The original trademark of Greater Pittsburgh's NORTHWAY MALL. The complex opened, in August 1962, as the first fully-enclosed shopping center in the Keystone State.
Graphic from the James W. Rouse Company
Graphic from the James W. Rouse Company
Showing posts with label More Gruen Malls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label More Gruen Malls. Show all posts
A high-definition Complete Plan shows all stores and services, as of November 1962. The complex was an expansion of the circa-1953 McKNIGHT SHOPPING CENTER (dark gray). NORTHWAY MALL encompassed 394,000 leasable square feet on 2 levels. The original strip center comprised the McKnight Level. The new enclosed concourse was known as the Upper Mall Level.
McKNIGHT SHOPPING CENTER TENANTS 1953:
A & P supermarket / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / THRIFT DRUGS (with luncheonette) / Arrow Cleaners / Colonial Trust Bank / Damis & Santini Jewelers / Foley's Restaurant / George Barbarita's Shoe Repair / Glo-Ran Pet Supply / Gulf Service Station (outparcel) / Heintzelman's Gourmet / Korinis Candy / McKnight Center Barber Shop / McKnight Realty Company / Parkway Hardware / Rabold Bakery / Van Elle Children's Shop / Wlodek Meat Market
NORTHWAY MALL TENANTS 1962:
JOSEPH HORNE COMPANY (with Budget Store, Beauty Salon and freestanding Auto Center) / A & P supermarket / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Allegheny Valley Typewriter / Allioto's Produce / Arrow Cleaners / Baker's Shoes / Barkus Bakery / A.S. Beck Shoes / Best Jewelers / The Card Mart / Carole Ann Shop / Dimling's Candy / East Park Savings & Loan Association / Equitable Gas Company / Evie's Beauty Salon / Fashion Hosiery Shops / Florsheim Shoes / Glo-Ran Pet Supply / Gulf Oil (outparcel) / Heintzelman's Gourmet / Hughes & Hatcher men's wear / Isaly's Ice Cream & Delicatessen / Jayson's Men's Store / Jim's Shoe Repair / Kamp's Shoes / Kinney Shoes / Korinis Candy / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Loft's Candies / Ludwig Florist / Marianne Shop ladies' wear / Maxine's House of Fashion ladies' wear / Miles Tweed Shop / National Record Mart / Anthony La Rocca Barber Shop / Northway Community Hall / Northway Mall Medical Offices / Northway Optometrist / Northway Sports Center / Parklane Hosiery / Parkway Hardware / Pittsburgh National Bank / Rabold Bakery / Rapson's Cravats / Rattner's ladies' wear / Red Coach Restaurant (with Tree Top Lounge) / Reizenstein's / Ritz Camera Center / Santini Jewelers / Sherwin-Williams Paints / Singer Sewing Center / Standard Sportswear / Steele's Shoes / Thrift Drugs / Tiffen Lounge / Waldenbooks / Wlodek Meats / Yamron's / Young Vogue
The South Court on the Upper Mall Level of NORTHWAY doubles as a ballroom for a 1964 party.
Photo from www.shoppesatnorthway.com
Another vintage view of the South Court, taken from a different vantage point...and also in full color. Here we see the Horne's mallway entrance and some of the lush, tropical landscaping that became a trademark of enclosed malls built by the James W. Rouse Company in the 1960s.
Photo from Wonday Film Services, Incorporated
Isaly's Ice Cream & Delicatessen, with its Mondrian-inspired storefront. It was one of twenty-eight original McKnight Level tenants.
Photo from www.shoppesatnorthway.com
The South Court is decorated for the yuletide season in this snapshot.
Photo from http://www.shoppesatnorthway.com
A 1970s view of the Woolworth's 5 & 10, a tenant of the Upper Mall Level. It was one of two 2-level retail stores in the shopping hub; the other being Joseph Horne Company.
Photo from www.shoppesatnorthway.com
The NORTHWAY A & P. A part of the original 1950s strip center, the grocery closed in the late '70s. It was replaced by Herman's World of Sporting Goods (1979-1994) and then Borders Books (1995-2011).
Photo from www.shoppesatnorthway.com
By the time of a circa-1995 layout, NORTHWAY MALL had been renovated twice. The first redo, a response to the opening of the too-close-for-comfort ROSS PARK MALL, was done in 1987-'88. It created a 2-level Atrium and installed an 8-plex cinema. A second remodeling, done in 1994-'95, reworked the Upper Level concourse, adding a new entry hall. Dick's, Borders, Marshalls and Old Navy stores joined the tenant list.
In late 2005, a new mall moniker and trademark debuted...SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY.
Graphic from www.shoppesatnorthway.com
A third mall makeover was done in 2007-2008. Half of the Upper Level was demolished, opening stores to the rear parking area. The remodeling failed to bring a retail resuscitation. By the end of 2008, Old Navy, Dress Barn and Value City had closed.
