SOUTH SHORE PLAZA, as it was configured in late 2010. With the October completion of the East Wing expansion (in medium gray), the center encompasses approximately 1,607,000 leasable square feet...with a retail roster of 220 stores and services.

A rendering of SOUTH SHORE PLAZA, showing the East Wing and 3-level Nordstrom. This store went dark in March 2025.
Drawing from www.jp2architects.com / JP 2 Architects

Ireland's Primark chain, a trendy low price point fashion retailer, opened a SOUTH SHORE PLAZA store in June 2017. It was installed in the upper level of a downsized Sears.
Graphic from https://www.primark.com 

SOUTH SHORE PLAZA
Granite Street and Interstate 93
Braintree, Massachusetts

Planning for the third regional-class shopping mall in Greater Boston got underway in 1955. The complex was built on part of a 125-acre plot, located 11.8 miles south of the Massachusetts State House. The site was adjacent to the terminus of the Southeast Expressway, which had opened to traffic in June 1959.

SOUTH SHORE PLAZA was designed by Victor Gruen & Associates and developed by a joint venture of Boston's Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, Larry Smith & Company and John Hancock Mutual Life. The complex was originally an open-air venue.

The first operational store, a 3-level (120,000 square foot) Filene's, was dedicated February 20, 1961. By August, twenty-seven stores were up and running. A formal opening was held on October 13, 1961, with music provided by members of the Boston Pops orchestra. The mall now housed thirty stores and services.

Among these were Charles B. Perkins Tobacconist, Fanny Farmer Candies, Kennedy's of New England, Thayer-McNeil Shoes, Wilbar's, a Stop & Shop supermarket and S.S. Kresge 5 & 10. A 2-level (85,000 square foot), Boston-based R.H. Stearns began business October 30, 1962.

The first mall expansion added two dual-level store blocks to the East Wing. This was anchored by a 3-level (311,000 square foot), Boston-based Jordan Marsh. The "Jordan's" store opened for business on September 30, 1967. SOUTH SHORE PLAZA now spanned approximately 757,000 leasable square feet and housed seventy-two stores and services.

The mall proper did not have a movie theater, per se. However, the Affiliated Theaters' South Shore Plaza Twin Drive-In was situated .5 mile southwest. First features were shown on  July 22, 1960. The drive-in was joined by the General Cinema Corporation Braintree Cinema I & II, which was built on a pad situated .4 mile southwest of the mall. This theater was dedicated on November 10, 1966. It was eventually reconfigured as the South Shore Cinema I-II-III-IV.

SOUTH SHORE PLAZA, a regional-class shopping venue, had no sizable competition in its vicinity. DEDHAM MALL (1960) {7.6 miles northwest, in Dedham}, WESTGATE SHOPPERS' PARK (1963) {8.6 miles south, in Brockton} and HARBOURLIGHT MALL (1976) {4.5 miles northeast, in Weymouth}, were smaller, community-type shopping malls.

In fact, the entire leasable area of the DEDHAM or HARBOURLIGHT centers could have fit into the Jordan Marsh at SOUTH SHORE PLAZA with room to spare. A more formidable rival, the regional-class HANOVER MALL {10.3 miles southeast, in Hanover}, debuted in 1971. In order for SOUTH SHORE PLAZA to remain competitive, a large-scale renovation was required.

This two-phase project got underway in August 1976, with courts and concourses being fully-enclosed. Filene's was enlarged by expanding into the R.H. Stearns store, which had been shuttered September 1, 1977. Phase Two extended the mall's South Wing to a 2-level (123,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor, which welcomed its first shoppers on April 2, 1979.

A new North Wing was anchored by a 2-level (210,000 square foot) Sears, which debuted October 11, 1980. An adjacent parking garage was also built. SOUTH SHORE PLAZA now housed over 100 stores and services.

