Greater Milwaukee's Brookfield Square



Milwaukee's first fully-enclosed shopping center opened -as the Dairy State's largest mall- in October 1967. 
Graphic from Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs

A rendering of the up & coming shopping complex, from 1966. The arched-roof structure on the right was a Kohl's Foods supermarket. 
Drawing from Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs

This full-page spread announced the official grand opening of BROOKFIELD SQUARE. From the looks of things, the mall featured some high-end "mid-mod" interior decor.
Advert from Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs

A Brewtown-based Boston Store became the first tenant to open in the BROOKFIELD SQUARE mall, in August 1967. It would anchor the north end of the complex for 51 years.
Drawing from Federated Department Stores, Incorporated

The mall's quonset-style Kohl's Foods supermarket was in operation for 10 years. Following its late 1977 closure, its space was divided in half, with the northern portion becoming a Houlihan's Restaurant.
Drawing from Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs

The "Rain Fountain" stood on the north end of Center Court. Such water-less Wonderfall features were common in mid-to-late 1960s malls. 
Photo from the L.L. Cook Company

In 1968, the shiny new shopping hub spanned approximately 1,064,900 leasable square feet on a single retail level. It contained fifty-seven stores and services under its roof. Free parking was provided for 5,000 autos.

BROOKFIELD SQUARE TENANTS 1968:

BOSTON STORE (with Garden Terrace Dining Room and freestanding Auto Center) / SEARS (with Coffee Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon, Coffee Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / T.A. CHAPMAN / KOHL'S FOODS / F.W. WOOLWORTH (with Woolworth's Restaurant) / WALGREEN DRUG (with luncheonette) / BROOKFIELD SQUARE CINEMA (single screen) / Allied Radio Shack / Atlantic City / Baker's Shoes / Baldwin Wurlitzer Organs & Pianos / Barricini Candy / Bresler's 33 Flavors Ice Cream / Brills Colony Men's & Boy's / Brookfield Federal Savings & Loan (outparcel) / Brookfield Music Center / Brookfield National Bank (outparcel) / Brookfield Square Barber Shop / Evenson's Gift Shop / Fanny Farmer Candies / Florsheim Shoes / Fountain of Flowers / Four Seasons Casuals / Harris, Upham & Company Stock Brokers / Hobby Horse / House of Fashion Beauty Salon / House of Nine ladies' wear / Johnny Walker Men's & Boy's / Julie Ann Fabrics / Kaiser Shoe Boat / Kinney Shoes / Lane Bryant / Marianne Shop ladies wear / Marshall Camera West / Mary Lester Fabrics / Memory Lane, Incorporated Cards & Gifts / Miles Shoes / Militzer Bakery / Nobil Shoes / Parklane Hosiery / Regal Shoes / Richman Brothers men's wear / Rose Jewelers / Shirley's Maternity Fashions / Singer Sewing Center / Spencer Gifts / Spic & Span Laundry / The Added Touch Fireplaces / The Grand ladies' wear / The Sidewalk Cafe / The Swiss Colony / Tie Rak / Travel Guide, Incorporated / Waldenbooks / Women's Wear      

One of the primary competitors of BROOKFIELD SQUARE was -and is-
SOUTHRIDGE MALL. The complex, dedicated in September 1970, was
the Dairy State's first 2-level, fully-enclosed shopping center. Today, with

a gross leasable area of 1,177,000 square feet, it is Wisconsin's third-

largest mall. As a matter of note, Wauwatosa's MAYFAIR (MALL) is the 

largest.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Sulphur"
Graphic from Taubman Centers, Incorporated

By 1996, BROOKFIELD SQUARE had gone through several changes. The only expansion ever been done to the mall proper, a 26,000 square foot enlargement of the Boston Store, was completed in 1992. The loss of two junior anchors, in 1986 and 1994, provided room for several new inline tenants and a 9-bay Food Court. With these improvements, the complex encompasses approximately 1,182,400 leasable square feet.