The McKnight Road facade of the Dick's-Value City structure. In the 1962 mall, this building housed a Joseph Horne Company anchor store.
Photo from http://www.bridgespbt.com / Bridges Construction
The Main Entrance of SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY, which also faced McKnight Road. Its doors provided access to the lower level of the mall's Atrium.
Photo from http://www.bridgespbt.com / Bridges Construction
An interior view of SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY. The upper floor of the Atrium seen here was originally the South Court in the old NORTHWAY MALL. The lower floor housed a Horne's Budget Store.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Ragesoss"
Germany's Aldi chain opened a freestanding discount grocery store at THE SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY in November 2007.
Photo from www.sirfullerblogspot.com
Plans for a massive redevelopment of the struggling SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY were underway by early 2015. A new name (the fourth for the shopping hub) was bestowed in March. The new and improved "upscale hybrid center" would be known as THE BLOCK NORTHWAY.
Graphic from http://theblocknorthway.com
Nordstrom Rack dedicated their THE BLOCK NORTHWAY store in August 2016.
Drawing from http://lrcrealty.com / LRC Realty
The Container store followed, with its debut taking place in the following October.
Drawing from http://lrcrealty.com / LRC Realty
A rendering of the South Concourse at the new NORTHWAY. This enclosed section is a redress of the circa-1962 South Court (which was known as the Atrium in later incarnations of the shopping hub). Today, the area is flanked by stores and services such as DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) and Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe.
Drawing from http://lrcrealty.com / LRC Realty
McKnight Road / US 19 and Babcock Boulevard
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
The first fully-enclosed shopping mall in the Keystone State was built on a 29 acre plot, located 7.5 miles north of Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. The complex started out as the McKNIGHT SHOPPING CENTER, a single-level (55,000 square foot) strip plaza of seventeen stores, which opened for business on December 10, 1953.
In the early 1960s, Maryland's James W. Rouse Company purchased the strip center, renovated it, and added a fully-enclosed upper level. Designed by Victor Gruen Associates, Karl O. Van Leuven and Flannery & Associates, the 10 million dollar NORTHWAY MALL encompassed 394,000 leasable square feet. There were sixty-four store spaces and seven retail kiosks.
The complex was officially dedicated August 1, 1962, with Governor David L. Lawrence (D) cutting the ceremonial ribbon. NORTHWAY MALL, which featured the nation's third glass elevator, was anchored by a 2-level (170,000 square foot), Pittsburgh-based Joseph Horne Company. This operation, the fifth branch in the chain, stood on the south end of the mall and included a 20,000 square foot Budget Store.
Three tenants in the original strip center, F.W. Woolworth, Thrift Drugs and Evie's Beauty Salon, moved into larger quarters in the newly-constructed mall. The existing A & P was expanded and throroughly renovated. New stores in the NORTHWAY complex included National Record Mart, Parklane Hosiery, Hughes & Hatcher and a G.C. Murphy 5 & 10. The enclosed shopping concourse was landscaped with tropical foliage, which included tufted fishtail palms, India rubber trees, lady finger banana trees, fig vines and pygmy date palms.
NORTHWAY was the premier shopping center in Pittsburgh's "North Hills" area for several years. Its first commercial competition came when NORTH HILLS VILLAGE {.9 miles south} was rebuilt as an enclosed mall in 1976. In 1986, ROSS PARK MALL {.7 miles southwest} opened, which was a 1.2 million square foot, superregional center.
As its first competitive measure, NORTHWAY MALL was given a face lift in 1979, which included new wooden paneling and interior landscaping. The A & P supermarket space, vacated in the spring of 1979, was rebuilt as a Carteret, New Jersey-based Herman's World of Sporting Goods. This store opened for business October 31 of the same year.
Horne's downsized into a lower level Home Store in 1986. This was shuttered in mid-1987. By this time, the mall was in decline. A new owner, the Dallas-based Southwest Corporation, embarked on a major renovation of the structure, which was completed -and dedicated- October 9, 1987.
The South Court had been opened up to the floor below, which had originally contained the Horne's Budget Store. A 2-level Atrium was created. The G.C. Murphy space, vacated in December 1985, became the National Amusements Super Saver Cinemas 8. Its first features were shown on April 1, 1988. The movie house was renamed Northway Mall Cinemas 8 in November 2001.
Meanwhile, the upper level of the old Horne's opened, as a (77,000 square foot), Erie, Pennsylvania-based Dahlkemper's Catalog Showroom, on October 9, 1987. The lower level became a (73,000 square foot), Columbus, Ohio-based Value City, which was dedicated November 25, 1988. The shopping hub now encompassed ninety stores and services.
