Richmond Mall; Richmond, Kentucky

Richmond Mall opened in September 1988, a relative latecomer to the regional scene, as nearby Lexington’s three regional malls opened in the 1960s and 1970s. Richmond Mall enjoyed success for two decades, despite the eventual dominance of Lexington’s Fayette Mall, the largest and one of the best malls in the state of Kentucky. Local competition eventually did Richmond Mall in, with the opening of nearby Richmond Centre in 2008.

Located 25 miles south of Lexington in south central Kentucky, Richmond is a small city with 31,000 residents. Home to Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond has grown a lot recently. In the past two decades, Richmond has added over 10,000 residents, increasing its population by over 30 percent.

This massive growth spurt has been a boon to the city, and should have also been a boost for Richmond’s only enclosed mall, Richmond Mall. Except it hasn’t worked out that way. Located southeast of downtown Richmond along the Eastern Bypass, Richmond’s only mall can be summed up in one word: sad.

Richmond Mall opened in September 1988, a relative latecomer to the regional scene, as nearby Lexington’s three regional malls opened in the 1960s and 1970s.  Set up like a simple dumbbell, Richmond Mall is pretty minimalist and functional in design.

Richmond Mall enjoyed success for two decades, despite the eventual dominance of nearby Lexington’s Fayette Mall, the largest and one of the best malls in the state of Kentucky. Local competition eventually did Richmond Mall in, with the opening of nearby Richmond Centre in 2008.

Richmond Centre is a much larger, open-air center consisting of over 800,000 square feet of restaurants and shopping. Anchored by Belk, JCPenney, and Meijer, Richmond Centre features other popular stores and restaurants such as Panera, Childrens Place, Culver’s, Chik-fil-a, Michaels, TJ Maxx, Petsmart, and Logan’s Roadhouse restaurant. A Home Depot opened in the center but has since closed. Most of Richmond Centre is set up like a typical Power Center, but the central buildings retain a semblance of an open-air mall corridor.  A tiny semblance.

Sadly, and predictably, Richmond Centre caused a mass exodus at Richmond Mall. The two shopping centers are only two miles apart, both located along Eastern Bypass south of downtown. In addition to being more than twice as large and brand new, Richmond Centre is located directly along I-75, whereas Richmond Mall is a couple miles away.

Also, when Richmond Centre opened, it poached JCPenney, Goody’s Family Clothing, and Hastings entertainment directly from Richmond Mall. According to a Kentucky.com article published in November 2010, Richmond Mall was 98% leased when Richmond Centre opened in 2008. Just two years later, the mall was less than 50 percent occupied.

In November 2010, Richmond Mall defaulted on its loan and was auctioned. According to the same Kentucky.com article, the foreclosure came as a result of a lien placed on the property, which was owned by Richmond Mall Associates and does business as Bush Realty. The lien, which was sought by U.S. Bank, is valued at $16.4 million. The former owners of the mall wanted to sell the mall because they do not specialize in redevelopment.

Today, Richmond Mall has very few stores open. Most of the operating stores are on the mall’s west side. The food court remains completely empty. Aside from Sears, the eastern half of the mall is almost completely dead.

It’s shocking what a difference a couple years can make. I visited Richmond Mall for the first time in November 2011.  I came in the eastern end of the mall, which is the more vacant half of the mall.  When I left, I noticed a young man on a bike riding through the mall who exited the same door I did.  I’m kind of sad I didn’t see the mall before it died in 2008. Feel free to leave your comments.

November 2011:

Schuylkill Mall; Frackville, Pennsylvania

The Schuylkill Mall opened in 1980, developed by Crown American properties, with Kmart, Hess, Sears, and Pomeroy’s as anchor stores. With around 800,000 square feet spread across a “T” shaped pattern, the mall was extremely large, especially given its rural trade area, and initially opened with a bevy of mid-range national tenants

I grew up watching ’80s teen movies and sitcoms–things like Fast Times at Ridgmont High or Saved By The Bell–and they all created the impression that California was this sunny mecca of palm-tree filled mall atriums and penny fountains, that the west coast was where the mall truly came from, the rest of the country was just trying to horn in on their sun-spackled glory. Almost four years ago, I moved to California. I then realized that we not only have fewer malls than most other developed parts of the country, but that (with the notable exception of the immediate Los Angeles area) they’re a lot more secondary to American life than they are in most other places.

Weirdly, the place that got far more of these concrete palaces is the less-glamorous rust belt.Pennsylvania, in particular, has a mall, or two, or three, in nearly every community of significant size. This mall, the Schuylkill Mall in Frackville, is one of three enclosed malls along a rural stretch of PA route 61 in east-central Pennsylvania.

The Schuylkill Mall opened in 1980, developed by Crown American properties, with Kmart, Hess, Sears, and Pomeroy’s as anchor stores. With around 800,000 square feet spread across a “T” shaped pattern, the mall was extremely large, especially given its rural trade area, and initially opened with a bevy of mid-range national tenants including Gap, Deb Shops, Spencer Gifts, Record Town, Jeans West, Foxmoor, Fashion Bug, B.Moss, Waldenbooks, Claire’s Boutique, Afterthoughts, Listening Booth, Slack Shack, KB Toys, and Footlocker. In 1987, a fifth anchor–Phar-Mor–opened on the mall’s north side to complete the roster, and that same year Pomeroy’s was sold off to The Bon-Ton, and the store changed nameplates to what it is today. For much of the 1980s and 1990s, this fairly dark and brown center was the dominant retail draw in the region, far dwarfing the two smaller malls south of it along route 61.

The Schuylkill Mall was never a fancy place. This part of Pennsylvania is rustic and blue collar, known for coal mining and industry. In fact, this area’s biggest claim to fame is nearby Centralia, a ghost town sitting atop an underground coal mine fire that has been burning since 1962. Despite this, the mall has always been at least somewhat successful and never exactly dead throughout its existence, serving as a mid-range catch-all for people living miles in every direction.

