MALL HALL OF FAME

2009-11-30T13:47:00.016-05:00

Next In Line

An Expansion Of Coverage

Of South Florida Malls....

This Time Zeroing In

On Miami-Dade!

So...Stay Tuned!

2009-10-27T09:16:00.007-05:00

The sixth in our series of America's "Early Malls", in its original -mid-
1950s- incarnation. The 192,000 square foot complex was added to an
existing Denver Dry Goods store and included "The Two W's" -Wool-
worth and Walgreen's- staple stores of many a mid-century center.

2009-09-01T08:49:00.002-05:00

The same locale in two entirely different times, The North

Mall at SOUTHLAND in 1965 and 2005.

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

Photo Two Scott P. / "Big MallRat"

2009-09-01T11:31:00.009-05:00

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. It would

appear that the reinvention of the virtually vacant

mall is probably not to be...at least anytime in the

foreseeable future.
Original drawing from www.oakridgecitycenter.com

2009-09-22T08:04:00.003-05:00

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 www.ramsa.com (Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP)

2009-09-22T09:51:00.002-05:00

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 www.bing.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 www.bing.com

2009-09-22T09:18:00.002-05:00

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 One from http://www.labelscar.com/ / "Prange Way"
Photo Two from Wikipedia / "CantNot"
Photo Three from http://www.loopnet.com/

2009-07-06T15:37:00.002-05:00

The power center that replaced Plattsburgh's PYRAMID MALL in the
year 2000. In the upper right is the K-Mart that anchored the original
center. It was left standing when the mall was bulldozed in 1999. The
structure at right center, formerly a Price Chopper supermarket, was
also retained and remodeled. These were joined by Lowe's (upper
center) and a new Price Chopper (lower left).
Photo from http://www.rmsp.com/ (Robert M. Sutherland, PC Engineers)

2009-07-06T15:11:00.005-05:00

A name change from HONEY CREEK SQUARE to HONEY CREEK MALL
was implemented as part of the complex's 1992 renovation.
Photo from http://www.waymarking.com/

The east-facing facade and Main Entrance, seen here, were given
remodelings during the 1992 and 2007 mall makeovers.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Bedford"

2009-07-29T14:03:00.003-05:00

The first Food Court at CAPITAL CITY, which was added in 1985. This
photo, snapped by Labelscar's "Caldor", faces to the northeast, with
Knobloch's Deli, Boardwalk Fries, Great Steak and Potato and
McDonald's in view.
Photo from http://www.labelscar.com/ / "Caldor"

2009-06-22T16:40:00.005-05:00

An aerial of today's AUDUBON CROSSING complex, which replaced the

mid-century BLACK HORSE PIKE CENTER in 2004. The AUDUBON

COMMONS complex, seen in the upper left corner, predated the BLACK

HORSE PIKE CENTER. It escaped the wrecking ball and was renovated

at the same time as the old open-air mall was redeveloped.

Photo from www.bing.com

2009-11-02T14:06:00.011-05:00

Two anchors at CORTANA MALL went dark between 2006 and 2008.

The first photo shows the space vacated by Steve and Barry's University

Sportswear. The second shot is of the empty Mervyn's.

Photo One from http://www.abandonedbatonrouge.com/

Photo Two from http://www.commercialliquidators.com/

2009-11-30T10:34:00.003-05:00

An aerial of CORTANA MALL, looking southwest. Between 1998 and

2009, the complex was officially referred to as MALL AT CORTANA.

Photo from www.mjwomack.com (Milton J. Womack, Incorporated)

2009-11-30T11:21:00.002-05:00

Two renderings of the recently rebuilt interior of OAKWOOD CENTER.

The drawing directly above is a depiction of the mall's Food Court.

Drawings from www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)

2009-10-01T08:34:00.004-05:00

The mall's original junior anchor, San-Fran-based Roos-Atkins, was in
operation for only a few years. By 1975, Troutman's Emporium
(Eugene's hometown department store) had set up shop in a portion
of the Roos-Atkins space. By the mid-'80s, it had expanded to 46,400
square feet. The store, seen here, was shuttered in 2003.
Photo from http://boundlessoregon.edu

2009-10-01T08:30:00.001-05:00

A present-day aerial of VALLEY RIVER CENTER. With a GLA of over
one million square feet, it is the Beaver State's third-largest shopping
mall and the largest between Portland and San Francisco. By the way,
the largest malls in Oregon are the 1,472,000 LLOYD CENTER and
1,336,000 WASHINGTON SQUARE.
Photo from www.bing.com

2009-10-01T09:14:00.002-05:00

Portland's Washington Square

A dramatic contemporary shot of the Center Court at WASHINGTON
SQUARE.
Photo from www.forms-surfaces.com (Forms+Surfaces Products)

2009-10-01T09:29:00.002-05:00

An aerial of the complex, looking to the southeast. The mall's namesake,
Interstate 205, is seen in the lower right.
Photo from www.centercal.com (CenterCal Properties, LLC)

2009-10-01T09:32:00.006-05:00

A westward view of the interior walkway, with the Target mall entrance
off in the distance.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

A northward view of the interior, showing the mall entrance of Home
Depot. Again, this store can be accessed from within the mall. It is,
more than likely, the nation's only mallway-connected Home Depot.
The Tool Rental Center at the Home Depot in Lexington, Kentucky's
TURFLAND MALL [July 2008 archive] has direct mall access....but
the bulk of the store must be entered -or exited- via exterior doors.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