In 1992, the South Shore Cinema I-II-III-IV was shuttered and demolished. It was replaced by the General Cinema Corporation Braintree 10 megaplex, which opened in May 1993. The theater was rebranded as an AMC venue in 2002.

Meanwhile, a third mall renovation was announced in December 1993 and was underway by May 1995. Mall concourses were double-decked. Fifty-four stores were added, including The Boardwalk Cafes, an 11-bay food court. A second parking garage was built. Filene's was enlarged -into a 227,000 square foot store- with a western addition. 

The new and improved SOUTH SHORE PLAZA was officially dedicated on February 6, 1997. The complex now encompassed approximately 1,200,000 leasable square feet, contained 180 store and services, and was the second-largest mall in Massachusetts (following NORTHSHORE MALL, in Peabody). The Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group acquired SOUTH SHORE PLAZA when it bought the twenty-three-mall portfolio of New York City's Corporate Property Investors, in 1998.

Jordan Marsh had been converted to the Macy's masthead on March 31, 1996. Anchor store rebrandings continued into the 21st century. Following the Federated / May merger of 2005, Filene's ceased to exist. The SOUTH SHORE PLAZA location closed in March 2006 and re-opened, as a Macy's, in May. The original Macy's (in the old Jordan Marsh) was shuttered in July.

A fourth major renovation of SOUTH SHORE PLAZA began in May 2007. The vacant Jordan Marsh-Macy's was razed and a 3-level East Wing built. This was anchored by a 3-level (150,000 square foot) Nordstrom, that was dedicated March 26, 2010. In addition, a 1-level (150,000 square foot) Target, situated in the mall's basement level, opened in October 2010. As part of the renovation, the existing mall was given an interior makeover, with new soft seating, skylights and a remodeled Food Court.

With this expansion, SOUTH SHORE PLAZA encompassed 1,589,000 leasable square feet and assumed the position of third-largest retail hub in Massachusetts (following the NATICK and NORTHSHORE malls).

In 2009, SOUTH SHORE PLAZA faced a new lifestyle-type rival. Stores at LEGACY PLACE {7.6 miles west, in Dedham} opened for business between July and August. Construction on another potential lifestyle-format competitor was put on hold, due to The Great Recession.

In April 2012, it was announced that a prospective WESTWOOD STATION {6 miles southwest, in Westwood} would be renamed UNIVERSITY STATION. The mixed-use complex was completed in March 2016.

Ireland's Primark chain began opening United States stores in late 2015. The bulk of these were installed in downsized Sears locations at various East Coast malls. A SOUTH SHORE PLAZA Primark, occupying 41,000 square feet of Sears' upper level, opened for business on June 15, 2017. 

 

Lord & Taylor, a mall anchor since 1979, closed for good on December 29, 2020. Nordstrom, an anchor since 2010, pulled up stakes on March 8, 2025. Nordstrom's vacant store was leased to Dick's Sporting Goods, who opened for business in 2026.

Sources:

The Boston Globe
https://www.norfolkdeeds.org / Norfolk County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds
https://www.cinematreasures.org
"Paragon On The Blizzard" by Mark Snyder
Carter & Burgess Construction Company

https://www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

"South Shore Plaza" article on Wikipedia

Boston's Westgate Shoppers' Park

Boston-based Gilchrist's anchored the south end of WESTGATE SHOPPERS' PARK. The store, which encompassed 75,000 square feet on a single level, was the largest of eight branch locations.

A grand opening advert for the WESTGATE Gilchrist's, which made its debut in October 1963. The store included a Bargain Basement Annex.
Advert from Gilchrist's Department Stores

WESTGATE SHOPPERS' PARK was the Bay State's first fully-enclosed shopping mall. The 3 million dollar complex encompassed approximately 356,000 leasable square feet, It was anchored by the aforementioned Gilchrist's and a Bradlees Family Center. Free parking was provided for 3,000 autos.

A vintage interior view of the WESTGATE mall. Jordan Marsh assumed a vacant Gilchrist's store in mid-1977. A Kennedy's store appears on the right.  