Hess’ closed their store at some point–possibly 1994 when the entire chain went belly-up–and their store was replaced by the Black Diamond Antique Mall, which occupies the space until today. Much of the wing leading to it has died out, and what few stores exist are somewhat temporary/lower tier operations (including a model railroad club!) In 2003, Crown American merged with PREIT, who is the current owner and operator of the mall. I visited the Schuylkill Mall twice, in 2004 and 2007, and took this set of photos on the latter date. Although the mall’s condition was around the same during those two visits three years apart–i.e., not great, but still with a fair amount of activity and national tenants–several accounts have noted that the mall’s fortunes have declined precipitously in the last several years, with many national tenants such as Kay Jewelers, Claire’s, Chik-Fil-A and Waldenbooks (duh) closing their stores in the mall.

What’s perhaps most interesting about this odd, beat up mall is its condition. It appears like it has gotten little love or attention since its 1980 opening, with its dated, primary-color logo and triangular planters hanging on like a hawk’s talons to a rat. Or something. Do you know what’s going on with this mildewy palace on the hill?

Southridge Mall; Des Moines, Iowa

Southridge Mall was the second major mall built in metro Des Moines, after Valley West, and both malls opened within weeks of each other in 1975. The two malls also complemented each other geographically, with Valley West serving the west portion of Des Moines and Southridge driving the retail corridor on the south side. Valley West was constructed by a firm from Minneapolis, and Southridge was built by General Growth Properties.

Des Moines is Iowa’s capital and also its largest city.  With a population of over 500,000 residents, metro Des Moines has four malls that can be classified as regional or better:  Valley West and Jordan Creek Town Center, both located in West Des Moines, Merle HayMall, located in northwest-suburban Clive, and Southridge Mall, located on the southeast side of Des Moines.

Southridge Mall was the second major mall built in metro Des Moines, after Valley West, and both malls opened within weeks of each other in 1975.  The two malls also complemented each other geographically, with Valley West serving the west portion of Des Moines and Southridge driving the retail corridor on the south side.  Valley West was constructed by a firm from Minneapolis, and Southridge was built by General Growth Properties.

Before Southridge opened, the project was named Army Post Plaza, after the adjacent Army Post Road as well as an actual army post; however, the name was changed to Southridge before the mall opened.

When it opened in October 1975, Southridge was anchored by just one store, Younkers, which still sits at center court today.  Sears opened as the second anchor on the east side of the mall in 1977, and Montgomery Ward became the third anchor in 1978, located on the west side of the mall. In 1982, Omaha-based Richman Gordman became the mall’s fourth anchor, opening a store on the southwest side of the mall adjacent to Wards.

In 1984, General Growth sold Southridge to Equitable Life, an insurance company, and General Growth continued to manage the mall until 1998.  At that time, the mall was acquired by an equitable partnership between Simon and Macerich, who continues to manage the mall today.

It seemed Southridge was primed to add a fifth anchor in 1987, when Arkansas-based Dillards wished to open a store in the Des Moines market and chose Southridge.  However, a spat ensued when Younkers sued Southridge management over the Dillards addition, arguing that its lease called for only four anchor slots at the mall.  A federal judge finally ruled against Younkers in 1990, but by this time Dillards had lost interest.  Dillard’s tried again in vain to open at Valley West Mall in 2000, but that never materialized, However, this outcome wasn’t the end of it, as the judge’s decision to allow a fifth anchor opened the flood gates for other interested parties to build, which led to the addition of Target in 1992.

Dillard’s tried again in vain to open at Valley West Mall in 2000, which never materialized, but they did finally open in Jordan Creek Town Center in 2004.

Meanwhile, Richman Gordman went bankrupt in 1992 and closed their store at Southridge.   It was filled in 1994 by JCPenney, which moved from downtown Des Moines.

The 1990s were less than kind to Southridge, as the decline of many regional malls and the nature of overbuilding retail space finally caught up to metro Des Moines.  Southridge became the ‘odd man out’ as retail boxes and new construction favored clustering around the major hub on the west side. By the late 1990s, Valley West Mall, which had originally opened in tandem with Southridge on seemingly equal footing, was clearly the dominant winner in the regional market.

The retail hub for the south side, anchored by Southridge, which had visibly taken a toll to the west side’s retail dominance, was also hit by emerging retail corridors in fast-growing Pleasant Hill, Altoona, and Ankeny to the north.  The south side wasn’t growing as fast, and furthermore, it didn’t have the transportation access the north and west sides enjoyed, sitting adjacent to or directly on Interstates 35, 80, and 235.  A new southerly freeway bypass (US 65/IA 5) of Des Moines opened in 2002 close to Southridge, but it was a bit late to reclaim its status as a successful regional mall.

In 1999, Southridge lost again when Montgomery Ward announced it was leaving Des Moines as part of its first round of bankruptcy closings.  The building remained vacant until it became clear it wasn’t going to be retenanted,and was demolished in 2006 as part of a larger renovation of sorts.

Caldor and I visited Southridge around this time, and although it was not the most successful mall in the region, it was a solid performer and seemingly not in danger at the time.  One of our best memories from that trip is from Southridge, as while we exited the mall we heard a teenage girl on a payphone (yes, a payphone) very obviously and loudly discussing with her friend about a sexual encounter the friend had.  In vivid details.  About the most vivid you can imagine, in fact.

The 2000s were a sad, continuous downward spiral at Southridge Mall, culminating in a high vacancy rate of 40 out of 91 possible stores, or a 44 percent occupancy rate, by December 2009.

In 2004, yet another blow rocked the potential viability of Southridge, pushing it faster toward oblivion, as a brand new enclosed mall opened in West Des Moines, Jordan Creek Town Center.  Jordan Creek, surrounded by a complementary brand new retail corridor of big box, strip malls, and destination restaurants, was one of the last super-regional enclosed malls to open in the United States. As Jordan Creek is located on the opposite side of the Des Moines area as Southridge, 0ne might expect the two malls on the west side of Des Moines to suffer and for Southridge to flourish; instead, the opposite happened.

Interestingly, because of synergy and proactive management on the part of both Valley West and Merle Hay Malls, these centers have been able to work together with Jordan Creek Town Center to remain viable and successful.  Much more viable than Southridge, in fact, which has become a repository of vacancy and an odd collection of many local mom and pop or ethnically-focused shops, with few popular national chain stores and restaurants.