Another major renovation of the mall got underway in 2004. As part of the project, the center's Main Entrance was rebuilt. An adjacent Barnes & Noble held its grand opening in the spring of 2005.
Photo from www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties

Bravo! Cucina Italiana welcomed its first diners in the summer of 2005 and was joined by a Streetscape-style, restaurant row built along the center's east-facing front.
Photo from http://www.ci.brookfield.wi.us

The interior of BROOKFIELD SQUARE was also given a major makeover. Here we see its refurbished Food Court.
Photo from http://www.kainc.com / K A Architects

A circa-2010 plan includes four new Streetscape bistros; Mitchell's Fish Market, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Bravo! Cucina Italiana and Claim Jumper. In the periphery of the mall are Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill, Ethan Allen Design Center and Fresh Market. The mall, now 43 years old, is one of a select few who -after many years in business- still has all of its original anchor stores.

News of a too close for comfort lifestyle center surfaced in mid-2011. THE CORNERS OF BROOKFIELD would snatch a Von Maur store that had been an eagerly-anticipated (prospective) addition to BROOKFIELD SQUARE.
Drawing and graphic from http://www.mlgcommercial.com / MLG Commercial

A keeping up with THE CORNERS renovation reworked the east facade of the Sears anchor store, adding more Streetscape-type retail and restaurants. The project, which increased the mall's gross leasable area by 19,000 square feet, was completed in late 2015.
Drawing from http://www.kainc.com / K A Architects

The 50-year-old BROOKFIELD SQUARE Sears went dark in March 2018. The building was knocked down, leaving its adjacent Streetscape section intact. This was worked into a new South Wing, which included new retail, restaurants, an 8-plex dine-in cinema and entertainment and bowling center.
Drawing from www.cbl.com / CBL & Associates Properties

A circa-2021 layout shows recent mall modifications. In addition to a reconfigured South Wing, a Hilton hotel has been built on the old Sears Auto Center spot. The Boston Store, on the north end of the mall, went dark in August 2018.

The vacant Boston Store was sold to Milwaukee-based Irgens Partners in  2019. They demolished the building and are replacing it with a mixed-use collection of office buildings, restaurants, a hotel and parking garage.

Drawing from Irgens Partners

BROOKFIELD SQUARE
West Bluemound Road / US 18 and South Moorland Road
Brookfield, Wisconsin

Planning for Greater Milwaukee's first enclosed mall got underway in 1963, under the auspices of Cleveland's Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs firm (the predecessor of today's Richard E. Jacobs Group). They acquired a 141-acre plot, located 9 miles west of center city Milwaukee, and hired three architectural firms to design the prospective facility; Cleveland's Peter S. Thomas & Associates, Chicago's Neil & Wennland, and the firm of Baxter, Hadnell, Donnely & Preston, of Cincinnati.

Ground was broken in June 1966. A single-level, fully-enclosed complex of fifty-seven stores and services was built. There were three anchors; a 2-level (189,400 square foot), Milwaukee-based Boston Store, 2-level (201,400 square foot) J.C. Penney and 2-level (224,100 square foot) Sears.

Warren Perley Knowles III (R) (Governor of Wisconsin) officiated at the grand opening of the mall's first operational tenant, the Boston Store. The grand opening was held on August 17, 1967. Thirty-three inline stores were dedicated on October 23rd. Sears followed, on October 25th. J.C. Penney was among the last stores to open, with its formal dedication taking place on January 18, 1968.

In its original state, BROOKFIELD SQUARE encompassed over 1,000,000 leasable square feet. It featured a 1-level (48,000 square foot), Milwaukee-based T.A. Chapman and 1-level (71,600 square foot) F.W. Woolworth. Charter inline stores included Walgreen Drug, Bresler's 33 Flavors ice cream, House of Nine, Spencer Gifts and a Kohl's Foods supermarket. The General Cinema Corporation Brookfield Square Cinema showed a first feature on November 15, 1967.

Shopping concourses at BROOKFIELD SQUARE were landscaped with 100 thousand dollars worth of tropical plants and trees. The Boston Store Court, on the north end of the complex, featured an upper level terrace restaurant. The Penney's Court, at the center of the center, had a falling glycerine ("Wonderfall") fountain. A huge, impressionist sculpture was suspended over the Sears Court.