Photo from The Enterprise (Brockton, Massachusetts)

By 1985, the official name of the complex had morphed into WESTGATE MALL. A new Northeast Wing (in medium gray) had just been completed. It added Marshalls, a relocated Child World and twenty-two inline stores.

Sears, a northeast anchor at WESTGATE, held its grand opening in November 2000.
Photo from http://nedevelopment.com / New England Development

"Entry D", one of the mall's eastern access points, opens into the center
of the complex.

By 2003, WESTGATE MALL features the aforementioned Sears, plus Macy's (a rebrand of Jordan Marsh), Best Buy and a newly-built Filene's. The latter two stores were added as part of a mall makeover that done, in stages, between 1999 and 2003.

WESTGATE MALL TENANTS 2003:

FILENE'S / MACY'S / MARSHALLS / SEARS (with freestanding Auto Center) / $1 Market / American Eagle Outfitters / Auntie Anne's Pretzels / Avon cosmetics (kiosk) / Balsam's Gold Crown Hallmark / Bath & Body Works cosmetics / Belden Jewelers / Best Buy / Best Price Kids / Brigham's Ice Cream / Brooks Fashion ladies' wear / Baylio's / Catherine's ladies' wear (outparcel) / Chuck E. Cheese's / Cingular / City Trends apparel / Claire's Accessories / Dunkin' Donuts (outparcel) / Finish Line / Flora's Beauty Suply / / Footaction USA / FYE (For Your Entertainment) / GameStop / Gap Kids children's wear / GNC / Golden Nails / Home Décor (outparcel)  / Kay-Bee Toys / Kay Jewelers / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Lords & Lady's Hair Salon / Mattress Discounters (outparcel) / Mr. Tux / NASR Jewelers / Old Country Buffet (outparcel) / Old Navy apparel / Olympia Sports / Optique (outparcel) / Pak Your Bags / PayLess ShoeSource / PCX / Performance Plus / Piercing Pagoda (kiosk) / Radio Shack / Rave ladies' wear / Ricci's Shoe Repair / Silver Star Jewelry (kiosk) / T-Mobile (kiosk) / The Children's Place / The Gap apparel / The Shoe Department Verizon (kiosk) / Things Remembered (kiosk) / Tobacconist / Trader's Mart (outparcel) / Unident Full-Service Dental / Verizon (kiosk) / Victoria's Secret lingerie / Village Uniforms / Waldenbooks

Rainbow, selling moderately-priced teens and young ladies apparel, set up shop in the circa-1963 section of the shopping center.

Photo from www.cdi.com / CDI Commercial Development

Victoria's Secret, dealing in lingerie, ladies' wear and beauty products, operated a store in the original section of the mall.  

Photo from www.cdi.com / CDI Commercial Development

A lifestyle addition, known as THE VILLAGE, was to be anchored by the Showcase Cinemas 12 seen in the right of this rendering. The project was abandoned when mall owners defaulted on their upside down mortgage in late 2009.
Drawing from www.shopatwestgate.com

Although the Cinemas 12 addition was cancelled, the south end of the mall was eventually rebuilt with a new Market Basket grocery. On the northeast end of the complex, Jo-Ann Fabrics has taken out five store spaces. Moreover, Marshalls has moved into an outparcel store vacated by A.J. Wright. The old Marshalls space (in the mall) has been retenanted by CW Price.

A 2020s-vintage view of the mall's South Entrance. It was created in early 2013, after the Gilchrist's-Jordan Marsh-Macy's building had been razed. Another entry, on the west facade of the complex, was rebuilt at the same time.
Photo from www.loopnet.com 

The Market Basket supermarket at WESTGATE MALL opened for business in May 2012.
Photo from www.loopnet.com

Macy's Inc. announced the closing of their 11-year-old WESTGATE MALL store in January 2017. The final day of operation was in March of the same year.
Graphic from https://www.macysinc.com

By 2022, the abandoned Macy's on the north end of the mall has been divided four ways and retenanted. Burlington, Planet Fitness, Dick's Sporting Goods and PCX opened stores between September 2018 and August 2020. Liam's Home Furniture, in an adjacent store space, welcomed first shoppers in December 2019.

