By the 2010s, BOULEVARD MALL was in a downward spiral. Inline stores, such as The Limited, Size 5-7-9 Shops and Pacsun, pulled up stakes. Then, the Sears and Macy's Men's anchor stores went dark. To avoid foreclosure, the mall's owner sold the struggling complex back to the lender in December 2017.
Graphic from www.boulevardmall.com

The Picnic Place Food Court had run its course by 2015. It was replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods (in medium gray). In 2023, Greater Buffalo's first enclosed mall housed seventy-seven store spaces, with thirteen kiosks. Twenty-three spaces were vacant.

On the horizon may be a total redevelopment of the mall. A new owner came on board in June 2019. They devised a plan to revitalize the complex as a mixed-use town center that would be known as BOULEVARD PLACE.
Drawing from Dover, Kohl & Partners

The new and improved BOULEVARD PLACE may even include a station stop on a newly-extended Metro Rail light rail transit line. This terminal would be one of ten along a prospective 7-route-mile Tonawanda-Amherst Extension.
Photo from Wikipedia / David Wilson

BOULEVARD MALL

Niagara Falls Boulevard / US 62 and Maple Road

Erie County (Town of Amherst), New York

Greater Buffalo's first fully-enclosed shopping center was developed by Suburban Shoppers World, Incorporated, which was a joint venture of Buffalo's Harold A. Dautch, Niagara Falls' Jack E. Gellman, and Greater Cleveland's Forest City Enterprises. The shopping center proper was designed by New York City's Lathrop Douglass. Peter Copeland, also of New York City, designed the mall's Sattler's anchor store. 

The 12 million dollar complex originally occupied 44.7 acres of a 55.8-acre parcel. This was located 11 miles northeast of downtown Buffalo, in a section of Erie County known as Town of Amherst. The name BOULEVARD MALL was derived from the mall's location along Niagara Falls Boulevard. Ground was broken on September 13, 1961. 

 

Six stores debuted on November 6, 1962. These were a 2-level (220,000 square foot), Buffalo-based "Sattler's 998," 2-level (80,000 square foot), Amherst-based Jenss, (13,500 square foot) Acme Market, (28,800 square foot) Kleinhans men's, The Sample Casual Shops and Morrisons. 

 

The highlights of the dedication were the release of several colored balloons and a TV broadcast greeting by Nelson A. Rockefeller (R) (Governor of New York). Speeches were given by Edward R. Rath (Erie County Executive), Herbert C. Weinberg (Forest City Enterprises Project Coordinator) and Harry R. Jones (Town of Amherst Supervisor). Music was provided by the Sweet Home Central High School Band.

 

A (24,000 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 welcomed first customers on February 11, 1963. A mall-wide dedication was held on March 13th. The high point of this celebration was a public, trans-oceanic phone call to to the office of the mayor of Buffalo's sister city, Kanazawa, Japan. Demonstrations were given at a small figure skating ice rink in the mall's Center Court. The Sweet Home Central High School Band, who had performed at the November 1962 dedication, provided music.

Charter inline stores included Thom McAn Shoes, Baker's Qualicraft Shoes, Reed's Jewelers, Bond Clothes, Gray Drug, and Fanny Farmer Candies. On the south end of the property was the freestanding Suburban Lanes Bowling Center. A pad northeast of the mall proper was developed as the General Cinema Corporation Boulevard Mall Cinema I & II. This venue opened for business on February 16, 1966. It was reconfigured as the Boulevard Mall Cinema I-II-III in October 1973 and as the Boulevard Mall 1-4, in June 1980.

The first expansion of the mall had been announced in February 1969. A 3-level (214,600 square foot) J.C. Penney and freestanding Auto Center were added to the northeast corner. These opened for business on February 25, 1971. 

Competing shopping hubs in Buffalo's "Northtowns" area included NORTHTOWN PLAZA (1951) {.3 mile south, in Erie County (Town of Amherst)} and EASTERN HILLS MALL (1971) {6.3 miles southeast, in Erie County (Town of Clarence)}. Also in the vicinity were THRUWAY PLAZA (1952) {5.7 miles southeast, in Erie County (Town of Cheektowaga)} and WALDEN GALLERIA (1989) {5.6 miles southeast, also in Erie County  (Town of Cheektowaga)}.

A second mall expansion was announced on February 5, 1977 and approved, by the Amherst Planning Board, on February 17th. This project, extending the south end of the mall, added 80,000 square feet and thirty-three stores. A recently shuttered Acme supermarket was fitted with retail spaces and the interior and exterior of the mall given face lifts. This brought new skylights, tropical foliage and an underwater-lit fountain. 

Fifteen new stores were dedicated on November 9, 1978. Among these were Casual Corner, Foxmoor Casuals, Kinney Shoes and J. Rigging's. The renovation was officially dedicated in March 1979. BOULEVARD MALL now covered approximately 786,700 leasable square feet, with a tenant list eighty-three stores and services. 

In the following year, the BOULEVARD MALL Sattler's was remodeled. The 2 million dollar project was carried out between July and November 1980. It added two restaurants and a Professional Services Center. This included a beauty salon, dental clinic, legal services office, insurance agency and travel bureau. The store was also downsized to 206,000 square feet. 