Commercial competitors of BROOKFIELD SQUARE included CAPITOL COURT (1956) {7.3 miles northeast, in Milwaukee}, MAYFAIR CENTER (1959) {3.6 miles northeast, in Wauwatosa} and SOUTHRIDGE MALL (1970) {7.5 miles southeast, in Greendale and Greenfield}.

The first expansion of BROOKFIELD SQUARE was completed in September 1992, when the Boston Store was enlarged to 208,000 square feet. The closings of T.A. Chapman (1986), Brookfield Square Cinemas I & II (1989) and F.W. Woolworth (1994) provided spaces for several new inline stores.

A major mall renovation commenced in June 1995. Woolworth's area was rebuilt into a 9-bay Food Court, with courts and concourses given a face lift. Imported marble flooring was laid throughout the mall, with a 150-foot barrel-vaulted skylight installed over Center Court. When construction dust settled in September 1996, BROOKFIELD SQUARE covered approximately 1,182,400 leasable square feet and contained 118 stores and services.

In January 2001, the mall was sold to Chattanooga-based CBL & Associates Properties. They announced a renovation in 2003. 248,000 square feet would be added in a new Southwest Wing. A 150,000 square foot, Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur was mentioned as a possible anchor, with twenty-two inline stores, and a 3-level parking deck, included in the project. None of this came to fruition.

However, CBL did embark on a multi-phase remodeling in 2004. A front-facing Streetscape was built. The first tenant, a 2-level (35,600 square foot) Barnes & Noble, opened on April 13, 2005. This was joined by Bravo! Cucina Italiana in June. Mitchell's Fish Market opened in the spring of 2007. A Claim Jumper restaurant served first meals in June of 2008 (it would eventually morph into Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant). The final Streetscape tenant, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, was dedicated in November 2010.

As the Streetscape was being constructed, mall courts and concourses were refurbished and a new Main Entrance built. The Food Court was redecorated, with a circular fireplace installed. Moreover, four freestanding structures were built in the periphery of the mall. The first of these, a (22,500 square foot) The Fresh Market Gourmet Grocery, welcomed first shoppers in March 2007. 

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar opened at around the same time. Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill and an Ethan Allen Design Center opened for business in September and December of 2008, respectively. The revitalized BROOKFIELD SQUARE now encompassed 1,135,400 leasable square feet and housed 113 stores and services.

News of a potential competitor surfaced in May 2011, causing CBL & Associates to plan further mall renovations. A lifestyle center, known as THE CORNERS OF BROOKFIELD, was envisaged for a site located 2.5 miles west of BROOKFIELD SQUARE (the first phase of THE CORNERS project would open in April 2017).

BROOKFIELD SQUARE improvements would be completed in several phases. The first reconfigured the east-facing facade of Sears. 20,000 square feet of the anchor store was sectioned off and worked into a 39,000 square foot (South) Streetscape addition. This contained five tenant spaces. The first stores opened in late 2015.

The mall lost two of its anchor stores in 2018. Sears pulled the proverbial plug in March, with the Boston Store shutting down in August. The vacant Sears, and its freestanding Auto Center, were razed, leaving the recently-completed (South) Streetscape intact. A new South Wing was built, which contained the following;

* An 8-screen, dine-in motion picture venue.
* A WhirlyBall entertainment complex, with a 2-level restaurant, bumper cars game, laser tag and bowling alley.
* 26,400 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
-and-
* Hilton Garden Inn, a 170-room hotel built on the old Sears Auto Center pad

Due to the bankruptcy of Bon Ton Stores, in 2018, the Boston Store structure went through foreclosure. Ownership reverted to an affiliate of Bank of America, who sold it to Milwaukee-based Irgens Partners in 2019. In August 2022, a redevelopment plan was announced. The Boston Store would be torn down and replaced by a mixed-use facility including office spaces, hospitality and retail components. A multi-level parking garage will also be included. The Boston Store building was demolished in March 2025.   

