Lexington's Turfland Mall
Drawing from Montgomery Ward & Company Annual Report 1966
On the west end of TURFLAND was a 2-level McAlpin's. It was the fifth branch of the Cincinnati-based chain and McAlpin's first Bluegrass State store.
Photo from "Wonderful Lexington Kentucky" brochure / The Greater Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce / Windsor Publications / 1969
The "spacious, ultra modern" McAlpin's included a Beauty Salon, Community Room, bridal registry and Turfland Room restaurant.
Photo from "Wonderful Lexington Kentucky" brochure / The Greater Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce / Windsor Publications / 1969
Here, and in full color, we see the McAlpin's Turfland Boy's Shop.
Photo from Mercantile Stores Company, Incorporated Annual Report 1967
On to the air-conditioned and carpeted TURFLAND shopping concourse. The mall entry of the W.T. Grant ("Grants") variety store appears on the right. It was the largest Grants in Kentucky.
Photo from Frank Properties
Photo from "Wonderful Lexington Kentucky" brochure / The Greater Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce / Windsor Publications / 1969
A wonderful world of stores without doors. In the summer of 1967, the shiny new TURFLAND MALL spanned around 531,200 leasable square feet and housed thirty-eight stores and services. Free parking was provided for 3,000 autos.
A snapshot of the mall's Main Entrance, which was rebuilt as part of a late 1980s face lift. It would be remodeled again in the late '90s.
Photo from Karl B. Raitz / University of Kentucky Libraries
The TURFLAND MALL of 1991 has three anchor department stores; J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward and McAlpin's. There is also a McAlpin's For The Home junior anchor. The main McAlpin's store has just been expanded into adjacent space. This area is now the McAlpin's Juniors department.
Photo from Karl B. Raitz / University of Kentucky Libraries
This aerial view of TURFLAND MALL dates to May 1996.
Photo from Karl B. Raitz / University of Kentucky Libraries
An additional exterior view shows the results of a late '90s face lift.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky
Here, we see one of the shopping center's double Dillard's locations. These were originally tenanted by McAlpin's. Dillard's shuttered the stores in April and June of 2008.
Photo from www.rubloffusa.com / The Rubloff Development Group
Walgreens defected from the enclosed mall into this freestanding unit in 1999. The store relocated to a newly-built structure, .2 mile southeast, in 2014.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky
The east anchor of TURFLAND, Montgomery Ward, closed in March 2001. The land parcel was sold to Home Depot, who opened a new store in 2002.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky
The mall's LongHorn Steakhouse was originally a Cooker Bar & Grill. That restaurant opened in December 1998.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky
TURFLAND circa-2007. This was just before Dillard's did an "anchor's away," which would leave the shopping hub with just a single destination store to sustain it. By this late date, Lexington's first shopping mall was in dire straits. Out of a total of forty-four store spaces, twenty five were vacant.
TURFLAND MALL TENANTS 2007:
DILLARD'S / DILLARD'S FOR THE HOME / HOME DEPOT / Christmas Mills Winery / Cici's Pizza / Cinema 99 / Dakota Watch Company / Dink's Cafe / Fashion Bug Plus / Fashion Shop / Foot Locker / GNC / Gold Star Chili / Hollywood Nails / Old Kentucky Chocolates / Rainbow / Staples / Spencer Gifts / Steakfest / Waldenbooks
OUTPARCELS:
Chick-Fil-A / LongHorn Steakhouse / O'Charley's / Ruby Tuesday / Walgreen Drug / Whitaker Bank (ATM)
A rendering of TURFLAND TOWN CENTER, which was proposed as a replacement for TURFLAND MALL. The mixed-use complex would have retained the Home Depot and main Dillard's buildings. Approximately 133,000 square feet of new retail, residential and data center space were to be built.
Drawing from http://www.turflandtowncenter.com
TURFLAND MALL was given a wrecking ball renovation in February 2014. Three store structures were left standing; Home Depot, Staples and McAlpin's / Dillard's. The University of Kentucky repurposed the latter as a medical and dental clinic.
Drawing from http://southsidermagazine.com
TURFLAND MALL
Harrodsburg Road / US 68 and Lane Allen Road
Lexington, Kentucky
Ground was broken for Lexington's first fully-enclosed shopping center in November 1965. TURFLAND MALL was built on 41.6-acres, located 2.5 miles southwest of downtown Lexington. The single-level complex was developed by New York City's Frank Properties.
Two additional mall-type complexes were built in Lexington; FAYETTE MALL (1971) {2.4 miles southeast, in Lexington} and LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {4.1 miles east, also in Lexington}. The three shopping hubs coexisted peaceably for several years but FAYETTE MALL gained a competitive edge after a major expansion in 1993.
Anchor store rebrandings commenced at TURFLAND MALL in 1973. Grants was converted into a Grant City discount mart. The store closed for good in late 1975. J.C. Penney opened in the vacant space on April 21, 1976. Penney's closed their TURFLAND store on November 4, 1993, when they relocated to FAYETTE MALL.
A redevelopment plan was announced in 2009. TURFLAND TOWN CENTER, an open-air, mixed-use project, was proposed. The bulk of the mall was to be razed, leaving the Home Depot, Staples and main Dillard's structures standing. Three outparcel restaurants, and a freestanding Walgreen's, would also remain.
New construction would have included two 75,000 square foot data centers, fifty inline store spaces, urban loft-type condominiums and a parking garage. Unfortunately for Rubloff Development, a new tenant for the McAlpin's / Dillard's building could not be found. By June 2012, Rubloff had defaulted on their mall loan. The bank foreclosed and the virtually vacant and deteriorating property was sold in December.