In its management’s defense, though, Southridge isn’t going down without a fight.  Much needed renovations commenced in 2006, which involved the demolition of long-vacant former Wards, sprucing up the food court, as well as adding a new children’s play area.  Mini-anchor Steve and Barry’s arrived on the scene in 2007 to breathe new life into the center; unfortunately, that store closed the very next year when the entire chain went bankrupt in 2008 due to a crazy overzealous expansion that ironically put the store there in the first place.  Nothing lost, nothing gained, I guess.

By 2009, Southridge was identified in an article about the downfall of the enclosed American mall by U.S. News and World Report as one of 84 malls in danger of failure, due to its low sales per square foot and vacancy rate.

In 2011, another direct hit came as JCPenney announced they were bailing on the sinking Southridge ship in June.  We last visited Southridge in August 2011 and took the pictures featured with this post.  The last few stores leading to the former Wards (now demolished) are boarded up now, and this end of the mall seems to be the most vacant.  The bright spots of the mall are near center court, and although the food court was remodeled, it didn’t appear to attract more businesses into it.

There are a few national chain stores (Fashion Bug, Vanity, Radio Shack, GNC, Regis) still breathing life into the mall, but by far the balance of the 40 or so stores still kicking around, other than the anchors, are mom-and-pop local stores.  Many of  these stores are geared toward a specific ethnic population (Filipino Store) or service a small interest group (Iowa Reptile Rescue).  I have no doubt that these stores help serve a niche and I wish them well, but their sole presence unaccompanied by a mix of popular chains is just not enough to get people in the doors and accomplish the synergy necessary for an enclosed regional mall to succeed.

Or maybe, just maybe, this cat at the Animal Rescue League had the right sentiment about this mall.  Mouth open, sound asleep, and snoring as loud as can be.   He was really tired from shopping at Shag, Spike, and Canton.  At least the reptiles next door at Iowa Reptile Rescue didn’t get him.  I hope you got adopted, because you were adorable:

The only saving grace for Southridge are the remaining anchors: Sears, Younkers, and Target.  Their popularity will probably keep the place afloat for a while, but a 40% vacancy rate in the mall combined with a lack of popular brands does not bode well for sustainability.

So what’s on the horizon for Southridge?  As of Fall 2011, a career academy sponsored by Des Moines Area Community College has been proposed for a portion of the recently closed JCPenney space.  We’re hopeful that the plan goes through, because Southridge’s days as a retail-only venue are numbered.  Creative mixed-use schemes have a better potential to draw people into the mall, helping to retain the stores that are already there while reducing blight.

Pictures from August 2011:

Metrocenter Mall; Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix was one of the largest cities in the country that I hadn’t personally visited until a few months ago (others on the list include Miami and Atlanta), and I really had no knowledge of its development patterns or neighborhoods. Just looking at a map and guessing which malls might be in a safe place to compete, I’d guessed that Metrocenter was probably one of the staid and sturdy old behemoths of Phoenix retailing, due to its central location right along a major freeway and its large size. This is one of those cases where I was extremely surprised: Metrocenter Mall is one of the largest malls in all of Arizona, and it was once the dominant mall in all of Phoenix, but now it is slowly and visibly dying, due to its age, demographic changes, and outmoded design.

Metrocenter Mall is one of the most centrally-located malls in Phoenix, with frontage right along the busy I-17 corridor. Metrocenter opened in 1973, a joint venture between Phoenix-based Westcor and Homart, the real estate division of Sears Roebuck and Company. When the mall opened in 1973, it was the first two-level, five-anchor mall in the United States, and was not only the largest in Arizona (at 1,400,000 square feet) but one of the largest in the country. Designed as a massive showplace, the mall even had the fuselage of a 747 airliner within the center to house a bar!

Metrocenter Mall’s original anchors were Sears, Rhodes Brothers, Goldwater’s, Diamond’s, and The Broadway, and a large ice skating rink in the food court area acted as an entertainment anchor as well.

At the time, the mall was situated at the far northern extreme of Phoenix, sitting outside of the city limits in unincorporated Maricopa County. Developers believed that development was going to sprawl northward in Phoenix, and that there’d be significant growth to support the center in the future–an assumption that proved correct long-term. Metrocenter immediately swiped a significant chunk of the trade area from the more centrally-located and older Chris-Town and Park Central malls just a few miles south; it was part of a trend that would ultimately also spell doom for Metrocenter decades later.

For a time, the gargantuan center was a major draw for shoppers from all over Arizona, and people traveled hundreds of miles to shop. Metrocenter had a fairly long period of dominance, lasting through the 1980s. By the time the 1990s rolled around, however, things began to change. Phoenix was experienced explosive growth, and development had sprawled well past the once far-flung Metrocenter and newer malls (in particular, Arrowhead Towne Center, opened in 1993 several miles to the northwest in a newer section of Glendale) opened further from the city’s core had stolen much of its thunder. On top of that, the neighborhoods were beginning to look worn and tired, and crime in the vicinity of the center had increased considerably. Many of the neighborhoods west of I-17 were significantly more working class than areas north or east of Metrocenter, and the mall is one of the closest large retail centers to some of the city’s tougher neighborhoods a few miles to the south. Although the movie “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” was filmed in the mall in the late 1980s, it was the beginning of a turning point: the iconic ice rink closed at the beginning of the following decade. Here’s a video of the mall from 1990:

Throughout its life, the mall saw the standard comings and goings of anchor tenants. Rhodes Brothers was converted to a branch of Hawaii-based Liberty House, then to Joske’s. Joske’s was acquired by Dillard’s and the location became a second Dillard’s for a time before converting to a JCPenney. The Broadway was acquired by Federated department stores in 1997, and converted to a Macy’s. Goldwater’s was converted to J.W. Robinson’s, which became Robinsons-May in 1993. After May department stores were acquired by Macy’s in 2006, Macy’s moved from the former Broadway to the Robinsons-May building, leaving the former Broadway vacant.