Sources:

The Milwaukee Journal

http://www.rejacobsgroup.com / Richard E. Jacobs Group (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties

http://www.shopbrookfieldsquaremall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://www.shopbrookfieldsquaremall.com
http://www.kainc.com (k a Architecture)
http://www.jsonline.com

https://biztimes.com
http://www.allbusiness.com
https://www.bizjournals.com
http://www.elmgroupnow.com

https://www.milwaukeemag.com

"Brookfield Square" article on Wikipedia

Milwaukee's Southgate Center

Milwaukee's SOUTHGATE, the city's first suburban-style shopping hub, is promoted as a "parking paradise" in this September 1951 advertisement. This was in an era when all commerce was concentrated in the center city, where parking was limited and had to be paid for. At SOUTHGATE, parking was ample and for free.
Advert from Froedtert Enterprises, Incorporated

As a grand opening attraction, Dayton, Ohio's Richard "Dixie" Blandy attempted a world's record pole sitting. He was perched 50 feet above the parking lot for 18 days. Spectacles such as this were a common feature of mid-20th century shopping center dedications.
Graphic from Froedtert Enterprises, Incorporated

A circa-1951 site plan depicts the original SOUTHGATE CENTER before anything was added. The strip complex encompassed around 104,500 leasable square feet and housed twenty stores and services. There was free parking for 1,500 autos.

SOUTHGATE CENTER TENANTS 1951:

KRAMBO FOODS / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / W.T. GRANT / WALGREEN DRUG (with luncheonette) / Badger Paint & Hardware / Bitker Gerner ladies' wear / Friedman's men's wear / G.R. Kinney Shoes / H.T. Grossman Carpeting / Joseph, Your Hair Stylist / Luber's Super Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Market / Mrs. Steven's Candies / Nu-Way Shoe Service / Ritz Hat Shop / Roderick's Card & Gift Shop / Royal Bakery / Samsons Home Appliances / Singer Sewing Center / Spic & Span Dry Cleaners / Three Sisters ladies' wear 

A circa-'52 view of SOUTHGATE CENTER. Looking southward, we see Samsons Home Appliances and the original Krambo Foods supermarket. In the background is a pylon promoting the W. T. Grant ("Grants") variety store. 

Photo https://collections.lib.uwm.edu / University of Wisconsin Milwaukee / Harold Mayer

Grants opened their SOUTHGATE store in September 1951. It was among the first Grants built as part of a suburban shopping center.

Drawing from W. T. Grant Company Annual Report 1951

SOUTHGATE CENTER was 3 years old before it had a bona fide anchor. A 3-level Gimbels-Milwaukee was added to the north end of the complex. The store, which opened its doors in October 1954, was  Gimbels' first suburban branch. 

Drawing from Gimbels Brothers, Incorporated

As Gimbels was being added to SOUTHGATE, the original -circa-1951- Krambo supermarket was being replaced, A new -40,000 square foot- grocery held its grand opening in November 1954.
Advert from Krambo Food Stores, Incorporated

By the mid-1950s, expansions had been built on the north and south ends of the center. As mentioned, Gimbels and Krambo Foods opened new stores in 1954 (in medium gray). In 1964, Gimbels was operating as a Gimbels-Schusters, Krambo has been rebranded by Kroger. The Southgate Theatre (light gray) has just opened its doors. The parking area has also been enlarged and now accommodates 3,000 autos at one time.

By the early '70s, SOUTHGATE was in need of a major renovation in order to remain competitive with newer -and larger- shopping options in its trade area. A 2 million dollar enclosing renovation was undertaken. Its grand opening, heralded in this August 1971 advert, added twenty stores to the retail roster.

Advert from Froedtert Enterprises, Incorporated

The new & improved SOUTHGATE -now officially a MALL- encompassed around 400,000 leasable square feet. A thin store strip and enclosed mallway had been tacked onto the east-facing front of the complex. Among new mall stores was F.W. Woolworth, apparently operating in an old S.S. Kresge store space.

