Little Rock's Park Plaza Center 


The first mall-type shopping complex in the Natural State opened for business in December 1960. During its early years, PARK PLAZA CENTER was promoted with this Space Age trademark. This graphic was recreated by -and for- the Mall Hall of Fame.


In its original state, PARK PLAZA CENTER surrounded a 2-level, open air shopping concourse. It was meticulously landscaped and included a babbling brook, which traversed it from end-to-end. 
Photo from University of Arkansas Little Rock Center for History & Culture / Earl Saunders, Junior 


Here, we see a stairway on the east end of the concourse. In the upper left is Toppie, the Top Value Stamps elephant. The original PARK PLAZA included Kroger -which owned Top Value Stamps- and a Top Value Stamps Redemption Center.
Photo from University of Arkansas Little Rock Center for History & Culture / Earl Saunders, Junior 

This snapshot was taken inside the mall's Morrison's Cafeteria.
Photo from University of Arkansas Little Rock Center for History & Culture / Earl Saunders, Junior 


The Park Plaza Bowling Lanes were located on the mall's lower level.
Photo from University of Arkansas Little Rock Center for History & Culture / Earl Saunders, Junior 


For its first 5 years, the shopping hub did not have an anchor department store. A Little Rock-based Blass was added to the west end of the complex in the mid-1960s. The Blass chain had just been acquired by Dillard's. The store seen here operated as Pfiefer-Blass between 1967 and 1974. After this, it received a bona fide Dillard's nameplate.


PARK PLAZA CENTER in 1965. The original -circa-'60- mall is shown in black. The section indicated in dark gray, and the aforementioned Blass store, are recent additions. With these improvements, the complex covered approximately 292,600 leasable square feet.


A circa-1966 view includes the new Blass store, which is seen on the left side of the image.
Photo from University of Arkansas Little Rock Center for History & Culture / Earl Saunders, Junior 

The original PARK PLAZA mall was knocked down in 1987, leaving only its anchor store standing. This was worked into an all-new fully-enclosed -and substantially upscale- retail facility. Dedicated in July 1988, it spanned approximately 540,300 leasable square feet and eventually housed over sixty stores and services. Free parking was provided for 2,200 autos.

Chattanooga's CBL & Associates acquired PARK PLAZA in June 2004. In February 2006, they embarked on an indoor-outdoor face lift, which included a rebuild of the main exterior entrance seen here.
Photo from www.cbl.com / CBL & Associates Properties 


The "grand scale" renovation also refurbished the mall's interior spaces. The remodeling was done primarily as a keeping up measure with an up and coming retail rival.
Photo from www.cbl.com / CBL & Associates Properties 

In October 2017, a 2-level H & M opened in the mall's East Wing. Forever 21 had been dedicated, in First Level space, in November 2006. With these tenants, the PARK PLAZA mall featured sixty-six stores and services, with an additional eighteen kiosk merchants.

PARK PLAZA TENANTS 2018:

DILLARD'S WOMENS (with Dillard's Salon) / DILLARD'S MEN'S & CHILDREN'S / Aerie lingerie / Aldo shoes / All Piercings (kiosk) / American Eagle Outfitters / Banana Republic apparel / Bath & Body Works cosmetics / Brow Designs eyebrow threading services / Build-A-Bear Workshop / Champs Sports / Claire's Boutique accessories / Customized Teez (kiosk) / Dippin' Dots (kiosk) / DirecTV (kiosk) / Dolce Vita men's suits & accessories / Easy Relax massage studio / EcoATM (kiosk) / Eddie Bauer apparel / Express ladies' wear / Fashion Leggings (kiosk) / Finish Line / Foot Locker / Forever 21 young ladies' wear / Gap Kids children's wear / GapBody lingerie / Gearhead Outfitters apparel / Global Cellular Accessories (kiosk) / GNC Live Well / GoodFellas Barbershop / H&M apparel) / Hog Zone (kiosk) / iMobile.Smart.Fix (kiosk) / In & Out Pizzeria / Journeys shoes / Journeys Kidz shoes /  Justice young ladies' wear / Kay Jewelers / LA7 ladies' wear / Landra's Essentials (kiosk) / LensCrafters / Lids hats / Lionesse (kiosk) / Natalie's Candy Jar / New York & Company ladies' wear / NY Shades I (kiosk) / NY Shades II (kiosk) / Oakley / Pandora accessories / Perfume Boutique / Pink lingerie / Pretty Nails / ProActive acne treatment / Regis Hairstylists / Sephora cosmetics / Shoe Department Encore / Shoe MGK (kiosk) / Silver Boutique (kiosk) / Spencer Gifts / Sports MNIF / Sunglass Hut / T-Mobile / Talbots ladies' wear / The Buckle shoes / The Crown Shop / The Gap apparel / Touchtel Wireless (kiosk) / Uniq ladies' wear & accessories / Unique Jewelry (kiosk) / Urban Luxury apparel / US Bank (outparcel) / Vans skates & accessories / Victoria's Secret lingerie / White Barn candles / Zales Jewelers / Zoe's Kitchen restaurant / Zumiez apparel