The ailing mall was sold in 2004 to Macerich and AEW Capital Management, who brought back original owner Westcor to attempt to reposition to the center. They planned an extensive repositioning, including an external renovation (2005) and later an internal remodel (2007) meant to modernize and brighten up the center and its surrounding grounds. However, it hasn’t helped the center much; despite the hulking size and relatively good condition of the property, there is a significant number of vacancies scattered throughout the property, and the poor old place can’t help but feel like a slowly dying beast. JCPenney left the mall in 2007, ironically to return to Chris-Town (where they’d shut several years earlier), leaving a huge gap, and Dillard’s shut one level of their store to downgrade to a clearance outlet in 2009. As a result, 2.5 of the mall’s 5 elephantine anchors are currently dark. The current anchors at Metrocenter are Macy’s, Sears, Dillard’s Clearance Center, Sports Chalet, and Harkin’s Theatres. As of 2010, Westcor decided to abandon the dying mall, letting Jones Lang LaSalle take over management.

These photos were all taken in May 2011:

Martinsburg Mall; Martinsburg, West Virginia

Crown American’s Martinsburg Mall debuted in 1991, located west of downtown directly along I-81. When it opened, the mall was anchored by Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Sears, and Allentown-based Hess’s, with space for about 60 additional retailers, and, according to ICSC, 556,000 square feet in total. Interestingly, Crown American owned Hess’s at the time, so putting a store here was a natural fit. This one level mall also features a food court, and was Crown American’s signature period mall design, similar to the centers they built in Lancaster (which we’ve featured on this site) and Newark, Ohio. All of these malls are designed with two main hallways and a “loop” at one end containing the food court area.

Martinsburg, West Virginia is located in the fast-growing eastern panhandle of the state.  With a population of 17,000, Martinsburg is the hub of the eastern panhandle and the county seat of Berkeley County.  It’s also part of a larger corridor that stretches along I-81, linking the Shenandoah Valley to western Maryland, including the cities of Winchester, Virginia and Hagerstown, Maryland.  Recently, the eastern panhandle of West Virginia has become subject to an influx of new residents from the more populated and nearby Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.

Martinsburg was a relative late-comer to the mall scene, for a few reasons.  First off, malls were built in nearby Hagerstown in 1974, and in Winchester in 1982.  Both cities are a short 20-minute drive from Martinsburg.  In addition, Martinsburg simply didn’t have the population to support a mall until fairly recently.  As late as 1990, Berkeley County only had about half the residents it does today.

In the late 1980s, Pennsylvania mall developer Crown American decided Martinsburg could support a mall, independent of the offerings in nearby Winchester and Hagerstown.  At the time, the quiet economy of the eastern panhandle of West Virginia was projected to soar with new businesses (like United Airlines) moving in to capitalize on West Virginia’s business-friendly tax model in tandem with the close proximity to both Washington and Baltimore, which are both about 80 miles away. The anticipated business growth was expected to fuel a massive population boom in Martinsburg, and this eventually did happen; however, it was not because of the business growth that never really materialized, but due to planning policies supporting the massive growth of exurbs and suburban sprawl.  The population in the eastern panhandle grew mostly from commuters who were priced out of the Washington/Baltimore markets, wanted more house for their money, a pastoral rural setting, lower crime and taxes, more space, better schools, or any or all of the above.  To support this growth, MARC  began daily regional train service from Martinsburg, ferrying commuters into Union Station in downtown Washington.

Crown American’s Martinsburg Mall debuted in 1991, located west of downtown directly along I-81.   When it opened, the mall was anchored by Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Sears, and Allentown-based Hess’s, with space for about 60 additional retailers, and, according to ICSC, 556,000 square feet in total.  Interestingly, Crown American owned Hess’s at the time, so putting a store here was a natural fit. This one level mall also features a food court, and was Crown American’s signature period mall design,  similar to the centers they built in Lancaster (which we’ve featured on this site) and Newark, Ohio.  All of these malls are designed with two main hallways and a “loop” at one end containing the food court area.

However, unlike some of Crown American’s other malls, Martinsburg Mall was never notably successful.  Wal-Mart was always big draw, especially in the mall’s early days when Wal-Marts were new to the national scene.  Initially scared about the presence of a new mall in Martinsburg, the malls in both Winchester and Hagerstown fared much better than expected with their brand new competition.  Also, both Winchester and Hagerstown built extensive retail strip areas and large power centers surrounding each of their malls, which became regional draws in themselves.  By comparison, Martinsburg had fewer ancillary retail centers; so, even though Martinsburg had the mall, area residents still went to either Winchester or Hagerstown to do other shopping.

In 1994, Crown American sold off its Hess’s stores, and the Martinsburg Mall location became a Bon Ton.

Wal-Mart made a contentious decision affecting Martinsburg Mall in 1998, and it became an obvious wound to the center.  Wal-Mart renovated its store into a Supercenter format that year, and subsequently shut their entrance to the mall entirely.  Because Wal-Mart likely owns their parcel separate from the mall, this decision was apparently allowed with no say from Crown American.  I’m sure W-M probably even studied that their loss would be mitigated by not operating two separate entrances, and that they’d continue to do business there just fine, but this has to be annoying and inconvenient for shoppers who value convenience and want to visit other businesses in the mall.  If it’s snowing, raining, too cold, or too hot outside I’m sure people would have appreciated the connection.  Wal-Mart continues to be the most popular destination at Martinsburg Mall, and requiring shoppers to go outside and go back in to visit any of the other stores, to me, seems kind of rude.  I’m sure it was a major blow to the mall itself, dropping foot traffic considerably.  Here’s Wal-Mart’s former mall entrance – they boarded it up and put up a mystery structure to tease us:

In 1999, Hagerstown’s Valley Mall embarked upon a major expansion project, adding a wing of stores and a new Hecht’s (later Macy’s), Old Navy, and a multiplex cinema.  As I mentioned earlier, big box power centers and retail strip began to pop up in Hagerstown, and in Winchester, but not so much in Martinsburg.  Visiting popular national stores like Target, Kohls, Petsmart, Borders, Circuit City, Office Max and Dicks required driving to Hagerstown and/or Winchester, and probably helped the malls in those cities due to synergy.  This same lack of synergy disallowed Martinsburg Mall to reach its full potential, if it had any to begin with.