Sattler's BOULEVARD MALL store was shuttered in January 1983 and re-opened, as a Rochester-based Sibley's, on October 10, 1983. The store was rebranded again when Sibley's merged with another May Department Stores division, Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's. This process got underway on February 4, 1990, when the store officially became Sibley's-Kaufmann's. In March, it was marketed as Kaufmann's-Sibley's. Finally, on April 1, 1990, it received a Kaufmann's nameplate.

A third expansion of BOULEVARD MALL had been announced in March 1990. The outparcel bowling alley would be razed and a South Wing extension constructed. This would house the 12-bay Picnic Place. This food facility opened on March 31, 1994. Original vendors were A Lotta Chiladas, Arby's, Cousin's Dog House, Kostas Souvlaki, Leon's Pizza, The Great Steak & Potato Company and the Everything's Yogurt & Salad Cafe.

A freestanding Bob's Store was also built adjacent to the south end of the mall. The (60,000 square foot) apparel retailer held its grand opening on April 10, 1994. To make the existing mall consistent with the expansion area, a 4 million dollar face lift commenced in July 1996. This project included the installation of new lighting, ceilings, skylights, landscaping and porcelain tile flooring. Two entrances were also rebuilt. A grand re-opening commenced on May 30, 1997.

Jenss was shuttered on September 15, 2000. The chain downsized from a full-line department store into a specialty retailer, dealing in high-end gifts and home decor. A new location opened one block from the mall. The first level of the old Jenss re-opened, as the very first Kaufmann's Men's Store, on May 16, 2001.

Meanwhile, the South Wing had been enlarged with four new stores. A 2-level (122,000 square foot) Sears held its grand opening on August 19, 2000. A (30,200 square foot) CompUSA and (30,000 square foot) Michaels were built adjacent to the existing Boulevard Athletic Club. BOULEVARD MALL now encompassed approximately 1,148,900 leasable square feet, with a tenant roster of 106 stores and services.

The mall's two Kaufmann's locations were "Macy-ated" on February 1, 2006. This transition was accompanied by a renovation of the mall that was done between August and December 2006. Three new sit-down restaurants opened in existing mall space; Bonefish Grill, Johnny Rockets and Grand Buffet. Likewise, the mall's exterior was updated with new entrances, signage and landscaping.

Picnic Place closed in early 2015. The facility was demolished and replaced by a (55,000 square foot) Dick's Sporting Goods, which opened for business on November 7 of the same year. Rated, at the time, as the number two mall in Greater Buffalo, the shopping center soon encountered several hurdles. Inline stores, such as The Limited, Foot Locker and Regis Hairstylists moved out. Sears, a mall tenant for over 16 years, went dark on March 28, 2017, followed by Macy's Men's & Home, which shut down on October 13th.

The Forest City Realty Trust put the shopping hub on the open market in July 2016. There were no buyers. In December of the same year, it was turned over to the lender; New York City's LNR Partners. LNR flipped the property. Washington, DC-based Douglas Development acquired the struggling shopping center in June 2019. A redevelopment plan was envisaged, whereby the complex would be partially demolished and reconfigured as BOULEVARD PLACE, a mixed-use town center.

Sources:

The Buffalo News

The Courier Express (Buffalo, New York)

The Spectrum (Buffalo, New York)

http://www.fultonhistory.com / Old Fulton NY Post Cards By Tom Tryniski

http://www.boulevard-mall.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine) 

https://boulevard-mall.com 

http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest

https://www3.erie.gov / Erie County, New York

http://www.wkbw.com / WKBW-TV

https://www.wivb.com / WIVB-TV

"Boulevard Mall" article on Wikipedia

Back in the day, a woman could not say the word "lover" on broadcast TV. Men or women, either one, could not utter the words "toilet paper" or "pregnant." Moreover, the typical tv mom and pop slept in single beds.

In the pre-cable and satellite TV era, analogue -over the air- reception was all there was. After the mid-1950s, there were only three TV networks and -basically- just three programming choices at a time. Keep in mind, as well, that a station usually signed off the air at around midnight, to return to broadcasting at 5 am or so. There would be nothing to watch, except for a test pattern, during the early hours of the morning...

BROUGHT TO YOU IN LIVING COLOR 

The CBS network, in a consortium with the Crosley Company, had developed a mechanically-operated format for color television, with the first color broadcast taking place in June 1951. However, there were only twenty-five associated television sets in existence. 

A circa-1951 set using the experimental CBS-Crosley Company "field 

sequential" color television format. This was a mechanical method of

colorcasting using a series of rotating "color wheels." It was eventually bested by a fully-electronic format color television system perfected by NBC-RCA.

Photo from http://www.earlytelevision.org

The drawback with the CBS-Crosley system was that it was completely incompatible with the existing black and white broadcast medium. At the same time, NBC and co-company RCA had been working on their own color television format, which was electronic in format and "backwards compatible" with black and white broadcasting.

The two systems duked it out until December 1953, when the NBC system was officially sanctioned as the National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard by the Federal Communications Commission. The first large network, coast-to-coast "colorcast" was done in January 1954, with NBC's coverage of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade.

The NBC "Color Chimes" logo was in use between 1954 and 1957.