FOOD COURT:
Auntie Anne's Pretzels - Caravel Ice Cream / Chick-fil-A / David's Burgers / Great American Cookie Company / Great Wraps / In & Out Pizzeria / Mandarin Express  


The early 2020s were rough times for the mall's former owner, CBL Properties. They defaulted on their PARK PLAZA loan, with the complex going into foreclosure. It was surrendered to Deutsche ["Doyt-chuh"] Bank in March 2021, with a real estate subsidiary appointed to manage the property.
Photo from http://www.loopnet.com 
PARK PLAZA CENTER
West Markham Street and North Hayes Street (North University Avenue)
Little Rock, Arkansas

The Natural State's first shopping mall was developed by Little Rock's Elbert Fausett and designed by Cincinnati's Richard Savage. The complex was built on 22.2 acres, on a parcel located 2.9 miles northwest of the Arkansas State House. The mall site was in a section of Little Rock known, at the time, as West Little Rock. Today, it is known as Midtown. 

Open-air in format, PARK PLAZA CENTER was comprised of 2 retail levels. A mall-wide grand opening was held on December 1, 1960. Charter stores included Joe's Hobby Shop, Crank's Save On Drugs, Somers Shoes, Gold's House of Fashions, Park Plaza Photo, an Otasco (Oklahoma Tire & Auto Supply) and Sterling 5 & 10. 

In September 1963, a group of investors headed by William T. Dillard acquired stores in the Little Rock-based Pfiefer Brothers chain. The Gus Blass Company, also based in Little Rock, was acquired in February 1964. At this time, a 2-level (63,500 square foot) Gus Blass store was being added to PARK PLAZA CENTER. This store opened its doors on March 18, 1965. The mall now housed approximately 292,600 leasable square feet. 

On July 7, 1968, the Blass and Pfiefer chains were merged into a single entity, known as Pfiefer-Blass. In 1974, Pfiefer-Blass stores received Dillard's nameplates. The PARK PLAZA unit was expanded into a 198,000 square foot store soon after.

A fully-enclosed complex, originally known as THE MALL, opened across the street from PARK PLAZA in 1967. This complex was renamed UNIVERSITY MALL in 1975. SOUTHWEST CITY MALL {5.1 miles south, in Little Rock} was a 180,000 square foot community-class venue. It opened for business in 1969. A third regional-class facility, McCAIN MALL {6.9 miles northeast, in North Little Rock}, was dedicated in 1973.

By the mid-'80s, the open-air PARK PLAZA CENTER had been outclassed by its fully-enclosed neighbor and was in foreclosure. It was purchased by the Houston-based Herring Marathon Group. They announced a major renovation in January 1987. The structure was razed in July, leaving only Dillard's standing. 
 
Construction of a 3-level, galleria-style shopping center was underway by September 1987. When completed, the new PARK PLAZA would encompass approximately 540,300 leasable square feet. In addition to the existing Dillard's, the facility would be anchored by a second, 2-level (86,300 square foot) Dillard's. The original store was refashioned into Dillard's West (a Women's & Home Store), with the new anchor structure, Dillard's East, housing a Men's & Children's Store.

The 7-bay Market Food Court was situated on a first floor, or Garden Level, along with the United Artists The Movies (a 7-screen multiplex) and an underground parking deck. Above the Garden Level were a First Level (the mall's second floor) and Second Level (or third floor).

Stores on the First and Second Levels included American Eagle Outfitters, Claire's Boutique, Express, The Gap, The Limited, J. Riggings, Brentano's Books, Luby's Cafeteria, Bombay Company, Oshmans Sporting Goods and a Shreveport-based Beall-Ladymon.

The rebuilding project had cost 55 million dollars. Forty stores (out of an eventual sixty-two) were dedicated with a gala grand opening held on July 27, 1988. The festivities included a fashion show, presented by Dillard's, and music from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Little Rock's sibling centers at West Markham Street and University Avenue coexisted for several years. However, the glitzy PARK PLAZA soon gained a foothold, leaving UNIVERSITY MALL in a downward spiral. The shopping center was demolished in December 2007. It was replaced by PARK AVENUE, an open-air power center. Its first phase, a 1-level (137,000 square foot) Target, opened for business on October 6, 2010.

