VALLEY FAIR CENTER
South Memorial Drive and West Calumet Street
Winnebago County (Appleton), Wisconsin
Where was America's first fully-enclosed, climate-controlled shopping center? Most mid-20th century historians would cite SOUTHDALE CENTER, in Edina, Minnesota, as the nation's first interior mall. This complex opened for business on October 8, 1956. However, a little-known retail establishment in the Badger State's Fox Cities area should qualify as the nation's first suburban-style mall.
South Memorial Drive and West Calumet Street
Winnebago County (Appleton), Wisconsin
Where was America's first fully-enclosed, climate-controlled shopping center? Most mid-20th century historians would cite SOUTHDALE CENTER, in Edina, Minnesota, as the nation's first interior mall. This complex opened for business on October 8, 1956. However, a little-known retail establishment in the Badger State's Fox Cities area should qualify as the nation's first suburban-style mall.
Work commenced on VALLEY FAIR CENTER on July 1, 1953. The first stores opened on August 11, 1954, with an official dedication held on March 10, 1955. The mini-mall was built on a 26.8-acre parcel, located 1 mile south of downtown Appleton. The site was originally within a section of unincorporated Winnebago County known as Town of Menesha.
VALLEY FAIR CENTER was developed by Hoffman Shopping Centers, Incorporated of Appleton and designed by George Narovec. At the official mall dedication in 1955, eighteen stores were in business. By 1956, an additional eighteen store spaces were occupied. The 1 million dollar shopping complex encompassed approximately 150,000 leasable square feet. It was comprised of a single retail level and (10,000 square foot) upper level office mezzanine.
VALLEY FAIR CENTER was developed by Hoffman Shopping Centers, Incorporated of Appleton and designed by George Narovec. At the official mall dedication in 1955, eighteen stores were in business. By 1956, an additional eighteen store spaces were occupied. The 1 million dollar shopping complex encompassed approximately 150,000 leasable square feet. It was comprised of a single retail level and (10,000 square foot) upper level office mezzanine.
The original mall was anchored by a 1-level (20,000 square foot) Krambo Foods supermarket and 1-level (23,000 square foot) W.T. Grant variety store. Charter tenants included Walgreen Drug, Badger Paint & Hardware, Three Sister's ladies' wear, House of Cards & Cameras, Eddie's Self-service Liquor and a (10,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.
The Krambo chain was acquired by the Cincinnati-based Kroger Company in June 1955. The twenty-five Krambo stores would retain their original nameplate until December 1964, when they began to be promoted as Kroger-Krambo. This dual branding was phased out in March 1965, when all Kroger-Krambo operations were rebranded as bona fide Krogers. The mall store was shuttered on August 7, 1971. The space was sold to Food Queen, of Neenah, Wisconsin, who opened their new supermarket on September 9, 1971.
By the mid-1970s, the shopping hub was officially promoted as VALLEY FAIR. Grants shut down on March 15, 1975. The building would remain vacant for several years. In the meantime, a freestanding movie house, the Marcus Theatres Valley Fair Cinema 1-2, was built east of Grants. This venue opened for business on June 2, 1978. In May 1979, Madison-based Livesey Enterprises, who acquired VALLEY FAIR in January 1977, announced a major renovation.
The East Wing of the mall would be gutted and expanded, with the shopping concourse given a '70s "earth tone" update. The building exterior would also receive a facelift. A 1-level (78,000 square foot), Wisconsin-based Kohl's department store and (33,000 square foot) Kohl's Foods supermarket would be constructed.
The cinema, which was less than 2 years old, had to be demolished to accommodate the mall expansion. A new motion picture venue was built. The Marcus Theatres Valley Fair 1-2-3 showed first features on December 21, 1979.
Two new Kohl's stores held grand openings on March 6, 1980, with a mall-wide re-dedication held on August 14th. The 5 million dollar refurbishment had added over 110,000 square feet to the shopping complex, now officially promoted as VALLEY FAIR MALL. New inline stores included Coles the Book People, Sterling Optical, Braun's Fashions, Plant Pantry and Video Station.
The mall changed hands in October 1980, when it was sold to the Madison-based Renaissance Group. On December 9, 1983, the City of Appleton annexed VALLEY FAIR MALL. Soon after, a major retail rival was completed. FOX RIVER MALL {3.1 miles northwest, in Outagamie County} was dedicated, with over seventy stores, on July 18, 1984. By the early 1990s, competition had sent VALLEY FAIR into a downward spiral. It would be bought and sold several times over the ensuing years.
As this played out, Marcus Theaters reconfigured the mall's movie house on several occasions. In 1986, it was operating as the Valley 1-2-3. By 1987, it was the Valley 1-2-3-4. On August 12, 1988, the theater became the 6-screen Valley Cinema. It re-opened in 1996, as the Marcus Theatres Valley Value Cinema and closed for good on September 9, 2015.
Meanwhile, the Kohl's department store was shuttered in March of the year 2000. The adjoining Kohl's Foods had been converted to Foods Basic (a limited-brand, low-price point grocery) in 1995. This store was out of business by 2002, with a flea market being set up in the space. Several slots in the mall were vacant by this time.
A plan to energize the aging center was envisaged. A non-profit organization, known as Youth Futures, sought to reinvent VALLEY FAIR as a "teen mall." The vacant Kohl's stores were divided into an indoor skateboarding track and live-band venue. Local "family-oriented" retailers were contracted to fill the remaining retail spaces within the complex. Unfortunately, this initiative was unsuccessful.
Youth Futures sold the virtually vacant property to Wisconsin-based VF Partners in February 2006. VF Partners, a joint venture of Commercial Horizons, Rollie Winter Associates and Bomier Properties, demolished the remaining circa-1950s mall in August 2007.
Only the cinema, a freestanding Chase Bank, and two vacant Kohl's stores were left standing. The plan was to redevelop the site as a mixed-use office and retail complex, tentatively named VALLEY FAIR CENTER. The Kohl's buildings were to be renovated and worked in with new structures. However, this plan was never carried out.
In October 2009, it was announced that a (70,000 square foot) Copps Food Center was to be built at the mall site. The Kohl's buildings were razed and replaced by the new supermarket, which held its grand opening on June 12, 2010. The Copps Food Center was rebranded, as a Pick 'n Save supermarket, in November 2016.
Sources:
The Appleton Post Crescent
In October 2009, it was announced that a (70,000 square foot) Copps Food Center was to be built at the mall site. The Kohl's buildings were razed and replaced by the new supermarket, which held its grand opening on June 12, 2010. The Copps Food Center was rebranded, as a Pick 'n Save supermarket, in November 2016.
Sources:
The Appleton Post Crescent
http://cinematreasures.org
http://www.commercialhorizons.com
"Valley Fair" article on Wikipedia
"Kohl's" article on Wikipedia
"Valley Fair" article on Wikipedia
"Kohl's" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF VALLEY FAIR CENTER IMAGES:
The images from The Appleton Post-Crescent 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.
