WINROCK CENTER
Louisiana Boulevard, Northeast and Coronado Freeway / Interstate 40Albuquerque, New Mexico
Plans for New Mexico's first shopping mall were announced in March 1957. The project encountered legal hurdles, but ground was broken on October 9, 1959. WINROCK CENTER was developed by a joint venture of Winrock Enterprises, Incorporated (an entity headed by Little Rock's Winthrop Rockefeller) and the University of New Mexico, who owned the land the shopping center was built on.
The complex was designed by architects Victor Gruen and Stanley G. Wright. It occupied 82 acres of a 120-acre tract; this located 6 miles east of downtown Albuquerque. The parcel was located in a section of Albuquerque known -at the time- as Northeast Heights. Today it is referred to as Uptown. The mall was adjacent to Interstate 40 (a.k.a. the Coronado Freeway). The section of highway accessing WINROCK CENTER opened to traffic in October 1962.
WINROCK CENTER had been officially dedicated on March 1, 1961. Thirty-eight initial stores opened their doors. The 4-day celebration was attended by Winthrop Rockefeller, Maurice Sanchez (Albuquerque City Commission Chairman) and several officials from Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney. The wives of Misters Rockefeller and Sanchez cut a ceremonial ribbon.
WINROCK CENTER had been officially dedicated on March 1, 1961. Thirty-eight initial stores opened their doors. The 4-day celebration was attended by Winthrop Rockefeller, Maurice Sanchez (Albuquerque City Commission Chairman) and several officials from Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney. The wives of Misters Rockefeller and Sanchez cut a ceremonial ribbon.
Appearances were made by Raymond Burr, star of CBS-TV's "Perry Mason," and Shelley Fabares ["Fab-ray"], of ABC-TV's "Donna Reed Show." Several Duke City television personalities also participated in the mall dedication. Among these were Uncle Roy and Uncle Howdy (KOAT-TV), Dick Bills (KOB-TV) and Captain Billy Binnacle (KGGM-TV).
In its original state, WINROCK CENTER encompassed approximately 565,000 leasable square feet. The shopping hub eventually housed fifty stores and services. Its anchors were a 3-level (216,400 square foot) Montgomery Ward and 2-level (55,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. A 2-level (42,000 square foot) Fedway department store welcomed its first shoppers on May 17, 1961.
Charter tenants in the 10 million dollar complex included Diamond Jim's restaurant, E. Cook Sporting Goods, Coffee Dan's restaurant, Baker's Qualicraft Shoes, Walgreen Drug, Lerner Shops, a (27,200 square foot) Safeway supermarket and 2-level (36,700 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10.
WINROCK CENTER was originally a semi-enclosed structure. It had a roofed concourse, with grill work along the top to allow for air circulation from the outside. There were also open-air plazas on the east and west ends of the structure.
The White Winrock Motor Hotel, which was added to the southwest corner of the mall, opened for business on June 1, 1962. The Fox Intermountain Midwest Fox Winrock Theatre debuted on May 28, 1963. This freestanding venue, built in the northern periphery of WINROCK CENTER, was twinned in June 1978.
Major shopping centers in the WINROCK trade area included CORONADO CENTER (1965) {.5 mile northwest, in Albuquerque} and THE MALL (1967) {.8 mile northeast, also in Albuquerque}. Soon after the dedication of CORONADO CENTER, J.C. Penney expanded their dry-goods-only WINROCK store. A third level was added, with expansions on the east and west. A freestanding 14-bay Auto Center was also built. The new full-line Penneys store, which encompassed 167,000 square feet, was dedicated on November 2, 1966.
S.S. Kresge shuttered their store, which was divided into two spaces. These were occupied by a (12,800 square foot) Ben Franklin 5 & 10 and relocated Toys By Roy. These were dedicated on November 11, 1968. Fedway at WINROCK CENTER was rebranded by Dillard's in September 1971. In January 1972, construction got underway on a 3-level (187,900 square foot) building; this situated north of Fedway-Dillard's. Dillard's relocated into this structure and held a grand opening on November 25, 1972.
