PENN SQUARE
Northwest Urban Bypass (Northwest Expressway) and North Pennsylvania AvenueOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Plans for a major northwest Oklahoma City shopping complex were first envisaged in 1952. The facility would be built on a 55-acre site, located on the northeast corner of the Northwest Urban Bypass highway and North Pennsylvania Avenue intersection. The land parcel was situated 3.5 miles northwest of the Oklahoma State House.
Ben C. Wileman, a local developer, formed a joint venture with the Anderson-Rooney Operating Company. The Sorey, Hill & Sorey firm, also of Oklahoma City, were hired to design the complex. Ground was broken on November 5, 1958 for the PENN SQUARE project.
A mall-wide grand opening was held on March 3, 1960. The guest of honor, Mrs. James H. Norick (wife of the Mayor of Oklahoma City) was presented with a Key to PENN SQUARE. During a 30-minute concert, the "Penn Square Song" was played. In its original state, the open-air mall covered approximately 582,000 leasable square feet and housed forty-six stores and services.
On the southwest was a 2-level (128,000 square foot), Oklahoma City-based John A. Brown. A 2-level (206,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward anchored the southeast corner. Charter stores and services included Valgene Restaurant, Peyton-Marcus, Lerner Shops, Sir's London Shop, the British Import Shoppe, a 2-level (30,800 square foot) Rothschild's, 2-level (37,800 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 and (31,300 square foot) Humpty Dumpty supermarket.
Courts and concourses at PENN SQUARE were landscaped with 10,000 trees and plants. These included Spanish Live Oak, Red Oak, Carolina jasmine, dwarf pine and English Ivy. During the spring and summer months, tropical plants were also installed. Flower beds were decorated with volcanic boulders, wash stones from Mexico and Korean river pebbles. The Central Square area included a large reflecting pool, fountain and 26-foot-high abstract sculpture by J.B. Thompson, of Oklahoma City.
An expansion and renovation of the (30,800 square foot) Rothschild's store commenced in June 1966 and was completed in May 1967. The upper level of the structure was expanded eastward, increasing the square footage of the building to 48,400.
Meanwhile, a second Oklahoma City retail hub had been completed in November 1964. SHEPHERD MALL {1.8 miles southwest, in Oklahoma City} was a fully-enclosed, 744,000 square foot facility. NORTH PARK MALL {4.8 miles northwest, in Oklahoma City} welcomed shoppers, to 250,000 square feet of selling space in, August 1972.
THE CROSSROADS {10 miles southeast, also in Oklahoma City} was a formidable rival. This 1.4 million square foot buying behemoth opened for business in February 1974. HERITAGE PARK MALL {8.6 miles southeast, in Midwest City} was dedicated, with a modest 650,000 square feet, in October 1978. Lastly, there was QUAIL SPRINGS MALL {5.8 miles northwest, in Oklahoma City}. Launched in October 1980, this super-sized shopopolis spanned 1.1 million square feet.
As a keeping up with competitors move, a 3 million dollar enclosing renovation was performed at PENN SQUARE between June 1980 and November 1981. The Central Square area, now illuminated by a large skylight, was renamed Pyramid Plaza. New inline stores included Gordon's Jewelers, Harzfelds, Catherine's Stout Shop, Extension 1 and Naturalizer Shoes. With completion of the roofing renovation, the complex was renamed PENN SQUARE MALL. It now encompassed approximately 637,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-five stores and services.
Courts and concourses at PENN SQUARE were landscaped with 10,000 trees and plants. These included Spanish Live Oak, Red Oak, Carolina jasmine, dwarf pine and English Ivy. During the spring and summer months, tropical plants were also installed. Flower beds were decorated with volcanic boulders, wash stones from Mexico and Korean river pebbles. The Central Square area included a large reflecting pool, fountain and 26-foot-high abstract sculpture by J.B. Thompson, of Oklahoma City.
An expansion and renovation of the (30,800 square foot) Rothschild's store commenced in June 1966 and was completed in May 1967. The upper level of the structure was expanded eastward, increasing the square footage of the building to 48,400.
Meanwhile, a second Oklahoma City retail hub had been completed in November 1964. SHEPHERD MALL {1.8 miles southwest, in Oklahoma City} was a fully-enclosed, 744,000 square foot facility. NORTH PARK MALL {4.8 miles northwest, in Oklahoma City} welcomed shoppers, to 250,000 square feet of selling space in, August 1972.
