Photo from the Department of Energy / Ed Westcott
Advert from the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company
Showing posts with label Knoxville-Oak Ridge Malls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Knoxville-Oak Ridge Malls. Show all posts
OAK RIDGE BUSINESS DISTRICT TENANTS 1956:
J.C. PENNEY / J.G. McCRORY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / KROGER supermarket / A & P supermarket / Associates Discount Corporation / Balloff's men's wear / Bank of Oak Ridge / Bill's Sandwich Shop / C.C. Brill Insurance / Clark & Jones Music / Cole's Drug (with luncheonette) / Conley E. Morris fashions / Crum-Williams Insurance / Davis Brothers Cafeteria / Donald R. Mance Public Accountant / Downtown Barber Shop / Downtown Hardware Store / Esso service station (outparcel) / Famous Brands Shoe Store / Federal Bake Shop / G.R. Kinney Shoes / Gateway News Stand / General Finance Corporation / Grayson Shops ladies' wear / Gulf service station (outparcel) / Herron & Connell Insurance / Kay's Ice Cream / Kimball's Jewelers / Kramer-Sturm Shoes / Marilyn Shoes / Metropolitan Life Insurance Company / My Shop ladies' wear / Pan Am Oil Company service station (outparcel) / Ralph H. Miller ladies' wear / National Shirt Shops / One Hour Valet / Royal Jewelers / Sherwin-Williams Paints / Singer Sewing Center / Stein's men's wear / Steppe's Beauticians / Sterchi Brothers Furniture / Sturm's Youth World / Texas Company / The Bootery Family Shoes / The Curtain Shop / Walker Shoes / Walgreen Drug (with luncheonette) / WATO Radio studio / Williams Drug (with luncheonette)
The first expansion of the shopping venue added a Loveman's of Tennessee department store. It opened in August 1959.
Photo from the Department of Energy / Ed Westcott
A second expansion brought a West Wing of stores and made the shopping center into a U-shaped facility. The Fowler's furniture store seen here was dedicated in November 1961.
Photo from the Department of Energy / Ed Westcott
Graphic from Interstate Stores, Incorporated
By 1976, the complex is officially promoted as the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER. The 21-year-old retail hub featured two anchors; Miller's of Tennessee and Proffitt's. Miller's had rebranded the Loveman's store in 1967.
In August 1991, the former open-air shopping plaza re-opened as the 740,000 square foot OAK RIDGE MALL. Miller's was now Hess's, J.C. Penney had expanded its location and Sears had relocated into an entirely new, full line store. Wal-Mart had come on board, as a shadow anchor, in the late 1980s.
Graphic from www.oakridgecitycenter.com
The primary anchor of the Secret City shopping hub stands on the southwest corner of the complex. Over the years, the store has operated under five nameplates. Above, we see it during its 12-year stint as a Proffitt's.
In 1999, OAK RIDGE MALL has plural Proffitt's, expanded Wal-Mart and Sears stores, Goody's Family Clothing and the Cinemark Tinseltown 14. Unfortunately, the mall has never been successful. Bigger stores and new entertainment options were not going to save the complex from its eventual demise.
A rendering of OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER...make that MAIN STREET OAK RIDGE. A redevelopment of a substantially dead OAK RIDGE MALL was on the drawing board for over 14 years, with nothing physically taking shape. A new developer, the fourth to head the project, signed on in September 2015. They finally got the (wrecking) ball rolling in mid-2016.
Drawing from www.realtylinkdev.com / Realty Link
The first stores in the long-delayed MAIN STREET OAK RIDGE complex opened in the summer of 2017. These included Ulta Beauty, Dick's Sporting Goods, Maurices and PetSmart. Structures held over from the former mall are surrounded in blue.
Original drawing from http://croslandsoutheast.com / Crosland Southeast
DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER
Oak Ridge Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Tennessee's Secret City was built, as part of the US Government's Manhattan Project, in 1942 and 1943. Originally referred to as simply the Clinton Engineering Works, the community was incorporated as the City of Oak Ridge in 1959.