WESTGATE SHOPPERS' PARK

Route 24 and Reynolds Memorial Highway
Brockton, Massachusetts

Massachusetts' first fully-enclosed shopping mall was developed by the Campanelli Brothers of Boston, who ran New England's largest residential development company. WESTGATE SHOPPERS' PARK  was built on a 48.3-acre tract. This was located 20 miles south of the Massachusetts State House, in suburban Brockton.
 

In its original state, WESTGATE encompassed approximately 356,000 square feet. Its first operational stores opened on February 24, 1963. A 1-level (73,000 square foot), Boston-based Gilchrist's was dedicated on October 23, 1963. New London, Connecticut-based Bradlees opened a 1-level (75,000 square foot) Family Center on November 7th. Charter WESTGATE inline stores included Child World, Mister Donut, Cherry & Webb, Storey's and an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.

WESTGATE ANNEX and WESTGATE PLAZA strip centers were built in the northeast and southwest parking areas. Gilchrist's opened a freestanding Auto Service Center in September 1964. The freestanding Chapel At The Mall (attended by the Franciscan Friars of Atonement) was built across the road from the complex.

 

The General Cinema Corporation Cinema I & II Westgate Mall was also located across the road from the mall. First features were shown on April 17, 1965. The theater re-opened, as a 4-screen venue, on October 7, 1970. In 1976, a fifth auditorium was created. By the late 1980s, Westgate Cinema Centre was operating with 8 screens. The theater closed in October 2004 and was demolished in the summer of 2005.

Major shopping hubs in the vicinity of WESTGATE included SOUTH SHORE PLAZA (1961) {8.6 miles north, in Braintree}, DEDHAM MALL (1965) {12.2 miles northwest, in Dedham} and HANOVER MALL (1971) {11.1 miles northeast, in Hanover}.
 

The first mall expansion was completed in March 1971. This project enlarged the Bradlees store to 110,000 square feet. In mid-1977, Gilchrist's was shuttered. It re-opened, as a Boston based Jordan Marsh, on October 13, 1977. 

 

A Northeast Wing was added to WESTGATE in 1984-1985. Anchored by Marshalls and a relocated Child World, this new shopping concourse added twenty stores to the directory. By this time, the shopping center was being promoted as WESTGATE MALL. The complex prospered until 1992, when the superregional SILVER CITY GALLERIA {15.6 miles south, in East Taunton} was dedicated. SOUTH SHORE PLAZA {in Braintree} also completed a renovation, which doubled its size.

As a result, WESTGATE began losing tenants. Jordan Marsh closed and re-opened, as a Macy's, in March 1996. Child World and Woolworth were shuttered in 1992 and 1997, respectively. By 1998, WESTGATE was in a pronounced state of decline. Newton-based New England Development bought the mall in 1999. They embarked on a major renovation, repositioning the complex as a value-oriented venue.

Marshalls expanded into a new (28,000 square foot) store. The original location, and a vacant Child World, were razed. These were replaced by a 2-level (126,000 square foot) Sears. When construction dust settled, the newly-expanded and renovated shopping center encompassing 552,900 leasable square feet. A formal dedication was held on November 26, 2000.

Bradlees closed in March 2001. The building was razed and replaced by a 1-level (140,000 square foot) Filene's, which welcomed first shoppers on March 26, 2003. Other new mall tenants included Best Buy, Old Navy and Dick's Sporting Goods (a freestanding store built on the old cinema site).
 

