LAKESIDE CENTER
Veterans Memorial and North Causeway Boulevards
Jefferson Parish (Metairie), Louisiana
The first shopping mall in the Bayou State was built on 52 acres, situated 6 miles northwest of the central city of New Orleans. The area, within unincorporated Jefferson Parish, is referred to as Metairie ["met-uh-ree"].
LAKESIDE CENTER was designed by Charles R. Colbert and developed by New Orleans real estate entrepreneur Paul Kapelow. Encompassing approximately 415,000 leasable square feet, the complex opened for business, with thirteen initial stores, on March 24, 1960. The open-air venue was anchored by a 2-level (110,000 square foot), New Orleans-based D.H. Holmes, 1-level (46,000 square foot), New Orleans-based Godchaux's and 1-level (43,200 square foot) J.C. Penney.
Among thirty-two charter inline stores were Paris Hats, Hausmann's Jewelers, Turntable Records, Jean's Hosiery, Werlein's For Music, Lakeside Toys, Walgreen Drug, S.S. Kresge and T G & Y 5 & 10's, a Winn-Dixie supermarket and freestanding Holloway House Cafeteria.
The General Cinema Corporation
Lakeside Cinema I & II was built in the mall's northwest parking area and showed its first features on August 4, 1967. The venue was reconfigured as a 4-screen operation in 1974 and as a "5-screener" in 1978.
Several major shopping centers were built in the LAKESIDE CENTER trade area over the ensuing years. OAKWOOD CENTER {8.9 miles southeast, in Jefferson Parish / Terrytown} opened in August 1966. CLEARVIEW MALL {1.3 miles southwest, in Jefferson Parish / Metairie} was dedicated in August 1969.
With two fully-enclosed shopping centers in its vicinity, it was imperative that LAKESIDE CENTER be rebuilt into a fully-enclosed mall. A roofing renovation was done, with the newly-air-conditioned complex rededicated on June 3, 1968. The New York City-based Feil Organization acquired the shopping hub in 1970.
The first physical expansion of the LAKESIDE mall was done in the mid-1960s. Holmes Lakeside added a third floor, which was completed in April 1965. The store now encompassed 172,500 square feet. Godchaux's built a 9,000 square foot addition onto their store, with its re-dedication held on August 16, 1973.
Holmes Lakeside was enlarged -for a second time- with a 3-level western addition. When re-dedicated, on April 2, 1974, the store encompassed 275,000 square feet. A West Mall concourse was also created, which was anchored by a 2-level (154,700 square foot) J.C. Penney. This full-line store, which replaced the mall's dry-goods-only Penney's, welcomed its first shoppers on November 5, 1975.
The original J.C. Penney was reconfigured as the Promenade Mall, which contained twenty stores. This mall-within-a-mall was inaugurated in June 1977. With its completion, LAKESIDE CENTER housed 100 tenant spaces.
A fourth Greater New Orleans mall, LAKE FOREST PLAZA {10.7 miles northeast, in New Orleans}, held its grand opening in September 1974. The 1980s brought two more major shopping hubs. BELLE PROMENADE MALL {9 miles southeast, in Jefferson Parish / Marrero}, was completed in October 1983. THE ESPLANADE {5.3 miles west, in Kenner} began business in October 1985.
The next LAKESIDE CENTER expansion brought the (51,000 square foot)
East Mall. Built on the east facade of LAKESIDE CENTER, this twenty-store addition was dedicated on October 15, 1981. Godchaux's was shuttered in March 1987. Its space was divided into ten tenant spaces. A second mall-within-a-mall, known as
Lakeside Market Fair, opened in December 1987.
D.H. Holmes was rebranded by Dillard's in May 1989. The store, which had expanded into adjacent inline space, now encompassed 297,900 square feet. The next major mall remodeling was in progress by August. The 20 million dollar project refurbished all common area, added a northeast parking garage and installed a 12-bay Food Court in existing space.
LAKESIDE CENTER now encompassed approximately 742,700 leasable square feet, with a directory of 130 stores. The complex suffered exterior damage in August 2005, as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately, the mall's interior was left intact. Within 2 months, half of its stores had re-opened.
Construction commenced on another mall expansion in 2006. A southwest parking garage was completed in October 2007. Work got underway on a 3-level (228,000 square foot) Macy's -and an adjacent southeast parking structure- in November 2007. The southeast garage was dedicated in September 2008, with Macy's holding its grand opening on October 25th of the same year.
In the 2010s, LAKESIDE CENTER was still owned and operated by the Feil Organization, The mall encompassed approximately 1,182,500 leasable square feet. There are 104 retail spaces and seventeen outparcel stores and services. The complex maintained its position as preeminent shopping mall in Greater New Orleans.
To keep LAKESIDE CENTER in the top spot, a 10 million dollar renovation was done between 2017 and 2019. The project included a Food Court and common area face lift, plus the installation of new skylights, lighting, decorative columns and soft seating. A Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar was added to the mall's northeast parking lot, with Spanish fashion retailer Zara opening a (34,700 square foot) store inside the mall.
Sources:
The New Orleans Advocate
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana)
preservenet.cornell.edu/publications/Longstreth Branch Store.doc
Tulane School of Architecture / Francine Stock
www.feil.com / The Feil Organization
https://neworleanscitybusiness.com
http://www.roofline.com / Hayden Building Maintenance Corporation
www.labelscar.com
www.cinematreasures.org
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
"Lakeside Center" article on Wikipedia