By the 2000s, the outlook for Martinsburg Mall continued to be bleak, though far from completely dead.  In 2004, Crown American was sold to another Pennsylvania company, PREIT, who promptly unloaded Martinsburg Mall and a bunch of other “non-core assets”. The mall’s new owner, Lightstone Group, operated the mall under its subsidiary Prime Retail, and ended up defaulting on the mall by 2008, returning it to its lender in early 2009.

Meanwhile, the retail synergy that Martinsburg Mall hoped to possibly capture finally came in the form of a massive power center that opened in 2009, an exit south of the mall and on the other side of I-81.  The Commons, owned by AIG Baker, is a multi-anchor power center featuring Target, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Books-a-Million, Five Below, Staples, Michaels, TJ Maxx, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Petsmart, with many smaller stores and restaurants to boot.  The Commons is clearly a slap in the face to Martinsburg Mall, who would have probably gladly welcomed some of those tenants.  On the other hand, the growing WV panhandle probably appreciates not having to drive 20 minutes to Winchester or Hagerstown to shop anymore.

In early 2010, Mountain State University, based in Beckley, West Virginia, a considerable distance from Martinsburg, bought the mall from receivership with plans to expand into the mall and hold classes there. MSU had already operated a Martinsburg campus from a former outlet mall it purchased in 1999.  As of early 2011, though, the campus has not yet moved from its current location into Martinsburg Mall.

Today, Martinsburg Mall is far from dead, and seemingly not in rapid decline.  Yet, the offerings here have always been meager, and it seems though for its size it isn’t – and hasn’t ever – reached its full potential.  Maybe Martinsburg didn’t need a mall – even despite all its growth there are two formidable ones only twenty minutes away, and the entire Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area is just over an hour’s drive.  There are still national stores here, but also quite a bit of vacancy.  The college hopes that synergy can be achieved by opening up disused parts of the mall to classes, and that’s not a terrible idea.  College students are certainly an appropriate demographic for malls, so hopefully it’s not too late.

I visited Martinsburg Mall in April 2011 and took the pictures featured here.  I was very entertained by some of the folks at the mall, as well as by some of the local stores that operate here.  In the food court, one popular stand offering ice cream was named “55-60s Ice Cream” – not sure what that means, but it looked good.  Can anyone explain?  Also, look at this man, whose advertisement is placed on a dead storefront. He’s really excited about home improvement:

Also roving the mall the evening I visited were two very amorous young gay men and their female friend, who had no qualms about public displays of affection.  And giggling.  And lastly, not to get anyone in trouble, but the sight of the girl working the customer service/information booth totally engrossed in FarmVille on a giant, outdated CRT monitor made me giggle.  I actually always appreciate and absorb the people watching, culture, and local color in a mall, for better – or even sometimes – for worse.  It’s amusing, and it’s something that isn’t usually transferred by the myriad of strip or outdoor malls that lack public gathering spaces.  Food for thought. As always, feel free to leave your own comments and experiences concerning this mall.

Photos from April 2011:



Century III Mall; West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

Neatly perched atop a giant slag pile nine miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, Century III Mall has an interesting name and an even more interesting history. Opened in 1979, Century III Mall was the result of a mutually beneficial partnership between regional real estate magnate Edward DeBartolo of Youngstown, Ohio, who wanted to build a giant mall, and the U.S. Steel Corporation, who had a giant mountain of slag marring the landscape south of Pittsburgh that needed a better use. For those who don’t know, slag is a by-product of steel production, and for many decades the slag from Pittsburgh’s steel mills was transported to this site until it became an otherworldly artificial mountain taller than anyone could have imagined, disaffectionally known as Brown’s Dump.

Neatly perched atop a giant slag pile nine miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh, Century III Mall has an interesting name and an even more interesting history.

Opened in 1979, Century III Mall was the result of a mutually beneficial partnership between regional real estate magnate Edward DeBartolo of Youngstown, Ohio, who wanted to build a giant mall, and the U.S. Steel Corporation, who had a giant mountain of slag marring the landscape south of Pittsburgh that needed a better use.  For those who don’t know, slag is a by-product of steel production, and for many decades the slag from Pittsburgh’s steel mills was transported to this site until it became an otherworldly artificial mountain taller than anyone could have imagined, disaffectionally known as Brown’s Dump.

Before Brown’s Dump could be successfully turned into the retail strip consisting of box stores, restaurants, and the Century III Mall that exist there today, the site needed to be carefully remediated.  This involved sealing and filling the mines with concrete and the cleaning and leveling of surfaces.  One source reported that more concrete was used to seal and fill the mines than was used in the entire mall and all of its adjacent retail structures combined.  There are still surviving ladle cars near the mall, remnants of its former land use.

When Century III opened in 1979, it was apparently one of the largest enclosed malls in the world; and, despite its location, squirreled away in the southeast suburbs of Pittsburgh, it immediately became a super-regional draw.  Century III’s unique name comes from being completed slightly after America’s 1976 Bicentennial, so it was aptly named for the dawn of America’s third century.

Century III opened in two phases.  According to commenter Eric S., Phase I opened in October 1979, with two two-level anchors:  Kaufmann’s and JCPenney.  The second phase opened in March, 1980, and added a two-level Montgomery Ward.  Several months later, in Fall 1980, Sears and Gimbels opened, which were also two level anchors.  After the mall was complete, it had 5 two-level anchors and an awesome floorplan.  The mall is two levels throughout, with a three-level labyrinth of confusing platforms, connections, wall-sized mirrors and walkways at the Sears end.  Architecturally, this end of the mall and the aforementioned features are what makes this mall amazing and unique.

Anchor changes at Century III began in 1986, with the closure of Montgomery Ward.  It was replaced right away by Pittsburgh-based Horne’s, and later became Columbus-based Lazarus in 1994.  Lazarus pulled out after four short years in 1998, and the anchor became a Kaufmann’s Furniture Gallery, which then became Macy’s Furniture Gallery in 2006 until that closed in January 2009.  As of 2010, it’s still sitting vacant.