A 2-level space at the front of the mall, originally leased as a Red Coach Restaurant and cocktail lounge, was rebuilt into an office level mezzanine and 7-bay Food Court in 1990. The original eateries were China Fan, Rax Roast Beef, The Covered Wagon, Chicken & Fries, Greek Deli and Mama Lucia's Pizzaria (a 1974 tenant that had relocated from a store on the mall's McKnight Level).
F.W. Woolworth, which had operated at the mall site since 1953, shuttered their store in January 1991. The building would sit vacant for 5 years. Herman's World Of Sporting Goods and Dahlkemper's folded in 1993. In June of that year, a 13.5 million dollar renovation was announced. The empty Dahlkempers became a Dick's Sporting Goods in March 1994, with the vacant Herman's, on the Lower (McKnight) Level, being expanded into adjacent space. A Borders Books was dedicated April 21, 1995.
As these stores were established, the Upper Level mallway was being reconfigured. A new entry was cut through the existing Super Saver Cinemas and the vacant Woolworth was retenanted by a Mass-based Marshalls. This store welcomed its first shoppers in 1994. A mall corridor was also cut through previously existing store space adjacent to Marshalls. A new escalator linked this corridor with the Lower Level of the shopping hub. The renovated mall was officially re-dedicated May 4, 1995.
At the same time, the shopping complex was sold to Dallas-based MacNeil Real Estate. They flipped the property, with the Dallas-based Archon Group assuming ownership in May of the year 2000. Only 5 months later, the mall was sold again. The buyer, known as Northway Limited Partners, was a joint venture of Pittsburgh's John McKinney and John Zemet.
At the turn of the century, the mall was still in a downward spiral that renovations in the late 1980s and mid-1990s had failed to reverse. It was decided to go with the current trend in retail and perform a partial demalling. A new name, SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY, was bestowed in late 2005, with demolition work getting underway in early 2007.
The cinema, shuttered in January, was demolished, along with twelve adjacent stores on the Upper Level. In all, 58,000 square feet were demolished, with remaining stores opened to the adjacent (upper level) parking lot. New tenants were signed, such as Shoe Carnival, Home Styles & More and The Kid Company, a family play center. A (17,300 square foot) Aldi discount grocery opened, as a freestanding structure, November 8, 2007.
Unfortunately, The Great Recession set in just as the renovation of the shopping hub was being completed. Value City, Old Navy, The Kid Company and Dress Barn were out of business by late 2008. Borders Books bit the dust September 13, 2011.
A new power center in the vicinity exacerbated the decline of SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY. The first phase of McCANDLESS CROSSING {1.1 mile north, in Allegheny County} was dedicated in November 2010. The new shopping venue eventually snatched the primary anchor of SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY. Dick's Sporting Goods shut its doors April 8, 2014.
Meanwhile, in early 2012, Northway LP defaulted on their mall loan. The complex was bought out of bankruptcy in December 2012. Its new owner, Akron, Ohio's LRC Realty, acquired an adjacent property (formerly an elementary school) and were working on incorporating it into the plan for a renewed shopping hub, to be known as NORTHWAY COLLECTION.
In March 2015, an alternate name, THE BLOCK NORTHWAY, was announced. Rumor had it that Washington State's Costco was coming on board, but this didn't pan out. However, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth and The Container Store were eventually confirmed as future tenants of the prospective 467,800 square foot "upscale hybrid center."
Retail space on the north end of the mall was demolished. Newly-built stores included a 2-level (40,300 square foot) Nordstrom Rack, dedicated on August 26, 2016 and (24,300 square foot) Container Store, which began business October 13 of the same year. PetSmart also relocated into a (14,100 square foot) structure.
Other sections of the mall were gutted and substantially rebuilt. Saks Off Fifth set up shop in a 2-level (36,000 square foot) store, which opened October 3, 2016. Marshalls renovated their existing location. An (18,400 square foot) DSW was also installed in existing space. The old Horne's store was gutted and reconfigured. A 100-space parking deck was created on the lower level, along with spaces for Bassett Furniture, Kirkland's and Core Life Eatery. The upper level was sectioned into six spaces, with one being a (40,000 square foot) Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe.
Completing the NORTHWAY refurbishment was an 11,600 square foot strip plaza, built in the upper level parking lot next to Aldi. This structure housed stores and services such as Cyclebar, Piada Italian Street Food and Jason's Deli. These were in business by October 2017. Mass-based BJ's Wholesale Club built a 1-level (99,700 square foot) unit on a pad adjacent to THE BLOCK NORTHWAY. This freestanding store welcomed first shoppers on April 8, 2022.
Sources:
The Pittsburgh Post
In the early 1960s, Maryland's James W. Rouse Company purchased the strip center, renovated it, and added a fully-enclosed upper level. Designed by Victor Gruen Associates, Karl O. Van Leuven and Flannery & Associates, the 10 million dollar NORTHWAY MALL encompassed 394,000 leasable square feet. There were sixty-four store spaces and seven retail kiosks.