A "North Mall" expansion was built along with the new Dillard's, with twenty inline stores joining the directory. Among these were B. Dalton Bookseller, Mrs. Stover's Candies, Stag Tobacconist, Wickery 'N Cookery, Shoe Circus and Disco Display House. The addition was officially dedicated on August 9, 1973. WINROCK CENTER now contained seventy-two stores and services.
A subsequent renovation commenced in May 1975. Courts and concourses, including those of the new North Mall, were enclosed and climate-controlled. A pyramidal skylight was installed over the East Court, which, post-renovation, was promoted as the Pyramid Court. These projects were completed in March 1976.
Renovation work resumed in April 1981. The Pyramid Court was reconfigured to create a more defined route between the Central and North Mall concourses. New storefronts, flooring, landscaping, seating areas and skylights were installed. The 10-bay Food Park opened for business, along with Helzberg Diamonds, Gold Diggers, Cutlery Corner and a relocated Walgreen PayLess Drug (which assumed a portion of vacated Safeway supermarket space). This remodeling project wrapped up on October 22, 1981.
In a little more than 2 years, construction was underway again. This time, an Upper Mall concourse was built over the North Mall. Likewise, the Food Park was enlarged with four vendors. When completed in August 1984, the mall expansion had added twenty-three inline stores. These included Waldenbooks, Career Image and The Limited. WINROCK CENTER now spanned approximately 934,000 leasable square feet and housed 130 stores and services.
The next major development at WINROCK CENTER involved Texas-based Bealls ["belz"]. They added a 1-level (55,000 square foot) store to the east side of the mall, which began business on October 17, 1985. A reworking of the Food Park moved that facility into adjacent space to the northeast. When the renovation was completed in July 1989, the culinary complex housed eateries such as Macario Riviera Mexican Food, Blake's Lotaburger and D.W. Spud Company.
The new decade saw Montgomery Ward downsize their WINROCK operation. Its northeast corner was reconfigured as the 3-level Atrium Court. An upper level skybridge was constructed, which spanned the Pyramid Court and connected the Atrium Court with the Upper Mall concourse. Anchoring the Atrium Court was a (30,000 square foot) Marshalls. The remaining area of the original Ward's was reconfigured as "Specialty Store." The "new" Montgomery Ward, Marshalls and Atrium Court were officially launched on November 8, 1990.
Meanwhile, CORONADO CENTER had snatched J.C. Penney from WINROCK CENTER in January 1990. In January 1993, a west end mall renovation got underway. The vacant J.C. Penney was knocked down, along with a great deal of the west section of the mall. The adjacent Walgreen (formerly Safeway) Wing was demolished and replaced by expanded parking.
The mall's West Court was rebuilt as part of the 31 million dollar project. New inline stores included Godiva Chocolatier, Garden Botanika, Plus Holiday Market, Talbots, Victoria's Secret, Express and Nordic Track. In place of the demolished J.C. Penney was the (100,000 square foot) Dillard's Winrock West. It carried men's and children's attire, along with housewares and electronics.
An official store dedication was held October 20, 1993. The existing Dillard's had been given a 6 million dollar overhaul and was reconfigured as Dillard's Winrock East; a store devoted entirely to women's merchandise. The revitalized mall now housed a total of ninety-four stores and services.
Bealls shuttered their store, which re-opened -as an Oshman's SuperSports USA- on May 2, 1992. Marshalls pulled out of the mall on December 24, 1995. The space was assumed by Bed, Bath & Beyond, who welcomed their first shoppers on September 15, 1996.
In the interim, a new competitor arrived on the Duke City scene. COTTONWOOD MALL {8.6 miles northwest, in Albuquerque} opened for business in July 1996. WINROCK CENTER was in a downward trajectory by the time its Montgomery Ward closed, in March 2001.
