Virginia Beach's Pembroke Mall

The original trademark of the Hampton Roads retail center. The complex, which housed 564,900 leasable square feet, was officially dedicated in March 1966.
Graphic from Pembroke Mall Associates

That iconic Chicago-centric retailer opened a PEMBROKE MALL store in July 1966. The building encompassed two levels and 157,700 square feet.

The original enclosed mall included an open-air Northeast Wing. By the time of this 1971 site plan, a freestanding UltraVision movie house had been added to the rear parking area. The shopping complex encompassed approximately 564,900 leasable square feet and contained sixty-five stores under its roof. Free parking was provided for 4,000 autos.

The first expansion of PEMBROKE MALL was completed in the early 1980s. A third anchor, Virginia Beach-based Rices Nachmans, joined Sears and Miller & Rhoads. Moreover, a new South Wing had been built at the front of the complex. The PEMBROKE property now encompassed approximately 713,600 leasable square feet.

A Cineplex Odeon 8-screen theater was added to the Northeast Wing in 1988. This increased the gross leasable area of the shopping center to 747,800 square feet. After the new movie theater was completed, the UltraVision venue in the north parking area was razed.

A vintage photo of one of the center's Main Entrances. These accessed the South Wing, added to the mall in 1981.
Photo from www.placestogoinvb.com
 

An interior view of the East Wing. Kohl's opened their PEMBROKE MALL store in 2003. It assumed space originally occupied by Miller & Rhoads.
Photo from www.joneslanglasalle.com

In 2009, the Hampton Roads shopping hub had been in varying states of decline for around 13 years. Renovations done between 2002 and 2007 failed to halt its downward spiral. In 2006, the north wing and north anchor store were knocked down, reducing the size of the mall by 90,000 square feet. At the same time, a bank and several sit-down restaurants (light gray) were added to the front parking area.

PEMBROKE MALL TENANTS 2009:

KOHL'S / SEARS (with Optical Department and freestanding Auto Center) / STEIN MART / American Red Cross / BBT Bank (outparcel) / Bath & Body Works cosmetics / Bit of England / Bon Worth / Claire's Boutique / Coastal Edge surfing apparel & accessories / Deb Plus ladies' wear / Doctor J. Michael Weil, Optometrist / Electronic Boutique / Foot Locker / Goody's Hallmark / Hot Topic apparel / Jason's Deli / Jewels & Gems (kiosk) / Journey's Shoes / Kay Jewelers / Kelly's Tavern / Lee Chaing Thai / Legends / Liberty Tax Service / Lids hats / Max & Erma's restaurant / Memory Lane / Nail Works & Tan / N Telos (kiosk) / Nestle Toll House Cafe / One Stop Cellular / Pac Sun apparel / Paris Jewelers (kiosk) / Pearle Vision Center / Pet-Go-Round / Piercing Pagona (kiosk) / Radio Shack / Romano's Macaroni Grill (outparcel) / Regal Pembroke 8 / Regis Hairstylists / Ruby & Kelly / Rue 21 ladies' wear / S & K Brands / Sandollar / Shoe Department / Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill (outparcel) / Sport Clips / Suntrust Bank (outparcel) / Sweet Tooth / The Athletes Foot / The Mobile Team (kiosk) / Things Remembered (kiosk) / Watch Stop (kiosk) / William E. Woods (kiosk) / Virginia Diner / Zales Jewelers 

FOOD COURT:

China Garden restaurant / Cox Communications (kiosk) / Famous Wok / Roman Delight Pizzeria / Simply Wireless (kiosk) / Subway

The Pembroke 8 multiplex was shuttered and demolished in the summer of 2011. Construction got underway on a new Target, which opened for business in October 2012.
Photo from https://pembrokemall.com

The mall's front-facing facade was given an extensive renovation as the new Target was being constructed. The new Main Entrance, depicted here, was completed in March 2013.
Drawing from http://www.madisonmarquette.com / Madison Marquette

More modifications were completed in the 2010s. The Food Court was rebuilt as inline stores. Sears reduced its footprint, with its ground level divided between four tenants. The Sears Auto Center was replaced by an REI (Recreational Equipment International) store. The downsized Sears, which encompassed 127,300 square feet, would close for good in late 2018.