The second anchor to switch hands was Gimbels, which closed in January 1988 following the folding of the chain.  It sat vacant until 1993, when Marshalls took the upper level, and TJ Maxx took the lower level.  This must have been an interesting pairing, because Marshalls and TJ Maxx are both similarly-themed nameplates owned by the same company, TJX.  I’ve never seen TJ Maxx and Marshalls so closely co-located, let alone one on top of the other.  As explained in the comments, the two stores were owned by different parent companies, so they were indeed different, competing ventures.  Still weird, though, like having Linens ‘n Things and Bed Bath and Beyond stacked on top of each other.  The pairing didn’t last long, though, because the upper level Marshalls closed in 1996 after Marshalls was sold to TJX.  TJ Maxx remained on the lower level until 2003, converting to a TJ Maxx ‘n More in 1998.  The upper level, vacated by Marshalls in 1996, eventually became a Wickes Furniture in 1997, which lasted until 2004 when it closed and reopened as Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The former TJ Maxx on the lower level became Steve and Barrys in 2003, until Steve and Barry’s went broke in 2009.  As of 2010, the lower level anchor remains vacant.

The third anchor change at Century III took place in 2006, with the rebranding of Kaufmann’s to Macy’s.  According to mall-hall-of-fame, this anchor was also the only one that was physically expanded, adding 17,000 square feet of retail space in the 1980s.

Both JCPenney and Sears at Century III have remained open since the initial phases of the mall opened in 1979-1980.  Mall-hall-of-fame has created a graphic illustrating the anchor changes at Century III here.

More recently, however, Century III entered a slow and steady period of decline, which steepened precipitously following competition from new, nearby developments, even despite a cosmetic renovation of the entire mall in 1996.  The Waterfront, an outdoor mall with over 1 million square feet of retail space, including Macy’s and many mid-market mall stores like Abercrombie and Fitch, opened in 1999, and SouthSide Works, an outdoor retail and entertainment district, opened between 2002-2004.  Both of these new outdoor developments opened along the south banks of the Monongahela River, just a few miles north of Century III Mall.

Although The Waterfront and SouthSide Works hampered Century III the most among its competition, other regional competitors also came a-callin’ to decimate Century III’s customer base even further.  Two brand-new enclosed malls opened in the Pittsburgh area in the 2000s:  The Mall at Robinson in Pittsburgh’s western suburbs, in 2001, and Pittsburgh Mills in the northeast suburbs, in 2005.  These two malls continue to have a super-regional draw.

In addition to new malls, the extant malls in the region beefed up their offerings during the same period.  North-suburban Ross Park Mall (a fine name for a mall, if I do say so myself) renovated and solidified its hold on that side of the city, eventually wooing Nordstrom. Monroeville Mall did the same for the east side and affluent suburbs like Penn Hills, home of presidential candidate Rick Santorum, and South Hills Village clinched a hold on the US 19 retail corridor south of the city.  There’s no shortage of retail east or south of Century III either, as there are malls in both Westmoreland and Washington Counties.

All of these other retail centers are also better positioned to serve Pittsburghers, located either on main highways or near affluent population centers, or both.  Anyone who lives or is familiar with the transportation network in the Pittsburgh area knows how difficult getting around the region is, due to intense topography and three large rivers.  There are no linear, flat highways anywhere in Pittsburgh, and getting around without a GPS or a sturdy map is a chore.

Successful retail centers in Pittsburgh have either easy access to freeways, like Mall at Robinson, Pittsburgh Mills, and Monroeville Mall, or placement in a dense population area, like The Waterfront and SouthSide Works.  Ross Park Mall and South Hills Village aren’t on freeways, but are the centers of relatively affluent population areas, and anchors to massive retail strips along US 19 north and south of downtown.  The area around Century III, while on a somewhat major thoroughfare heading southeast from Pittsburgh, is predominantly connected to a region that has seen better days.  The Mon River Valley has been on a downward trajectory for almost the entire time the mall has been around, losing both population and jobs due to the exit of the steel industry, and has struggled to stay afloat economically, despite the nascent recovery in other parts of Pittsburgh.

Considering the mall’s most recent troubles, is its name an ominous harbinger of what’s to come for our nation during its third century?  Perhaps it is a telling warning against the consumptive over-building of our landscape, and also the state of consumerism in general that Century III, like so many other regional malls, has become a deteriorating pock-mark of failure on the landscape in the third century of America.  Or is it, instead, a carefully crafted example of capitalism reflected in the built environment?  The site was, after all, recycled from a previous and not-so-nice use, and it had a good run.  Maybe it’s time for a different use – but what?

Nobody seems to really know what to do with the site.  Furthermore, while on a downward spiral, the mall’s not quite dead enough to seriously begin drafting plans for redevelopment.  I imagine, though, that in a few years the breaking point will emerge and Century III will totally fail, unless proactive intervention helps to bolster the mall.  I fully expect the former, though, and would be very surprised (yet hopeful) for the latter.

On a more personal note, I love Pittsburgh and feel that it’s one of the most underrated cities in the country.  The world class museums, architecture, fine arts, and educational offerings there are on par with many other cities of less ill repute.  There’s a heck of a lot to do in Pittsburgh – more than you can wrap your gum bands around.  Pittsburgh’s real gems, though, are its neighborhoods.  Separated by a rather intense topography, Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods are not only unique and well-defined, but intensely provincial – and people care about them.  I love that Pittsburgh is so rooted in place that even the collapse of the entire steel industry didn’t turn it into a Detroit, or even a Cleveland. Sorry, Cleveland, at least you’re not Detroit. Pittsburghers even have their own regional accent and lexicon, independent from everywhere else.  Sure, there are parts of the city, and the region, that are no doubt worse for wear, but the city still has so many cultural gems and so many neighborhoods that have walkable districts, unique shops and active street life.

They also have Century III Mall, which is an amazing gem as well if you can appreciate such things as shopping malls, and if you’re reading this blog you probably know what I’m talking about.  We visited Century III Mall in March 2004, and again in Summer 2010.  Feel free to leave your own anecdotes and reactions on the comments page.

