The original TACOMA MALL was completed in stages. The Bon Marche opened in August 1964. J.C. Penney and the mall were dedicated in October 1965. Nordstrom Best debuted in August 1966. The final component, the single-screen Tacoma Mall Theatre, was dedicated in May 1968. The fully-realized shopping hub housed around 910,000 leasable square feet and seventy-six stores. Free parking was provided for 7,200 autos.

The mall's primary anchor and first operational store, Seattle-based The Bon Marche. In this image, a freestanding Bon Marche Tire Center appears in the lower left. The store also housed three restaurants; The Cascade Room, Men's Grill cocktail bar and Corner House coffee shop.
Photo from Smith Western / Tacoma Public Library