By the 2020s, the mall was on life support. A 200 million dollar redevelopment was drawn up to reconfigure the complex as a retail-hospitality-senior living facility. Sections would be left standing, with fifteen stores remaining. In January 2022, the mall was shuttered. In May, the name of the project was changed to PEMBROKE SQUARE (which had been the tentative name of the mall in the early '60s).

Graphic from https://www.pembrokesquarevb.com

PEMBROKE MALL
Virginia Beach Boulevard / US 58 and Independence Boulevard
Virginia Beach, Virginia 

News of the first mall-type shopping center in the Hampton Roads region was first reported in December 1962. An enclosed and open-air complex was being designed by two firms. Atlanta's Stevens & Wilkinson would envisage a Sears anchor store and assist Norfolk's Harry R. Dudley, Junior & Lewis A. Rightmier with design of the remainder of the mall. 

Going under the provisional name of PEMBROKE SQUARE, the complex would occupy a 60-acre site. This was located 5 miles west of the downtown area of Virginia Beach. The "independent city" of Virginia Beach had been formed from the amalgamation of a small resort town and the previously-existing Princess Anne County. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, an independent city is a separate and complete political entity and is not part of any county.

The mall site was part of the 453-acre Pembroke Manor plat, where the circa-1764 Pembroke Manor House stood. The shopping center was being developed by the Terry Corporation, a joint venture of Fredrick Napolitano, Emilio and Armon Olivieri and Horace Cistola.

 

Construction commenced on March 9, 1965. The shopping-center-to-be was now promoted as PEMBROKE MALL. Its first operational store was a 1-level (88,400 square foot), Richmond-based Miller & Rhoads, which was dedicated on March 3, 1966. Fourteen stores opened for business at a mall-wide grand opening held on March 21, 1966. These included Thom McAn Shoes, Butler's Shoes, National Shirt Shops, Barricini Candy, Beneficial Finance, Peoples Drug and an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.

A 2-level (157,700 square foot) Sears was dedicated on July 27, 1966. By this time, mall stores included Willner's, Hofheimer's Shoes, Lerner Shops, Fine's Men's Shop, The Hub, Clayton's, Mr. John's Beauty Salon, Norfolk Federal Savings & Loan Association, Pembroke Florist, Spencer Gifts and a Dipper Dan Ice Cream Shoppe. 

In its original state, PEMBROKE MALL encompassed around 564,900 leasable square feet, with a retail roster of sixty-five stores and services. On July 23, 1971, the ABC Southeastern Theatres Pembroke Mall Theatre opened for business. It was built as a freestanding structure, in the shopping center's northeast parking area.

An open-air Northeast Wing was expanded, with a seven-store enclosed mallway, in 1981. A 1-level (56,200 square foot), Virginia Beach-based Rices Nachmans was built. The mall's south-facing front was also extended outward with fifteen inline stores. These included Annabelle's Restaurant, Radio Shack, World Bazaar, Pizza Delight and Office Supply. PEMBROKE MALL now encompassed around 713,600 leasable square feet.

A third expansion, completed in 1990, added the Cineplex Odeon Pembroke 8 to the Northeast Wing. The original Pembroke Mall Theatre, which had been operating as a twin-plex since June 1974, was demolished. The gross leasable area of the mall was increased to approximately 747,800 leasable square feet.

Shopping centers in the PEMBROKE MALL trade area included MILITARY CIRCLE MALL (1970) {3.7 miles west, in Norfolk}, LYNNHAVEN MALL (1981) {3.7 miles southeast, in Virginia Beach}, GREENBRIER MALL (1982) {6.7 miles southwest, in Chesapeake} and MACARTHUR CENTER (1999) {5 miles west, in Norfolk}.