Vacant spaces now lined the mall's courts and concourses. The motel, which had been operating as the Best Western Winrock Inn, closed in March 2005. The final blow to WINROCK came in October 2006, with completion of the ABQ UPTOWN lifestyle center. This venue was located on a site adjacent to WINROCK CENTER.
The owners of WINROCK, Parsippany, New Jersey-based Prudential Real Estate Investors, had purchased the mall structure in 1979 and land beneath it in 2002. In July, they announced plans to redevelop the failing retail complex as THE AVENUE AT WINROCK, an open-air shopping complex.
The first of many hurdles presented itself in January 2003. A lawsuit was filed against the mall's owners. This was settled in May 2004. Later, the demalling project was put on hold, with rising construction costs cited as the reason. Prudential threw in the proverbial towel in September 2007 and sold the virtually vacant venue to Albuquerque-based GK Partners.
Redevelopment had been on the drawing board for several years, while demolition and new construction were stymied by a weak national economy. However, in late 2010, news surfaced of a new Regal megaplex and IMAX Theater. A new name was bequeathed for the shopping-center-to-be; WINROCK TOWN CENTER.
Demolition of the vacant hotel commenced in May 2012. The remainder of the mall was left standing...for the time being. A freestanding BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, the first new WINROCK TOWN CENTER tenant, welcomed its first diners on November 5, 2012. The dedication of the Regal Winrock IMAX & RPX took place on November 8, 2013.
Sports Authority relocated from its original mall location (the former Oshman's Supersports USA). They moved into the old Marshalls / Bed, Bath & Beyond space. This new Sports Authority opened on August 8, 2015, but was shuttered after only 1 year.
A 2-level underground parking garage was built on the old hotel spot. A structure covering the garage was to house stores such as David's Bridal, Ulta Beauty, Famous Footwear and Nordstrom Rack. These commenced operation between July and October 2016.
T.J. Maxx, occupying the old Montgomery Ward Specialty Store, opened in September 2016. Several new restaurants were also constructed in the periphery of the new WINROCK power center. These included Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.
Sources:
The Albuquerque Journal
In its original state, WINROCK CENTER encompassed approximately 565,000 leasable square feet. The shopping hub eventually housed fifty stores and services. Its anchors were a 3-level (216,400 square foot) Montgomery Ward and 2-level (55,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. A 2-level (42,000 square foot) Fedway department store welcomed its first shoppers on May 17, 1961.
Charter tenants in the 10 million dollar complex included Diamond Jim's restaurant, E. Cook Sporting Goods, Coffee Dan's restaurant, Baker's Qualicraft Shoes, Walgreen Drug, Lerner Shops, a (27,200 square foot) Safeway supermarket and 2-level (36,700 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10.
WINROCK CENTER was originally a semi-enclosed structure. It had a roofed concourse, with grill work along the top to allow for air circulation from the outside. There were also open-air plazas on the east and west ends of the structure.
The White Winrock Motor Hotel, which was added to the southwest corner of the mall, opened for business on June 1, 1962. The Fox Intermountain Midwest Fox Winrock Theatre debuted on May 28, 1963. This freestanding venue, built in the northern periphery of WINROCK CENTER, was twinned in June 1978.
Major shopping centers in the WINROCK trade area included CORONADO CENTER (1965) {.5 mile northwest, in Albuquerque} and THE MALL (1967) {.8 mile northeast, also in Albuquerque}. Soon after the dedication of CORONADO CENTER, J.C. Penney expanded their dry-goods-only WINROCK store. A third level was added, with expansions on the east and west. A freestanding 14-bay Auto Center was also built. The new full-line Penneys store, which encompassed 167,000 square feet, was dedicated on November 2, 1966.