PARK PLAZA and UNIVERSITY MALL had been joined by an adjacent shopping center, MIDTOWNE LITTLE ROCK, in October 2006. It was built directly east of the PARK PLAZA property, on the northeast corner of the West Markham-University Avenue intersection.

New retail centers were springing up throughout the metro area.. PLEASANT RIDGE TOWN CENTER {4.2 miles northwest, in Little Rock} was dedicated in November 2006. A site 4.6 miles southwest, in Little Rock, had been plotted for a SUMMIT MALL project in 1987. The land was eventually developed as the SHACKLEFORD CROSSING lifestyle center, which opened in October 2007. The third lifestyle venue in the region, PROMENADE AT CHENAL {6.5 miles west, in Little Rock}, was dedicated in 2011.

Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties acquired PARK PLAZA in June 2004. They embarked on an interior and exterior refurbishment in February 2006. Referred to as the "grand scale" renovation, it was completed in November 2006, when a (25,000 square foot) Forever 21 opened for business. By this time, the original floor orientation of the complex had been simplified. The old Garden Level was now the First Level. Above this were the Second Level and Third Level.

CBL Properties filed for bankruptcy in November 2020 and defaulted on their PARK PLAZA loan in 2021. The lender, Deutsche Bank, was granted ownership of the property. The Woodmount Company, a Deutche Bank subsidiary, was enlisted as a manager. Boca Raton-based Second Horizon Capital bought the PARK PLAZA mall in March 2023, with Jones, Lang, LaSalle hired as manager. 

Sources:

http://www.parkplazamall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.arcountydata.com / Pulaski County, Arkansas 
http://www.parkavenuelr.com
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com
https://www.parkplazamall.com
http://www.schickels.com
https://www.arkansasonline.com
"Park Plaza Mall" and "Dillard's" articles on Wikipedia
Little Rock's The Mall / University Mall 


Arkansas' first fully-enclosed shopping center was built directly across the street from PARK PLAZA. Originally promoted as THE MALL, the complex was renamed UNIVERSITY MALL in 1975. 
Photo from https://www.arkansasonline.com / Brandon Riddle

In 1975, the 8-year-old complex has just emerged from a modest renovation, The newly-named UNIVERSITY MALL housed approximately 565,000 leasable square feet and contained around forty stores and services under its roof.

The shopping hub was given a more involved renovation in the late 1980s. This added a second level of retail and expanded the gross leasable area to approximately 697,000 square feet. The tenant list now included seventy stores and services.

Little Rock's M.M. Cohn anchored the northeast corner of the shopping center. The store opened along with THE MALL in November 1967.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / Michael Lisicky
 

UNIVERSITY MALL was eventually usurped by its more glitzy across-the-street competitor. By the time of this early 2000s snapshot, the complex is virtually vacant. The upper floor of its M.M. Cohn store had been shuttered -and closed off- for several years.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"

This logo, created as part of the late '80s renovation of UNIVERSITY MALL, would promote the shopping hub for 19 years
Graphic from the Simon Property Group

UNIVERSITY MALL TENANTS 2005:

J.C. PENNEY (with Styling Salon and Optical Department) / M.M. COHN / AARP Shop / Afterthoughts accessories / Airbrush By George / Americash / Champs Sports / Country Bumpkin / Custom USA / Dollar Tree / Finish Line / Foot Locker / Frankes Cafeteria / Frostop ice cream / GNC / Gold Empire / Gold n Diamonds / Greg's Store For Men / GQ For Men / Kiddie Rides / Life Uniform / Marcello's Apparel men's wear / Milano Menswear / Millennium ladies' wear / Nouri ladies' wear / One Price Clothing ladies' wear / Paul's Shoes / PayLess ShoeSource / Rave ladies' wear / Rodella Candies / Sbarro the Italian Eatery / Scribbles Embroidery / Shanghai Express Chinese restaurant / Simply Fashions ladies' wear / The Shoe Department / The Stitching Post men's wear / Trevors Home Furnishings / United Center Of Truth / US Army Recruiting Station / US Marines Recruiting Station / US Navy Recruiting Station / Zales Jewelers 