Century III Mall elsewhere on the web:

2004:

2010:

Village Square Mall; Effingham, Illinois

The third cluster of retail in Effingham is located along US 45/Banker Street to the south of downtown. This area is the least convenient to the interstates, and is not as successful as the strip around Exit 160. It serves locals in and around Effingham, and has also seen the most turnover and vacancy in the area. This cluster is anchored by a small enclosed mall, Village Square Mall.

Effingham, Illinois is located at the intersection of two Interstates (70 and 57), in the east central region of the state, about 3.5 hours south of Chicago.  With a population slightly over 12,000, Effingham’s economy is currently rooted in its presence at these crossroads.  As such, the town bills itself as the “Crossroads of Opportunity”.

Effingham is home to a famous cross of another kind, too.  A 198-foot cross was erected along I-57/70 by The Effingham Cross Foundation in 2001, promoting “the values of faith and family”, along with a ten commandments display.  The cross is billed as one of the largest in the world, and is also Effingham’s biggest tourist attraction.

Effingham has also been a pop culture topic of ridicule, immortalized by the Ben Folds song “Effington”, which was inspired by a drive through Effingham, and by a parody on the nationally syndicated Bob and Tom radio show.  These references probably bring a lot of effing ire to local residents.

Because of its location at an interstate crossroads, Effingham has a plethora of retail, hotel and fast food options for a city of its size.  Another reason for a relative abundance of offerings is Effingham’s distance from larger cities.  The nearest major city, St. Louis, is 100 miles away, and the nearest major mall is in Terre Haute, Indiana, over 60 miles away.

Effingham’s retail exists in several clusters.  The area surrounding Exit 160 from the interstates is the largest and newest area, and offers big box stores like Big K, Menards, Super Wal-Mart, and Kohls, with additional strip malls like Crossroads Plaza.

Downtown Effingham, located a couple miles off the interstates, offers around 25 local shops and services in an intimate, typical midwestern small-town atmosphere.

The third cluster of retail in Effingham is located along US 45/Banker Street to the south of downtown.  This area is the least convenient to the interstates, and is not as successful as the strip around Exit 160.  It serves locals in and around Effingham, and has also seen the most turnover and vacancy in the area.  This cluster is anchored by a small enclosed mall, Village Square Mall.

In 1971, local developer Gene Mayhood bought 30 acres of farmland on the south edge of town with the intention of building a regional shopping center.  According to a 2008 article in the Effingham paper, a livestock sale barn was used as the base structure for retail outlets G.C. Murphy and Eisner’s, which were the first stores to open in the development in 1972.  Really?  Did this really happen?

The article then goes on to state that “The opening of 26 other stores led Mayhood to purchase another 50 acres.”  Was this part of, or prior to, the construction of the existing mall structure?

JCPenney, the mall’s south anchor, opened in 1977, and an adjacent building, the Lincoln Land Center, was operated as an amusement park through the 1980s before it was converted into an office/retail center.

Throughout the years, Village Square Mall has had some rocky spells and is currently at a visible low point when compared to the past.  It currently lacks even a simple website, but this site operated by Effingham’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has a blurb that lists it as “ultra-modern and growing” – hmm…what the eff, Effingham?  Seriously?

Anchor stores Stage and Rural King, a regional farm and home goods supply box store, have left the mall, and it is in dire need of a renovation.  Village Square received a renovation in 1994 under a new ownership, and it’s time for another update.   In recent years, apparel chain stores Glik’s and Deb have also departed, as well as other stores.  There have only been minor updates to the mall in recent years, including a new cursive logo to replace the western block font and a mural near the main entrance with the same new logo displayed.

Several factors have worked against Village Square Mall’s success.  First, Village Square is not easily accessible to the interstates – the retail district by Exit 160 is booming due to the accessibility and visibility the interstates provide.  Second, the mall was, for years, poorly managed by non-local ownership interests who bought and sold the property frequently and didn’t seem that committed to the investment.

While the first item, proximity to interstates, cannot be fixed, proactive management of the mall could possibly bring it up to par.  In 2008, the mall was again sold to a New York-based investor, Mike Kohan, who cited experience managing distressed properties and turning them around.  We hope that’s true, and I’m sure the residents of Effingham do as well, so they don’t have to drive an hour or more for a mall.

We visited Village Square Mall in May 2001, and again in April 2010.  The differences between the visits indicate a stark downhill spiral that we hope turns around real effing soon.

May 2001:

April 2010:

Hickory Hollow Mall; Antioch (Nashville), Tennessee

Our second installment of hickory-themed malls in Tennessee brings us to Antioch, a neighborhood of Nashville located 10 miles southeast of downtown. Thoroughly suburban, Antioch is home to housing developments from the post-war era to present day, with a large housing stock of starter homes intended for blue collar families. As such, Antioch is a diverse mix of residents from many economic levels, ranging from recent immigrants to native Tennesseeans. Recently, though, a demographic shift has brought more immigrants and minorities to Antioch than ever before, making it much more diverse.

As Antioch grew, a large, regional mall was developed in 1978 near the interchange of Bell Road and Interstate 24. Called Hickory Hollow Mall, it was Nashville’s second super-regional mall after north-suburban Rivergate and the largest mall in the south half of metro Nashville. Its location was somewhat strategic, taking advantage of proximity to the monied areas of south Nashville as well as being only 20 minutes from fast-growing Murfreesboro.

Our second installment of hickory-themed malls in Tennessee brings us to Antioch, a neighborhood of Nashville located 10 miles southeast of downtown.  Thoroughly suburban, Antioch is home to housing developments from the post-war era to present day, with a large housing stock of starter homes intended for blue collar families.  As such, Antioch is a diverse mix of residents from many economic levels, ranging from recent immigrants to native Tennesseeans.  Recently, though, a demographic shift has brought more immigrants and minorities to Antioch than ever before, making it much more diverse.

As Antioch grew, a large, regional mall was developed in 1978 near the interchange of Bell Road and Interstate 24.  Called Hickory Hollow Mall, it was Nashville’s second super-regional mall after north-suburban Rivergate and the largest mall in the south half of metro Nashville.  It’s also only a few miles away from the much smaller and older Harding Mall, which was demolished in 2006.  Its location was somewhat strategic, taking advantage of proximity to the monied areas of south Nashville as well as being only 20 minutes from fast-growing Murfreesboro.