Graphic from http://www.ev1.pair.com 

In the late '50s and early '60s, a "living color" program was quite a big event, usually reserved for specials and "spectaculars." If you went to someone's home and saw that they had a color set...you were duly impressed!

For many years, the price of a new color television, at the shopping mall May Company, Gimbels or Foley's, was quite prohibitive. The first sets to roll off the assembly line in 1954 went for a whopping $1,000 each! The price tag of a "big screen" 21-inch color set in 1956 had come down to $795....and $695 by 1962. By 1966, a 25-inch color set could be acquired for only $450.

RCA's earliest mass-production color television receiver, the CT-100. It

was first marketed in April 1954 and carried a hefty price tag of $1,000!

Drawing from the Radio Corporation of America

It took a while to truly perfect the medium, and there was also a bit of resistance from the buying public. As an example, we might mention an urban legend that circulated in the early '60s which said that, after buying one of the new-fangled color sets, a family would need to reserve a bedroom in their home for the trusty tv repairman.

Through all the high prices and pitfalls, color tv finally began to catch on. "Bonanza," NBC's western-themed soap opera, became the first major, regularly-scheduled, in-color TV series on September 12, 1959. For the next three years, NBC was the only network to sporadically "colorcast" television programs.

ABC added a few color shows to their prime time line up in September 1962. CBS, who had been the most reluctant to adopt the NBC-developed "compatible color" system, finally gave in and began to colorcast a few prime time shows in September 1965. In September 1966, the three networks began colorcasting their entire prime-time schedules.  

  

In the days before the famous NBC Peacock, color programming on

the network was preceded by this panel. Unfortunately, due to the

technological limitations of the 1950s, multi-hued recordings of the early color shows could not be made. All that remain are black and white "kinescope" film recordings.

Still photo from The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

In May 1956, the NBC Peacock made its debut. At first, it was simply

a still frame shot. This progressed to a fully-animated version in

September 1957.

Graphic from the National Broadcasting Company (See Media Fair

Use Rationale at end of article)

By 1968, the three networks had converted all prime time and daytime content to color. However, some commercials would still be in black and white. Below is a link to You Tube, where 1960s, "In Living Color" announcements -used by ABC, CBS and NBC- may be seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR3UtOZk5OoBy 

 

REMOTELY SPEAKING

The first successful television remote control, the Zenith "Space Command," was introduced in 1956. Primitive by today's standards, it used ultrasonic sound, from a tuning fork, to automatically turn the set on or off, change the channel or adjust the volume.

These remote controls did not require one to point directly at a particular spot on the television set in order to work. In fact, one could click a button on the trusty Space Command device as far away as another room in the house...it would still work. Furthermore "clicker" -type remote controls did not require batteries.

The first practical (sans cable) television remote control, similar to the

one on the left, came on the market in 1956. A later color tv version is

seen on the right.

Photo 1 from http://www.cedmagic.com

Photo 2 from Wikipedia / Jim Rees

By 1965, Zenith had perfected a "Space Commander" for color sets that would also adjust the picture's hue. These analogue-type controllers were made obsolete by the introduction of infa-red remotes, in the early 1980s.

MOVIES

Until 1966, a stringent "Production Code" dictated what could (and could not) be shown in a Hollywood motion picture. Kisses on film were timed and a commode, for example, could not be shown.  A film, such as Warner Brothers' "Baby Doll," tame by today's standards, was considered "dirty" in December 1956 and was banned to such a degree that it was shown in very few cinematic venues...let alone the local shopping mall movie house.

The Production Code began to crack in the late 1950s. In 1968, as films became more explicit, a rating system was assembled by the Motion Picture Association of America; G - All ages admitted, M - Parental discretion advised, R - Those under 17 not admitted without parent or adult guardian and X - Those under 17 not admitted.

This system was revised in 1970, when the M rating was altered to GP (General, with Parent). Unfortunately, GP was widely regarded to indicate "general public." The rating was revised again, in 1972, to read PG (Parental Guidance suggested).  

MUSIC

In the 1950s and early '60s, the standard "Top 40" AM station would play a variety of music. Things were not like today, when every song and artist is categorized, homogenized and pigeon-holed into a specific genre...with radio stations also being highly genre-specific.

Back then, you would have the standard pop vocal tunes by Al Martino or Kay Starr. Instrumentals were also in vogue. Tunes such as "The Poor People of Paris" (Les Baxter), "Wonderland By Night" (Bert Kaempfert) or "Love Is Blue" (Paul Mauriat) all hit the Billboard number one spot.

DJ's might also throw in a cross-over Country & Western song now and then, such as "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash) or "Harper Valley PTA" (Jeannie C. Riley). Even a jazz tune might be played, such as "Take 5" (Dave Brubek Quartet) or "Desafinado" ["Day-zaf-uh-nah-doh"] (Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd). Before the advent of "Rock & Roll" in the mid-1950s, there were various girl and guy groups; i.e., The Andrews Sisters, Four Lads, McGuire Sisters and Ames Brothers. 

Rock and roll began to change the popular music scene in the late '50s and early '60s. "Pop" music was altered even more when the "Fab Four" arrived -from Liverpool, England- in January 1964. Perhaps the biggest change occurred as the "Baby Boom" generation matured and began buying records, en masse, in the mid-to-late 1960s. At this time, the recording industry experienced its largest growth period ever. 