THE CROSSROADS {10 miles southeast, also in Oklahoma City} was a formidable rival. This 1.4 million square foot buying behemoth opened for business in February 1974. HERITAGE PARK MALL {8.6 miles southeast, in Midwest City} was dedicated, with a modest 650,000 square feet, in October 1978. Lastly, there was QUAIL SPRINGS MALL {5.8 miles northwest, in Oklahoma City}. Launched in October 1980, this super-sized shopopolis spanned 1.1 million square feet.
As a keeping up with competitors move, a 3 million dollar enclosing renovation was performed at PENN SQUARE between June 1980 and November 1981. The Central Square area, now illuminated by a large skylight, was renamed Pyramid Plaza. New inline stores included Gordon's Jewelers, Harzfelds, Catherine's Stout Shop, Extension 1 and Naturalizer Shoes. With completion of the roofing renovation, the complex was renamed PENN SQUARE MALL. It now encompassed approximately 637,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-five stores and services.
The first anchor store nameplate change took place on September 29, 1984, when John A. Brown was rebranded by Dillard's. In September 1985, the mall was sold to Cincinnati's JMB Federated Realty. They initiated a 100 million dollar renovation in May 1986. This project would add a full second level of retail and bring in a third anchor department store; Dallas-based Sanger-Harris.
As the remodeling progressed, the existing Dillard's was reconfigured and expanded into a 170,000 square foot structure. A 3-level parking garage was constructed on the northeast corner of the complex. In September 1987, a downsized Montgomery Ward re-opened as a 2-level (135,500 square foot) "Specialty Store." 70,500 square feet of former Wards area had been rebuilt as inline tenant spaces.
The interior of PENN SQUARE MALL was redecorated in a Victorian motif, reminiscent of structures at Oklahoma City's Belle Isle Park (1907-1925). This early 20th century amusement facility stood near the site where PENN SQUARE was eventually built.
By the time of the official mall re-dedication, on March 2, 1988, the new anchor store was opening as a 2-level (161,000 square foot), Houston-based Foley's. New inline stores included Bacharach, The Sharper Image, Units, Camp Beverly Hills, The Oak Tree, The Limited, Victoria's Secret, The Bombay Company and B. Dalton Bookseller.
A refurbished Center Court included a new fountain, escalators, glass-enclosed elevator and performance stage. Picnic Square, a 12-bay food court, overlooked Center Court from the mall's 2nd Level. Some of the eateries were Chao Prayua, Hot Dogs & More, Cozzoli's Pizza, Gyros & Pida, Chick-Fil-A and Taco Bell.
One of the final installments of the renovation was the General Cinema Corporation Penn Square Mall 8. It showed its first features on May 19, 1988. PENN SQUARE MALL had reinvented itself as an upscale facility of 1,122,000 square feet and 160 stores and services. It quickly became established as the city's preeminent shopping venue.
Rothschild's was acquired by Dillard's and shuttered in September 1992. Dillard's expanded their existing store across the upper level shopping concourse and into the Rothschild's second floor. The PENN SQUARE MALL Dillard's now encompassed 234,000 square feet. A 2-level (124,700 square foot) J.C. Penney came on board, as a fourth anchor, on November 1, 1995.
A 10 million dollar face lift was completed in the year 2000, with new flooring, lighting and soft seating installed. Montgomery Ward closed their 41-year-old store in March 2001. Dillard's East (a Men's, Children's & Home store) opened -in reconfigured Wards space- on May 30, 2002. Following this, the existing Dillard's was renovated and downsized into the (170,000 square foot) Dillard's West (which sold women's apparel and accessories). This store was officially dedicated on August 14, 2002. Foley's was "Macy-ated" on September 9, 2006.
Indianapolis' Simon Property Group had acquired PENN SQUARE MALL in February 2002. In 2007-2008, six mall entrances were rebuilt. A subsequent remodeling, done between August 2012 and May 2013, refurbished the Food Court and restrooms. The cinema, which had been expanded into a 10-plex in 1998, was renovated into a stadium seating venue. It re-opened, as the American Multi-Cinema Penn Square 10, on May 1, 2013.
Sources:
The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City)
http://www.okcmod.com
http://pennsquaremall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Tax assessor website
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://www.simon.com
"Dillard's" article on Wikipedia
"Foley's" article on Wikipedia
"Foley's" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF PENN SQUARE IMAGES:
The photos from the Oklahoma State Digital Library illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the images does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the images in any way. The images are being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.
