A vintage postcard view of the original NORTHTOWN CENTER. The facility seen here was completed in 1955 and housed tenants such as W.T. Grant, Thrifty Drugs and an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.
Photo from Dexter Press
The original strip plaza covered only a small section of the Wellesley-Division-Queen and Lidgewood-bound block. The spartan, single-level complex had started out, in 1951, with a freestanding Albertson's Food Center (in black). With the mid-'50s addition (in gray), the complex spanned around 216,000 leasable square feet.
We created a high-definition Complete Plan, which shows the names and locations of all twenty stores in the NORTHTOWN strip center, as of mid-1955. Five store spaces have yet to be leased.
The shopping strip was only 6 years old when a major expansion was announced. The project would enlarge the existing complex into an open-air mall anchored by Sears and The Crescent (Spokane's hometown department store).
Drawing from Albertson's, Incorporated
In another interior view, we see The Crescent Northtown Young Spokane Shop.
Photo from Dexter Press
The shopping strip was only 6 years old when a major expansion was announced. The project would enlarge the existing complex into an open-air mall anchored by Sears and The Crescent (Spokane's hometown department store).
Drawing from Albertson's, Incorporated
An early '60s layout shows a greatly expanded mall. The original Grants store moved to new quarters in the newly-built mall (in gray). The old store was demolished and replaced by The Crescent. A new Albertson's was also built adjacent to the original store (which is now a PayLess Drug). With these modifications, NORTHTOWN CENTER spans around 650,000 leasable square feet and contains thirty-nine tenant spaces.
NORTHTOWN CENTER TENANTS 1962:
THE CRESCENT / SEARS (with Coffee House and attached Auto Center) / W.T. GRANT / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Albertson's Food Center / Anita Shop / Bernard's for Ladies / Casey's Gay '90s restaurant / Crystal Cleaners / Denslow Linoluem Shop / Everybody's Department Store / Federal Finance Company / Fidelity Savings & Loan / Harvey's Fine Clothing for Men / Hill's Shoes / Hol 'N One Donut Shop / House of Fabrics / Joy Shop / Karmelkorn / Kay's Family Shoes / Klothes Kloset / Leed's Qualicraft Shoes / MacDonald Color Center / Marshall Hardware / Memory Lane Card Shop / Mode O'Day Frock Shop / Northtown Barber Shop / Old National Bank / Paris Hats / PayLess Drug / Pounder's Jewelry / Ray's House of Beauty / Rusan's for Ladies / Saad Brothers Shoe Repair / Savon's / Smith's Record Shop / Thom McAn Shoes / Thrifty Drugs / Zale's Jewelers
The Crescent, Spokane's hometown department store, anchored the northwest corner of NORTHTOWN CENTER. The chain was acquired by Chicago's Marshall Field & Company in 1969.
Graphic from Marshall Field & Company
In an interior view, we see the NORTHTOWN store's newly-redecorated Cosmetics Department.
Photo from Marshall Field & Company Annual Report 1973
In another interior view, we see The Crescent Northtown Young Spokane Shop.
Photo from Marshall Field & Company Annual Report 1970