Anyone who wasn't around back in the day might not believe the media hoopla that surrounded the American introduction of Great Britain's Beatles, in early 1964. Nicknamed "The Fab Four," they would go on to revolutionize rock music in a way that no single artist or group has done before or since.

Photo from Library of Congress

RECORDS AND TAPES

The technological advance from the antiquated, low fidelity 78 rpm record was delayed by the Great Depression and World War II. Immediately following the end of the global conflict, two new phonographic mediums were introduced. 

Columbia Records debuted its sonically superior 33 & 1/3 "Long Playing microgroove" disc on June 21, 1948. Available in 10 and 12 inch formats, the "LP" would be the standard for prerecorded music until the advent of the digital compact disc in the 1980s.

Competitor RCA Victor countered with the introduction of its 7 inch 45 rpm disc, on March 1, 1949. At first, the 33 & 1/3 and 45 formats vied for market prominence. Eventually, both prevailed. 

In the first photo we have the first mass-marketed 12 inch 33 & 1/3 "Long Playing" vinyl disc. It is Columbia Record's number ML4001, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto by Nathan Milstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter. The album hit music stores in June 1948. Directly above is the label of the very first mass-marketed 45 rpm "single." RCA Victor's number 48-0001-A, "Texarkana Baby" -by Eddy Arnold- was released in March 1949.

Photo 1 from https://www.discogs.com

Photo 2 from http://www.collectorsfrenzy.com

 

 Graphic from the Radio Corporation of America, 1958

STEREO & QUADRAPHONIC

The first American stereophonic discs were released by Audio Fidelity Records, in March, 1958. The four 33 & a third titles were..

In 1962, the Muntz Stereo-Pak 4-track CARtridge tape was introduced. It made the first car audio possible. This was followed by the stereo 8-track format, developed by a consortium of Ampex, Lear Jet and RCA Victor. In September 1965, the Ford Motor Company introduced the factory-installed 8-track player for autos. By 1968, 8-track had been established as the prerecorded taped music standard. 2 years later (in 1970) the 4-track format was discontinued.

The Stereo-Pak made the first practical car audio possible. The system used a continuous loop of tape that was enclosed in a plastic cartridge. The 4 tape tracks were played two at a time, with a tape head switching positions once. While playing, the tape head did not change programs automatically. This would have to be done manually (the 8-track format featured an automatic program-changing mechanism). 
Image from https://www.discogs.com

In June 1969, recorded music advanced to four channels -or quadraphonic sound- with the first 4-channel, prerecorded open reel tapes. These were followed, in November 1970, by RCA's introduction of the quadraphonic 8-track -or Q-8- cartridge tape.

Another obsolete vestige of America's mid-century, the Quad-8 cartridge. These made their first appearance in late 1970. Unlike Stereo-8 format tapes, that had arrived on the scene 5 years earlier, Quad-8s only switched tracks once..instead of three times. Oh yes, the two formats were not compatible. If you played a Quad-8 on a Stereo-8 system, you would hear only half of the song at one time. 
Image from RCA Records-http://www.8-track-shack.com

In 1971, the first matrix quadraphonic LPs appeared, utilizing the ABC-Sansui QS system. Columbia-Sony countered with SQ matrix LPs in 1972. These were followed by RCA-JVC's discrete quad format, known as CD-4 or Quadradisc. Unlike the Quad-8 tape format, all three Quadraphonic LP formats were stereo-compatible.

The Quad Revolution moved ever onward with the release of the first six 4-channel LP's, in March 1971. These Command Quadraphonic discs were produced by ABC Records. To hear a QS disc reproduced properly, one would have to own a Sansui system, with a QS Vario Matrix Decoder. Back in the day, Quadraphonic record albums could have been purchased at just about any Camelot Music, Record Bar or Sam Goody shopping mall store.
Image and logo from ABC Records and Sansui Electronics (see media fair use rationale at end of article)

The first Columbia-Sony SQ LPs were released in April 1972. Similar to the ABC-Sansui system, SQ Full Logic created the illusion of four separate sound tracks by "encoding" each of the two rear channels into the two in front. It worked pretty well. In fact, SQ quad recordings -such as Santana's "Abraxas" album, Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" album (a British import) and Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" song- demonstrated some neat, moving-around-the-room effects.

Image and logo from Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Electronics (see media fair use rationale at end of article)

In February 1973, JVC-RCA's CD-4 or Quadradisc LP  format made its debut. CD-4 used an ultrasonic "carrier wave," which instructed a CD-4 Demodulator to divide the audio into four separate sound channels.

Image and logo from RCA Records and JVC Electronics (see media fair use rationale at end of article)

To convert from stereo to quad, one would need to either scrap everything and buy an entirely new sound system or else acquire an additional stereo amp, two more speakers and the appropriate decoder(s). For CD-4, one would also have to have the CD-4 demodulator, a new turntable and phono cartridge that could accommodate the additional frequency range of the carrier wave.

The sonic separation of CD-4 LPs was superior to that of the two matrix systems...however, there was also a great deal of distortion with the CD-4 system that was not present when playing QS or SQ matrix quadraphonic LPs.