SOUTHGATE MALL TENANTS 1971:

EXISTING STORES

GIMBELS (with Tasty Town Restaurant and attached Auto Center) / Brills Colony men's wear / Evans Singers ladies' wear / Fair Lady Figure Salon & Spa / Hi-Way Shoes / Howard Johnson's restaurant (outparcel) / Kiddie Kolor Portrait Studio / Kinney Shoes / Maling Shoes / Mid-West Tire / Mike Crivella's Camera Center / Mutual Savings & Loan Association / Rudy's Home-Made Sausage Shop / Southgate National Bank / Southgate Theatre (outparcel) / The Captain's Steak Joynt 

NEW STORES

F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / Bresler's 33 Flavors ice cream / Carousel Snack Bar / Coast To Coast Automotive & Hardware / Daisy Jewel / Fanny Farmer Candies / Hallmark Card Shop / Hot Sam Pretzels / Lost Art / Moon Fun Shop Gifts & Novelties / Purt -n- Pretty ladies' wear / Record Shop / Town Electronics

In this vintage photo, we see the enclosed and carpeted mallway at SOUTHGATE. Its "very '70s" decor would be updated during a 1991 renovation.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / John Gallo

The sole anchor at SOUTHGATE would sport the Gimbels nameplate seen here between October 1954 and August 1986. Milwaukee's Boston Store would operate in the building between August 1987 and January 1994.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / John Gallo

The circa-1989 SOUTHGATE MALL logo.
Graphic from Sarakreek Holdings

In April 1993, the mall's 29-year old, single-screen theater was replaced by the Cinemark Movies 10. This megaplex was rebranded by Marcus Theaters in 1998. It was shuttered in December 2023.
Photo from www.labelscar.com / John Gallo

After several years of decline, SOUTHGATE MALL was demolished in the summer of 1999. The aforementioned cinema and south store block (seen here) were left standing and were worked into a new SOUTHGATE MARKETPLACE. WalMart opened in 2001 and was enlarged in 2009.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

SOUTHGATE CENTER
South 27th Street / US 41 and West Morgan Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Brewtown's first suburban-style shopping plaza was envisaged by malting maven Curtis R. Froedtert and was built under the auspices of Froedtert Enterprises, Incorporated. SOUTHGATE CENTER was developed on a 32-acre plot, located 4 miles southwest of the center city, at -what was- the southern boundary of the Milwaukee city limits.

Designed by Milwaukee's Grasshold & Johnson firm, the original SOUTHGATE consisted of two oblong store blocks. These encompassed approximately 104,500 leasable square feet and housed twenty inline stores. Thirteen of these opened for business on September 20, 1951.

Open-air in format, the 3 million dollar SOUTHGATE consisted of a single retail level with a 9,000 square foot upper level of office suites. Inline stores also had basements. Among the shopping center's charter tenants were Krambo Foods, Walgreen Drug, a W.T. Grant variety store and S.S. Kresge 5 & 10.

An expansion of store space was announced in February 1953. Gimbels-Milwaukee would build its first suburban store at SOUTHGATE, which would be the first branch in the entire 4-division Gimbels chain. The store would be constructed on the north end of the shopping hub and consist of 3 levels and approximately 206,000 square feet.

At the same time, a southward SOUTHGATE expansion was in the works. Krambo Foods planned a 2-level (40,000 square foot) grocery to replace their existing (18,000 square foot) store. The new Krambo, which was part of a 53,000 square foot addition, was reputedly the largest supermarket in the Midwest.

Gimbels' grand opening was held on October 1, 1954; Krambo's on November 9th. With the completion of the north and south expansions, SOUTHGATE CENTER encompassed approximately 363,500 leasable square feet and housed twenty-five stores and services.

The Krambo chain was acquired by the Cincinnati-based Kroger Company in June 1955. Twenty-five Krambo stores retained their original nameplate until 1962, when a Kroger-Krambo brand appeared. This was phased out in 1964, with all former Krambo stores, including the SOUTHGATE location, being rebranded by Kroger.

