Broad Street and Coliseum Avenue
Nashua, New Hampshire
Plans for the Granite State's first mall-type shopping center were announced in August 1967. GATE CITY MALL, a single level facility, would be constructed on a 32.6-acre site, located 1.5 miles northwest of downtown Nashua.
The complex, developed by Lowell, Massachusetts-based Vickerry Realty, was designed by Quincy, Massachusetts-based Edgar H. Wood & Associates and Boston's Sumner Schein. It was built north of a freestanding Alexander's Market grocery store that had opened for business on March 23, 1966.
A 1-level (80,000 square foot), New York City-based Woolco discount mart was the mall's first operational store. It opened, as the first Woolco in New England, on October 9, 1968. Woolco was joined by a 1-level (75,000 square foot), Salem, Massachusetts-based Almy's department store, which was dedicated February 26, 1969.
A mall-wide grand opening was held on May 14, 1969. By this time, the name of the complex had been changed to NASHUA MALL. The center encompassed approximately 225,800 leasable square feet and housed an initial twenty-six stores and services (there would eventually be thirty-one).
The mall dedication was attended by New Hampshire Governor Walter R. Peterson, Junior (R) and Dennis J. Sullivan, Mayor of Nashua. A ceremonial ribbon was cut and there were three nightly fireworks displays, as well as a performance by the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps.
Promoted as "a new experience in shopping", NASHUA MALL featured a fully-enclosed shopping concourse, complete with tropical plantings and shrubs, seating areas and three fountains. Charter tenants included CVS, Field's Hosiery, Rook's, Morse Shoes, Castro Convertibles, Fanny Farmer Candies, an Anderson-Little Factory Showroom and Cherry Webb & Tourraine specialty store.
The area surrounding the Alexander's Market was developed as NASHUA PLAZA, an open-air strip center. A Child's World toy store began business on May 3, 1971. Other stores included Beaconway Fabrics, Mr. Brianci's Restaurant & Pub, Nature Food Centre and Town & Country Pharmacy. Montgomery Ward opened a 1-level (95,800 square foot) "shadow anchor" store, in the southwestern periphery of NASHUA PLAZA, on August 23, 1972.
The General Cinema Corporation Nashua Mall Cinema I & II was built, as a freestanding structure, in the northeastern periphery of the mall. The theater showed its first features on March 31, 1972. It was expanded into the Nashua Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV in 1979, became a Canad Cinemas venue in 1992 and a Hoyts Theatres operation in 1997.
During the early years, the only commercial competitor of NASHUA MALL & PLAZA was the community-class ROYAL RIDGE MALL {4.4 miles southeast, in Nashua}, which was dedicated in May 1974. The superregional PHEASANT LANE MALL (1986) {5 miles southeast, in Nashua and Middlesex County, Massachusetts} held its official grand opening in July 1986.
The NASHUA MALL Woolco closed, along with the entire chain, in January 1983. It re-opened, as a Braintree, Massachusetts-based Bradlees discount mart, on May 5, 1983. Almy's was shuttered in May 1987. The store re-opened, as a Burlington Coat Factory, in October 1987. In the PLAZA, the Alexander's supermarket was rebranded -by Maine-based Hannaford- in 1991. A new Hannaford store was built nearby, in the mid-1990s.
Promoted as "a new experience in shopping", NASHUA MALL featured a fully-enclosed shopping concourse, complete with tropical plantings and shrubs, seating areas and three fountains. Charter tenants included CVS, Field's Hosiery, Rook's, Morse Shoes, Castro Convertibles, Fanny Farmer Candies, an Anderson-Little Factory Showroom and Cherry Webb & Tourraine specialty store.
The area surrounding the Alexander's Market was developed as NASHUA PLAZA, an open-air strip center. A Child's World toy store began business on May 3, 1971. Other stores included Beaconway Fabrics, Mr. Brianci's Restaurant & Pub, Nature Food Centre and Town & Country Pharmacy. Montgomery Ward opened a 1-level (95,800 square foot) "shadow anchor" store, in the southwestern periphery of NASHUA PLAZA, on August 23, 1972.