The three competing -and totally non-compatible- systems vied for prominence through the remainder of the 1970s, with none emerging victorious. Quad sound was gone and nearly forgotten by the advent of the digital compact disc, in 1983.

HOME APPLIANCES

A conventional electric or gas range was essentially the same in 1947 and 2017. However, the microwave oven went through a great deal of changes before becoming a common fixture in the American home. The Raytheon Company introduced its first "Radarange" in 1947. It was gigantic, weighing 750 pounds and costing $5,000. This converts to over $68,000 in today's buying power! 

The first Radaranges were a commercial-grade product, sold only to restaurants and other food vendors. The first microwaves sold to the general public came out in early 1968. At this time, an Amana Radarange sold for $495 (or $4,400 in today's buying power). As they became more commonplace, microwave ovens became less expensive. They were a standard fixture in the American home by the mid-1980s.

The typical electric refrigerator was quite a bit different in the mid-century than it is today. Although "frost-free" models became available in 1950, they were something of a novelty for years thereafter.

Back in the day, mom would have to spend hours "defrosting" the conventional, non-frost-free 'fridge. All food in the freezer compartment would have to be removed. The task of getting rid of several inches of ice that had accumulated on the inside walls of the freezer was a tedious, messy chore.

This was done (carefully) with an ice pick or (haphazardly) with several splashes of warm water onto the affected parts. Of course, the thawing, dripping mess would need to be mopped up several times during the defrosting ordeal...which had to be done every couple of months.

A circa-1953 refrigerator. Its tiny freezer compartment might accommodate a box of ice cream, a few "tv dinners" and a couple ice cube trays...if it was not frozen over due to not having been "defrosted" in the recent past. Refrigerators of this era define the term "clunky." Walls, using substandard insulating materials of the time, were incredibly thick, taking up much interior space. Doors opened and shut tightly with latches. 

By 1960, more modern refrigerators were on the market. Technology had provided more efficient insulating materials, making slimmer walls -and additional interior space- possible. The latch-operated  doors of yesteryear had been replaced with better closing apparatus.

With few exceptions, until the early 1950s, the only color offered for a new home appliance was a standard white finish. Then, seven pastel shades were introduced; stratford yellow, sherwood green, cadet blue, turquoise, woodtone brown, petal pink and canary yellow. By 1960, three of these shades -canary yellow, turquoise and petal pink- had been established as the standard color finishes. By the way, it was common for a colored appliance to cost a bit more than one with a white finish.

By the mid-1960s, pastel colors were being phased out. The latest appliances -on sale at the local shopping mall Sears, Penney's or Ward's- would be available in "earth tone" colors. The Coppertone finish, in stores by 1960, was the first of these new shades. Avocado Green debuted in 1967, with the Harvest Gold finish introduced in 1968. These three appliance colors remained in vogue until the early 1980s.

So-Cal's Von's chain acquired Shopping Bag markets in 1960. A combo logo was introduced, with stores continuing to operate under their original nameplates. A new Von's opened at WHITTIER QUAD in October 1961, which replaced an existing Shopping Bag. An antitrust action was filed against Von's, which was decided -against them- in 1966. This required that all Shopping Bag stores be sold.

Graphic from Von's Grocery Company

The new Von's appears in medium gray on this circa-'65 plan. A posh May Company department store is now a shadow anchor of the complex. Likewise, Hinshaw's has been enlarged on two occasions. The store now incorporates an addition (in light gray), as well as Family Fair, a Budget Annex that has been set up in a vacant Shopping Bag space.

In the early 1970s, the shopping concourse at WHITTIER QUAD was enclosed and climate-controlled. A grand re-opening -of the newly-roofed-shopping complex- was held in June 1973.

Advert from the Clayton Foundation

Another vintage ad promotes the September 1978 grand opening of The Akron at WHITTIER QUAD. This freestanding store was built, in the southwest parking area, along with an adjacent Thrifty Drug.
Advert from the Thrifty Corporation

By 1978, Hinshaw's has been enlarged again, with the store physically extending across the shopping concourse to the Budget Annex structure (the old Shopping Bag market). An adjacent parking garage has been built and the open-air mall enclosed. With these improvements, The QUAD incorporates approximately 636,000 leasable square feet and contains thirty-four stores and services. Free parking is now provided for 3,500 autos.

WHITTIER QUAD TENANTS 1978:

MAY COMPANY (with beauty salon, Terrace Room restaurant, Maymart bargain store and freestanding Tire Center) / HINSHAW'S (with Brice Travel Service, Trolley Stop Restaurant and Vanity Fair Beauty Salon) / VONS supermarket (outparcel) / THIFTY DRUG (outparcel) / THE AKRON (outparcel) / Austin's men's wear / Bank of America / Barron's Pharmacy / Berean Book Store / C.H. Baker Shoes / Discount Fabrics / Edie Adams Cut & Curl Hair Stylist / Gene's ladies' wear / Hardy Shoes / Harris & Frank men's wear / Hartfield's / Hatch's Cards & Gifts / Heck's men's wear / Holland House Cafeteria / Hudson's Jewelers / Kusel's Poultry / Lady Miriam's ladies' wear / Leed's Qualicraft Shoes / Mother To Be Shop / Quad Association Advertising Agency / See's Candies / Whittier Quad Stationers / Raymond D. Winnen, Optometrist / Zales Jewelers 

In October 1987, the WHITTIER QUAD was damaged by the Whittier Narrows Earthquake. The recently-abandoned "May's Whittier" store was severely shaken, with its parking garage collapsing.