Filene's morphed into a Macy's on September 9, 2006. The mall's original Macy's (in the old Gilchrist's-Jordan Marsh) was vacated and eventually bulldozed. Work was to begin on The Village, a lifestyle addition, in the spring of 2008. The Village would to be built on the old Gilchrist's-Jordan Marsh spot and be anchored by a Showcase megaplex cinema. The expansion, scheduled for a fall 2010 completion, was never built.

The mall's proprietor, Australia-based Babcock & Brown, declared bankruptcy. WESTGATE MALL was foreclosed on in October 2009, with an auction attempted in December. This was unsuccessful and the shopping center remained for sale. Newton, Massachusetts-based New England Development repurchased the property in June 2010. 

Massachusetts-based TJX Companies owned and operated T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, A.J. Wright and HomeGoods stores in the United States. In the early 2010s, TJX eliminated the A.J. Wright name, with stores closing in February 2011. An outparcel A.J. Wright, at WESTGATE MALL, was converted into a Marshalls. 

Marshalls inside the mall was vacated. The building was retenanted by CW Price; a division of Los Angeles-based National Stores. This store was shuttered in March 2015. The building was assumed by Fallas; another National Stores division. Fallas went dark in August 2018, as a result of the bankruptcy of National Stores. The vacant mall space was leased as Liam's Home Furniture, which welcomed first customers on January 5, 2020. 

Meanwhile, New England Development had started construction on the abandoned south addition in April 2011. The original plan had been drastically changed. Instead of a cinema, the expansion would be anchored by a freestanding (80,000 square foot) Tewkesbury, Massachusetts-based Market Basket discount supermarket.  The grocery opened for business on May 22, 2012. 

With their completion, WESTGATE MALL encompassed approximately 571,900 leasable square feet and housed sixty-nine stores and services. One of these -Macy's- would be shuttered in March 2017. Burlington, Planet Fitness, PCX apparel and Dick's Sporting Goods filled the Macy's space. The 1-level (43,000 square foot) Burlington opened on September 28, 2018, with Dick's dedicated on August 8, 2020. Sears, which anchored the mall for 20 years, closed for good on May 2, 2021.

Sources:

The Boston Globe

The Enterprise (Brockton, Massachusetts)

https://www.plymouthdeeds.org / Plymouth County Registry of Deeds / Plymouth County, Massachusetts
https://www.labelscar.com 

http://www.atonementfriars.org

http://www.shopatwestgate.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.shopatwestgate.com
http://www.enterprisenews.com
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest

https://nedevelopment.com / New England Development

 "Westgate Mall" article on Wikipedia  

Boston's Liberty Tree Mall

The original -circa-1972- logo for LIBERTY TREE  MALL. The graphic depicted the Liberty Tree, an iconic Revolutionary-era elm that once stood at the intersection of Washington and Essex streets, near the Boston Common.
Graphic from State Properties of New England

A circa-'70 rendering of the prospective LIBERTY TREE MALL. The complex that was eventually built would not be configured like the three-anchor, Y-shaped mall depicted here.
Drawing from State Properties of New England

Rhode Island's Ann & Hope, an original anchor of LIBERTY TREE MALL, was one of the most innovative mid-century discount marts. It was among the first "self-service" department stores in the nation and the first to provide shopping carts for its patrons.

Ann & Hope and a Lechmere electronics and appliance store were the first businesses to operate at the mall site. They opened freestanding stores in March and November of 1970, respectively. These were the third locations in both chains.

Graphic 1 from Ann & Hope, Incorporated

Graphic 2 from the Dayton Hudson Corporation

 

The LIBERTY TREE "Lechmere's"  had a high-end, '70s mod facade. 

Photo from the Dayton Hudson Corporation Annual Report 1971

Dedicated in February 1972, LIBERTY TREE MALL filled space between existing Ann & Hope and Lechmere stores. The fully-enclosed complex encompassed around 600,000 leasable square feet and contained fifty-eight stores under its roof. There was free parking for 5,000 autos.

