Signage announcing NORMANDALE CENTRE was likely erected as part of a 1990s face lift, when new store fronts and green awnings were installed on the circa-1954 strip center section.
Photo from www.showcase.com
A Calhoun Foods grocery replaced a shuttered Winn-Dixie in the early 2000s.
Photo from www.showcase.com
In recent years, a Flea Market has operated in the once-posh Loveman's of Alabama store.
Photo from www.showcase.com
Here we see the East Wing of the sprawling shopping complex. It has a basement floor which is accessed from a small Lower Level parking area on its north end.
Photo from www.showcase.com
The Calhoun Foods seen above was replaced by a Mega Meats Grocery Outlet in 2011. This store, seen on the left side of this image, was shuttered in February 2017.
Photo from www.showcase.com
NORMANDALE SHOPPING CITY
Norman Bridge Road and East Patton Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama
Alabama's first post-war shopping plaza was built on 22.5 acres, located 3 miles south of the Alabama State House. NORMANDALE CENTER was designed by the firms Sherlock, Smith & Adams and Albert L. Williams (of Montgomery) and Copeland, Novak & Associates (of New York City).
The strip complex was developed by Aronov Realty, also based in Montgomery. Ground was broken on December 20, 1952. An official dedication was held September 10, 1954. Jason H. Smith, reputedly Montgomery's oldest resident, cut a ceremonial ribbon. NORMANDALE CENTER consisted of a single level of retail with a small lower level at the north end of its East Wing. The center spanned approximately 186,000 leasable square feet and contained twenty-nine stores.
These included Lee's Self Service Drugs, Toyland, Roslyn Eagle Furniture & Gifts, Francis Cafeteria and an (18,000 square foot) Kwik Chek grocery. The Doctor's Building contained six medical -and two dental- practices. A 2-level (84,000 square foot), Birmingham-based Loveman, Joseph & Loeb anchored the complex. The Montgomery store was the second branch in the chain, which was renamed Loveman's of Alabama in 1956.
Construction on an expansion got underway in August 1956. This project added an open-air mall -the "Normandale Arcade"- which included a 2-level (30,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and a 1-level (30,000 square foot) W.T. Grant variety store. The Woolworth replaced a smaller location in the circa-1954 strip center.
The expansion was officially dedicated on March 7, 1957. Marion McKnight, "Miss America 1957", made an appearance. Now promoted as NORMANDALE SHOPPING CITY, the facility housed approximately 325,000 leasable square feet.
Among fifty stores and services were Brenner's Shoe Factory, Gulp Piano & Organ, Hancock Fabrics, Cohen's Records, Twix 'N Teens, Buster Brown Shoes and Western Auto. A second enlargement of the shopping facility added a (15,700 square foot) A & P grocery to the northwest side of W.T. Grant. This addition was in place by 1964.
MONTGOMERY MALL {2.7 miles east, in Montgomery} became the first retail rival in April 1970. The next competitor came along in August 1977. EASTDALE MALL {6 miles northeast, in Montgomery} quickly assumed the position of dominant shopping center in the region.
By the time of its 20th anniversary, in 1974, NORMANDALE SHOPPING CITY was promoted as "The Fashion Center of Southern Alabama." There were forty-six tenants. Soon, competition from Montgomery's two enclosed shopping malls was causing NORMANDALE to decline. A face lift was performed between December 1980 and March 1981, with the shopping hub renamed NORMANDALE MALL.
Unfortunately, the complex was in a downward spiral. Loveman's closed in 1981, with Woolworth's soon following. A tornado hit the complex in 1995 and left the southern arcade section severely damaged. An exterior face lift added new store facades and awnings to the original strip center.
Over the ensuing years, the shopping center changed hands several times. It was owned and operated by Acadia Realty Trust, of White Plains, New York, and Sabharwal Properties, of Islandia, New York. Renovations and redevelopments were announced...but never carried out.
Meanwhile, SHOPPES AT EASTCHASE {7.5 miles northeast, in Montgomery}, welcomed its first shoppers in November 2002. Realistically speaking, an upscale shopping venue such as this posed no threat to NORMANDALE, as this shopping center was long past its prime.
NORMANDALE CENTRE was now 60-percent vacant, with only the original strip center in use. Tenants included Calhoun Foods (in the Winn-Dixie space), Compass Bank, Dollar General and Hall & Smith Shoe Repair.
In 2009, it was reported that a potential buyer, Kansas City's Joseph G. Arnone, was trying to work out a deal to finance an acquisition of the retail hub. He planned a large-scale renovation of the historic property. Unfortunately, the purchase deal fell through. In 2014, California's Jim Shirian acquired the complex. In August 2018, he initiated demolition of the majority of the vacant and deteriorating Normandale Arcade.
Sources:
The Montgomery Advertiser
preservenet.cornell.edu/publications/Longstreth Branch Store.doc
Malls of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster
"Loveman's Meet Me Under the Clock" / Tim Hollis
www.sabharwalproperties.com
www.waka.com
www.wfsa.com
FAIR USE OF NORMANDALE IMAGES:
The photos from ADAH Digital Collections illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the images does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute the images in any way. The images are being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and their use is not believed to detract from the original images in any way.