Photo from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

What remained of the post-quake mall was knocked down. Hinshaw's, which had incurred minor damage, was left standing and was incorporated into THE QUAD AT WHITTIER, a new open-air power center. Structures in dark gray were complete by 1991. Those in medium gray were dedicated in 1992, with those indicated in light gray being finished in 1995.

In 2021, QUAD AT WHITTIER covers around 433,500 leasable square feet. A contemporary physical layout is identical to that of 1999. However, there has been a bit of merchandising musical chairs. Michaels moved from the southwest store block to the northwest. Bloom apparel, Anna's Linens, Old Navy and U-Save Furniture have come and gone. Replacement tenants include Marshalls and Five Below. 

The Ralphs QUAD AT WHITTIER store opened its doors in November 1990. It closed for good in the mid-2010s and re-opened, as a Vallarta Supermarket, in August 2015. 
Photo from http://www.terramarcenters.com


WHITTIER QUAD
Whitter Boulevard and Painter Avenue
Whittier, California

Southern California's first mall-type shopping complex, LAKEWOOD CENTER, was completed in phases between 1951 and 1964. The region's second shopping mall was built on a 27-acre parcel, located 19.3 miles southeast of center city Los Angeles, in suburban Whittier. 

WHITTIER QUAD was developed by Pasadena's Benjamin Clayton, under the auspices of the Clayton Foundation. Apparently, the complex was named after its 4-sided, open-air concourse, which was similar to a quadrangle. 

 

Ground was broken on June 4, 1952. The first operational store, a (33,900  square foot) Shopping Bag supermarket, was dedicated on March 12, 1953. A 2-level (43,000 square foot) Hinshaw's department store held its grand opening on March 13th. On hand for the ribbon cutting were Ezra Hinshaw (store co-owner), Jack Powell (store manager) and Ralph Thynnes (of the Whittier Chamber of Commerce). 

A 2-level (30,000 square foot) F.C. Nash, became the final operational tenant on November 12, 1954. Charter WHITTIER QUAD stores included Barker Brothers Furniture, Heck's Men's Shop, Crown City Mattress, Westbrook Yardage and a 1-level (29,600 square foot) W.T. Grant variety store.

Hinshaw's built its first expansion between May and November of 1955. 31,000 square feet were added, increasing the store's size to 76,000 square feet. Additional parking was created south of the store. There was now free parking for 2,500 autos.

Shopping hubs in the mall's trade area included WHITTIER DOWNS MALL (1955-1988) {2.3 miles northwest, in Los Angeles County}, WHITTWOOD CENTER (1956-2003) {2.1 miles southeast, in Whittier} and STONEWOOD CENTER (1958) {5 miles southwest, in Downey}.

The Von's chain built a (30,500 square foot) "superstore" as a freestanding WHITTIER QUAD structure. The new grocery commenced operation on October 4, 1961. It replaced the 7-year-old Shopping Bag market in the mall proper. The original Shopping Bag was repurposed as a Hinshaw's Budget Store. A re-grand opening took place on May 3, 1962. Hinshaw's now encompassed approximately 101,000 square feet.

May Company California located its 12th Los Angeles store at WHITTIER QUAD. "May's Whittier," built as a freestanding shadow anchor, opened on August 2, 1965. The 4-level (248,000 square foot) structure included a "Maymart" discount floor and freestanding May Company Auto Center. There was also an adjacent, 3-level parking garage, with space for 1,400 autos.

The shopping concourse at WHITTIER QUAD was enclosed and climate-controlled in the early '70s. A grand re-opening was held on June 2, 1973. As part of the remodeling, Hinshaw's was physically joined with the old Shopping Bag space. Soon after, new Thrifty Drug and The Akron ["ak-RON"] stores were built near Vons. These stores, encompassing a total of 66,000 square feet, were dedicated on September 21, 1978.

In March 1987, work commenced on a 2 million dollar mall renovation. This project was abandoned when the Whittier Narrows Earthquake hit, on October 1st of the same year. Several WHITTIER QUAD buildings received major damage. The May Company parking garage collapsed, with the store itself being nearly destroyed (it had been shuttered in 1984). After the quake, the store and garage were never repaired. They were eventually demolished, along with the bulk of the shopping center.

Hinshaw's -not severely shaken- stayed in business until January 1992. The building and its parking structure had been worked into THE QUAD AT WHITTIER, an open-air power center. This complex was developed by Carlsbad, California's GMS Realty. The first new stores opened in November 1990.

Additional stores were dedicated in stages during the 1990s. These included Ross Dress For Less (25,700 square feet), Staples (17,200 square feet), T.J. Maxx (25,000 square feet) and Burlington Coat Factory (2-levels and 87,400 square feet). The fully-realized shopping hub encompassed approximately 443,500 leasable square feet and contained forty-nine store spaces.