LIBERTY TREE MALL TENANTS 1972:

ANN & HOPE (with Snack Bar) / LECHMERE / Adam & Eve apparel / Americana Coiffures / Anderson-Little apparel / Beaconway Fabrics / Brigham's restaurant / Buttrick's / China Sales / Conn Organ Studios / Cummings ladies' wear / Empire ladies' wear / Endicott Johnson Shoes / Essex Bank / Eva Gabor Wings / Fanny Farmer Candies / Fayva Shoes / Fields Hosiery / Fifth Avenue Cards / Finast supermarket (outparcel) / Giblee's men's wear / Guys & Gals / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Hobbytown / Homemaker's home accessories / J. Homestock Furniture Warehouse & Showroom / Kay Jewelers / Lamp & Shade World / Liberty Tree Bakery / Liberty Tree Barber Stylist / Liberty Tree Hallmark Card & Party / Liberty Tree Pharmacy / Loews Theatre Danvers (single screen outparcel) / Mel & Murray's / Molly's Place / Morse Shoes / Nature Food Centers / Nugent's / Orange Julius / Pad & Pen Stationers & Office Supplies / Papa Gino's Pizza / Paperback Booksmith / Perkins Tobacconist / Pets & Things / Pretzel Oven / Radio Shack / Regal Shoes / Replique Gems / Roaman's ladies' wear / Rook's / Roth Children's Bootery / Spencer Gifts / Stephen's ladies' wear / The Jade Tree / The Last Word / Thom McAn Shoes / Tie Plaza / Touraine ladies' wear / Vernon's Liquors / Viking Haus Gifts 

A vintage view of the east-west LIBERTY TREE mallway. Storefronts for Liberty Tree Hallmark Card & Party and Pad & Pen Stationers may be seen on the right.
Photo from http://www.flickriver.com / "Flickriver PhotoStream" / William Bird

The Liberty Tree sculpture was created for the New England Pavilion at the New York World's Fair of 1964-'65. The 23-foot-tall, silver aluminum "tree" was crafted by Cambridge artisan Albert A. Surnam. After the fair, it was moved to the Boston Common. It was relocated again in 1972, when it was installed in Center Court at the new LIBERTY TREE MALL. Today, it stands in a Boston area park.
Photo from http://www.davidsgallery.info

The first of several mall expansions was done in 1980 and '81. A North Wing (in medium gray) was built, that was anchored by Marshalls. This new LIBERTY TREE MALL store was a consolidation of two older locations in Peabody and Beverly; the latter having been the chain's very first store.

The International Food Pavilion, a 16-bay culinary complex, was added to the mall during the 1980-'81 expansion.

Photo from www.eyecorp.com

The center's 1993 footprint. The North Wing, added in the early '80s, has been expanded with an enlarged Marshalls and new Old Navy and Sports Authority stores.

By 1999, a third expansion has been completed. "Lechmere's" was knocked down in 1998, with new Best Buy, Target Greatland, Dollar Tree and Staples stores taking its place. There's also a new in-mall cinema megaplex. With these improvements, the mall features 100 stores and services, with free parking for 5,500 autos.

A mere 5 years later, LIBERTY TREE MALL was renovated again. An abandoned Ann & Hope has been bulldozed and replaced with new Kohl's, Super Stop & Shop and Pier One stores. The original cinema has also been razed, with Galyan's Trading Company taking its place.

Super Stop & Shop was shuttered in early 2008. Its space was divided between Nordstrom Rack and Off Broadway Shoes. As of 2023, the mall has not been re-renovated, although several stores have come and gone. The shopping hub spans approximately 855,000 leasable square feet, with over thirty-five stores and services.

Center Court, where the aluminum Liberty Tree sculpture once stood.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

Old Navy, in the mall's North Wing, has been a LIBERTY TREE tenant since 1993.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

Lastly, we present a Bing's-eye aerial view, which shows the sprawling retail complex and the major stores in its periphery. A Home Depot is seen in the upper right.
Photo from www.bing.com