EASTWOOD MALL
Crestwood Boulevard / US 78 and Oporto Avenue (Oporto Madrid Boulevard)
Birmingham, Alabama
The first fully-enclosed shopping center in the Southeast, North Carolina's CHARLOTTETOWN MALL, opened for business in October 1959. EASTWOOD MALL, the Southland's second enclosed retail complex, was officially dedicated in August 1960.
In retrospect, Alabama's "Magic City" seemed more progressive than Atlanta, Georgia, which did not have an enclosed mall until 5 years later. Moreover, by opening a climate-controlled shopping center as early as 1960, Birmingham jumped ahead of mega-cities such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, DC; all of whom dedicated their first enclosed malls between 1962 and 1967.
EASTWOOD MALL was situated on a 55-acre tract, located 4 miles east of downtown Birmingham. This million dollar "merchandising city of the future" was envisaged by local drive-in theater operator Newman H. Waters. The complex was designed by Willard Lien Thorsen, of Minneapolis, who would also envisage the Twin Cities' APACHE PLAZA (1961).
The official dedication of EASTWOOD MALL was held on August 25, 1960. In attendance were John Malcolm Patterson (D) (Governor of Alabama), James Morgan (Mayor of Birmingham), Newman H. Waters and singer Vaughn Monroe. A ceremonial ribbon was cut by Lois Jean Jolly, granddaughter of Mr. Waters.
EASTWOOD originally encompassed approximately 320,300 leasable square feet and housed thirty-five inline stores. The mall was anchored by a (35,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. There were also Kroger and Colonial supermarkets, a Liggett Rexall Drug, ABC State Liquor Store, (29,100 square foot) S.S. Kresge and (34,800 square foot) J.J. Newberry.
The shopping facility was situated on a single level, but included a 200-seat auditorium on a small upper level. The J.C. Penney and J.J. Newberry stores also had small upper floors, which were not used as retail space. A Kiddieland amusement area, go-kart track and Space Age Eastwood Bowl bowling alley were outparcels of the original mall.
The Waters Theatre Company Eastwood Mall Theatre was the first structure added to the complex. This single-screen venue opened on December 25, 1964 and was the first phase of a 100,000 square foot, west end mall expansion. Completed in December 1965, the addition included a cafeteria, furniture store and Goodyear Tire & Appliance Center, as well as a second level of leased office spaces.
As the western addition was nearing completion, a 200,000 square foot expansion of the east end of the mall got underway. This would house twelve stores and services. A 2-level (89,700 square foot), Birmingham-based Pizitz was dedicated on August 18, 1966. With completion of the east end enlargement, EASTWOOD MALL encompassed over 650,000 leasable square feet and contained sixty-three stores under its roof.
The adjacent Starlite Drive-In Theatre closed in 1968. Its 14-acre site was redeveloped as EASTWOOD PLAZA, a strip center anchored by Kmart. As this new discount store opened, the existing S.S. Kresge in EASTWOOD MALL was shuttered. The vacant 5 & 10, and adjacent store space, were gutted. A (35,000 square foot), Birmingham-based Parisian East department store was created, which opened for business on October 30, 1969.
The mall's Colonial supermarket had been rebranded as a Hill's Food Store in late 1960. By 1969, it was operating as a Winn-Dixie. 1969 also brought the completion of Birmingham's second enclosed shopping hub, WESTERN HILLS CENTER {11.6 miles southwest, in Fairfield}.
In 1970, the interior of EASTWOOD MALL was given a face lift. A suspended ceiling was installed in the main corridor, sealing off the original clerestory windows. Carpet was also laid in all common area. The Kroger supermarket closed in 1971, with its space being used for an expanded furniture store. The theater was divided into a twin-screen multiplex in 1974.
Between 1973 and 1975, two new enclosed shopping centers opened in Greater Birmingham; BROOKWOOD VILLAGE CENTER {4.6 miles southwest, in Homewood} and CENTURY PLAZA {.1 mile northwest, in Birmingham}. The EASTWOOD J.C. Penney relocated to CENTURY PLAZA in 1976. The old Penney's space was leased as Parisian Young World, a boutique selling children's apparel.
In March 1980, Pizitz vacated EASTWOOD, moving into the former Loveman's anchor spot at CENTURY PLAZA. Service Merchandise opened, in the vacant EASTWOOD Pizitz, in September of the same year.
Montgomery-based Jim Wilson & Associates acquired EASTWOOD MALL in September 1984. At this time, the company was developing RIVERCHASE GALLERIA {11.1 miles southwest, in Hoover}. This 1.2 million square foot, superregional center opened in February 1986 and immediately put the hurt on all existing Magic City malls.
In order to keep their EASTWOOD property competitive, Wilson & Associates embarked on an 8 million dollar renovation in June 1989. The middle section of the mall was gutted and rebuilt as a 2-story Food Court. Moreover, a 2-level (130,000 square foot) Parisian was built -diagonally- into the existing structure. The exterior was also updated. The revitalized, 750,000 square foot, EASTWOOD MALL was re-dedicated in late 1990.
Unfortunately, the renovation failed to halt the mall's decline. This was exacerbated in October 1997, with the completion of THE SUMMIT {5.3 miles southwest, in Birmingham}. By the dawn of the 21st century, EASTWOOD MALL was virtually vacant. Its shopping concourse closed on August 1, 2004. Six stores with outside access remained in business.
Parisian was one of the last to go. This store, which was only 14 years old, closed in January 2005. By mid-2006, EASTWOOD MALL was being demolished. Within months, the nation's fifth fully-enclosed, regional-class shopping mall was a pile of rubble.
Construction began on a new EASTWOOD VILLAGE in November 2006. This open-air power center, built by Birmingham-based MAP Development, was anchored by a 1-level (195,800 square foot) Wal-Mart SuperCenter. This store opened on October 22, 2007. Other tenants in the 50 million dollar retail venue included Old Navy, Ross Dress For Less and a Ruby Tuesday restaurant.
Sources:
http://www.mywebpages.comcast.net / "Eastwood Mall" / Russell Wells
http://www.birminghamrewound.com
www.bplonline.org / resources / "Digital Project Eastwood Mall" / Birmingham Public Library
"50 Million Project Half Leased" / Birmingham News / June 29, 2006 / Michael Tomberlin, staff writer
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