S.S. Kresge shuttered their store, which was divided into two spaces. These were occupied by a (12,800 square foot) Ben Franklin 5 & 10 and relocated Toys By Roy. These were dedicated on November 11, 1968. Fedway at WINROCK CENTER was rebranded by Dillard's in September 1971. In January 1972, construction got underway on a 3-level (187,900 square foot) building; this situated north of Fedway-Dillard's. Dillard's relocated into this structure and held a grand opening on November 25, 1972.
A "North Mall" expansion was built along with the new Dillard's, with twenty inline stores joining the directory. Among these were B. Dalton Bookseller, Mrs. Stover's Candies, Stag Tobacconist, Wickery 'N Cookery, Shoe Circus and Disco Display House. The addition was officially dedicated on August 9, 1973. WINROCK CENTER now contained seventy-two stores and services.
A subsequent renovation commenced in May 1975. Courts and concourses, including those of the new North Mall, were enclosed and climate-controlled. A pyramidal skylight was installed over the East Court, which, post-renovation, was promoted as the Pyramid Court. These projects were completed in March 1976.
Renovation work resumed in April 1981. The Pyramid Court was reconfigured to create a more defined route between the Central and North Mall concourses. New storefronts, flooring, landscaping, seating areas and skylights were installed. The 10-bay Food Park opened for business, along with Helzberg Diamonds, Gold Diggers, Cutlery Corner and a relocated Walgreen PayLess Drug (which assumed a portion of vacated Safeway supermarket space). This remodeling project wrapped up on October 22, 1981.
In a little more than 2 years, construction was underway again. This time, an Upper Mall concourse was built over the North Mall. Likewise, the Food Park was enlarged with four vendors. When completed in August 1984, the mall expansion had added twenty-three inline stores. These included Waldenbooks, Career Image and The Limited. WINROCK CENTER now spanned approximately 934,000 leasable square feet and housed 130 stores and services.
The next major development at WINROCK CENTER involved Texas-based Bealls ["belz"]. They added a 1-level (55,000 square foot) store to the east side of the mall, which began business on October 17, 1985. A reworking of the Food Park moved that facility into adjacent space to the northeast. When the renovation was completed in July 1989, the culinary complex housed eateries such as Macario Riviera Mexican Food, Blake's Lotaburger and D.W. Spud Company.
The new decade saw Montgomery Ward downsize their WINROCK operation. Its northeast corner was reconfigured as the 3-level Atrium Court. An upper level skybridge was constructed, which spanned the Pyramid Court and connected the Atrium Court with the Upper Mall concourse. Anchoring the Atrium Court was a (30,000 square foot) Marshalls. The remaining area of the original Ward's was reconfigured as "Specialty Store." The "new" Montgomery Ward, Marshalls and Atrium Court were officially launched on November 8, 1990.
Meanwhile, CORONADO CENTER had snatched J.C. Penney from WINROCK CENTER in January 1990. In January 1993, a west end mall renovation got underway. The vacant J.C. Penney was knocked down, along with a great deal of the west section of the mall. The adjacent Walgreen (formerly Safeway) Wing was demolished and replaced by expanded parking.
The mall's West Court was rebuilt as part of the 31 million dollar project. New inline stores included Godiva Chocolatier, Garden Botanika, Plus Holiday Market, Talbots, Victoria's Secret, Express and Nordic Track. In place of the demolished J.C. Penney was the (100,000 square foot) Dillard's Winrock West. It carried men's and children's attire, along with housewares and electronics.
An official store dedication was held October 20, 1993. The existing Dillard's had been given a 6 million dollar overhaul and was reconfigured as Dillard's Winrock East; a store devoted entirely to women's merchandise. The revitalized mall now housed a total of ninety-four stores and services.
Bealls shuttered their store, which re-opened -as an Oshman's SuperSports USA- on May 2, 1992. Marshalls pulled out of the mall on December 24, 1995. The space was assumed by Bed, Bath & Beyond, who welcomed their first shoppers on September 15, 1996.
