The CENTURY MALL moniker was retired in 1981, when the complex was renamed UNIVERSITY MALL. In a downward spiral for several years, the facility was virtually vacant by 1986, when it was being promoted as having Great Shopping, Dining and Fun For All.
Graphic from University Mall Company
Graphic from EverWest
The Wards at UNIVERSITY MALL pulled up stakes in 1997. The complex was reconfigured soon after. Its enclosed concourse, and inline stores that flanked it, were gutted. Four big box-type spaces were created. A new south store strip was also built. The "new & improved" complex was renamed UNIVERSITY CENTER. By 2020, things had come full circle. The shopping venue was -once again- known as UNIVERSITY PLAZA.
UNIVERSITY PLAZA
South College Avenue / US 287 and Columbia Road
Fort Collins, Colorado
The first shopping mall developed by Indianapolis' Melvin Simon and Associates was built on a 23.1-acre parcel, located 1.2 miles south of the Fort Collins Central Business District. UNIVERSITY PLAZA, heralded as a "New Shopping Dimension," encompassed approximately 203,000 leasable square feet and contained twenty-four stores and services under its roof.
Situated on a single retail level, UNIVERSITY PLAZA sat upon land leased from Mrs. Mae Tiley, a Fort Collins realtor. Construction on the enclosed shopping complex commenced in February 1963. A 1-level (66,100 square foot) Montgomery Ward became the first operational store, on November 7, 1963.
A 400-foot-long, enclosed shopping concourse was added to the south side of Wards. This included a (36,000 square foot) Hesteds 5 & 10 and William Tally Cafeteria, (9,500 square foot) Walgreen Drug and Walgreen Grill, (11,700 square foot) Eaker's men's wear and (28,000 square foot) King Soopers grocery.
This store, which stood on the south end of the complex, had only an exterior entrance and could not be accessed from the enclosed concourse. King Soopers opened for business on September 23, 1964. A mall-wide dedication was held on November 11, 1964. Hesteds and Walgreen Drug became the final charter stores in the mall to open. They commenced operation on February 11, 1965.
Original tenants at UNIVERSITY PLAZA included Kinney Shoes, The Sutler men's wear, Holly's ladies' wear, Plaza Barber Shop, Iris Salon of Beauty, Collins Fabrics and an S & H Green Stamps Redemption Center.
Denver's Century 21 Corporation acquired UNIVERSITY PLAZA in October 1969. They formulated a plan to build a 500,000 square foot mall on an adjacent parcel to the south. The UNIVERSITY PLAZA structure would be remodeled and incorporated into the new shopping hub, which would be known, collectively, as CENTURY MALL.
As an initial phase of this project, UNIVERSITY PLAZA was renamed CENTURY MALL in June 1970. Century 21 intended to develop at least six more CENTURY MALLS. These would be located in Sioux Falls, Bismarck, Rapid City and Aberdeen, South Dakota and Grand Forks, Fargo and Minot, North Dakota.
These plans eventually fell through, with none of the six CENTURY MALLS being built. Century 21 sold their interests in the existing and prospective retail venues. The Bismarck property eventually became GATEWAY MALL. The proposed center in Rapid City was developed as RUSHMORE MALL. The Fargo project was completed as WEST ACRES MALL, with the Grand Forks complex retaining its original SOUTH FORKS PLAZA moniker.
The CENTURY MALL in Fort Collins enjoyed its status as the only shopping mall in town for nearly 9 years. Then came FOOTHILLS FASHION MALL (1973) {.9 of a mile south} and THE SQUARE (1978) {1 mile south}. Both of these shopping hubs were within the city limits of Fort Collins.
Hesteds, at CENTURY MALL, had been shuttered in mid-1975. The space was divided between a new (17,400 square foot) Eaker's men's wear and expanded (46,000 square foot) King Soopers. Grand openings were held on October 23, 1975. The original Eaker's was reconfigured as the Mann Theatres Century Mall Tri-plex, which showed first features on December 22, 1976. CENTURY MALL stores at this time included The Melting Pot, Kangaroo's Pouch Maternity, T Shirt Affair, The Land of Oz video arcade and Musicland records.
In 1981, the name of the complex was changed to UNIVERSITY MALL. The center had been struggling to keep tenants for several years, and was virtually vacant. To add insult to injury, a third retail rival came on the scene. PAVILION CENTER {1.9 miles southeast, in Larimer County} was completed in 1989.
UNIVERSITY MALL continued on in a downward spiral until the shuttering of Montgomery Ward, in 1997. A demalling redevelopment got underway in 1998. The vacant Wards was divided in half. Moreover, the mall section between Wards and King Soopers was gutted and rebuilt into four big box-type stores. A small south store block was also added to the south side of the structure.