The new owner, Lexington's Ron Spritzer, would repurpose the moribund mall under the auspices of a concern known as Turf Development. Demolition got underway in February 2014. The Staples, Home Depot and main Dillard's buildings were left standing, along with eight outparcel structures. The University of Kentucky acquired the abandoned Dillard's and renovated it into the UK Health Care at Turfland medical clinic and UK Dentistry at Turfland dental facility. A grand opening was held on April 20, 2015.
Sources:
Harrodsburg Road / US 68 and Lane Allen Road
Lexington, Kentucky
Ground was broken for Lexington's first fully-enclosed shopping center in November 1965. TURFLAND MALL was built on 41.6-acres, located 2.5 miles southwest of downtown Lexington. The single-level complex was developed by New York City's Frank Properties.
The 5 million dollar retail complex spanned approximately 531,200 leasable square feet. It was added to a freestanding, 1-level (187,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, which had been dedicated on March 17, 1966. A 2-level (74,000 square foot) W.T. Grant welcomed its first shoppers on August 10, 1967. Cincinnati-based McAlpin's built a 2-level (167,500 square foot) store. It was officially dedicated -along with the mall- on August 24, 1967.
When fully-leased, TURFLAND MALL housed thirty-eight stores and services. These included Walgreen Drug, Wenneker's Shoes, Graves-Cox & Company men's wear, Hymson's Tots & Teens, Spencer Gifts, Three Sisters ladies' wear and Blue Boar Cafeteria. A (17,900 square foot) Winn-Dixie supermarket was a south parking area outparcel. On December 27, 1967, The General Cinema Corporation Turfland Cinema On-The-Mall made its debut.
Two additional mall-type complexes were built in Lexington; FAYETTE MALL (1971) {2.4 miles southeast, in Lexington} and LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {4.1 miles east, also in Lexington}. The three shopping hubs coexisted peaceably for several years but FAYETTE MALL gained a competitive edge after a major expansion in 1993.
Anchor store rebrandings commenced at TURFLAND MALL in 1973. Grants was converted into a Grant City discount mart. The store closed for good in late 1975. J.C. Penney opened in the vacant space on April 21, 1976. Penney's closed their TURFLAND store on November 4, 1993, when they relocated to FAYETTE MALL.
Meanwhile, TURFLAND MALL had been renovated, with the refurbishment done over the course of four years. The Graves-Cox men's store was remodeled in 1987. A vacant Winn-Dixie was enlarged, with a 1-level (34,000 square foot) McAlpin's For The Home opening in the building on September 3, 1989. The main McAlpin's was also remodeled. It was expanded, taking over an adjacent entrance hall and three inline stores. This project was completed in 1991. McAlpin's Turfland now covered 215,000 square feet. A final facet of the renovation updated the mall's exterior with new entrances.
Over the years, Turfland Cinema On-The-Mall would go through several changes. It was twinned in the 1970s. USA Cinemas bought the venue in January 1987. It would eventually operate under the Loew's banner. The theater closed in August 1990. It re-opened -as a 1 dollar movie house- in May 1991 and was in operation until 2007.
On October 17, 1998, all McAlpin's locations, including the TURFLAND MALL unit, were rebranded by Dillard's. The Arkansas-based retailer also renamed the McAlpin's For The Home store as a Dillard's For The Home.
The Rubloff Development Company, of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, bought TURFLAND MALL in September 1997. The shopping hub had been enduring intense competition from FAYETTE MALL for several years and was in a downward spiral. A comprehensive renovation got underway in July 1998. During this project, the McAlpin's For The Home moved into the J.C. Penney space, which had been vacant for over 4 years.
New marble flooring and landscaping were installed in the shopping concourse. Three mall entrances were updated (again) and three freestanding restaurants built in the south parking area. Cooker Bar & Grill opened in December 1998, Ruby Tuesday in March 1999 and O'Charley's in May of the same year. TURFLAND MALL was rededicated in June 1999. Unfortunately, another retail rival had come on the scene. The HAMBURG PAVILION power center {6.2 miles east, in Lexington} debuted in October 1997.
Troubles at TURFLAND were exacerbated by the shuttering of Montgomery Ward, in March 2001. Home Depot demolished the old Ward's and built a 1-level (119,500 square foot) store. It opened for business in 2002, but did not connect with the shopping concourse. Hopes for a prosperous future at TURFLAND were dashed for certain in 2008, when Dillard's shuttered both of its "underperforming" stores. Dillard's For The Home shut down in April, with the main store going dark June 22nd. The mall closed for good on October 1, 2008.
A redevelopment plan was announced in 2009. TURFLAND TOWN CENTER, an open-air, mixed-use project, was proposed. The bulk of the mall was to be razed, leaving the Home Depot, Staples and main Dillard's structures standing. Three outparcel restaurants, and a freestanding Walgreen's, would also remain.
New construction would have included two 75,000 square foot data centers, fifty inline store spaces, urban loft-type condominiums and a parking garage. Unfortunately for Rubloff Development, a new tenant for the McAlpin's / Dillard's building could not be found. By June 2012, Rubloff had defaulted on their mall loan. The bank foreclosed and the virtually vacant and deteriorating property was sold in December.