GMS Realty morphed into Terramar Retail Centers in May 2007 and eventually became TRC Retail. Corporate offices moved to Newport Beach, California.

Sources:

The Los Angeles Times

The La Habra Star (La Habra, California)

The Whittier News

The La Mirada Review

The Whittier Historical Society
https://assessor.lacounty.gov / Los Angeles County, California
http://digi.whittierlibrary.org/awweb/main.jsp
Whittier City Directories 1961, 1963, 1970, 1973 and 1976
Comments from Steve Carras, Jeff Arellano and "Tokyo Magic"
http://www.terramarcenters.com / Terramar Retail Centers (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://trcretail.com / TRC Retail

Los Angeles' Whittier Downs Mall

Typically, a mall-type complex of the 1950s would have been named as either a Center, Plaza, Shopping City or Square. The owners of WHITTIER DOWNS were quite forward-thinking. They named their complex WHITTIER DOWNS MALL way back in August 1955. This was one of the first retail complexes in the United States to be officially promoted as a mall.

Graphic from Whittier Downs Management Company

An aerial view of the 3 million dollar WHITTIER DOWNS MALL dates to February 1956. The KING COLE SQUARE strip center, which predated the adjacent retail center by nearly 3 years, in seen in the bottom of the image.
Photo from Kelly-Holiday Aerial Photo Collection / University of California 

The King Cole Market, which anchored KING COLE SQUARE, opened for business in June 1951. The high-end Mid-Century Modern grocery -and its adjacent strip center- were eventually considered to be an outparcel of WHITTIER DOWNS MALL. 

Photo from http://socalarchhistory.blogspot.com

The interior of the King Cole Market. It encompassed 25,000 square feet.

Photo from http://socalarchhistory.blogspot.com

An advertisement beckons one and all to attend the grand opening of the WHITTIER DOWNS J.C. Penney. The store was officially dedicated in August 1955. We have included this piece of retail ephemera because it describes precisely what merchandise a 1950s, "dry-goods" Penney's store would have carried. 

Advert from the J.C. Penney Company

A circa-1956 site plan shows the sibling shopping centers. KING COLE SQUARE (1952) housed around 60,000 leasable square feet and twelve tenants. WHITTIER DOWNS MALL (1955) encompassed 200,000, with a tenant list of twenty-one. The WHITTIER DOWNS parking area had spaces for 800 autos.

WHITTIER DOWNS MALL TENANTS 1956:

J.C. PENNEY / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / THRIFTY DRUG (with luncheonette) / FOOD GIANT supermarket (with delicatessen, snack bar, liquor department and Van de Camp Bakery) / Adrienne's Camera, Luggage & Jewelry / C & M Shoe Service / Dave's Sportswear / Donald G. Weiner and Fred W. Winnen, Optometrists / Follin's Shoes / Gallenkamp Shoes / Hairstyles by Jeri / Huddle Whittier Restaurant / Irish Cleaners / Jaxson's ladies' wear / Joy Togs ladies' wear / M & E Stationers / Mode O' Day Frock Shop / Sievers Television & Appliance / Uncle Dom's Toy Shop / Youth Town children's clothing / Whittier Downs Mall Barber Shop 

IN KING COLE SQUARE:

KING COLE supermarket / Busy Bee Shoe Shop / B & W Cleaners / Charley's Barber Shop / Cy's Paint, Hardware & Custom Draperies / Family Outlet Shoe Store / Jinny & Bobby Beauty Salon / King Cole Square Laundromatic / Owl Rexall Drug (with luncheonette) / Petterson's Do-Nuts / US Post Office / Vilott's Variety Store 

A WHITTIER DOWNS logo montage is composed of trademarks of stores that operated in the complex during the 1950s and '60s. A logo for McCoy's Markets is also included. This store replaced Food Giant in October 1972.

By 1976, a 9,000 square foot addition (in dark gray) has been built on the mall's northeast corner. This was the only expansion ever done to the mall. Various stores have been rebranded. Even more have closed for good. As a result, the complex is in a downward spiral, with half of its leasable space sitting vacant.

WHITTIER DOWNS MALL TENANTS 1976:

J.C. PENNEY / SPROUSE-REITZ 5 & 10 / THRIFTY DRUG / McCOYS MARKET / Dave's Sportswear / Donald G. Weiner, Optometrist / H  & S Shoe Repair / Sievers Television & Appliance / Youth Town children's clothing / Wallace Meats / Whittier Downs Barber Shop

IN KING COLE SQUARE:

KING COLE supermarket / Busy Bee Shoe Shop / Chief Auto Supply / Cy's Paint & Hardware / Davis Harry Jewelers / The Donut Shop / Owl Rexall Drug / Petterson's Do-Nuts / The Shoe Store / US Post Office 

 

In the late '80s, WHITTIER DOWNS MALL was on its last legs. A redevelopment was announced in November 1987, which got underway in early 1988. The mall was bulldozed. A portion of KING COLE SQUARE (in black) was left standing and was incorporated into the new SANTA FE SPRINGS MARKETPLACE. Sections in dark gray were built in 1988 and 1989, while those shown in lighter gray were completed in 1991.