The complex was officially dedicated August 1, 1962, with Governor David L. Lawrence (D) cutting the ceremonial ribbon. NORTHWAY MALL, which featured the nation's third glass elevator, was anchored by a 2-level (170,000 square foot), Pittsburgh-based Joseph Horne Company. This operation, the fifth branch in the chain, stood on the south end of the mall and included a 20,000 square foot Budget Store.
Three tenants in the original strip center, F.W. Woolworth, Thrift Drugs and Evie's Beauty Salon, moved into larger quarters in the newly-constructed mall. The existing A & P was expanded and throroughly renovated. New stores in the NORTHWAY complex included National Record Mart, Parklane Hosiery, Hughes & Hatcher and a G.C. Murphy 5 & 10. The enclosed shopping concourse was landscaped with tropical foliage, which included tufted fishtail palms, India rubber trees, lady finger banana trees, fig vines and pygmy date palms.
NORTHWAY was the premier shopping center in Pittsburgh's "North Hills" area for several years. Its first commercial competition came when NORTH HILLS VILLAGE {.9 miles south} was rebuilt as an enclosed mall in 1976. In 1986, ROSS PARK MALL {.7 miles southwest} opened, which was a 1.2 million square foot, superregional center.
As its first competitive measure, NORTHWAY MALL was given a face lift in 1979, which included new wooden paneling and interior landscaping. The A & P supermarket space, vacated in the spring of 1979, was rebuilt as a Carteret, New Jersey-based Herman's World of Sporting Goods. This store opened for business October 31 of the same year.
Horne's downsized into a lower level Home Store in 1986. This was shuttered in mid-1987. By this time, the mall was in decline. A new owner, the Dallas-based Southwest Corporation, embarked on a major renovation of the structure, which was completed -and dedicated- October 9, 1987.
The South Court had been opened up to the floor below, which had originally contained the Horne's Budget Store. A 2-level Atrium was created. The G.C. Murphy space, vacated in December 1985, became the National Amusements Super Saver Cinemas 8. Its first features were shown on April 1, 1988. The movie house was renamed Northway Mall Cinemas 8 in November 2001.
Meanwhile, the upper level of the old Horne's opened, as a (77,000 square foot), Erie, Pennsylvania-based Dahlkemper's Catalog Showroom, on October 9, 1987. The lower level became a (73,000 square foot), Columbus, Ohio-based Value City, which was dedicated November 25, 1988. The shopping hub now encompassed ninety stores and services.
A 2-level space at the front of the mall, originally leased as a Red Coach Restaurant and cocktail lounge, was rebuilt into an office level mezzanine and 7-bay Food Court in 1990. The original eateries were China Fan, Rax Roast Beef, The Covered Wagon, Chicken & Fries, Greek Deli and Mama Lucia's Pizzaria (a 1974 tenant that had relocated from a store on the mall's McKnight Level).
F.W. Woolworth, which had operated at the mall site since 1953, shuttered their store in January 1991. The building would sit vacant for 5 years. Herman's World Of Sporting Goods and Dahlkemper's folded in 1993. In June of that year, a 13.5 million dollar renovation was announced. The empty Dahlkempers became a Dick's Sporting Goods in March 1994, with the vacant Herman's, on the Lower (McKnight) Level, being expanded into adjacent space. A Borders Books was dedicated April 21, 1995.
As these stores were established, the Upper Level mallway was being reconfigured. A new entry was cut through the existing Super Saver Cinemas and the vacant Woolworth was retenanted by a Mass-based Marshalls. This store welcomed its first shoppers in 1994. A mall corridor was also cut through previously existing store space adjacent to Marshalls. A new escalator linked this corridor with the Lower Level of the shopping hub. The renovated mall was officially re-dedicated May 4, 1995.
At the same time, the shopping complex was sold to Dallas-based MacNeil Real Estate. They flipped the property, with the Dallas-based Archon Group assuming ownership in May of the year 2000. Only 5 months later, the mall was sold again. The buyer, known as Northway Limited Partners, was a joint venture of Pittsburgh's John McKinney and John Zemet.
At the turn of the century, the mall was still in a downward spiral that renovations in the late 1980s and mid-1990s had failed to reverse. It was decided to go with the current trend in retail and perform a partial demalling. A new name, SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY, was bestowed in late 2005, with demolition work getting underway in early 2007.
The cinema, shuttered in January, was demolished, along with twelve adjacent stores on the Upper Level. In all, 58,000 square feet were demolished, with remaining stores opened to the adjacent (upper level) parking lot. New tenants were signed, such as Shoe Carnival, Home Styles & More and The Kid Company, a family play center. A (17,300 square foot) Aldi discount grocery opened, as a freestanding structure, November 8, 2007.
