner of the existing Sears. With its completion, Sears had been downsized to approximately 128,000 square feet.

By this time, the mall had been acquired by Seritage Growth Properties, a real estate redevelopment division of Sears Holdings. Carr Gottstein Properties, the original owner, was retained as a managing agent.

Carrs-Safeway was shuttered on September 12, 2016. In April 2018, Sears went dark. Its space was reconfigured as a (65,000 square foot) Carrs-Safeway supermarket, (16,500 square foot) Guitar Center and a Planet Fitness facility. These would be open for business by mid-2019. As Sears was no longer a tenant at the shopping hub, an official name change was in order. THE MALL AT SEARS became MIDTOWN MALL in July 2018.

Sources:

The Anchorage Daily News
www.mallatsears.com
Anchorage County, Alaska property tax assessor website
untphilstrunk.com/mall-anchorage-turns-47 / "Aunt Phil's Trunk"

http://www.denalicommercial.com (Denali Commercial)
http://www.carrgottstein.com (Carr Gottstein Properties)
https://midtownmall.com

Colorado Springs' The Citadel

The architecture and interior decor of the original CITADEL mall were a curious combination of '70s Brutalist and Pre-Columbian styles. In this image, we see the aquatic-themed Plaza Of The Waters, which included fountains, reflecting pools and outdoor seating.
Photo from Pikes Peak Library Digital Collections / Myron Wood

J.C. Penney anchored the south end of THE CITADEL with one of their most unique stores. Its design echoed the Mayan and Aztec pyramids of Central and South America.

Photo from https://www.masonam.com / Mason Asset Management

The Pre-Columbian motif was also used on the exterior of the mall's north anchor. Carlisle B. Guy, a Colorado Springs architect, designed THE CITADEL Denver Dry Goods. He created three bas-relief panels, which were installed over the store's parking lot entrances.
Photo from https://www.flickr.com / "army.arch"

THE CITADEL was Colorado's first major shopping mall outside of Greater Denver. Its first two stores opened for business in February 1972, with an official dedication held in the March of the same year. Originally spanning approximately 595,000 leasable square feet, the 20 million dollar complex contained eighty-four tenant spaces.

THE CITADEL TENANTS 1972:

J.C. PENNEY (with Coffee Shop, Beauty Salon and freestanding Auto Center) / DENVER DRY GOODS (with Beauty Salon)

LOWER LEVEL STORES
ABC Kiddie Shop / American Federal Savings & Loan (kiosk) / Americana Shop / Bains Men's Wear / Balows Western Wear / Barberio Cheese House / Burstein-Applebee electronics / Can-Do Shop (kiosk) / Carousel Snack Bar / Chess King men's wear / Citadel Cinema I & II / Citadel Music Center / Docktor Pet Center / El Chico restaurant / Florsheim Shoes / Flowers from Paul's / Forum Cafeteria / GNC / Golden Cycle Land Service Center (kiosk) / Hallmark Cards / Hardy Shoes / Hudson-Mathews Clothiers / Jeans West / K-G Men's Store / K & S ServiceCenter / National Shirt Shops / Patsy's Candies / Regal Shoes / Richman Brothers men's wear / Royal Optical / Singer Sewing Center / Spencer Gifts / Stag Tobacconist / Team Electronics / The Apothecary / The Record Shop / Ties Plus / Waldenbooks / Walgreen Drug (with Walgreen Grill) / Wynn's Keyboards, Limited

UPPER LEVEL STORES
American Federal Savings & Loan (kiosk) / Argencio Brothers Jewelers / Bakers Shoes / Carousel ladies' wear / Children's Photographers (kiosk) / Conrad's Fabrics / Corner 1 / Farar's Gifts / Fashion Bar / Flair Fashions / Foxmoor Casuals / Helzberg Diamonds / Kaufman's apparel / Kinney Shoes / Lehrer's Flowers / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Lillie Ruben ladies' wear / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Mr. "C' Fashions / Mrs. Stover's Candies / Motherhood Maternity / Nina's Boutique ladies' wear / Orange Bowl snack bar / Palmer's Antiques / Parklane Hosiery / Susie's Casuals ladies' wear / The Citadel Bank (outparcel) / The Dame / Vorhes Shoes / Zales Jewelers  

A vintage view of the original theatrical venue at THE CITADEL. The General Cinema Corporation Citadel Cinema I & II was located at (what was) the West Entrance into the Lower Level of the mall.
Photo from www.cinematreasures.org /  "DennisMahaney1"