In January 1955, ground was broken at a 117-acre-site, located 17.8 miles northwest of downtown Knoxville. An open-air shopping complex was being built as the defacto downtown of the Oak Ridge town site. Developed by Knoxville's Guilford Glazer, the OAK RIDGE BUSINESS DISTRICT was designed by David B. Liberman, of Knoxville.
An official grand opening was held on October 6, 1955. US Congressman Howard H. Baker, Senior (R) cut a ceremonial ribbon using atomic energy. Actress Marie Wilson, star of CBS-TVs "My Friend Irma", performed in a stage show. Speeches were given by Representative Baker, J.C. Penney and Guilford Glazer. Coleen Martin, "Miss Oak Ridge 1956," rode in a parade. Music was provided by the Oak Ridge High School Band.
Oak Ridge Turnpike and Rutgers Avenue
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Tennessee's Secret City was built, as part of the US Government's Manhattan Project, in 1942 and 1943. Originally referred to as simply the Clinton Engineering Works, the community was incorporated as the City of Oak Ridge in 1959.
In January 1955, ground was broken at a 117-acre-site, located 17.8 miles northwest of downtown Knoxville. An open-air shopping complex was being built as the defacto downtown of the Oak Ridge town site. Developed by Knoxville's Guilford Glazer, the OAK RIDGE BUSINESS DISTRICT was designed by David B. Liberman, of Knoxville.
An official grand opening was held on October 6, 1955. US Congressman Howard H. Baker, Senior (R) cut a ceremonial ribbon using atomic energy. Actress Marie Wilson, star of CBS-TVs "My Friend Irma", performed in a stage show. Speeches were given by Representative Baker, J.C. Penney and Guilford Glazer. Coleen Martin, "Miss Oak Ridge 1956," rode in a parade. Music was provided by the Oak Ridge High School Band.
The BUSINESS DISTRICT encompassed approximately 260,000 leasable square feet and was anchored by a 1-level (41,600 square foot) J.C. Penney. Among forty-seven charter stores were Balloff's men's clothing, Davis Brothers Cafeteria, Grayson Shops, The Gateway Cards & Gifts, Royal Jewelers, Marilyn Shoes, a (25,300 square foot) J.G. McCrory 5 & 10 and in-mall A & P supermarket.
The first expansion added a 2-level (34,200 square foot), Loveman's (Chattanooga). This store debuted on August 6, 1959. A West Wing was added to Loveman's, with a new Fowler's Home Furnishings opening in November 1961. Loveman's was rebranded by Knoxville-based Miller's of Tennessee on February 1, 1967.
The first expansion added a 2-level (34,200 square foot), Loveman's (Chattanooga). This store debuted on August 6, 1959. A West Wing was added to Loveman's, with a new Fowler's Home Furnishings opening in November 1961. Loveman's was rebranded by Knoxville-based Miller's of Tennessee on February 1, 1967.
In the early 1970s, a second anchor department store was added to the complex, which was now promoted as the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER. A 2-level (60,000 square foot) The Knox was officially dedicated on July 29, 1971. This store was acquired by Alcoa, Tennessee-based Proffitt's, who rebranded The Knox on September 1, 1974. It was the Proffitt's chain's third branch. Other mid-1970s DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER stores were Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream, Otasco Hardware and Dollar General Stores.
A second anchor nameplate change took place in 1987, after Allentown, Pennsylvania's Hess's had completed a hostile takeover of Miller's of Tennessee. Pennsylvania's Crown American Corporation, who also owned Hess's, acquired the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER in early 1989. By the end of the year, work was underway to renovate and expand the structure into a fully-enclosed mall.
Sears, which had relocated into a new (51,300 square foot) store, was to anchor the new shopping complex, along with the existing Hess's, Proffitt's and Penney's. A 1-level (117,300 square foot) Wal-Mart, built as a southeastern "shadow anchor," had welcomed first shoppers on August 16, 1988.
