In this 1972 view, we see the Central Mall court. Bell Shops, Castro Convertibles, Casual Corner and Lerner Shops stores flank a sunburst fountain. A Sears nameplate is visible in the distance.
Photo from Portland Public Library Archives
MAINE MALL opened as the Pine Tree State's largest shopping center. The original complex encompassed approximately 510,100 leasable square feet and housed seventy-two stores. There was free parking for 5,000 autos. By 1976, several outparcel businesses were operating in the periphery of the mall. These included The Value House (a catalog showroom), a Jordan Marsh Car Care Center and tri-screen cinema.
Maine's Magical Marketplace was substantially expanded between 1982 and 1983 (in medium gray). The addition brought three new anchors; J.C. Penney, Mass-based Filene's and Maine-based Porteous, Mitchell & Braun (a.k.a. Porteous). Now encompassing around 1 million leasable square feet, the mall featured 125 stores and services. It was now twice the size of its nearest size-wise contender, BANGOR MALL.
Portland's Porteous chain anchored the East Wing expansion with a 79,000 square foot store. It opened its doors in August 1983.
Drawing from Porteous, Mitchell & Braun Company
A second major renovation (in light gray) was done in 1994. A food court, installed in 1983, was reconfigured and sixth anchor -Mass-based Lechmere- built in front of the Main Entrance. The shopping complex, re-dedicated in October 1994, was now officially promoted as THE MAINE MALL. The facility covered around 1,054,900 leasable square feet, with free parking for 5,900 autos.
THE MAINE MALL TENANTS 1996:
MACY'S / FILENE'S / FILENE'S MEN'S & HOME FURNISHINGS / FILENE'S BASEMENT (outparcel) / J.C. PENNEY (with Maine Mall Beauty Salon) / LECHMERE / SEARS (with Optical Department, Portrait Studio and attached Auto Center) / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with Harvest House Restaurant) / Adelaide Bay Trading Company / Afterthoughts accessories / Bakers Shoes / Bath & Body Works cosmetics / Belden Jewelers / Borders Books (outparcel) / Brookstone electronics / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Cellular One (kiosk) / Cinema Claire's Boutique accessories / Cobbie Shop / Contempo Casuals ladies' wear / Cinema 7 (outparcel) / Continental Diamonds & Gold / Cookin' / County Seat apparel / Crickets At The Mall restaurant (outparcel) / CVS / Deck the Walls / Dream Machine / Eastern Mountain Sports / Ecology House / Eddie Bauer apparel / Electronics Boutique / Ethnix apparel / Express ladies' wear / Eyeworld / Fanny Farmer Candies / Footlocker / Gap Kids / Garden Botanika / Gloria Jean's Coffee Bean / Glamour Shots / G.M Pollack jewelers / Gymboree children's wear / Hannoush jewelers / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Hu Ke Lau Chinese cuisine (outparcel) / Kay-Bee Toys / Kinney Shoes / Lady Grace apparel / Lamey Wellehan shoes / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Learningsmith cards, books & gifts / Lechter's Housewares / Lenscrafters / Lerner New York ladies' wear / Lids hats / Limited Too children's wear / Lynn's Hallmark / Maine Mall Eye Care / Matthew's Hallmark / Merle Norman Cosmetics / Mr. Tux / Moonshadow Comics / Motherhood Maternity / Natural Wonders / Nature Food Centre / Northern Reflections apparel / Old Country Buffet / Olympia Sports / On Time accessories (kiosk) / PayLess ShoeSource / Pet Menagerie / Pizza Hut (outparcel) / Pretzel Time / Prints Plus / Radio Shack / Recordtown - Saturday Matinee / Regis Hairstylists / Ritz Camera / Service Merchandise (outparcel) / Software Etcetera / Spencer Gifts / Structure men's wear / Sunglass Hut I (kiosk) / Sunglass Hut II (kiosk) / Sun Jewelry (kiosk) / Thatcher's restaurant / The Athlete's Foot / The Body Shop cosmetics / The Children's Place children's wear / The Disney Store / The Gap apparel / The Limited ladies wear / The News Shop / The Avenue apparel / Things Remembered (kiosk) / This End Up / Trade Secret / Victoria's Secret lingerie / Waldenbooks - Walden Kids / Warner Brothers Studio Store / Whitehall Jewelers / Wilson's The Leather Experts / Zales Jewelers
THE FOOD COURT:
Arby's Roast Beef / Au Bon Pain / J.B. Scoops ice cream / King of Gyros / McDonalds hamburgers / Mrs. Field's Cookies / Orange Julius / Panda Express / Sarku Japan / Sbarro the Italian Eatery / Souper Salad / Sweets By Lambrides