In 2015, the strip center is essentially the same...only some nameplates have changed. Thrifty Drug was acquired by the Rite Aid chain in late 1996.  

The original Ralphs supermarket at SANTE FE SPRINGS MARKETPLACE was rebranded as a Food4Less as part of a July 1995 merger.

Photo from https://www.lee-associates.com / Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services

Signage promoting the 2020s version of SANTE FE SPRINGS MARKETPLACE. The "Your Name Here" slot used to be occupied by a Rite Aid sign. 

Photo from https://www.lee-associates.com / Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services

WHITTIER DOWNS MALL

Norwalk and Washington Boulevards

Los Angeles County (Santa Fe Springs), California

Plans for this eastern Los Angeles County shopping hub were announced in January 1954. Designed by renowned Southern California architects William Pereira and Charles Luckman, WHITTIER DOWNS MALL was developed on a 13.7-acre site, situated 10 miles southeast of center city Los Angeles. 

A King Cole Market, built on a 5.6-acre portion of the site, had opened for business on January 7, 1951. This (25,000 square foot) grocery, designed by Archibald Quincy Jones, anchored KING COLE SQUARE, a 60,000 square foot strip center dedicated in November 1952.

Two years later, construction was underway on a 200,000 square foot mini-mall; this built northwest of KING COLE SQUARE. The 3 million dollar WHITTIER DOWNS MALL was developed to serve the adjoining Whittier Downs subdivision. The open-air complex featured an underground freight delivery tunnel. Four shopping concourses converged on a central landscaped patio, which included a children's play area. Free parking was provided for 800 autos.

The mall's first operational stores were dedicated on August 11, 1955; a 2-level (35,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, 2-level (23,500 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and (11,300 square foot) Thifty Drug. Gallenkamp Shoes and a 2-level (21,000 square foot) Food Giant welcomed first customers on August 16th. 

 

By September 1955, there were fourteen stores and services. These included Jaxson's ladies' wear, Dave's Sportswear, Follin's Shoes, Adrienne's Camera, Luggage & Jewelry and Uncle Dom's Toy Shop. When fully-leased, WHITTIER DOWNS MALL contained twenty-four tenant spaces. The complex, originally in unincorporated Los Angeles County, was annexed into the City of Santa Fe Springs in May 1959.

Shopping hubs in the vicinity included WHITTIER QUAD (1953-1990) {2.3 miles southeast, in Whittier}, WHITTWOOD CENTER (1956-2004) {4.6 miles southeast, also in Whittier} and -eventually- SANTA FE SPRINGS MALL (1985-2001) {2.5 miles southeast, in Santa Fe Springs}.

Competition began to put the hurt on WHITTIER DOWNS. By the mid-1970s, it was in a downward spiral, with eleven vacant storefronts out of a total of twenty-four. The completion of SANTA FE SPRINGS MALL was the final nail in the coffin. In late 1987, only one store -Thrifty Drug- remained in business. The rest of the shopping center had been fenced off.

A redevelopment plan was put in motion by the Irvine-based Hopkins Development Company. Government approval to join the WHITTIER DOWNS and KING COLE SQUARE parcels into one was granted in November 1988. By this time, the mall had been demolished, with construction of a new shopping center already underway. A portion of KING COLE SQUARE was left standing.

A new, open-air power center, known as SANTA FE SPRINGS MARKETPLACE, was built in two stages. The first, which included a (45,000 square foot) Ralphs supermarket, was officially dedicated on December 15, 1988. By mid-1990, the 175,300 square foot retail center was complete. Tenants included a (17,800 square foot) Thrifty Drug and (18,000 square foot) Kragen Auto Parts.

Santa Monica-based Watt Commercial Properties (a.k.a. Watt Companies) acquired SANTA FE SPRINGS MARKETPLACE in October 2003. By this time, a few of the center's thirty-three stores had changed nameplates. Ralphs morphed into a Food 4 Less as a result of a January 1995 merger. Thrifty Drug was rebranded by Rite Aid in November 1996. 

 

In July 2014, Coreland Companies, of  Tustin, California, was hired as a managing and leasing agent for the shopping complex. Rite-Aid shuttered its 24-year-old pharmacy, at SANTA FE SPRINGS MARKETPLACE, in 2021. Culver City-based Pic "N" Save Bargains assumed the vacant store space and opened for business on August 31, 2022.

Sources:

The Los Angeles Times

The East Review (Whittier, California)

The Whittier News (Whittier, California)

Whittier City Directories 1957 and 1976

Information from "TokyoMagic!"

https://www.groceteria.com

http://digi.whittierlibrary.org/awweb/main.jsp

http://betaworld.cat.org

https://assessor.lacounty.gov / Los Angeles County, California

http://www.wattcompanies.com

http://www.wattcommercial.com (Website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://www.coreland.com / Coreland Companies

https://www.supermarketnews.com

https://pnsbargains.com / Pic "N" Save Bargains

 

FAIR USE OF WHITTIER DOWNS MALL IMAGE:

The photograph from the Kelly-Holiday Aerial Photo Collection / University of California helps illustrate a key moment in the shopping center's history that is described in the article. The image is not replaceable with free-use or public-domain images. The use of the image does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute it in any way. The image is being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and its use is not believed to detract from the original image in any way.