The new owner, Lexington's Ron Spritzer, would repurpose the moribund mall under the auspices of a concern known as Turf Development. Demolition got underway in February 2014. The Staples, Home Depot and main Dillard's buildings were left standing, along with eight outparcel structures. The University of Kentucky acquired the abandoned Dillard's and renovated it into the UK Health Care at Turfland medical clinic and UK Dentistry at Turfland dental facility. A grand opening was held on April 20, 2015.
Sources:
The Lexington Herald-Leader
The Louisville Courier
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://cinematreasures.org
"Protecting Its Turf" / Retail Trade Magazine / Amy Baldwin / May 1, 1999
University of Kentucky Libraries
Karl B. Raitz Photo Collection
James Edwin Weddle Photo Collection
Clay Lancaster Slide Collection
Lexington Public Library
http://www.rubloffusa.com / The Rubloff Development Group
http://www.turflandtowncenter.com
http://www.fayette-pva.com / Lexington-Fayette County Property Value Administrator
http://uknow.uky.edu
"Turfland Mall" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF TURFLAND MALL IMAGES:
The images from the Karl B. Raitz Photo Collection, James Edwin Weddle Photo Collection and Clay Lancaster Slide Collection (University of Kentucky Libraries) illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article.n 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.
Sporting a Macy's nameplate since early 2005, the mall's northern anchor store started out, in 1971, as a Cincinnati-based Shillito's ["shil-uh-towz"]. It was the chain's second Bluegrass State location. The first had opened in 1970, at Louisville's OXMOOR CENTER. Over the years, the store seen here has operated under five nameplates.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
Casual Corner, a popular ladies' wear retailer, was a charter FAYETTE MALL store.
Photo from James Edwin Weddle Photo Collection / University of Kentucky Libraries
FAYETTE MALL brought together Cincinnati and Louisville department stores and included a 2-level Sears. In late 1971, the fully-enclosed complex covered around 775,800 leasable square feet and contained sixty-eight stores. The mall was barely one year old before an expansion was underway. This project (in light gray) added a twin cinema, cafeteria and six tenant spaces, increasing the mall's size to 850,000 square feet.
A freestanding Central Bank branch, built in the mall's front parking area, was completed in October 1971. It has operated as a PNC Bank since the mid-1980s.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky
An outparcel, sit-down restaurant joined the fold in 1982. Originally the Florenz Restaurant, it eventually morphed into an Olive Garden.
Photo from Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky
The Pavilion Food Court began operation in November 1990. The facility houses twelve vendors.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
Between May 1991 and May 1993, a South Wing was added. By this time, Stewart's had been rebranded three times. A JCPenney nameplate was affixed to the store in November 1993. FAYETTE MALL now spanned around 1,095,000 leasable square feet, with a tenant lost of 101 stores. It was now the largest shopping center in the Bluegrass State.
A third mall enlargement was done in 2004-2005. A Southwest Wing (in medium gray) added fifteen stores, including Dick's Sporting Goods. Two sit-down restaurants were also built at the Main Entrance. When construction dust settled, the complex encompassed around 1,313,200 leasable square feet and housed 132 store spaces, with eighteen kiosks. The vast parking area accommodated over 5,700 autos.
FAYETTE MALL TENANTS 2006:
DILLARD'S (with Nail & Hair Salon) / J.C. PENNEY (with Hair Salon) / LAZARUS (with Ecotage Salon) / SEARS (with Optical Department and freestanding Auto Center) / Abercrombie children's wear / Abercrombie & Fitch apparel / Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy / Aeropostale apparel / After Hours Formal Wear / Allsports / American Eagle Outfitters / American Home Design / Ann Taylor ladies' wear / Arden B ladies' wear / Aroma Therapy / Aveda / B. Moss Clothing Company ladies' wear / Baby Gap / Banana Republic ladies' wear / Bath & Body Works North / Bath & Body Works South / Boardwalk Treats / Brookstone / Build-A-Bear Workshop / Cache ladies' wear / Caramel Carnival / Cat Bird Seat apparel / Christopher & Banks ladies' wear / Claire's ladies' wear / Club Libby Lu children's wear / Coach / Coffee Beanery / Coldwater Creek ladies' wear / Cosmic apparel & accessories / Dakota Outfitters / Dawahares / Dazzle Me accessories / Dick's Sporting Goods / Dormia home furnishings / EB Games / Eddie Bauer apparel / Express ladies' wear / Express Men / Extra Books / Finish Line / Foot Locker / FootAction / Fossil apparel / Foto Fantasy / Gadzooks / Gap Body / GapKids / GNC / Guess? / Guest Services Center / Gymboree / Hat World / Helzberg Diamonds / Hollister Company ladies' wear / Hot Topic apparel / Italian Charms / Jiffy Lube (outparcel in Sears Auto Center) /John Millard's Art Gallery / Journeys shoes / Journeys Kidz shoes / J. Crew apparel / Kay Jewelers / Kentucky Korner / Kirkland's / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / LeRoy's Jewelers / Lids / Mark Kidd Studios / Massage Chairs / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Mia & Maxx Hair Studio / Motherhood Maternity / National City Bank / New York & Company ladies' wear / Off The Hook / Off The Hook II / Olive Garden (outparcel) / P.F. Chang's China Bistro / PacSun / Payless ShoeSource / Picture People / PNC Bank (outparcel) / Proactiv Solution / Rack Room / Radio Shack / Rave ladies' wear / Red Nails / Reed's Jewelers / Regis Hairstylists / S & K Men's Wear / Sam Goody / Select Comfort / Sole Outdoors / Spencer Gifts / Strasburg Children / Stride Rite Shoes / Sunglass Hut / Sunglass Works / Talbots ladies' wear / Talbots Petite ladies' wear / The Body Shop Skin & Hair / The Bombay Company / The Buckle shoes / The Children's Place apparel / The Disney Store / The Gap apparel / The Leather Hut / The Limited ladies' wear / The Limited Too ladies' wear / Things Remembered / Trade Secret / Victoria's Secret / Victoria's Secret Beauty Company / Walden's House of Photography / Waldenbooks / Wet Seal / Williams-Sonoma / Yankee Candle Company / Zales Jewelers