A pre-grand opening celebration was held for OAK RIDGE MALL on August 1, 1991. The new shopping venue encompassed 740,000 leasable square feet and contained 125 tenant spaces. As part of the 40 million dollar renovation, Penney's had expanded its store to 64,100 square feet. Proffitt's was enlarged to 59,200 square feet, with Hess's now encompassing 40,000. New tenants included Kay Bee Toys, Champs Sports, Lady Foot Locker, Lerner's New York, Dollar Tree, Afterthoughts and Lane Bryant.
Unfortunately, things were not going as smoothly as planned. The new, fully-enclosed shopping center would never be fully leased. Several existing DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER stores, such as Otasco and Downtown Hardware, had relocated to peripheral locations, rather than pay the hefty "enclosing fee" required to become part of the mall. Moreover, the completion of Pellissippi Parkway, connecting Oak Ridge with the western environs of Knoxville, substantially shortened travel time between the two cities. WEST TOWN MALL (1972) {13.4 miles southeast, in Knoxville} was now a short drive from Oak Ridge.
Nevertheless, new OAK RIDGE MALL tenants were signed and older tenants revamped their stores. Goody's Family Clothing opened October 9, 1991. Sears expanded, to 76,300 square feet, with a grand re-opening being held on September 5, 1992.
Proffitt's acquired eight Tennessee Hess's stores, including the Oak Ridge location, in October 1992. OAK RIDGE MALL would now be anchored by a plural Proffitt's. The old Hess's was enlarged to 61,200 square feet. It re-opened, as a Proffitt's Women's & Children's store, in July 1993. The original Proffitt's was reconfigured to sell Men's & Clearance merchandise.
Wal-Mart expanded their store. It re-opened, as a (210,400 square foot) SuperCenter, in 1996. Goody's also relocated to the opposite end of the complex. They opened their new (22,000 square foot) store on November 6, 1997. A state-of-the-art cinema was built on the site of the original Goody's. The first Cinemark Tinseltown 14 features were shown on December 11, 1998.
In spite of these improvements, the mall still had too many vacant spaces. It wasn't long before the complex, less than 10 years old, was seen as obsolete. A plan to redevelop the redevelopment surfaced in late 2001. Spearheaded by Chattanooga's Steve Arnsdorff, it proposed opening the interior mall, building streets through the site and creating a lifestyle-type town center.
A referendum was held in August 2002 to approve a bond issue to help finance the 40 million dollar demalling. The measure failed. Meanwhile, an altered redevelopment plan was assembled. The mall was sold to an entity known as Oak Ridge City Center, Limited Liability Company in June 2003, with the name of the shopping venue officially changing to OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER in July.
The procurement of an 800,000 dollar federal grant, to assist with the demalling, was announced. However, no visible progress on the redevelopment could be seen. A few peripheral structures had been demolished in October 2005, but this was not enough to secure the federal money. The prospective grant was suspended in March 2007.
Proffitt's Men's & Clearance store had been shuttered in 2001. The remaining (consolidated) store was rebranded as a Charlotte-based Belk on March 8, 2006. The demise of the Goody's Family Clothing chain, in January 2009, left the moribund mall with yet another vacancy. To add insult to injury, Sears' OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER store shut its doors for good in 2012.
News of a pending sale of OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER was announced in August 2012. However, the deal fell through in September. In October 2013, the mall was sold, with the buyer being Charlotte, North Carolina's Crosland Southeast.
They announced plans for an 85 million dollar redevelopment. Belk, Penney's, WalMart, the Tinseltown 14 and original Sears store would remain standing, while the remainder of the mall was to be knocked down. In September 2014, it was announced that demolition would be underway by June of the following year.
The first order of the day was to change the name of the shopping-center-to-be to MAIN STREET OAK RIDGE. The complex would encompass approximately 225,000 square feet of new retail and include 150 residential units, a "class A" office building and hotel. The first new stores could be open for business by late 2016...or so it was told.
A new developer, Greenville's RealtyLink, signed on to the project. It was hoped that demolition of the mall could be underway by summer 2015. This failed to materialize, which made a 2016 grand opening seem unlikely. However, by December 2016, the mall had been demolished as planned.