Unfortunately, The Great Recession set in just as the renovation of the shopping hub was being completed. Value City, Old Navy, The Kid Company and Dress Barn were out of business by late 2008. Borders Books bit the dust September 13, 2011.
A new power center in the vicinity exacerbated the decline of SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY. The first phase of McCANDLESS CROSSING {1.1 mile north, in Allegheny County} was dedicated in November 2010. The new shopping venue eventually snatched the primary anchor of SHOPPES AT NORTHWAY. Dick's Sporting Goods shut its doors April 8, 2014.
Meanwhile, in early 2012, Northway LP defaulted on their mall loan. The complex was bought out of bankruptcy in December 2012. Its new owner, Akron, Ohio's LRC Realty, acquired an adjacent property (formerly an elementary school) and were working on incorporating it into the plan for a renewed shopping hub, to be known as NORTHWAY COLLECTION.
In March 2015, an alternate name, THE BLOCK NORTHWAY, was announced. Rumor had it that Washington State's Costco was coming on board, but this didn't pan out. However, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Off Fifth and The Container Store were eventually confirmed as future tenants of the prospective 467,800 square foot "upscale hybrid center."
Retail space on the north end of the mall was demolished. Newly-built stores included a 2-level (40,300 square foot) Nordstrom Rack, dedicated on August 26, 2016 and (24,300 square foot) Container Store, which began business October 13 of the same year. PetSmart also relocated into a (14,100 square foot) structure.
Other sections of the mall were gutted and substantially rebuilt. Saks Off Fifth set up shop in a 2-level (36,000 square foot) store, which opened October 3, 2016. Marshalls renovated their existing location. An (18,400 square foot) DSW was also installed in existing space. The old Horne's store was gutted and reconfigured. A 100-space parking deck was created on the lower level, along with spaces for Bassett Furniture, Kirkland's and Core Life Eatery. The upper level was sectioned into six spaces, with one being a (40,000 square foot) Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe.
Completing the NORTHWAY refurbishment was an 11,600 square foot strip plaza, built in the upper level parking lot next to Aldi. This structure housed stores and services such as Cyclebar, Piada Italian Street Food and Jason's Deli. These were in business by October 2017. Mass-based BJ's Wholesale Club built a 1-level (99,700 square foot) unit on a pad adjacent to THE BLOCK NORTHWAY. This freestanding store welcomed first shoppers on April 8, 2022.
Sources:
The Pittsburgh Post
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
https://www.mckinneyproperties.com
http://shoppesatnorthway.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.mckinneyproperties.com
http://shoppesatnorthway.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://cranberry.patch.com/articles/nearby-connection-the-key-to-redeveloping-northway-mall
https://theblocknorthway.com
https://theblocknorthway.com
https://www.patch.com
"Northway Mall," "Joseph Horne Company," "Ross Park Mall" and "Dahlkemper's" articles on Wikipedia
Hammond's Woodmar Center
This Hoosier State shopping hub was built in the Woodmar district of Hammond. Construction started on WOODMAR CENTER in December 1953.
Graphic from Landau & Perlman Development
The concave-shaped shopping plaza was designed by renowned mall architect Victor Gruen. It featured a pentagonal Carson Pirie Scot department store at its center point. A National Food supermarket extended from its south end.
Drawing from Victor Gruen Associates
Graphic from Landau & Perlman Development
The concave-shaped shopping plaza was designed by renowned mall architect Victor Gruen. It featured a pentagonal Carson Pirie Scot department store at its center point. A National Food supermarket extended from its south end.
Drawing from Victor Gruen Associates
Photo from http://sheptalk.flicklives.com / The Jean Shepherd Forum
WOODMAR CENTER TENANTS 1955:
CARSON PIRIE SCOTT / J. J. NEWBERRY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / NATIONAL FOOD STORES supermarket / Andes Candies / Benson-Rixon men's wear / Chapman Launderers & Cleaners / Einhorn’s Town & Country Sportswear / Fabric Fair Draperies & Upholstery / Hansel & Gretel Shop children's wear / Hoosier State Bank of Hammond / Kinney Shoes / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Maling Shoes / Maternity Modes / Miles Paint & Wallpaper Company / O’Connor & Goldberg Shoes / Powell Bakery / Rothschild ladies' wear / Ritz Millinery / The Cotton Shop ladies' wear / The Fabric Fair / Walgreen Drug / Watland Brothers Camera Shop / Woodmar Grill
In October 1965, work commenced on the first WOODMAR renovation. The complex was enclosed and climate-controlled, with Carson's being expanded and totally refurbished. The new & improved WOODMAR CENTER was unveiled in October 1966.
Advert from Landau & Perlman Development
The next mall remodeling repurposed a newly-vacant J.J. Newberry 5 & 10. A fourteen-shop mall within a mall, known as the Court of Lions, was installed. It was dedicated in September 1975.