FOOD COURT:
Arby's / Chao Praya / Chao Cajun / Chick-Fil-A / Gold Star Chili / Great American Cookie Company / Great Steak & Potato / Le Petit Bistro / Sbarro Italian Eatery / Sonic / Subway / Tumbleweed Mexican Cafe
KIOSKS:
American Greetings cards & gifts / Asian Expressions cards & gifts / Auntie Anne's Pretzels / Dakota Watch Company / Dell Computer / Godiva Chocolatier / Mr. Smoothie / Mobile Solutions / Occhiali da Sole / Perfume Plus / Piercing Pagoda / Precious Bangles / Pretzel Twister / Princess Jewelry / Silverado jewelers / Singular Wireless / Starbucks / Sunglass Works
Chattanooga's CBL & Associates acquired FAYETTE MALL in 2001. In 2006, they completed THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL, a mall-adjacent strip center. It contained thirteen stores, with six restaurants in its periphery. The major PLAZA tenant was a sixteen-screen Cinemark megaplex.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
The shuttering of a 42-year-old Sears created the opportunity for another major mall renovation. A Middle Wing was created, with the vacant Sears divided into twenty-one retail spaces. A restaurant row was also built on the east facade. It included The Cheesecake Factory, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar.
Photo from https://www.nelsonworldwide.com
Photo from https://www.nelsonworldwide.com
In 2015, after numerous renovations and expansions, FAYETTE MALL spanned a whopping 1,352,800 leasable square feet and featured 154 stores and services. The mega-complex cemented its position as largest mall in the Bluegrass State...with room to spare.
FAYETTE MALL
Nicholasville Road / US 27 and West Reynolds Road
Fayette County (Lexington), Kentucky
The second shopping mall in Lexington was developed by Greater Cleveland's Jacobs, Visconsi, Jacobs Company (later known as the Richard E. Jacobs Group). It was built on a 61.3-acre plot, located 3.9 miles south of the city center. FAYETTE MALL was originally in unincorporated Fayette County. It was absorbed into the Lexington Fayette Urban County (a merger of the City of Lexington and Fayette County) on January 1, 1974.
A 2-level (133,100 square foot) Sears had become the mall's first operational store on September 15, 1971. Cincinnati-based Shillito's opened a 2-level (183,300 square foot) store on October 11, 1971. A mall-wide dedication was held at this time. Charter tenants included J. Riggings, Camelot Records, Kinney Shoes. Florsheim Shoes, Treasury Drug, Embry & Company, Helzburg Jewelersm Waldenbooks and Dawahare's ["Daw-hairz"].
Nicholasville Road / US 27 and West Reynolds Road
Fayette County (Lexington), Kentucky
The second shopping mall in Lexington was developed by Greater Cleveland's Jacobs, Visconsi, Jacobs Company (later known as the Richard E. Jacobs Group). It was built on a 61.3-acre plot, located 3.9 miles south of the city center. FAYETTE MALL was originally in unincorporated Fayette County. It was absorbed into the Lexington Fayette Urban County (a merger of the City of Lexington and Fayette County) on January 1, 1974.
A 2-level (133,100 square foot) Sears had become the mall's first operational store on September 15, 1971. Cincinnati-based Shillito's opened a 2-level (183,300 square foot) store on October 11, 1971. A mall-wide dedication was held at this time. Charter tenants included J. Riggings, Camelot Records, Kinney Shoes. Florsheim Shoes, Treasury Drug, Embry & Company, Helzburg Jewelersm Waldenbooks and Dawahare's ["Daw-hairz"].
In its original state, FAYETTE MALL featured four fountains with metal sculptures. These were crafted by Cleveland's Clarence E. Van Duzer. There were two recessed seating areas; one in the north concourse and one in the south. A series of skylights also provided ample natural lighting.
The mall's third anchor, a 2-level (118,100 square foot), Louisville-based Stewart's, held its grand opening on May 1, 1972. The General Cinema Corporation Fayette Mall Cinemas I & II, an in-mall venue, showed its first features on August 8, 1973. With the theater's completion, FAYETTE MALL encompassed approximately approximately 802,700 leasable square feet.
Major shopping hubs in the FAYETTE MALL trade area were (and are) TURFLAND MALL (1967-2008) {2.4 miles northwest, in Lexington}, LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {3.9 miles northeast, in Lexington}, MALL AT LEXINGTON CENTER-LEXINGTON CIVIC CENTER SHOPS (1976), MALL AT LEXINGTON GREEN (1986) {.1 mile north, in Lexington} and -eventually- HAMBURG PAVILION (1997) {6 miles northeast, also in Lexington}.
Anchor rebrandings at FAYETTE MALL got underway with the conversion of Shillito's to a Shillito Rikes, in June 1982. The store became a Columbus-based Lazarus on March 16, 1986, a Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was "Macy-ated" on March 12, 2005. The Stewart's store also had a long rebranding history. It morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. It was rebannered, as a Louisville-based Ben Snyder's, on October 21, 1987, which was shuttered on January 31, 1988. Allentown, Pennylvania-based Hess's opened on February 1, 1988.