Construction was -at long last- underway on MAIN STREET OAK RIDGE. Its first phase would be comprised of eight stores. The first to open, a (6,500 square foot) Rue 21, began business on June 15, 2017. A (35,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods was dedicated on June 27th, followed by an (18,000 square foot) PetSmart, on July 10th. A (23,000 square foot) T.J. Maxx welcomed first shoppers on August 6th, 2017.
A second anchor nameplate change took place in 1987, after Allentown, Pennsylvania's Hess's had completed a hostile takeover of Miller's of Tennessee. Pennsylvania's Crown American Corporation, who also owned Hess's, acquired the DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER in early 1989. By the end of the year, work was underway to renovate and expand the structure into a fully-enclosed mall.
Sears, which had relocated into a new (51,300 square foot) store, was to anchor the new shopping complex, along with the existing Hess's, Proffitt's and Penney's. A 1-level (117,300 square foot) Wal-Mart, built as a southeastern "shadow anchor," had welcomed first shoppers on August 16, 1988.
A pre-grand opening celebration was held for OAK RIDGE MALL on August 1, 1991. The new shopping venue encompassed 740,000 leasable square feet and contained 125 tenant spaces. As part of the 40 million dollar renovation, Penney's had expanded its store to 64,100 square feet. Proffitt's was enlarged to 59,200 square feet, with Hess's now encompassing 40,000. New tenants included Kay Bee Toys, Champs Sports, Lady Foot Locker, Lerner's New York, Dollar Tree, Afterthoughts and Lane Bryant.
Unfortunately, things were not going as smoothly as planned. The new, fully-enclosed shopping center would never be fully leased. Several existing DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTER stores, such as Otasco and Downtown Hardware, had relocated to peripheral locations, rather than pay the hefty "enclosing fee" required to become part of the mall. Moreover, the completion of Pellissippi Parkway, connecting Oak Ridge with the western environs of Knoxville, substantially shortened travel time between the two cities. WEST TOWN MALL (1972) {13.4 miles southeast, in Knoxville} was now a short drive from Oak Ridge.
Nevertheless, new OAK RIDGE MALL tenants were signed and older tenants revamped their stores. Goody's Family Clothing opened October 9, 1991. Sears expanded, to 76,300 square feet, with a grand re-opening being held on September 5, 1992.
Proffitt's acquired eight Tennessee Hess's stores, including the Oak Ridge location, in October 1992. OAK RIDGE MALL would now be anchored by a plural Proffitt's. The old Hess's was enlarged to 61,200 square feet. It re-opened, as a Proffitt's Women's & Children's store, in July 1993. The original Proffitt's was reconfigured to sell Men's & Clearance merchandise.
Wal-Mart expanded their store. It re-opened, as a (210,400 square foot) SuperCenter, in 1996. Goody's also relocated to the opposite end of the complex. They opened their new (22,000 square foot) store on November 6, 1997. A state-of-the-art cinema was built on the site of the original Goody's. The first Cinemark Tinseltown 14 features were shown on December 11, 1998.
In spite of these improvements, the mall still had too many vacant spaces. It wasn't long before the complex, less than 10 years old, was seen as obsolete. A plan to redevelop the redevelopment surfaced in late 2001. Spearheaded by Chattanooga's Steve Arnsdorff, it proposed opening the interior mall, building streets through the site and creating a lifestyle-type town center.
A referendum was held in August 2002 to approve a bond issue to help finance the 40 million dollar demalling. The measure failed. Meanwhile, an altered redevelopment plan was assembled. The mall was sold to an entity known as Oak Ridge City Center, Limited Liability Company in June 2003, with the name of the shopping venue officially changing to OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER in July.
The procurement of an 800,000 dollar federal grant, to assist with the demalling, was announced. However, no visible progress on the redevelopment could be seen. A few peripheral structures had been demolished in October 2005, but this was not enough to secure the federal money. The prospective grant was suspended in March 2007.
Proffitt's Men's & Clearance store had been shuttered in 2001. The remaining (consolidated) store was rebranded as a Charlotte-based Belk on March 8, 2006. The demise of the Goody's Family Clothing chain, in January 2009, left the moribund mall with yet another vacancy. To add insult to injury, Sears' OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER store shut its doors for good in 2012.