Graphic from Landau & Perlman Development
The Court of Lions proved so successful that, when another large store space became vacant, a second mini-mall was created.
Graphic from Landau & Perlman Development
The Court of the Turtles housed eight shops and opened for business in August 1978. It filled space previously leased as a Sterk's Super Foods (nee' National Stores) grocery.
Graphic from Landau & Perlman Development
A 5-bay culinary complex, dubbed Cafe' Woodmar, was built in a small circa-1981 mall addition. The food court featured Schoop's Hamburgers, Pizza Pizzazz, Zante's Deli and Franks & Fries. Vendors opened in December 1986.
Graphic from Landau & Perlman Development
The main retail corridor, showing the rather makeshift mallway that was attached to the open-air strip center in 1966. After several years in decline, WOODMAR MALL was shuttered and demolished in 2006. Its Carson's anchor store was left standing, at least for the time being.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"
The mall and its 3-level Carson Pirie Scott. The store, which had opened as the Chicago-based chain's second branch, was given a face lift in 1996. It achieved its 60th year in business in November 2014.
Photo from https://malls.fandom.com/wiki / Kim Mason
A rendering of a shopping-center-to-be...that never panned out. A change in ownership of Chicago-based Carson's resulted in construction on a power center project being delayed and finally abandoned. Plans for a new Carson's were scrapped, as well.
Drawing from www.praediumdevelopment.com / Praedium Development
A second rendering depicts what was actually built at the WOODMAR MALL site. The Hammond Sportsplex, an 18 million dollar indoor athletic center, was officially dedicated in late 2018. The Carson's store, seen on the right, closed for good in 2018 and was knocked down in August 2019.
Drawing from http://www.nwitimes.com
WOODMAR CENTER
Indianapolis Boulevard and East 165th Street
Hammond, Indiana
One of the first regional shopping centers in Chicago's Indiana suburbs was designed by Los Angeles' Victor Gruen Associates and Sidney C. Finck. The complex was built by Chicago's Herbert Heyman and Howard Landau.
Situated on 19.7 acres, WOODMAR CENTER was located 1 mile south of downtown Hammond. Ground was broken on December 22, 1953. The shopping complex would be anchored by a 2-level (65,000 square foot), Chicago-based Carson Pirie Scott. The store, which was the chain's second branch and the first Carson's in Indiana, was officially dedicated on November 1, 1954.
Eight inline stores held a collective grand opening on March 30, 1955. Among these were Andes Candies, Kinney Shoes, Chapman Launderers & Cleaners, a (22,000 square foot) J.J. Newberry 5 & 10 and (18,000 square foot) National Food Stores supermarket.
A second grand opening, held on May 19, 1955, introduced nine stores. These included Benson-Rixon men's wear, Fabric Fair Draperies & Upholstery, Miles Paint & Wallpaper Company, Einhorn's Town & Country Sportswear and the Hoosier State Bank of Hammond. When fully-leased, the 3 million dollar WOODMAR CENTER encompassed around 200,000 leasable square feet and housed twenty-six stores and services.
Indianapolis Boulevard and East 165th Street
Hammond, Indiana
One of the first regional shopping centers in Chicago's Indiana suburbs was designed by Los Angeles' Victor Gruen Associates and Sidney C. Finck. The complex was built by Chicago's Herbert Heyman and Howard Landau.
Situated on 19.7 acres, WOODMAR CENTER was located 1 mile south of downtown Hammond. Ground was broken on December 22, 1953. The shopping complex would be anchored by a 2-level (65,000 square foot), Chicago-based Carson Pirie Scott. The store, which was the chain's second branch and the first Carson's in Indiana, was officially dedicated on November 1, 1954.
Eight inline stores held a collective grand opening on March 30, 1955. Among these were Andes Candies, Kinney Shoes, Chapman Launderers & Cleaners, a (22,000 square foot) J.J. Newberry 5 & 10 and (18,000 square foot) National Food Stores supermarket.
A second grand opening, held on May 19, 1955, introduced nine stores. These included Benson-Rixon men's wear, Fabric Fair Draperies & Upholstery, Miles Paint & Wallpaper Company, Einhorn's Town & Country Sportswear and the Hoosier State Bank of Hammond. When fully-leased, the 3 million dollar WOODMAR CENTER encompassed around 200,000 leasable square feet and housed twenty-six stores and services.
The center's first commercial competition came in the mid-1960s. DIXIE SQUARE MALL {9.6 miles northwest, in Harvey, Illinois} held its grand opening in August 1966. RIVER OAKS CENTER {3.6 miles west, in Calumet City, Illinois} was dedicated in the following October.