Meanwhile, the Jacob's Group had acquired a 25.2-acre plot south of FAYETTE MALL and announced an expansion project in May 1985. This became a hotly-contested issue that was litigated for the next 5-and-a-half years. In February 1991, the final legal hurdle was cleared, Construction of the belated mall addition commenced in May 1991.
Built on the south side of Sears, the single-level expansion would be anchored by a 2-level (208,200 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. It would house twenty inline stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, The Children's Place, Babbage's and The Disney Store.
The first component of the mall renovation, a 2-level (20,000 square foot) enlargement of Sears, was dedicated on April 17, 1993. The store now encompassed 153,100 square feet. The existing mall was also refurbished, with a new Main Entrance built. McAlpin's, and the new South Wing, were officially dedicated on May 6, 1993. The final stage of the remodeling, a third level for Lazarus, opened in 1994, with the store now housing 275,000 square feet.
The mall's third anchor, a 2-level (118,100 square foot), Louisville-based Stewart's, held its grand opening on May 1, 1972. The General Cinema Corporation Fayette Mall Cinemas I & II, an in-mall venue, showed its first features on August 8, 1973. With the theater's completion, FAYETTE MALL encompassed approximately approximately 802,700 leasable square feet.
Major shopping hubs in the FAYETTE MALL trade area were (and are) TURFLAND MALL (1967-2008) {2.4 miles northwest, in Lexington}, LEXINGTON MALL (1975-2011) {3.9 miles northeast, in Lexington}, MALL AT LEXINGTON CENTER-LEXINGTON CIVIC CENTER SHOPS (1976), MALL AT LEXINGTON GREEN (1986) {.1 mile north, in Lexington} and -eventually- HAMBURG PAVILION (1997) {6 miles northeast, also in Lexington}.
Anchor rebrandings at FAYETTE MALL got underway with the conversion of Shillito's to a Shillito Rikes, in June 1982. The store became a Columbus-based Lazarus on March 16, 1986, a Lazarus-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was "Macy-ated" on March 12, 2005. The Stewart's store also had a long rebranding history. It morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. It was rebannered, as a Louisville-based Ben Snyder's, on October 21, 1987, which was shuttered on January 31, 1988. Allentown, Pennylvania-based Hess's opened on February 1, 1988.
In 1990, the northwest corner of the mall was reconfigured. A vacant Forum Cafeteria and outdoor courtyard were rebuilt as the Pavilion Food Court. The 20,000 square foot facility opened for business on November 7, 1990. Among its twelve fast food restaurants were Gold Star Chili, Arby's, Chick-Fil-A and Sbarro The Italian Eatery. Hess's closed for good in early 1993. J.C. Penney assumed the vacant store and welcomed its first shoppers on November 6, 1993.
Meanwhile, the Jacob's Group had acquired a 25.2-acre plot south of FAYETTE MALL and announced an expansion project in May 1985. This became a hotly-contested issue that was litigated for the next 5-and-a-half years. In February 1991, the final legal hurdle was cleared, Construction of the belated mall addition commenced in May 1991.
Built on the south side of Sears, the single-level expansion would be anchored by a 2-level (208,200 square foot), Cincinnati-based McAlpin's. It would house twenty inline stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, The Children's Place, Babbage's and The Disney Store.
The first component of the mall renovation, a 2-level (20,000 square foot) enlargement of Sears, was dedicated on April 17, 1993. The store now encompassed 153,100 square feet. The existing mall was also refurbished, with a new Main Entrance built. McAlpin's, and the new South Wing, were officially dedicated on May 6, 1993. The final stage of the remodeling, a third level for Lazarus, opened in 1994, with the store now housing 275,000 square feet.
With all of its additions taken into account, FAYETTE MALL encompassed around 1,095,000 leasable square feet. The super-sized center was now the Bluegrass State's largest shopping mall, that is, until a 1998 expansion of Louisville's MALL ST. MATTHEWS brought the gross leasable area of that complex up to 1,118,700 leasable square feet.
Not to be outdone, a third expansion of FAYETTE MALL commenced in January 2005. This was undertaken by Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties, who had acquired the shopping hub in January 2001. This time around, fifteen new stores would be added in a single-level Southwest Wing. Dick's Sporting Goods would anchor the enlargement with a 2-level (75,000 square foot) store. While the Southwest Wing was being built, the existing mall was also given an interior upgrade.
The newly-enlarged and renovated mall was re-dedicated on October 1, 2005, FAYETTE MALL now encompassed approximately 1,313,200 leasable square feet. The complex snatched back the largest mall in Kentucky title, which it retains to this day.
Not to be outdone, a third expansion of FAYETTE MALL commenced in January 2005. This was undertaken by Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties, who had acquired the shopping hub in January 2001. This time around, fifteen new stores would be added in a single-level Southwest Wing. Dick's Sporting Goods would anchor the enlargement with a 2-level (75,000 square foot) store. While the Southwest Wing was being built, the existing mall was also given an interior upgrade.
The newly-enlarged and renovated mall was re-dedicated on October 1, 2005, FAYETTE MALL now encompassed approximately 1,313,200 leasable square feet. The complex snatched back the largest mall in Kentucky title, which it retains to this day.