News of a pending sale of OAK RIDGE CITY CENTER was announced in August 2012. However, the deal fell through in September. In October 2013, the mall was sold, with the buyer being Charlotte, North Carolina's Crosland Southeast.
They announced plans for an 85 million dollar redevelopment. Belk, Penney's, WalMart, the Tinseltown 14 and original Sears store would remain standing, while the remainder of the mall was to be knocked down. In September 2014, it was announced that demolition would be underway by June of the following year.
The first order of the day was to change the name of the shopping-center-to-be to MAIN STREET OAK RIDGE. The complex would encompass approximately 225,000 square feet of new retail and include 150 residential units, a "class A" office building and hotel. The first new stores could be open for business by late 2016...or so it was told.
A new developer, Greenville's RealtyLink, signed on to the project. It was hoped that demolition of the mall could be underway by summer 2015. This failed to materialize, which made a 2016 grand opening seem unlikely. However, by December 2016, the mall had been demolished as planned.
Construction was -at long last- underway on MAIN STREET OAK RIDGE. Its first phase would be comprised of eight stores. The first to open, a (6,500 square foot) Rue 21, began business on June 15, 2017. A (35,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods was dedicated on June 27th, followed by an (18,000 square foot) PetSmart, on July 10th. A (23,000 square foot) T.J. Maxx welcomed first shoppers on August 6th, 2017.
Sources:
The Knoxville Journal
The Knoxville Journal
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
The Oak Ridger (Oak Ridge, Tennessee)
Oak Ridge, Tennessee tax assessor website
Memories of B. Stilz, former Oak Ridge resident
http://www.oakridgecitycenter.com
http://www.croslandsoutheast.com / Crosland Southeast
http://www.realtylinkdev.com / Tealty Link
http://wyshradio.com / WYSH
http://www.oakridgetoday.com
The Oak Ridger (Oak Ridge, Tennessee)
Oak Ridge, Tennessee tax assessor website
Memories of B. Stilz, former Oak Ridge resident
http://www.oakridgecitycenter.com
http://www.croslandsoutheast.com / Crosland Southeast
http://www.realtylinkdev.com / Tealty Link
http://wyshradio.com / WYSH
http://www.oakridgetoday.com
"Oak Ridge, Tennessee" article on Wikipedia
Knoxville's West Town Mall
The original West Town trademark was introduced as part of the mall's August 1972 grand opening.
Graphic from Ralph Biernbaum Real Estate
We see the original configuration of the Marble City shopping hub in this early '70s rendering. Its oval WesTown UltraVision Theatre appears in the lower left.
Drawing from Ralph Biernbaum Real Estate
A 2-story Sears was the mall's final operational anchor store. It opened its doors in July 1973.
Drawing from Sears, Roebuck & Company
WEST TOWN MALL had a groovy wrap-around layout, with a junior anchor at the center and major department stores on all four corners. In 1973, the complex covered approximately 900,000 leasable square feet, with a tenant list of seventy-five stores and services. Free parking was provided for 4,000 autos.
A Simonized snapshot of the mall's Main Entrance, showing architectural details installed as part of the 1990s makeover.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
Abercrombie & Fitch, an upscale teen and twenty-something apparel retailer, operated a store in the circa-1972 section of the mall for several years.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
Chico's, a trendy ladies' wear emporium, maintains a store in the South Wing.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
Drawing from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
A 2022 plan shows modifications done since 1999. Proffitt's and Parisian were "Belked" in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The Cheesecake Factory was added in 2013. The existing Upper Level megaplex has also been upgraded to a state-of-the-art Cinebarre dine-in theater. The shuttering of Sears, in January 2019, provided space for a new Dick's House of Sport. The old Sears Auto Center was repurposed as a Tesla Service Center.