As a keeping up measure, WOODMAR CENTER embarked on a 1.5 million dollar renovation in late 1965. The open-canopied storefronts had glass-enclosed walkways installed. Moreover, the Carson's store was expanded, to 111,000 square feet, with a connecting mall entrance and third level. It now featured a Beauty Salon and The Heather Room, an upscale restaurant. The temperature-controlled shopping center was re-dedicated on October 24, 1966.
A second mall renovation came about after J.J. Newberry was shuttered, on April 30, 1975. The vacant space was rebuilt into a twelve-store mini-mall, known as the Court of Lions. The "Old World" motif section featured stores such as Rockin' Horse Records, The Gift Box, Just Jeans and The Pastry Kitchen. It was officially dedicated on September 11, 1975.
The supermarket on the south end of WOODMAR CENTER had been rebranded as a Sterk's Super Foods in July 1974. This store went dark in early 1978. Its space was refashioned into a second mini-mall, dubbed The Court of the Turtles. This eight-store section was decorated in a modern motif. Its stores included So-Fro Fabrics, Foxmoor Casuals, Lewin's Dresses & Tresses and the Keepsake Diamond Center. A grand opening celebration commenced on August 10, 1978, with shopping complex now containing forty-eight stores.
An enlargement of WOODMAR had also been proposed. It was re-envisaged as a 3-anchor -750,000 square foot- shopping venue. This expansion was never built. A small-scale enlargement was constructed on the southeast corner of the mall in 1982, which added five inline stores.
This area, and the luncheonette-grill portion of Walgreen Drug, was reconfigured as Cafe' Woodmar. This 5-bay food court featured Schoop's Hamburgers, Pizza Pizazz, Zante's Delicatessen and Franks & Fries. It was completed in December 1986. WOODMAR MALL now encompassed 275,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-two stores and services.
The location of the mall, in a largely industrial area, eventually contributed to its decline. Moreover, the closing of several steel plants in the vicinity took its toll on the local economy. A new Wal-Mart and supermarket, built on adjoining property west of WOODMAR, was the final nail in the coffin.
By the early 1990s, the shopping hub was virtually vacant. By the end of the decade, its owner was bankrupt. The center was acquired by a Denver-based insurance company, but remained in a downward spiral.
A group of California-based investors bought the past-its-prime property in February 2003, with a redevelopment announced in May. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground. The twelve remaining tenants complained about the center's leaking roofs, overflowing sewers and pot-holed parking lot. Reputedly, mall management was only around when rents were due.
Northbrook, Illinois-based Praedium Development came on the scene in 2005, with a plan to demolish all of the shopping center, save for Carson's. The plan was to build a new 127,000 square foot strip center and 2-level (100,000 square foot) Carson's. The original Carson's was -then- to be razed. Demolition of the mall structure got underway in February 2006.
One of many snags were encountered in March 2006, when Saks Incorporated sold the Carson's chain to York, Pennsylvania-based The Bon Ton Stores. Eventually, the plan for an all-new Carson's was scrapped; the existing store would not be replaced. However, it would remain open during the mall's demolition.
As a keeping up measure, WOODMAR CENTER embarked on a 1.5 million dollar renovation in late 1965. The open-canopied storefronts had glass-enclosed walkways installed. Moreover, the Carson's store was expanded, to 111,000 square feet, with a connecting mall entrance and third level. It now featured a Beauty Salon and The Heather Room, an upscale restaurant. The temperature-controlled shopping center was re-dedicated on October 24, 1966.
A second mall renovation came about after J.J. Newberry was shuttered, on April 30, 1975. The vacant space was rebuilt into a twelve-store mini-mall, known as the Court of Lions. The "Old World" motif section featured stores such as Rockin' Horse Records, The Gift Box, Just Jeans and The Pastry Kitchen. It was officially dedicated on September 11, 1975.
The supermarket on the south end of WOODMAR CENTER had been rebranded as a Sterk's Super Foods in July 1974. This store went dark in early 1978. Its space was refashioned into a second mini-mall, dubbed The Court of the Turtles. This eight-store section was decorated in a modern motif. Its stores included So-Fro Fabrics, Foxmoor Casuals, Lewin's Dresses & Tresses and the Keepsake Diamond Center. A grand opening celebration commenced on August 10, 1978, with shopping complex now containing forty-eight stores.
An enlargement of WOODMAR had also been proposed. It was re-envisaged as a 3-anchor -750,000 square foot- shopping venue. This expansion was never built. A small-scale enlargement was constructed on the southeast corner of the mall in 1982, which added five inline stores.
This area, and the luncheonette-grill portion of Walgreen Drug, was reconfigured as Cafe' Woodmar. This 5-bay food court featured Schoop's Hamburgers, Pizza Pizazz, Zante's Delicatessen and Franks & Fries. It was completed in December 1986. WOODMAR MALL now encompassed 275,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-two stores and services.
The location of the mall, in a largely industrial area, eventually contributed to its decline. Moreover, the closing of several steel plants in the vicinity took its toll on the local economy. A new Wal-Mart and supermarket, built on adjoining property west of WOODMAR, was the final nail in the coffin.