A reconfigured complex now housed approximately 236,200 leasable square feet and thirteen stores and services. On June 23, 2004, a (44,000 square foot), Austin-based Whole Foods Market opened in the northern half of the old Montgomery Ward structure.
The shopping center, officially promoted as UNIVERSITY PLAZA, is currently owned and operated by a joint venture. The old Montgomery Ward, containing the aforementioned Whole Foods Market and Wilbur's Total Beverage, is leased by an entity known as GKT University Plaza II. The remainder of the complex is under the management of the Denver-based Crosbie Real Estate Group.
Sources:
The Fort Collins Coloradoan
Original tenants at UNIVERSITY PLAZA included Kinney Shoes, The Sutler men's wear, Holly's ladies' wear, Plaza Barber Shop, Iris Salon of Beauty, Collins Fabrics and an S & H Green Stamps Redemption Center.
Denver's Century 21 Corporation acquired UNIVERSITY PLAZA in October 1969. They formulated a plan to build a 500,000 square foot mall on an adjacent parcel to the south. The UNIVERSITY PLAZA structure would be remodeled and incorporated into the new shopping hub, which would be known, collectively, as CENTURY MALL.
As an initial phase of this project, UNIVERSITY PLAZA was renamed CENTURY MALL in June 1970. Century 21 intended to develop at least six more CENTURY MALLS. These would be located in Sioux Falls, Bismarck, Rapid City and Aberdeen, South Dakota and Grand Forks, Fargo and Minot, North Dakota.
These plans eventually fell through, with none of the six CENTURY MALLS being built. Century 21 sold their interests in the existing and prospective retail venues. The Bismarck property eventually became GATEWAY MALL. The proposed center in Rapid City was developed as RUSHMORE MALL. The Fargo project was completed as WEST ACRES MALL, with the Grand Forks complex retaining its original SOUTH FORKS PLAZA moniker.
The CENTURY MALL in Fort Collins enjoyed its status as the only shopping mall in town for nearly 9 years. Then came FOOTHILLS FASHION MALL (1973) {.9 of a mile south} and THE SQUARE (1978) {1 mile south}. Both of these shopping hubs were within the city limits of Fort Collins.
Hesteds, at CENTURY MALL, had been shuttered in mid-1975. The space was divided between a new (17,400 square foot) Eaker's men's wear and expanded (46,000 square foot) King Soopers. Grand openings were held on October 23, 1975. The original Eaker's was reconfigured as the Mann Theatres Century Mall Tri-plex, which showed first features on December 22, 1976. CENTURY MALL stores at this time included The Melting Pot, Kangaroo's Pouch Maternity, T Shirt Affair, The Land of Oz video arcade and Musicland records.
In 1981, the name of the complex was changed to UNIVERSITY MALL. The center had been struggling to keep tenants for several years, and was virtually vacant. To add insult to injury, a third retail rival came on the scene. PAVILION CENTER {1.9 miles southeast, in Larimer County} was completed in 1989.
UNIVERSITY MALL continued on in a downward spiral until the shuttering of Montgomery Ward, in 1997. A demalling redevelopment got underway in 1998. The vacant Wards was divided in half. Moreover, the mall section between Wards and King Soopers was gutted and rebuilt into four big box-type stores. A small south store block was also added to the south side of the structure.
A reconfigured complex now housed approximately 236,200 leasable square feet and thirteen stores and services. On June 23, 2004, a (44,000 square foot), Austin-based Whole Foods Market opened in the northern half of the old Montgomery Ward structure.
The shopping center, officially promoted as UNIVERSITY PLAZA, is currently owned and operated by a joint venture. The old Montgomery Ward, containing the aforementioned Whole Foods Market and Wilbur's Total Beverage, is leased by an entity known as GKT University Plaza II. The remainder of the complex is under the management of the Denver-based Crosbie Real Estate Group.
Sources:
The Fort Collins Coloradoan
The Rocky Mountain Collegian
http://www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
http://fcmdsc.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/from-the-archive-university-plaza-mall (Fort Collins Museum Science Discovery Center Blog)
http://history.poudrelibraries.org
Larimer County, Colorado property tax assessor website
http://www.airparkvillage.com
https://www.creginc.com / Crosbie Real Estate Group
http://www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
http://fcmdsc.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/from-the-archive-university-plaza-mall (Fort Collins Museum Science Discovery Center Blog)
http://history.poudrelibraries.org
Larimer County, Colorado property tax assessor website
http://www.airparkvillage.com
https://www.creginc.com / Crosbie Real Estate Group