WEST TOWN MALL TENANTS 2022:
BELK Men's, Home & Kids / BELK Women's / DICK'S HOUSE OF SPORT / DILLARD'S / J.C. PENNEY (with Portrait Studio & Beauty Salon) / 96' Kickz / A. Liz B Fine Jewelry / Aerie ladies' wear / Aeropostale / Altar'd State / Alumni Hal / American Eagle Outfitters / Apple Computer / Arula / AT&T / Athleticademy / Auntie Anne's & Cinnabon Cafe / Auntie Anne's Pretzels / Bare Arms Trading Company / Bath & Body Works cosmetics / Bexy Wear / Boost Mobile / BoxLunch / Brooklyn Style / Build-A-Bear Workshop / California Nails / Champs Sports / Chico's ladies' wear / Cigars & More / Cinebarre West Town Mall / Claire's Boutique / CM Gamers / Coach assessories / Crypto Dispensers / Dakota Watch Company / Deep Sea Cosmetics / Eddie Bauer apparel / Elite Suites Salon Studios / Express ladies' wear / FYE (For Your Entertainment) / Finish Line / Foot Locker / Fresh Kale Bath Company / GameStop / GNC / Great American Cookie Company / H & M apparel / Haagen-Dazs ice cream / Hallmark Gold Crown / Helzberg Diamonds / Hollister Company apparel / Honeybee Coffee Company / Hot Topic apparel / iFix & Repair / Johnston & Murphy / Journeys shoes / Journeys Kidz / Kay Jewelers / La Vie Nails / LensCrafters / Lids hats / Loco Burro / LongHorn Steakhouse (outparcel) / Lucky Brand Jeans / Lululemon Athletica / Mori Luggage & Gifts / PacSun / Palmetto Moon / Pandora / Pepper Palace / Piercing Pagoda / Pink / Play Area / Pop Cult / Pottery Barn housewares / Pro Image Sports / Rack Room Shoes / RadioShack / Ruby Thai / rue21 ladies' wear / Sephora cosmetics / Shop Bliss / Signature Diamonds / Spencer Gifts / Starbucks coffee / Sunglass Hut / Swarovski Crystal / Tesla Service Center (outparcel) / The Buckle shoes / The Cheesecake Factory / The Children's Place / The Gap apparel / The Icing / The Sherpa Kitchen / Torrid ladies' werar / Tradehome Shoes / Unique Spa / Urban Market Knoxville / Vans skating accessories / Vera Bradley ladies' wear / Verizon Wireless / Versona / Victoria's Secret lingerie / Visionworks / White House Black Market ladies' wear / Williams-Sonoma housewares / Windsor Fashions ladies' wear / Wireless Trendz / Woops! / Yankee Candle Company / Z Gallery / Zales jewelers / Zumiez apparel
DINING PAVILION
Asian Chao / Charleys Philly Steaks / Chick-fil-A / Chipotle Mexican Grill / Chocolate Monkey / Ice Cream Lab / Kichi Sushi & Noodle / King Gyro / Sarku Japan / Sbarro The Italian Eatery / Subway / Taco Bell /
During the 2010s renovation, all four mall entries were rebuilt, with a fifth added near a totally revamped "Dining Pavilion."
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
Kingston Pike / US 11 and 70 and Morrell Road
Knoxville, Tennessee
As Chattanooga was opening its first interior mall in early 1972, Knoxville was preparing theirs for completion, as well. Plans for an enclosed shopping mall for Greater Knoxville had been announced in June 1965. Ground was broken on May 28, 1969, after several red tape-type hurdles were overcome. The 60-acre mall site was located 8 miles west of downtown Knoxville and was owned by Oliver Smith, Doctor John L. Montgomery and Mrs. P. A. McGinnis, all hailing from the Marble City.
WEST TOWN MALL was designed by Robert W. Kahn Associates, of New York City. The complex was originally being developed by a joint venture of Knoxville's Oliver Smith and Detroit's Chrysler Development Corporation. Stamford, Connecticut's Ralph Biernbaum took over the project in March 1970.
Comprised of a single retail level, a fully-realized WEST TOWN MALL would encompass approximately 900,000 leasable square feet and house seventy-five stores and services. A 2-level (181,000 square foot), Knoxville-based Miller's, Incorporated became the first operational store on March 13, 1972.