Rices Nachmans became the first PEMBROKE MALL anchor to change nameplates. The store was converted to an Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Hess's on February 25, 1985. Alcoa, Tennessee-based Proffitt's rebranded the store on August 23, 1993. Dillard's went into the space in August 1997 and closed in July 2002. For a short time afterward, the building was leased as a Freight Liquidators Furniture Outlet.

Miller & Rhoads, the mall's east anchor, was shuttered in January 1990. The space was soon taken by Norcross, Georgia-based Uptons. This chain folded in November 1999. The building sat vacant until Wisconsin-based Kohl's remodeled the structure and opened for business on October 5, 2003.

PEMBROKE MALL had begun to decline in the mid-1990s. It was given a major overhaul in 2003. New carpeting and ceilings were installed throughout the complex, with a 6-bay Food Court built in the South Wing. The exterior became more "pedestrian friendly." Front-facing stores were refitted with exterior entrances and new facades and three outparcel restaurants were built in the parking area. 

 
In the fall of 2006, the final phase of the metamorphosis at PEMBROKE MALL got underway. This project involved the demolition of the Rices Nachman's building and most of the North Wing. The multiplex movie house, now operating as the Regal Pembroke 8, was left standing, at least for the time being. 

 

The physical size of the mall had been reduced to approximately 654,000 leasable square feet, with 100 stores and services. As part of a repositioning, PEMBROKE MALL was tenanted with more nationally-known retailers, such as PacSun and Hot Topic. On July 2, 2011, the final features were shown at the Regal 8-plex. The theater was demolished, with a 1-level (138,500 square foot) Target built on its space. This new store opened for business on October 14, 2012. 

 

The Food Court closed for good in June 2012. Eateries such as Subway, Big Island Smoothie Cafe and Quesadillas & More were relocated within the mall. The entire South Wing was then gutted and refashioned into "Signature Shops," which encompassed seven store spaces. Old Navy opened for business in April 2013, followed by Bahama Breeze Island Grill. The existing mall was given a facelift, with surfaces repainted and new carpeting installed. Kohl's was renovated, as well. PEMBROKE MALL now encompassed approximately 652,100 leasable square feet.

In April 2015, Sears Holdings announced the formation of a new real estate investment trust, known as Seritage Growth Properties. One of the first projects undertaken by the new entity was the redevelopment of the PEMBROKE MALL Sears. The first floor of the store was divided four ways. Sears retained 48,500 square feet. 

A (32,500 square foot) Nordstrom Rack opened on March 9, 2016. Fresh Market (with 27,000 square feet) was dedicated on March 30th. DSW (containing 15,300 square feet) began business on May 1. With this renovation, the PEMBROKE MALL Sears still encompassed 2-levels, but only covered 127,300 square feet. In September 2018, the 52-year-old store was shuttered. It was replaced by the Decision, Limited Liability Company, a computer software provider.

In the early 2020s, a plan was drawn up by the mall's owner, now known as Pembroke Enterprises. The complex would be redeveloped as a retail-hospitality-senior living facility. The new PEMBROKE SQUARE would encompass approximately 481,100 leasable square feet of retail, with fifteen mall stores remaining in business. These included Target, Kohl's, Walgreen Drug, Nordstom Rack and The Fresh Market. 

Demolished sections of the mall would be replaced with the 121-unit Aviva senior living community and 209-room Tempo-Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel. Two multilevel parking garages would also be built. Inline mall stores were shuttered in January 2022, with demolition of 171,000 square feet of mall space getting underway soon after. 

 
Sources:

The Virginian Pilot (Hampton Roads, Virginia)
http://www.joneslanglasalle.com
http://www.pembrokemall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.cinematour.com
http://www.vbgov.com
https://mallmanac.blogspot.com

https://www.pembrokesquarevb.com

https://www.virginiabusiness.com

https://thevirginiabeachjob.com

"Virginia Beach" and "Virginia Beach Town Center" articles on Wikipedia

Norfolk's Military Circle Mall

Norfolk's first shopping mall was built on land adjacent to the region's Military Highway, which crosses over the lower right corner of this rendering. The mall's name was an amalgamation of Military Highway and the circle road that surrounded the mall. 