Gimbels-Milwaukee acquired the Milwaukee-based Ed Schuster & Company in  April 1962. Stores operated under the official heading of Gimbels-Schusters until July 1969, when the Schusters co-branding was abandoned. Meanwhile, the third addition to SOUTHGATE CENTER was built in its rear parking area. The United Artists Southgate Theatre opened for business on July 3, 1964. 

The first taste of commercial competition for SOUTHGATE came in 1960, with the completion of POINT LOOMIS CENTER, a 272,000 square foot, open-air mall. This was located on a parcel directly south of SOUTHGATE. BROOKFIELD SQUARE {8.5 miles northwest, in Brookfield} opened in 1967. The most formidable rival, SOUTHRIDGE MALL {3.5 miles southwest, in Greendale and Greenfield}, was dedicated in 1970.

A 1.8 million dollar renovation of SOUTHGATE was underway by the end of the year. Approximately 30,000 square feet were added, with most of this in a thin strip of selling space added to the east-facing front of the complex. Twenty new stores debuted at the grand re-opening of SOUTHGATE MALL, which was held on August 4, 1971. 

The shopping venue now encompassed approximately 400,000 leasable square feet and housed fifty-four stores and services. In June 1978, Froedtern Enterprises sold the center to Holland's Sarakreek Holdings. 

Gimbels was shuttered in August 1986. A Milwaukee-based Boston Store opened, in the vacant Gimbels building, on August 1, 1987. Unfortunately, SOUTHGATE MALL had been in a downward spiral since the mid-1970s. Sarakreek Holdings struggled to keep tenant spaces occupied. In October 1990, a face lift renovation and "strategic repositioning" were announced. A 70,000 square foot, junior anchor space was to be leased by Youngstown, Ohio's Phar-Mor Drug chain.

Walgreen Drug, a 1951 charter tenant, filed a lawsuit in February 1991, citing an exclusivity clause in the lease it had signed in 1971. This forbade the owner of the mall from leasing space to any other pharmacy or store including one. In September 1991, a decision was handed down in Walgreen's favor.

The renovation of SOUTHGATE had proceeded as the lawsuit was being decided. In September 1991, the mall was rededicated. It had a rebuilt facade and Main Entrance, as well as updated lighting, restrooms and landscaping. The dark 1970s interior decor had been brightened with a brilliant blue, sandstone and burgundy color palette.

A new megaplex, the Cinemark Movies 10, was constructed in the northwest corner of the mall site, replacing the old single-screen venue. The first features were shown on April 16, 1993. In spite of recent improvements, SOUTHGATE MALL was still in a downward spiral. The Boston Store shut down on January 24, 1994. 

In mid-1995, two potential tenants were being courted to fill the vacant Gimbels-Boston Store. Minnesota's Media Play would lease 50,300 square feet, with Maryland's Trak Auto setting up shop in 21,700. These deals had fallen through by December 1995. The vacant anchor space would never be retenanted. To add insult to injury, Woolworth's closed their store in January 1994. A prospective tenant was courted for a section of the vacant area. This deal fell through, as well.

The shopping center was sold for a second time in October 1998. Atlanta-based JDN Realty acquired the seventy-percent-vacant structure and immediately announced a demalling renovation. Wal-Mart would build a 1-level (140,000 square foot) store and Walgreen Drug would relocate into a freestanding unit on the north end of the site.

Demolition commenced in June 1999. Only the south store block, megaplex cinema and a small southeast outparcel were left standing. The south store block, originally housing the second Krambo location, was given a new facade. Wal-Mart held its grand opening -at the new SOUTHGATE MARKETPLACE- on January 24, 2001. The store was expanded and re-opened -as a SuperCenter- in June 2009.

Sources:

The Milwaukee Journal
"In 1951, Southgate Changed Shopping" / John Gurda / Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel / December 5, 1999
"Dual Anchor Shopping Centers 1952-1965" / Richard Longstreth
http://www.retrocom.com (Retro Milwaukee)
http://www.businessjournals.com
https://www.cinematreasures.org