A mall-wide dedication was held on August 2, 1972. Kyle Testerman (Mayor of Knoxville) was keynote speaker at the event. Speeches were also given by the Chamber of Commerce President, J.C. Penney President and Ralph Biernbaum. Two WEST TOWN anchors opened as part of the festivities; a 2-level (176,800 square foot) J.C. Penney and 1-level (30,000 square foot), Alcoa, Tennessee-based Proffitt's.
Charter WEST TOWN tenants included Frankenberger's apparel, M.S. McLellan for Men, Kimball's Jewelers, Gateway Books, J. Riggings, Spencer Gifts, Record Bar, Morrison's Cafeteria, a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio and Hamilton National Bank.
Freestanding structures included a Penneys Auto Center, Sears Auto Center, Miller's Auto Center, an A & P supermarket and Westview Towers apartment complex. The ABC Southeastern Theatres WesTown UltraVision Theatre, a northeast parking area outparcel, debuted on December 20, 1972. The final charter anchor, a 2-level (199,000 square foot) Sears, welcomed first customers on July 25, 1973.
WEST TOWN MALL was an instant success. It did not encounter a retail rival until the completion of EAST TOWNE MALL-KNOXVILLE CENTER {11.7 miles northeast, in Knoxville}, in 1984.
The first anchor rebranding at WEST TOWN took place in February 1988, when Miller's morphed into an Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Hess's. This store was shuttered in November 1992. Soon after, Proffitt's began expanding their store. This addition would include a new northern entrance for the mall and small corridor of inline stores.
As Proffitt's was expanding, Dillard's was renovating and enlarging the vacant Hess's building. They added 64,500 square feet and held their WEST TOWN grand opening on November 3, 1993. The store now encompassed 243,000 square feet.
The Youngstown, Ohio-based Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation had purchased an ownership share of WEST TOWN MALL in April 1991. In the following October, they announced a major expansion of the property. A thirty-two store South Wing would be added, which would be anchored by Parks-Belk and a new J.C. Penney. Site preparation was underway by March 1992.
In August 1993, it was announced that the proposed Parks-Belk at WEST TOWN MALL would open as a Birmingham-based Parisian. A 2-level (147,000 square foot) J.C. Penney became the first operational South Wing store on July 16, 1994. Parisian followed on September 12th.
Meanwhile, Proffitt's had been renovating their WEST TOWN MALL store over a 3-year period. After enlarging toward the north and east, they ended up incorporating the adjacent Spinnaker's Restaurant and North Mall entrance corridor. When construction dust settled on September 17, 1995, Proffitt's encompassed 103,000 square feet.
During the flurry of expansion activity, Sears built a new Auto Center west of the original location. Moreover, the mall's Food Court, fashioned out of the former Frankenberger's in the 1980s, had new space added. A second phase of mall expansion involved the original Penney's. During 1994, its lower level had been carved into an extension of the East Wing corridor and eleven inline stores.
In May 1997, construction commenced on an 80,000 square foot Regal multiplex and FunScape family entertainment center. These were built on top of the lower level of the old Penney's (the upper level had been removed). The Regal West Town Mall Cinema 9 & FunScape opened on November 6, 1998. The original UltraVision venue had been shuttered and demolished in 1990. A 6-level parking garage was also built adjacent to the new cinema.
With the completion of construction, WEST TOWN MALL encompassed approximately 1,330,000 leasable square feet. It surpassed Greater Memphis' WOLFCHASE GALLERIA (with 1,267,000 leasable square feet) and became the largest enclosed shopping center in the Volunteer State.
In 1996, the mall's owner, now known as the DeBartolo Realty Corporation, merged with the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group. An entity known as the Simon DeBartolo Group was formed. This title was used until 1998, when the company officially reverted to the original Simon Property Group heading.
By the dawn of the 21st century, WEST TOWN MALL was firmly established as the preeminent shopping mall in East Tennessee. TURKEY CREEK {6.2 miles west, in Farragut}, was officially dedicated in 2004. This new lifestyle center provided a degree of commercial competition for WEST TOWN, but did not result in any measurable decline.