Graphic from the International Hotel Supply Company

Before there was MILITARY CIRCLE MALL, there was the JANAF (Joint Army-Navy-Air Force) CENTER. This half-mile-long strip complex opened in December 1959. It occupied land north of the future mall site. Original JANAF CENTER stores included J.C. Penney, W.T. Grant, Ames & Brownley and Colonial and Giant Foods supermarkets.

Drawing and graphic from Janaf, Incorporated  

A grand opening was held at MILITARY CIRCLE MALL in August 1970. In its original state, the complex featured three anchor department stores and encompassed approximately 735,800 leasable square feet. Free parking was provided for 4,000 autos. The 13-story Sheraton Inn connected into the shopping concourse.

The mall was only 3 years old when its first expansion got underway. This project added 218,900 square feet in a South Wing (in medium gray). The addition, which was anchored by a new Leggett store, increased the gross leasable area of MILITARY CIRCLE MALL to approximately 954,700 square feet. 

J.C. Penney presided over the West Wing of the mall with a gargantuan 202,000 square foot store. 
Photo from Wikipedia / Mike Kalasnik

A vintage aerial view shows the mall's extensive peripheral development. At number 1 is a Chuck E. Cheese's family entertainment center & pizza restaurant. Number 2 indicates the Penneys Auto Center that morphed into a Firestone Auto Care Center in 1983. At number 3 is Military Circle Shops, a convenience center housing fourteen tenant spaces.  

Photo from https://www.hewv.com / Hanbury Architects

A Food Court was installed in gutted South Wing space as part of a mid-1990s face lift. 
Photo from Wikipedia / Mike Kalasnik

The  Food facility contained nine fast food restaurants.
Photo from http://www.flickr.com / "RyanRules Photo Stream"

An abandoned Belk on the south end of the mall was replaced with a new Cinemark movie megaplex. It opened for business in March of the year 2000.
Photo from http://www.woodmont.com / The Woodmont Company

A new owner renamed the shopping hub in August 2004. It would be known, henceforth, as THE GALLERY AT MILITARY CIRCLE.
Graphic from https://web.archive.org (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

Our most recent site plan is dated 2004. This depicts renovations done between 1995 and the year 2000. The east and south anchors have been knocked down and replaced with new Sears and Cinemark structures. Likewise, the aforementioned Food Court has been installed in existing mall space.

A new mall manager re-changed the name of the shopping hub in August 2015. It became MILITARY CIRCLE MALL once more. The shopping hub had been in a downward spiral since 2009. An anchor exodus began in 2012, with Sears pulling up stakes. J.C. Penney closed down in 2014. Macy's -previously Hecht's, Thalhimers and J.B. Hunter- went dark in 2016.
Graphic from https://www.shopmilitarycirclemall.com

The abandoned J.C. Penney was thoroughly renovated in 2016-2017. It now housed offices for Optima Health and Movement Mortgage. 

Photo from https://wparch.com / Work Plan Architects

The final trademark used to promote MILITARY CIRCLE MALL.

Graphic from https://shopatmilitarycircle.com

MILITARY CIRCLE MALL TENANTS 2022:

