Electric and Ogden Roads
Roanoke County, Virginia
CROSSROADS, the first mall-type shopping center in -or around- the "Independent City" of Roanoke, was dedicated in July 1961. The region's second shopping mall was developed on 58.6 acres, located 3.2 miles southwest of the center city.
The site of TANGLEWOOD MALL was just outside the Independent City limits and entirely within unincorporated Roanoke County. Fully-enclosed and climate-controlled, the complex was developed by Salem, Virginia's Double T Corporation, which was a joint venture of Thomas "T.D." Steele and T.A. Carter, Junior. Mr. Carter also designed the 25 million dollar structure.
Mountain Trust Bank became the first operational TANGLEWOOD tenant on March 19, 1973. On March 28, three anchor department stores were dedicated; a 2-level (83,000 square foot), Danville, Virginia-based Leggett, 2-level (129,900 square foot) J.C. Penney and 1-level (35,000 square foot), Richmond-based Miller & Rhoads. A 1-level (99,500 square foot) Woolco discount mart commenced operation on June 20, 1973.
A second mall renovation got underway in 2005. During this project, the Brendle's / T.J. Maxx area was reconfigured into three big box-type stores. A relocated (41,800 square foot) T.J. Maxx was dedicated on May 4, 2006. A (22,600 square foot), Staples and relocated (36,700 square foot) Stein Mart opened in February and June 2007, respectively. On the east end of the mall, the Convenience Center was renovated. Kroger enlarged their store to 55,100 square feet, with Barnes & Noble occupying 25,000.
Meanwhile, seven inline stores had opened on May 9, 1973. Within this group were Ford's Better Footwear, Waldenbooks, Brooks Fashions and Singer Sewing Center. Eventually, the tenant list would include Hofheimers, Davidson's, Hippodrome Sporting Goods, Chess King, Lane Bryant, World Bazaar and a K & W Cafeteria.
A 2-level (54,000 square foot) G.C. Murphy 5 & 10 was officially dedicated on May 16, 1973. In addition to the Murphy's second floor, an Upper Level shopping concourse housed The French Quarter, a New Orleans-themed mall-within-a-mall. Its Preview Showing was held in March 1974. Among its twenty-one stores were Stereo Sound Centers, Mr. Formal Wear, Lock Stock & Barrel, Seven Dwarfs Imports From Europe, Cheese Villa and the New River Trading Company.
Northeast of the mall proper was a 1-level (87,000 square foot) Convenience Center. This featured a (30,900 square foot) Kroger supermarket and SupeRx Drugs. The General Cinema Corporation Tanglewood Mall Cinema 1-2-3 showed its first features on December 25, 1975. At this time, TANGLEWOOD MALL encompassed approximately 788,600 leasable square feet and contained over seventy-five stores and services.
TANGLEWOOD MALL was acquired by the Otto family of Hamburg, West Germany in February 1981. New York City's Paramount Group, Incorporated handled the transaction and assumed management of the property.
The Woolco space was vacated in January 1983, but was soon retenanted. A (30,000 square foot) T.J. Maxx welcomed first shoppers on February 1, 1983. Elkin, North Carolina-based Brendle's Catalog Showroom opened a (50,000 square foot) location on October 10th. The remainder of the old Woolco became an extended mall corridor flanked by eleven inline stores.
G.C. Murphy had been shuttered in January 1979. Lower Level space became a mini-mall tenanted by stores such as The Junction apparel, World Travel Service, B. Dalton Bookseller and a Chesapeake & Potomac Phone Store. The Upper Level housed a 7-bay food court, whose vendors eventually included Chicago Hot Dog, Villa Pizza, Giovanni's Italian, The Greek Connection and Beef & Burger. Tenants in the mini-mall and food court opened for business between December 1982 and December 1983.
For many years, TANGLEWOOD had been the preeminent shopping mall in Greater Roanoke. This changed in July 1985, with the completion of VALLEY VIEW MALL {4.8 miles north, in Roanoke City}. As a keeping up with VALLEY VIEW MALL measure, TANGLEWOOD was given its first makeover, which replaced dark '70s Mod decor with a sun-filled "Galleria" look. The face-lift, done between February and December of 1985, added skylights, new store facades, landscaping, fountains, ceiling treatments and flooring.
In late 1995, T.J. Maxx expanded its store into the mall's Upper Level. Jacksonville-based Stein Mart also set up shop in remodeled area on both levels and opened its doors on September 14, 1995. By late 1996, the Brendle's space was vacant. Charlotte-based Belk rebranded the Leggett store on January 29, 1997 and the 3-screen cinema, in the east end Convenience Center, was shuttered in February. This venue was replaced by the freestanding Carmike 10, which showed its first features on August 7, 1998.
A second mall renovation got underway in 2005. During this project, the Brendle's / T.J. Maxx area was reconfigured into three big box-type stores. A relocated (41,800 square foot) T.J. Maxx was dedicated on May 4, 2006. A (22,600 square foot), Staples and relocated (36,700 square foot) Stein Mart opened in February and June 2007, respectively. On the east end of the mall, the Convenience Center was renovated. Kroger enlarged their store to 55,100 square feet, with Barnes & Noble occupying 25,000.
One might have blinked twice and missed the Steve & Barry's University Sportswear at TANGLEWOOD MALL. The (48,000 square foot) store opened, on the west end of the Upper Level, in November 2006. A going out of business sale began in November 2008. Likewise, Knoxville-based Goody's Family Clothing came and went...but lasted a bit longer. The retailer opened, in a vacant French Quarter spot, in August 1994 and was shuttered in February 2009.
TANGLEWOOD MALL was sold to a joint venture of Birmingham, Alabama's Blackwater Resources and Philadelphia's Lubert Adler in September 2016. At this time, the shopping facility was anchored by Belk, J.C. Penney, T.J. Maxx, Staples and Stein Mart.
J.C. Penny, feeling the pinch from online retailing, announced the shuttering of 120 mall-based stores in March 2017. A liquidation sale at the TANGLEWOOD store commenced on April 17. The store went dark in June of the same year. The vacant building was renovated. A (150,000 square foot) children's clinic was created, which utilized the previous Penney's along with 30,000 square feet of adjacent store space. The Carilion Children's Tanglewood Center was officially dedicated on October 4, 2021.
J.C. Penny, feeling the pinch from online retailing, announced the shuttering of 120 mall-based stores in March 2017. A liquidation sale at the TANGLEWOOD store commenced on April 17. The store went dark in June of the same year. The vacant building was renovated. A (150,000 square foot) children's clinic was created, which utilized the previous Penney's along with 30,000 square feet of adjacent store space. The Carilion Children's Tanglewood Center was officially dedicated on October 4, 2021.
As the children's hospital was being readied for opening, four freestanding structures were built in the mall's front parking area. Stores opened during 2022. These included Panda Express, Aspen Dental, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Blaze Pizza. Inside the mall, Burlington opened a (26,000 square foot) store on November 11, 2022.
Sources:
The Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia)
The Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia)
The Daily News Leader (Staunton, Virginia)
The Roanoke Times
http://www.mallmemories.com / Doug Force
Roanoke County property tax assessor website
http://www.shoptanglewood.com
http://www.mallmemories.com / Doug Force
Roanoke County property tax assessor website
http://www.shoptanglewood.com
https://www.blackwaterresources.com
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.cinematreasures.org
https://www.carilionclinic.org
"Tanglewood Mall" article on Wikipedia