The first enclosed mall in Little Rock entered a downward spiral when its Montgomery Ward closed, in March 2001. M.M. Cohn went dark in September 2007. J.C. Penney pulled up stakes in October 2007 and re-opened at a new location in the shiny new SHACKLEFORD CROSSING. This open-air shopping hub was located in the western environs of Rock Town.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

UNIVERSITY MALL was given a wrecking ball renovation between December 2007 and March 2008. The past-its-prime property was replaced by a mixed-use facility known as PARK AVENUE. The only remaining vestige of the mall, its multilevel parking garage, is surrounded in blue on this site plan. 
Original drawing from http://www.parkavenuelr.com 
THE MALL / UNIVERSITY MALL
West Markham Street and South University Avenue
Little Rock, Arkansas

The second mall-type shopping center in Arkansas' capital was built on a 28.3-acre tract, situated directly across West Markham Street from PARK PLAZA CENTER. Originally known as THE MALL, the complex was developed by Indianapolis' Melvin Simon & Associates (the precursor to today's Simon Property Group).

The single-level facility was built on land leased to Simon. It originally encompassed approximately 565,000 leasable square feet and was anchored by a 2-level (136,600 square foot) Montgomery Ward, 2-level (159,400 square foot) J.C. Penney and 1-level (27,800 square foot), Little Rock-based M.M. Cohn. The Penney's and Ward's stores operated freestanding Auto Centers in the periphery of the mall.

The first stores in THE MALL opened in November 1967. By the spring of 1968, the full complement of thirty-five retailers was in place. Charter tenants included Osco Drug, Franke's Cafeteria and Forsythe's ladies' wear.

In May 1972, the first expansion of THE MALL was completed. A second level was added to M.M. Cohn, enlarging the store to 70,000 square feet. A third Greater Little Rock mall entered the picture soon after. McCAIN MALL {6.9 miles northeast, in North Little Rock} opened for business in 1973. It was also developed by Melvin Simon & Associates.

A face lift renovation of THE MALL got underway in late 1974. The shopping hub, now known as UNIVERSITY MALL, was rededicated in March 1975. In April 1987, PARK PLAZA was shuttered. It was partially demolished and renovated into a fully-enclosed galleria, which was dedicated in July 1988. Meanwhile, a 15 million dollar renovation and expansion of UNIVERSITY MALL had been announced in October 1987.

During this project, a partial upper floor of stores was added, including a 10-bay Food Court. The central area of the mall was covered with a tent-type Teflon roof and a multilevel parking garage was constructed on the north side of the complex. The shopping center now encompassed approximately 697,000 leasable square feet and contained seventy inline stores. The rechristening celebration, held in October 1988, was attended by Corbin Bernsen, of NBC TV's "LA Law."

UNIVERSITY MALL and PARK PLAZA coexisted peaceably for several years, but PARK PLAZA eventually gained a competitive edge. The UNIVERSITY MALL Montgomery Ward was shuttered on December 28, 2001. Within a few years, most of the mall's national chains had moved out, leaving mom & pop-type stores, government offices and several vacant retail spaces.

The Simon Property Group decided to demall the struggling center in 2006. A plan, announced late in the year, proposed tearing down the mall, parking garage and outparcel Wards and Penney's Auto Centers and replacing them with a mixed-use facility.

However, Simon was embroiled in a lawsuit filed by mall tenants who were dissatisfied with the company's upkeep of the shopping center. The Property Group decided to unload their outpositioned retail complex. It, and the land beneath it, were sold to the Dallas-based Strode Property Company in October 2007.

In the same month, J.C. Penney moved to a store in the newly-built SHACKLEFORD CROSSING lifestyle center {4.6 miles southwest, in Little Rock}. The final operational stores in UNIVERSITY MALL closed on October 27, 2007. Demolition commenced in December and was completed in March 2008. The only structure left from the mall was its parking garage.

Between 2009 and 2015, the Strode Company developed an open-air, mixed-use complex. Known as PARK AVENUE, it was anchored by a 1-level (137,000 square foot) Target, which opened for business October 10, 2010. 

Target was joined by stores and services such as Radio Shack, Mattress Firm, Cheddar's Casual Cafe, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, Panera Bread, LA Fitness and a (17,800 square foot) Staples. 258 "luxury residential" units were also constructed. Park Avenue Lofts was completed in 2015 and sold to Birmingham, Alabama's Equity Resources in June of the same year.

Sources:

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas)
El Dorado News-Times (El Dorado, Arkansas)
https://www.arcountydata.com / Pulaski County, Arkansas
http://www.labelscar.com
https://www.arkansasonline.com
http://www.shopsimon.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.parkavenuelr.com
"University Mall" article on Wikipedia