MOVEMENT MORTGAGE (Lower Level) / OPTIMA HEALTH (Upper Level) / #1 Space performing arts venue / 160 Driving Academy / 3rd Rock Sunblock / African Art Bookstore / Alien Art Gallery / All About Children / American Legion Post 37 / Ashanti’s Hair Salon / Bank of America (outparcel) / Big K’s Famous Hotdogs / Boss Doll Fashion ladies' wear / Bronx Jewelers / Cell Fashion / Connie's Boutique / Crown Jewelers / Design 4 You / Direct Motorsport / DTLR shoes, apparel & accessories / Early Excellence learning center / Easy Works Boxing & Fitness / Eyebrow Center / Fashion Feet / Firestone Tire & Auto (outparcel) / For The People Music Studio / Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ (outparcel) / Gold & Diamonds / Gold & Silver Time / Hardee's hamburgers (outparcel) / Intrigue Jewelers / James Stuff electronics & home appliances / Jewelry Box / Jimmy Jazz apparel / Just 4-U Jewelry / Kings Fashion men's wear / Kut Up Barbershop / L.I.P.S. Beauty Bar & Supply / Lady's Fingers Massage / Light Sword Martial Arts / Limited Edition / McDonald's hamburgers (outparcel) / Made in Norfolk apparel / Military Circle Mall Shoe Repair / Military Circle Watch & Jewelry Repair / Military Circle Mart convenience store / Mosaic Steel Orchestra / New York Jewelers / Official Livin Legendz / Palidori / Paparazzi Photography & Marketing Agency / Paradyce's Treasure Chest jewelry & accessories / Paris Jewelers / Perfume Corner / Pink Pearls Dance Company / Pink Plug Boutique / Pure Heart Art Studio / Rainbow ladies' wear / Ross Dress For Less / Sake Japan / Salon 10 / Shay’s Beauty Institute / Shingmar Formal Dresses / Soul of the Sea seafood restaurant / Special Moments Portrait Studio / Swagath Plaza Indian Restaurant, Banquet Hall & Grocery (outparcel) / Sykes Health Zone / T.R.A.I.N Academy fitness training / TF Skateboarding / The Big Free Bookstore / The Manhattan apparel / The Pink Roller Indoor Play Yard / The Toy Company / Trophy Care's Furniture & Moving Company / Urban Baby Beginnings / Virginia Mobile Care / Watch Outlet / Zie Spot apparel

We wrap up our MILITARY CIRCLE visit with a 2010s aerial view. The shopping complex closed in January 2023.

Photo from www.bing.com

MILITARY CIRCLE MALL
North Military Highway / US 13 and Poplar Hall Drive
Norfolk, Virginia

The second enclosed shopping center in the Hampton Roads region was developed by a joint venture of Norfolk's Harvey L. Lindsay, Junior and Jacksonville, Florida's Morris Alpert. MILITARY CIRCLE MALL was designed by Atlanta's Toombs, Amisano & Wells firm and was built on a 122-acre site, located 3.9 miles east of center city Norfolk. In its original state, the complex encompassed approximately 735,800 leasable square feet.

One of the first operational stores, a 2-level (201,900 square foot) J.C. Penney debuted on January 15, 1970. Also serving as anchors were a 2-level (152,200 square foot) J.B. Hunter and 2-level (119,600 square foot), Norfolk-based Smith & Welton.

Fifty-two stores were officially dedicated on August 6, 1970. These included Jo-Ann Fabrics, Hickory Farms of Ohio, Chess King, Rogis' Shulman's men's wear, Sanfred's ladies' wear, Variety Records, D.P. Paul Jewelers, Le Petit Cafe, World Bazaar, a Piccadilly Cafeteria, J.G. McCrory 5 & 10 and 14-story (200-room) Sheraton Inn. When fully leased, the mall housed seventy-three tenant spaces.

MILITARY CIRCLE MALL was only 3 years old when a southward expansion got underway. It added a 2-level (167,400 square foot), Danville, Virginia-based Leggett department store and approximately 52,000 square feet of inline store space. The addition was completed in July 1974.

The mall's first motion picture venue, the American Multi-Cinema Circle 6 Theatres, was located inside the shopping center. First features were shown on July 29, 1970. The American Multi-Cinema Circle 4, built in the northwest periphery of the mall, showed first features on October 26, 1979. Both venues were eventually promoted as the AMC Circle 10. The Circle 6 closed in 1995, with the Circle 4 being shuttered in 1999.