In the interim, a new competitor arrived on the Duke City scene. COTTONWOOD MALL {8.6 miles northwest, in Albuquerque} opened for business in July 1996. WINROCK CENTER was in a downward trajectory by the time its Montgomery Ward closed, in March 2001.
Vacant spaces now lined the mall's courts and concourses. The motel, which had been operating as the Best Western Winrock Inn, closed in March 2005. The final blow to WINROCK came in October 2006, with completion of the ABQ UPTOWN lifestyle center. This venue was located on a site adjacent to WINROCK CENTER.
The owners of WINROCK, Parsippany, New Jersey-based Prudential Real Estate Investors, had purchased the mall structure in 1979 and land beneath it in 2002. In July, they announced plans to redevelop the failing retail complex as THE AVENUE AT WINROCK, an open-air shopping complex.
The first of many hurdles presented itself in January 2003. A lawsuit was filed against the mall's owners. This was settled in May 2004. Later, the demalling project was put on hold, with rising construction costs cited as the reason. Prudential threw in the proverbial towel in September 2007 and sold the virtually vacant venue to Albuquerque-based GK Partners.
Redevelopment had been on the drawing board for several years, while demolition and new construction were stymied by a weak national economy. However, in late 2010, news surfaced of a new Regal megaplex and IMAX Theater. A new name was bequeathed for the shopping-center-to-be; WINROCK TOWN CENTER.
Demolition of the vacant hotel commenced in May 2012. The remainder of the mall was left standing...for the time being. A freestanding BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, the first new WINROCK TOWN CENTER tenant, welcomed its first diners on November 5, 2012. The dedication of the Regal Winrock IMAX & RPX took place on November 8, 2013.
Sports Authority relocated from its original mall location (the former Oshman's Supersports USA). They moved into the old Marshalls / Bed, Bath & Beyond space. This new Sports Authority opened on August 8, 2015, but was shuttered after only 1 year.
A 2-level underground parking garage was built on the old hotel spot. A structure covering the garage was to house stores such as David's Bridal, Ulta Beauty, Famous Footwear and Nordstrom Rack. These commenced operation between July and October 2016.
T.J. Maxx, occupying the old Montgomery Ward Specialty Store, opened in September 2016. Several new restaurants were also constructed in the periphery of the new WINROCK power center. These included Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.
Sources:
The Albuquerque Journal
The Albuquerque Tribune
http://www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com
http://www.abqjournal.com
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
"Albuquerque's Environmental Story / Educating For a Sustainable Community The Built Environment - A Sense of Place Mid-Heights" / Phyllis Taylor
"Facelift is Winrock's Last Hope" Joline Gutierrez Krueger / Albuquerque Tribune / Tuesday, August 22, 2006
http://www.abqjournal.com
http://www.pegasusretail.com / Pegasus Retail
Fair Use of "Bunny O'Hare" Movie Poster:
The graphic from http://www.cartelespeliculas.com / American International Pictures illustrates a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The image is of lower resolution than the original (copies made would be of inferior quality). The image is not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the image does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the image in any way. The image is being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and its use is not believed to detract from the original image in any way.
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://albuquerquemodernism.unm.edu / Max Boruff
http://www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way""Albuquerque's Environmental Story / Educating For a Sustainable Community The Built Environment - A Sense of Place Mid-Heights" / Phyllis Taylor
"Facelift is Winrock's Last Hope" Joline Gutierrez Krueger / Albuquerque Tribune / Tuesday, August 22, 2006
http://www.abqjournal.com
http://www.pegasusretail.com / Pegasus Retail
Fair Use of "Bunny O'Hare" Movie Poster:
The graphic from http://www.cartelespeliculas.com / American International Pictures illustrates a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The image is of lower resolution than the original (copies made would be of inferior quality). The image is not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the image does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the image in any way. The image is being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and its use is not believed to detract from the original image in any way.
