Aurora Avenue North and North 205th Street
King County (Shoreline), Washington
The fifth regional-class shopping center in the Puget Sound region was developed by Seattle's Manson F. Backus, under the auspices of the Backus Improvement Company. AURORA VILLAGE CENTER was built on 35 acres, located 13.9 miles north of center city Seattle. The site, then in unincorporated King County, was adjacent to the King-Snohomish County line.
Plans for the mall were announced in April 1959, with construction commencing on July 13, 1959. Originally an open-air mall of fifty stores, AURORA VILLAGE CENTER opened for business on April 5, 1960. Major stores included a (40,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, (21,000 square foot) Pay 'n Save Drug and (30,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.
Charter inline stores included Andy's Village Inn restaurant, Nordstrom's Shoes, Bon Ton French Bakery, E M Shop decorative accessories & gifts, Edwards Junior Boot Shop, Connie's Maternity Shop, Joy Jacobs, Singer Sewing Center, Turner Jewelers, Kinney Shoes and a Lucky Stores supermarket. A 3-level (180,000 square foot), Seattle-based Frederick & Nelson opened, on the east end of the mall, on July 22, 1963.
Shopping centers in the AURORA VILLAGE trade area included NORTHGATE CENTER (1950) {4.6 miles south, in King County (Seattle)}, AURORA SQUARE (1967) {2.2 miles southwest, in King County (Shoreline)} and ALDERWOOD MALL (1979) {4.7 miles northeast, in Snohomish County (Lynnwood)}.
A 2-level (71,000 square foot) Nordstrom was dedicated at AURORA VILLAGE on March 29, 1974. It was the first unit in the Seattle-based chain to be built as a bona fide Nordstrom department store (earlier locations had operated under the Best's Apparel and Nordstrom Best banners).
AURORA VILLAGE was enclosed and climate-controlled during a 2-phase renovation. Work commenced in March 1979 and was completed in 1980. 100,000 square feet of store space, and a parking garage, were built. The Luxury Theatres Aurora Village 4 showed first features on December 12, 1980.
The revitalized AURORA VILLAGE MALL encompassed approximately 510,000 leasable square feet and housed sixty stores and services. It was acquired by the Kirkland, Washington-based Northwest Building Corporation in 1987. Renovation plans were announced that never saw fruition and the mall was re-sold in 1989. The buyer was the Portland-based Pan Pacific Development Corporation.
A 370,000 square foot power center, known as AURORA VILLAGE CENTER, was built. Its 1-level (156,000 square foot) Costco welcomed first patrons on June 30, 1994. Stores and services included Petco, Office Max, Big 5 Sporting Goods (a former mall tenant), and 1-level (130,000 square foot) Home Depot. The shopping center site became part of the newly-incorporated city of Shoreline in August 1995.
Sources:
The Seattle Times
The Catholic Northwest Progress (Seattle, Washington)
Charter inline stores included Andy's Village Inn restaurant, Nordstrom's Shoes, Bon Ton French Bakery, E M Shop decorative accessories & gifts, Edwards Junior Boot Shop, Connie's Maternity Shop, Joy Jacobs, Singer Sewing Center, Turner Jewelers, Kinney Shoes and a Lucky Stores supermarket. A 3-level (180,000 square foot), Seattle-based Frederick & Nelson opened, on the east end of the mall, on July 22, 1963.
Shopping centers in the AURORA VILLAGE trade area included NORTHGATE CENTER (1950) {4.6 miles south, in King County (Seattle)}, AURORA SQUARE (1967) {2.2 miles southwest, in King County (Shoreline)} and ALDERWOOD MALL (1979) {4.7 miles northeast, in Snohomish County (Lynnwood)}.
A 2-level (71,000 square foot) Nordstrom was dedicated at AURORA VILLAGE on March 29, 1974. It was the first unit in the Seattle-based chain to be built as a bona fide Nordstrom department store (earlier locations had operated under the Best's Apparel and Nordstrom Best banners).
AURORA VILLAGE was enclosed and climate-controlled during a 2-phase renovation. Work commenced in March 1979 and was completed in 1980. 100,000 square feet of store space, and a parking garage, were built. The Luxury Theatres Aurora Village 4 showed first features on December 12, 1980.
The revitalized AURORA VILLAGE MALL encompassed approximately 510,000 leasable square feet and housed sixty stores and services. It was acquired by the Kirkland, Washington-based Northwest Building Corporation in 1987. Renovation plans were announced that never saw fruition and the mall was re-sold in 1989. The buyer was the Portland-based Pan Pacific Development Corporation.
By this time, the complex was in a downward spiral. Pan Pacific planned another renovation. AURORA VILLAGE MALL would be demolished, leaving its two anchors standing. These would be worked into a new 777,000 square foot shopping mall with two levels of retail, a food court, multiplex cinema and over 140 stores and services.
Financing for the project was never secured. The mall fell into disrepair and became a haven for crime. Frederick & Nelson pulled up stakes in September 1991, starting an inline store exodus. Nordstrom, the mall's final operational store, went dark on May 30, 1992. New York City-based Citicorp, acquired the property by default in October 1992. They decided to raze the entire structure. Demolition commenced in late 1993.
A 370,000 square foot power center, known as AURORA VILLAGE CENTER, was built. Its 1-level (156,000 square foot) Costco welcomed first patrons on June 30, 1994. Stores and services included Petco, Office Max, Big 5 Sporting Goods (a former mall tenant), and 1-level (130,000 square foot) Home Depot. The shopping center site became part of the newly-incorporated city of Shoreline in August 1995.
Sources:
The Seattle Times
The Catholic Northwest Progress (Seattle, Washington)
http://www.shorelineareanews.com
www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
https://archive.seattletimes.com