By the early 1990s, the shopping hub was virtually vacant. By the end of the decade, its owner was bankrupt. The center was acquired by a Denver-based insurance company, but remained in a downward spiral.
A group of California-based investors bought the past-its-prime property in February 2003, with a redevelopment announced in May. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground. The twelve remaining tenants complained about the center's leaking roofs, overflowing sewers and pot-holed parking lot. Reputedly, mall management was only around when rents were due.
Northbrook, Illinois-based Praedium Development came on the scene in 2005, with a plan to demolish all of the shopping center, save for Carson's. The plan was to build a new 127,000 square foot strip center and 2-level (100,000 square foot) Carson's. The original Carson's was -then- to be razed. Demolition of the mall structure got underway in February 2006.
One of many snags were encountered in March 2006, when Saks Incorporated sold the Carson's chain to York, Pennsylvania-based The Bon Ton Stores. Eventually, the plan for an all-new Carson's was scrapped; the existing store would not be replaced. However, it would remain open during the mall's demolition.
After several starts and stops, ground was broken for a new WOODMAR CENTER in February 2011. Work ground to a halt a few months later but resumed in October. Two strip-type retail buildings were erected on the north end of the site, with one encompassing 12,000 leasable square feet. The parking lot was also repaved. The first tenant in the new complex, a Subway sandwich shop, opened for business in February 2012.
In June 2016, the City of Hammond announced plans to purchase the mall site and build a 17 million dollar sports complex. This 135,000 square foot facility would house indoor soccer fields, baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, batting cages and a running track.
Ground was broken for the project in August 2017, with its official dedication being held in September 2018. In the previous month, the 63-year-old Carson's store had been shuttered as part of the Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy. The 54-year-old building was knocked down in August 2019.
Sources:
The Times (Munster, Indiana)
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
http://www.labelscar.com
http://www.praediumdevelopment.com / Praedium Development
In June 2016, the City of Hammond announced plans to purchase the mall site and build a 17 million dollar sports complex. This 135,000 square foot facility would house indoor soccer fields, baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, batting cages and a running track.
Ground was broken for the project in August 2017, with its official dedication being held in September 2018. In the previous month, the 63-year-old Carson's store had been shuttered as part of the Bon Ton Stores bankruptcy. The 54-year-old building was knocked down in August 2019.
Sources:
The Times (Munster, Indiana)
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
http://www.geocities.com/Jaloweplays/woodmar.html / John Arthur Lowe
https://engage.xsoftinc.com / Lake County, Indiana
http://www.hammonindiana.comhttp://www.labelscar.com
http://www.praediumdevelopment.com / Praedium Development
Boston's South Shore Plaza
Another vintage image shows the interior of the Stop & Shop supermarket at SOUTH SHORE PLAZA.
An early '60s view of the center's western facade and its Beantown-based Filene's. This department store encompassed 3 levels and 120,000 square feet. Filene's South Shore featured two food service facilities; the Coffee House cafe and more upscale Adams Room.
Photo from Bromley & Company, Incorporated
Photo from Bromley & Company, Incorporated
Photo from Stop & Shop, Incorporated Annual Report 1961
SOUTH SHORE PLAZA TENANTS 1962:
FILENE'S (with Beauty Salon and Adams Room restaurant) / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / STOP & SHOP supermarket / A.S. Beck Shoes / Bobbie's Hairstyling Salon / Breck's Home & Garden Center / Brigham's and Dorothy Muriel's restaurant / Charles B. Perkins Tobacconist / Cummings ladies' wear / Fanny Farmer Candies / Fields Hosiery / Hollywood Lanes bowling alley / Howard Clothes / Hughson's Florist / Jewel House / Kennedy's of New England / Lauriat's / Liggett-Rexall (with luncheonette) / London Harness Luggage / Thayer McNeil Shoes / Peck & Peck ladies' wear / Plaza Barber Shop / Pray's Furniture / Primrose Shop / Radio Shack / Sheridan's ladies' wear / South Shore National Bank / South Shore Plaza Twin Drive-In (outparcel) / The Disc Shop records / Thomas Long Jewelers / Westland's / Wilbar's
Jordan Marsh's SOUTH SHORE store was the chain's fifth New England branch. The structure covered 3 levels and 311,000 square feet. There were two restaurants; The Heritage Room and The Coffee Shop.
Drawing from the Allied Stores Corporation
In 1996, the mall has just been expanded with an Upper Level of stores. A second parking garage has been built. Jordan Marsh has just been rebranded by Macy's. The expanded parking area now accommodates 6,900 autos at one time. As a footnote; in the early '90s, the section of Massachusetts Route 128, adjacent to the north side of the complex, had been redesignated as Interstate 93-US 1.
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