CBL & Associates Properties bought 24.8 acres lying southwest of FAYETTE MALL in April 2002. The parcel was developed as THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL, an open-air strip center of 190,200 leasable square feet. There were thirteen tenant spaces, with five outparcel pads. A grand opening was held on November 11, 2006. Tenants included Old Navy, Guitar Center, Gordmans, Logan's Road House and Johnny Carino's Italian restaurant.
Anchoring the development was the 16-screen Cinemark Fayette Mall. This state-of-the-art megaplex was a replacement for the original in-mall tri-plex that had closed in 1998. The new Cinemark venue showed its first features on June 28, 2006. At the same time, Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy and P.F. Chang's China Bistro were built at the mall's Main Entrance. These open-air restaurants were dedicated between June and December of 2006.
Anchoring the development was the 16-screen Cinemark Fayette Mall. This state-of-the-art megaplex was a replacement for the original in-mall tri-plex that had closed in 1998. The new Cinemark venue showed its first features on June 28, 2006. At the same time, Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy and P.F. Chang's China Bistro were built at the mall's Main Entrance. These open-air restaurants were dedicated between June and December of 2006.
The FAYETTE MALL Sears was shuttered on January 11, 2014. The building was stripped down to the framework and sectioned into twenty-one inline stores. A spacious shopping concourse was created, which linked the north and south sections of the mall. The upper level of the the building was reconfigured as a second level for a new H & M store, with the remainder devoted to mall storage and hvac and maintenance equipment.
The abandoned Sears Auto Center has been knocked down. An open-air Streetscape of eight tenant spaces was built onto the east-facing facade of the old Sears. New stores and restaurants began opening on November 7, 2014.
In the new Streetscape were The Cheesecake Factory, Newk's Eatery and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The old Sears, now promoted as the Middle Wing, featured Janie & Jack, Jos. A. Bank, Vera Bradley, L'Occitane en Provence, and a 2-level (23,300 square foot) H & M. With these improvements, the gross leasable area of FAYETTE MALL now stood at around 1,352,800 square feet.
Sources:
Sources:
The Lexington Herald-Leader
The Times Tribune (Corbin, Kentucky)
www.kentucky.com
www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
CBL & Associates Annual Report - 2000
http://www.shopfayette-mall.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
http://cinematreasures.org
http://pastperfectvintage.com/louisvillestores.htm
www.bizjournals.com
www.kentucky.com
http://www.fayette-pva.com / Lexington-Fayette County Property Value Administrator
https://icsc.secure-platform.com / "Fayette Mall Sears Redevelopment" / International Council of Shopping Centers
"Fayette Mall" article on Wikipedia
FAIR USE OF FAYETTE MALL IMAGE:
The images from the James Edwin Weddle Photo Collection (University of Kentucky Libraries) and International Council of Shopping centers illustrate a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The images are not replaceable with a 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.
Louisville's The Mall / Mall St. Matthews
Mid-century shoppers "ooo" and "ahhh" at a splendid new shopping metropolis. This rendering of THE MALL shows its West Court, which fronted on a Kaufman's department store. A small Upper Level Mezzanine also looked over the area.
Drawing from Community Research & Development, Incorporated
THE MALL was built on a site adjacent to the Watterson Expressway (Interstate 264). In its original state, the shopping complex covered approximately 370,000 leasable square feet, with a tenant list of thirty-nine stores and services.
Photo from the City Stores Company
A Kaufman's of Kentucky anchored the Bluegrass State's first regional-class, fully-enclosed shopping center. Kaufman's would be shuttered in 1966. Over the years, the store would operate under seven different nameplates.
Photo from Brandon L. / "Louisville's History"
THE MALL TENANTS 1962:
KAUFMAN'S OF KENTUCKY (with Beauty Salon) / ROSES 5-10 & 25 Cent store (with luncheonette) / A & P supermarket / Alice Lace Shop / Baker's Shoes / Bell Shoes / Benton's Tweed Shop ladies' wear / Blue Boar Cafeteria / Bond Clothes / Cinderella Shoe Repair Shop / Datillo & Cambron meats & produce / Davidson's Millinery / Emory's Fine Apparel for Children & Teens / Firestone Tire & Auto / First National Lincoln Bank of Louisville / Flagg Brothers Shoes / Fleischer's, Incorporated ladies' wear / Glenaerie Suburban Wear / Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen / Lowe Brothers Paints / Marianne Shops ladies' wear / Maud Muller Candies / Miss T. Limited, ladies' wear / National Key / Parklane Hosiery / Rena's Orchids / Ritz Camera Centers / Rodes men's wear / St. Matthews Optical / Singer Sewing Center / Studio Stamp & Coin Shop / Sutcliffe Sporting Goods / Swiss Cleaners & Laundry / Texaco Service Station (outparcel) / Taylor Rexall Drug (with luncheonette) / The Card Mart / The Mall Barber Shop / Variety Record Shop / Wagner's Bakery / Waldman's Cocktail Lounge
Here we see the East Court fountain and Roses mall entry. A bird aviary, a common feature of early shopping malls, is also in view, as is a Ritz Camera kiosk-type store.
Photo from http://www.flickriver.com / "Flickriver PhotoStream" / William Bird
The Derby City's original enclosed shopping complex had been joined by five roofed retail centers by 1978. Its original moniker, THE MALL, became redundant and was changed to THE MALL IN ST. MATTHEWS in 1984. This morphed into MALL ST. MATTHEWS (sans the "In") in 1989.