The General Cinema Corporation Nashua Mall Cinema I & II was built, as a freestanding structure, in the northeastern periphery of the mall. The theater showed its first features on March 31, 1972. It was expanded into the Nashua Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV in 1979, became a Canad Cinemas venue in 1992 and a Hoyts Theatres operation in 1997.
During the early years, the only commercial competitor of NASHUA MALL & PLAZA was the community-class ROYAL RIDGE MALL {4.4 miles southeast, in Nashua}, which was dedicated in May 1974. The superregional PHEASANT LANE MALL (1986) {5 miles southeast, in Nashua and Middlesex County, Massachusetts} held its official grand opening in July 1986.
The NASHUA MALL Woolco closed, along with the entire chain, in January 1983. It re-opened, as a Braintree, Massachusetts-based Bradlees discount mart, on May 5, 1983. Almy's was shuttered in May 1987. The store re-opened, as a Burlington Coat Factory, in October 1987. In the PLAZA, the Alexander's supermarket was rebranded -by Maine-based Hannaford- in 1991. A new Hannaford store was built nearby, in the mid-1990s.
Bradlees shut down in December of the year 2000. NASHUA MALL was substantially dead by this time. A redevelopment, which would take several years to complete, got underway with the demolition of the Woolco / Bradlees structure, in 2001. It was replaced by a 1-level (93,800 square foot) Kohl's, which was dedicated on April 7, 2002.
By this time, inline stores had relocated into the north end of the mall. The southern half, adjacent to Burlington Coat Factory, was razed in March 2002. A 1-level (50,000 square foot) Christmas Tree Shops was constructed, which debuted on August 29th.
A (17,200 square foot) strip center was built on the west side of the remaining north mall structure. When it was finished, mall tenants, such as Hallmark and Radio Shack, relocated. The north section of the old mall was then bulldozed. It was replaced by a (37,000 square foot) Babies "R" Us and (13,700 square foot) L.L. Bean. These opened in September and October of 2004.
Meanwhile, the old NASHUA PLAZA structure had also been demolished and replaced by a 1-level (116,000 square foot) Home Depot. This store held its grand opening on July 25, 2002. Montgomery Ward, shuttered in 1997, housed a Rocky Hill, Connecticut-based Ames until that chain went bust in 2002. The southern half of the building was refitted with a Chunky's Cinema & Pub, which opened in January 2007.
The freestanding cinema, at the opposite end of the mall site, had closed in March 2003. It was demolished and replaced by Wendy's and Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse restaurants. These opened for business in December 2003.
Sources:
The Nashua Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire)
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://www.geocities.com / "Zayre88"
By this time, inline stores had relocated into the north end of the mall. The southern half, adjacent to Burlington Coat Factory, was razed in March 2002. A 1-level (50,000 square foot) Christmas Tree Shops was constructed, which debuted on August 29th.
A (17,200 square foot) strip center was built on the west side of the remaining north mall structure. When it was finished, mall tenants, such as Hallmark and Radio Shack, relocated. The north section of the old mall was then bulldozed. It was replaced by a (37,000 square foot) Babies "R" Us and (13,700 square foot) L.L. Bean. These opened in September and October of 2004.
Meanwhile, the old NASHUA PLAZA structure had also been demolished and replaced by a 1-level (116,000 square foot) Home Depot. This store held its grand opening on July 25, 2002. Montgomery Ward, shuttered in 1997, housed a Rocky Hill, Connecticut-based Ames until that chain went bust in 2002. The southern half of the building was refitted with a Chunky's Cinema & Pub, which opened in January 2007.
The freestanding cinema, at the opposite end of the mall site, had closed in March 2003. It was demolished and replaced by Wendy's and Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse restaurants. These opened for business in December 2003.
Sources:
The Nashua Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire)
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://www.geocities.com / "Zayre88"
http://www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"
Comment post by Tim Clancy
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire tax assessor website
Comment post by Tim Clancy
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire tax assessor website