Major retail centers in the MILITARY CIRCLE trade area included JANAF (Joint Army-Navy-Air Force) CENTER (1959) {.2 mile north, in Norfolk}, PEMBROKE MALL (1966) {3.7 miles east, in Virginia Beach}, LYNNHAVEN MALL (1981) {7.6 miles southeast, in Virginia Beach}, GREENBRIAR MALL (1982) {5 miles southwest, in Chesapeake}, CHESAPEAKE SQUARE (1989) {11.3 miles southwest, in Chesapeake} and -eventually- MACARTHUR CENTER (1999) {4.3 miles west, in center city Norfolk}.

Anchor rebrandings at MILITARY CIRCLE MALL began with the J.B. Hunter store. It morphed into a Richmond-based Thalhimers in 1976 and Arlington, Virginia-based Hecht's in 1992. Smith & Welton shut down in 1990. The building would sit vacant for nearly 8 years. The Leggett location was rebranded by Charlotte-based Belk on February 13, 1997 and was shuttered on September 20, 1998.

Maryland's Rouse Company acquired MILITARY CIRCLE MALL in January 1986, but eventually sold the complex. Chicago's Urban Retail Properties was operating the facility by the mid-1990s. They embarked on a 12 million dollar renovation in May 1995. This included the installation of an 8-bay Food Court, new flooring and skylights. Victoria's Secret and Elite Child joined the retail roster of over 120 stores and services. The refurbished shopping hub was officially re-dedicated on September 17, 1996.

A second wave of renovation began in 1998. This time around, two vacant anchors would be razed and replaced. The first, Smith & Welton, gave way to a 2-level (128,300 square foot) Sears. Its grand opening was held on July 17, 1999. The abandoned Leggett-Belk on the south end of the mall was razed and replaced by a Cinemark 18 megaplex. It showed first features on March 31, 2000. With all renovations completed, the mall encompassed approximately 864,700 leasable square feet.

New York City's Thor Equities bought MILITARY CIRCLE MALL in September 2002. By August 2004, they had bequeathed a new name; THE GALLERY AT MILITARY CIRCLE. The mall's most recent anchor rebranding took place on February 1, 2006, when a Macy's masthead was installed on the Hecht's store.

Things began to slip soon after. The hospitality tower, operating for some time as the Doubletree Club Hotel, closed "for renovations" in 2009 and never re-opened. Sears permanently closed in March 2012. J.C. Penney shut down in May 2014, leaving only Macy's and the Cinemark 18 as anchors. Macy's was shuttered in March 2016.

Meanwhile, Thor Equities defaulted on their mall loan in April 2015. As a result of the foreclosure, a public auction was scheduled for July 2015. There was no buyer. Ownership was assumed by the lender, who enlisted the Fort Worth-based Woodmont Company to manage the struggling shopping hub. Its name was officially changed back to MILITARY CIRCLE MALL soon after.

In March 2016, it was announced that Virginia Beach-based Movement Mortgage would renovate the ground floor of the vacant J.C. Penney and establish a (90,000 square foot) home office. A second office-type tenant leased space on the upper level. A (45,000 square foot) Optima Health Customer Services Center opened in June 2017. In February 2021, the Cinemark 18 showed its final features.

The bulk of MILITARY CIRCLE MALL was acquired by the Norfolk Department of Economic Development in May 2020. The complex closed for good on January 31, 2023. Demolition of sections of the mall is planned, but is being delayed by one tenant, who refuse to shutter their profitable store. 

Sources:

The Daily Press (Norfolk, Virginia)
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia)
http://www.galleryatmilitarycircle.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

http://shopmilitarycirclemall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://mallmanac.blogspot.com

https://cinematreasures.org
Rouse Company Annual Report 1993
https://norfolkdevelopment.com

http://www.wavy.com / WAVY-TV

https://www.mallscenters.com

"Gallery at Military Circle" article on Wikipedia