Graphics from the James Rouse Company
A multi-phase renovation started in 1987. A vacant northwest anchor was enlarged (again). It re-opened -as a Bacon's- in 1988. The mall was given an interior face lift, which included the new Picnic Food Court. These projects were completed in late 1989. A Limited-Express Superplex was dedicated in late 1992. The mall now encompassed approximately 790,000 leasable square feet.
J.C. Penney has anchored the shopping facility since January 1970.
Photo from Wikipedia / Mike Kalasnik
The Picnic Food Court, was a 1980s addition. It was installed in a vacant Roses 5 & dime store.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Prange Way"
The Cinemark Mall St. Matthews 10 opened for business in May 2013. It occupies half of a former Dillard's Men's space.
Drawing from www.cinemark.com
Shelbyville Road / US 60 and Interstate 264
Jefferson County (St. Matthews), Kentucky
The first shopping mall in the Commonwealth of Kentucky was developed on a 67-acre parcel, located 5.8 miles east of downtown Louisville. The shopping center site was adjacent to a major thoroughfare, which followed its eastern boundary. Opened in 1948, as the Innerbelt Highway, it was renamed the Henry Watterson Expressway in 1952 and was incorporated into the Interstate Highway system in 1956.
Work started on the prospective SHELBYVILLE CENTER in early 1961. By the time of the official dedication, on March 21, 1962, the name of the shopping hub had been changed to THE MALL. Attending the grand opening were Lieutenant Governor Wilson Watkins Wyatt (D), Arnold J. Mayo (President of Kaufman's of Kentucky) and James W. Rouse. Music was provided by the Waggener High School Band.
Baltimore's Rogers, Taliaferro, Kostritsky & Lamb firm designed THE MALL, which was the fifth shopping hub built by Maryland's Community Research & Development Incorporated (a James W. Rouse Company subsidiary). The single-level complex was originally anchored by a 2-level (78,200 square foot), Louisville-based Kaufman's of Kentucky, 1-level (46,200 square foot), North Carolina-based Roses 5-10 & 25 Cent store and (20,400 square foot) A & P supermarket.
Charter inline stores included Taylor Drug, Rodes men's, Davidson's Milliners, Fleischer's ladies' wear, Bond Clothes, Benton's Tweed Shop, Maud Muller Candies, Baker's Shoes, Bell Shoes, Sutcliffe's Sporting Goods, Blue Boar Cafeteria and Variety Records.
The original complex, also known as SHELBYVILLE ROAD MALL, housed thirty-nine stores and services and encompassed 370,000 leasable square feet. It was situated around two court areas. The West Court, fronting on Kaufman's, had a fountain and stairway to a small upper level, which housed public restrooms, a Community Room and entrance to the Kaufman's second floor. An over-sized chess set was also located in the area. The East Court, fronting on Roses, featured a waterfall fountain, tropical garden and bird aviary.
Directly across Shelbyville Road was an outdoor movie venue. Originally known as simply the J. Shinbach Drive-In Theatre, it had opened for business on August 29, 1941. The name eventually morphed into the East Drive-In Theatre. The facility was demolished in the late 1960s and replaced by a Giant Foods supermarket and Almart discount department store.
Meanwhile, the Kaufman's at THE MALL had closed in 1966. Stewart's, another Louisville-based department store, moved in in October of the same year. The building was expanded, with a western addition, to 117,100 square feet.
Major shopping centers in the vicinity included SHELBYVILLE ROAD PLAZA (1955) {.2 miles west, in St. Matthews} and MID-CITY MALL (1962) {5 miles southwest, in Louisville}. GREENTREE MALL {8.7 miles northwest, in Clarksville, Indiana} opened, as a fully-enclosed, regional-class complex, in 1968.
An enlargement of THE MALL was soon undertaken, which added a sixteen-store South Wing and 2-level (178,400 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store opened for business on January 8, 1970. The gross leasable area of THE MALL now stood at around 552,000 square feet. In 1971, OXMOOR CENTER {.8 of a mile east, in Louisville} was dedicated. This was followed by BASHFORD MANOR MALL {4 miles southwest, in West Buechel} which opened in 1973.
The official name of THE MALL was changed to MALL IN ST. MATTHEWS in the mid-1980s. Its Stewart's store morphed into an Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres on November 1, 1985. 2 years later, a renovation and expansion got underway. During its first phase, a vacant L.S. Ayres was enlarged with a second westward addition. The remodeled (195,000 square foot) store re-opened, as a Louisville-based Bacon's, in September 1988.
A second phase remodeling had been in progress since February 1988. During this project, a vacant Roses was reconfigured as the 10-bay Picnic Food Court. Moreover, the official name of the shopping hub was shortened to MALL ST. MATTHEWS (the "In" being omitted). A dedication of newly-renovated areas was held on November 16, 1989.
By the early 1990s, MALL ST. MATTHEWS was in decline; this precipitated by the too close for comfort OXMOOR CENTER. In December 1991, a Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in MALL ST. MATTHEWS was shuttered. Demolition was soon underway on the mall's north end. A (25,000 square foot) Limited-Express Superplex was built, as the exterior of the shopping hub was given a face lift. New landscaping was also installed. Twenty new stores, some in the new Limited-Express Wing, opened on November 6, 1992.
The renovation resulted in an upturn in business. This prompted the Rouse Company to begin another expansion in early 1994. This included construction of a new South Wing and third anchor department store. A 3-level (230,000 square foot) Dillard's welcomed its first shoppers on March 26, 1995.
A fifth expansion of MALL ST. MATTHEWS added a 2-level (120,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor and multilevel parking garage. This project was dedicated on October 21, 1998. With its completion, MALL ST. MATTHEWS became Kentucky's largest shopping mall, with 1,118,700 leasable square feet.