2009-10-01T09:39:00.004-05:00

MALL 205 was acquired by Gresham, Oregon-based Center Oak
Properties in 2000. Over the next two years, they performed a retail
resuscitation on what had been a dead property. The complex was
re-anchored and revitilized. New tenants included Bed, Bath &
Beyond.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"

The mall's abandoned "Monkey Ward's" was refashioned into a
2-level Target. It opened for business in July 2002.
Photo from www.vlmk.com (VLMK Consulting Engineers)

2009-10-01T09:44:00.005-05:00

Portland's Mall 205

The city's eastside was the site of its fourth mall-type
endeavor. Named for a freeway that wouldn't be
completed for twelve years, MALL 205 was anchored
by Montgomery Ward and So-Cal-based White Front.
Graphic from www.centercal.com (CenterCal Properties, LLC)

2009-10-01T09:54:00.001-05:00

After languishing as a dead mall for several years, the PLAZA was
unceremoniously demolished in 1996, leaving only three structures
standing (these are highlighted in blue). In 1997 and '98, stores in a
new power center were completed. These included Wal-Mart,
Albertsons and a 12-plex cinema.
Original drawing from www.eastportplaza.com

2009-10-14T09:42:00.002-05:00

A recent shot of the mall's north junior anchor, originally a Safeway supermarket.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

2009-10-14T09:54:00.004-05:00

Here we see what was the mallway entry into the Bangor-based Freese's
anchor store. Back in the days, it might have been possible to catch
Victoria Winters or Doctor Julia Hoffman picking out a new mini-dress
there (hee hee).
Photo from http://sites.google.com/site/zayre88/zayre88

Maine-based Hannaford Brothers Company rebranded the Doug's Stop
'n Save supermarket at AIRPORT MALL in 2001.
Photo from www.wprealty.com

2009-10-14T10:03:00.001-05:00

GATE CITY MALL
Broad Street and Coliseum Avenue
Nashua, New Hampshire

The Granite State's first mall-type center started out with the official moniker of GATE CITY MALL in March 1969. The 220,800 square foot, fully-enclosed venue was developed by the Londonderry, New Hampshire-based Vickerry Realty Trust. It sat on 32.6 acres, 1.5 miles northwest of downtown Nashua, the "Gate City" into New Hampshire.

Original anchors were a 1-level (80,000 square foot), Columbus, Ohio-based Woolco and 1-level (70,000 square foot), Salem, Massachusetts-based Almy. There were also thirty-one inline stores, including Andersen-Little, Cherry and Webb and Fanny Farmer Candies.

An outparcel structure was built in the south parking area, which included an Alexander's supermarket and -eventually- an Avon, Massachusetts-based Child World toy outlet.

The Nashua Cinema, a single-screen movie house in the northeastern periphery of the mall proper, predated it by 4 years. The theater was eventually expanded into a 4-plex. Montgomery Ward opened a 1-level (95,800 square foot) store in 1972. This was in the southwestern periphery of the shopping complex.

The mall's only real commercial competitor, PHEASANT LANE MALL, opened in 1986. It was 5 miles southeast of the older venue. Perhaps as a keeping up measure, the official name of GATE CITY MALL was changed to NASHUA MALL. The south parking area outparcel became known as NASHUA PLAZA.

Woolco had closed, along with the chain, in January 1983. It reopened, as a Braintree, Massachusetts-based Bradlees, in 1985. "Almy's" was shuttered in 1987 and leased to Burlington Coat Factory. Bradlees shut down in December 2000.

NASHUA MALL was substantially dead by this time. A redevelopment plan, taking several years to complete, got underway with the demolition of the Woolco / Bradlees structure, in 2001. It was replaced by a 1-level (93,800 square foot) Kohl's, which was dedicated April 7, 2002.

Remaining mall tenants relocated into 55,700 square feet, in the north end of the mall. The southern half, adjacent to Burlington Coat Factory, was razed in March 2002. In its place was built a 1-level (50,000 square foot) Christmas Tree Shop. It came inline August 29, 2002.

Meanwhile, a 17,200 square foot strip center was built on the west side of the remaining north mall structure. When it was finished, mall tenants, such as Hallmark and Radio Shack, relocated and the north section of the old mall was bulldozed.

In its place, a 1-level (37,000 square foot) Babies "R" Us and 1-level (13,700 square foot) L.L. Bean were built. These opened in September and October of 2004. A new name, of sorts, began to be heard; NASHUA MALL POWER CENTER.

The old NASHUA PLAZA structure had also been demolished and replaced by a 1-level (116,000 square foot) Home Depot. Its grand opening day was July 25, 2002.

Ward's, shuttered in 1997, housed a Rocky Hill, Connecticut-based Ames till that chain went bust in 2002. The southern half of the building was renovated into a Chunky's Cinema and Pub, which opened in January 2007.

The old Nashua Cinema, at the opposite end of the mall site, closed in March 2003. It was demolished, with Wendy's and a Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse opening, on its space, in December 2003.

Sources:

www.deadmalls.com / Post by Chris S.
www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"
http://sites.google.com/site/zayre88/Nashua-mall
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire tax assessor website