Stores in the Proffitt's chain, including the WEST TOWN MALL location, were rebranded by Charlotte-based Belk on March 8, 2006. Belk soon acquired stores in the Parisian chain. After some shuffling of merchandise, the old Proffitt's became a Belk Women store; the previous Parisian, a Belk Men, Home & Kids. The newly-reconfigured WEST TOWN Belk stores were officially dedicated on September 12, 2007.
The Cheesecake Factory was built at the mall's East Entrance, This store opened for business on June 23, 2013 and added 8,000 square feet to the gross leasable area. WEST TOWN now encompassed around 1,338,000 square feet and contained over 150 stores and services under its roof.
Simon announced a major renovation of the property in September 2017. During the indoor-outdoor refurbishment, the mall's four entrances were rebuilt, with a fifth entry created. The existing food facility was reconfigured as a "Dining Pavilion."
Common areas of the mall received new flooring, lighting and signage, with all surfaces being repainted. The upper level megaplex was shuttered in January 2018. It was reconfigured as the Regal Cinebarre West Town Mall. The new dine-in cinema and remodeled mall were officially dedicated with the "Grand Re-opening Mix & Mingle", which was held on July 19, 2018.
With the completion of construction, WEST TOWN MALL encompassed approximately 1,330,000 leasable square feet. It surpassed Greater Memphis' WOLFCHASE GALLERIA (with 1,267,000 leasable square feet) and became the largest enclosed shopping center in the Volunteer State.
In 1996, the mall's owner, now known as the DeBartolo Realty Corporation, merged with the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group. An entity known as the Simon DeBartolo Group was formed. This title was used until 1998, when the company officially reverted to the original Simon Property Group heading.
By the dawn of the 21st century, WEST TOWN MALL was firmly established as the preeminent shopping mall in East Tennessee. TURKEY CREEK {6.2 miles west, in Farragut}, was officially dedicated in 2004. This new lifestyle center provided a degree of commercial competition for WEST TOWN, but did not result in any measurable decline.
Stores in the Proffitt's chain, including the WEST TOWN MALL location, were rebranded by Charlotte-based Belk on March 8, 2006. Belk soon acquired stores in the Parisian chain. After some shuffling of merchandise, the old Proffitt's became a Belk Women store; the previous Parisian, a Belk Men, Home & Kids. The newly-reconfigured WEST TOWN Belk stores were officially dedicated on September 12, 2007.
The Cheesecake Factory was built at the mall's East Entrance, This store opened for business on June 23, 2013 and added 8,000 square feet to the gross leasable area. WEST TOWN now encompassed around 1,338,000 square feet and contained over 150 stores and services under its roof.
Simon announced a major renovation of the property in September 2017. During the indoor-outdoor refurbishment, the mall's four entrances were rebuilt, with a fifth entry created. The existing food facility was reconfigured as a "Dining Pavilion."
Common areas of the mall received new flooring, lighting and signage, with all surfaces being repainted. The upper level megaplex was shuttered in January 2018. It was reconfigured as the Regal Cinebarre West Town Mall. The new dine-in cinema and remodeled mall were officially dedicated with the "Grand Re-opening Mix & Mingle", which was held on July 19, 2018.
The final facet of the remodeling was the replacement of Sears with a Dick's House of Sport. Sears had pulled up stakes on January 6, 2019. The building was demolished. A 2-level (100,000 square foot) House of Sport was built. This interactive store included 24,000 square feet of outdoor area. The facility was officially dedicated on June 4, 2021.
Sources:
Sources:
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
https://www.cinematreasures.org
https://www.simon.com / Simon Property Group
http://www.metropulse.com / "It's A Mall, Mall, Mall, Mall World" / Jack Neely
http://www.weeklywire.com / "Deconstructing The Mall" / Joe Tarr
https://www.knoxnews.com
https://www.prnewswire.com
https://www.knoxnews.com
https://www.mallscenters.com
"West Town Mall" article on Wikipedia
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