On August 15, 1999, stores in the Bacon's chain were rebranded by Dillard's. The Bacon's at MALL ST. MATTHEWS morphed into a Dillard's Men's, Children's & Home Store. The mall's original Dillard's was refashioned into a Women's Store.
A new century brought more modifications. A deal, whereby Seattle-based Nordstrom was to open a store at MALL ST. MATTHEWS, fell through in early 2001. Lord & Taylor shuttered their store on February 6, 2004. The Rouse Company, builder and owner of the complex, was acquired by Chicago-based General Growth Properties in November 2004.
In October 2005, Lexington's FAYETTE MALL dedicated a Southwest Wing expansion. The complex now covered approximately 1,313,200 leasable square feet. It reclaimed the title of Kentucky's largest shopping mall, which it had relinquished -to MALL ST. MATTHEWS- in October 1998.
Dillard's Men's moved into the old Lord & Taylor space in 2007, leaving the previous location vacant. The original plan was to demolish the structure and replace it with an open-air "lifestyle component." However, the building was left intact, at least for the time being. A 2-level (110,000 square foot) section was renovated and re-opened, as a Los Angeles-based Forever 21, on February 12, 2011. This store relocated from a 7,000 square foot mall space.
In mid-2012, plans were announced for a new theatrical venue, which would be the first to operate in the mall. The remainder of the old Kaufman's store (the part not occupied by Forever 21) was gutted. The state-of-the-art Cinemark Mall St. Matthews 10 opened on May 16, 2013.
MALL ST. MATTHEWS now spanned approximately 1,076,200 leasable square feet and contained 140 stores and services. Forever 21 downsized their store into its first floor in 2017. The (45,000 square foot) second floor was refitted as a Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe, which welcomed its first patrons in early 2019.
Meanwhile, Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, had acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, MALL ST. MATTHEWS became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.
Sources:
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky)
MALL ST. MATTHEWS now spanned approximately 1,076,200 leasable square feet and contained 140 stores and services. Forever 21 downsized their store into its first floor in 2017. The (45,000 square foot) second floor was refitted as a Dave & Buster's Grand Sports Cafe, which welcomed its first patrons in early 2019.
Meanwhile, Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, had acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, MALL ST. MATTHEWS became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio.
Sources:
The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky)
City Stores Annual Report 1960
preservenet.cornell.edu/publications/Longstreth Branch Store.doc
http://www.therousecompany.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
preservenet.cornell.edu/publications/Longstreth Branch Store.doc
http://www.therousecompany.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://drive-ins.com/theater
http://drive-ins.com/theater
http://www.aboutnordstrom.com / "Nordstrom Cancels Plans For Louisville Store" / February 21, 2004
www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
www.macerich.com / The Macerich Company
www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
www.macerich.com / The Macerich Company
In 1971, the fun & fashionable OXMOOR CENTER encompassed around 650,000 leasable square feet and contained sixty-five stores and services under its roof. As built, the original mall only utilized acreage north of Beargrass Creek. There was an overflow parking lot on the south section of the property. It was connected with the mall via three footbridges.
OXMOOR CENTER TENANTS 1971:
SHILLITO'S (with Beauty Salon, Le Chateau restaurant and Lettuce Patch lunch counter) / STEWART'S (with Beauty Salon) / Art Creations / B. Dalton Bookseller / Bailey, Banks & Biddle jewelers / Brendamour's Sporting Goods / Burkhardt's men's wear / Byck's ladies' wear / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Chandler's Shoes / Citizen's Fidelity Bank / Chauncey's restaurant / Chess King men's wear / Disc Records / Fanny Farmer Candies / Far East Gifts / Fidelity World Arts / Florsheim Shoes / Forum Cafeteria / Foxmoor Casuals ladies' wear / Gidding Jenny fashion accessories / Gus Mayer apparel / Harem Hosiery / Harris' Beautiful Shoes / Health Cross Nutrition / Interior System / J. Riggings men's wear / Jarman Shoes / Jo-Ann Fabrics / Joyce Selby ladies' wear / Kingsley Walker Company Flowers & Decorative Accessories / Kinney Shoes / Loevenhart's men's wear / Martin's men's wear / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Monfried Optical / Motherhood Maternity / National Uniform Shop / Nina Boutique ladies' wear / Nut Shoppe / Orange Julius / Oxmoor Barber & Men's Hairstyling Salon / Oxmoor Twin Cinemas / Oxmoor Smoke Shoppe / Patsy Bloor ladies' wear / Paul's Shoes / Peck & Peck ladies' wear / Pettymark Card & Gift / Red Cross Shoes / Rodes men's wear / Royal Jewelers / Schumann's Click Clinic camera & photo shop / Susan Ives ladies' sportswear / Suzy 's Boutique ladies' wear / The Plum Tree gifts / The Swiss Colony / The Weathervane ladies' wear / Tie Rack / Thom McAn Shoes / Thornbury's Toys / Wehmeyer's Musikan musical accessories / Wenneker's Shoes / World Imports / Women's Exchange / Zales Jewelers
In 1982, construction commenced on a southward expansion, which would take the mall over Beargrass Creek and develop the entire land parcel. The new South Wing (in gray) was completed in July 1984. OXMOOR CENTER now housed approximately 851,600 leasable square feet. The newly-enlarged parking area at The Showplace of Kentucky now had spaces for 6,000 autos.
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