About the time Hickory Hollow originally opened in the late 1970s, it was anchored by Nashville-based Castner Knott, Nashville-based Cain-Sloan, and Sears.  JCPenney jumped on board in 1982, its own wing of in-line stores, giving the mall a T-shape.  The ceiling of the two-level mall is a very dated-yet-cool latticework of steel under glass, giving the mall natural light during the day.

In 1987, Cain-Sloan closed and became Dillard’s, and somewhere along the way a food court was constructed in the space connecting the Sears and JCPenney wings.

In the early 1990s, Hickory Hollow received another expansion and a facelift.  The old Dillard’s/Cain-Sloan building was demolished and moved outward, while the old location became more in-line mall space, giving the mall its signature cross shape.  This update was timely – four regional or super-regional malls opened in the Nashville area between 1990 and 1992:  Bellevue Center, located west of downtown, The Mall at Green Hills, located south of downtown, CoolSprings Galleria, located even farther south in growing Franklin and Stones River Mall, located in Murfreesboro.  Very quickly Hickory Hollow became the oldest and least convenient mall to the fast-growing and wealthy areas of metro Nashville.

In spite of the sudden onslaught of competition, Hickory Hollow held its own through the 1990s and even into the 2000s, retaining all its anchor stores until 2006 and enjoying a relatively low vacancy rate.  However, the types of stores popping up at Hickory Hollow very slowly changed from national, popular chains to urban mom-and-pop stores, athletic wear, and stores catering to a changing demographic.  Very slowly, Hickory Hollow began to decline.

Also in the late 1990s and 2000s, more anchor changes and closures took place, ultimately leaving Hickory Hollow with two of them empty by 2008.  In 1998, Castner Knott closed and was sold to Dillard’s.  Since Dillard’s already had stores in nearly every Nashville-area mall due to the Cain-Sloan acquisition in 1987, Dillard’s immediately sold the Nashville Castner Knott stores to Alcoa, Tenn.-based Proffitt’s.  Very soon, though, Proffitt’s determined the Nashville acquisitions were not profitable, and sold them to May Company in 2001, who curiously branded them as Washington, D.C.- based Hecht’s.  Why May chose to name them Hecht’s is somewhat of a mystery, considering May had far closer regional banners in Indianapolis-based L.S. Ayres and St. Louis-based Famous-Barr.

Between 2002 and 2003, Chattanooga-based CBL, Hickory Hollow Mall’s owner, decided to invest a little dough into a few upgrades in an attempt to slow the slide into obsolescence.  They added some stunning new entrances, carpeted parts of the mall, replaced railings and fixtures, and upgraded the food court.

Here’s a picture looking toward Sears from 2001, before the renovation:

And after the renovation, taken in 2010:

2006 was a pivotal year for Hickory Hollow Mall.  In the midst of its slow decline, anchor JCPenney decided to jump ship that year for a new outdoor retail development in Mt. Juliet called Providence Marketplace, which is located several miles north of Antioch along the I-40 corridor.  JCPenney wasn’t dead long, however, because Steve and Barry’s jumped in and opened almost right away.  Also in 2006, Hecht’s came under the ownership of Federated, who converted all the former May banners to Macy’s in September of that year.  Through the changes, all four anchors remained filled at Hickory Hollow Mall.

However, in the latter 2000s the decline at Hickory Hollow was further exacerbated by anchor woes as well as fleeing in-line stores.  In August 2008, Dillard’s gave up and closed their store, and in 2009 Steve and Barry’s went bankrupt nationwide, giving Hickory Hollow two dark anchors in as many years.  In addition, mini-anchor Linens ‘n Things also closed in 2008, and several more boxes on and around the outlots closed too.  Even worse, the mall’s appraisal value shrank to $30.2 million, down from $70 million in 2005.  Also, in 2009 U.S. News and World Report placed Hickory Hollow on its 10 most endangered malls list.  However, despite all these problems, Hickory Hollow was listed as being 82% leased in 2008.

As of 2010, Macy’s and Sears continue to operate at Hickory Hollow, but the ship is sinking fast.  Most of the former JCPenney corridor is completely dead, and there are notable vacancies throughout the mall.  In January 2010 alone, five national chains left the mall – Chick-Fil-A, The Childrens Place, Hot Topic, New York and Company, and Lane Bryant.  There are currently plans floating around for part of the mall to be leased by Nashville State Community College, but nothing has come to fruition yet.  In addition, plans for a WIC clinic to be added to the mall were proposed and dropped.  The city council voted against this clinic due to extreme opposition by neighborhood residents and mall patrons, who believed the clinic would kill the mall even faster than it is already dying.  Fair enough.

I think what plagues Hickory Hollow most is common to many tales of retail decline.  The neighborhood around the mall is not only perceived to be transient, but also lacking in safety.  There are even facts to support this, but what’s undoubtedly clearer is that neighborhoods with a solid base and ones which have cultivated a branding of coolness or wealth have fared far better.  The Mall At Green Hills is in one of these neighborhoods, and they just broke ground on Tennessee’s first Nordstrom.

This sullied image, combined with all the competition has given Nashville folks absolutely no reason to go to Hickory Hollow.  Because Hickory Hollow didnt reinvent or woo some coveted specialty retailer, the only people who are going to shop here are locals who live or work in the neighborhood.  Hickory Hollow may have began as one of Nashville’s premier super-regional malls, a destinational draw, but today it’s just a neighborhood center living on borrowed time in the shell of its former self.  Not a pretty picture.  One suggestion:  Ikea?   Or maybe Bass Pro?  This place is really well located right next to a major freeway, so the locational advantage is there – they just have to make the best use of it.  On the other hand, maybe retail isn’t in the cards here anymore, and a total redevelopment is in order.  I think that’s putting the cart a bit before the horse though – even though I can see the horse coming on the horizon.

We visited Hickory Hollow twice – in May 2001 and in April 2010.  Take a look at the photos before and after the mall’s 2002-2003 renovation.

May 2001:

April 2010:

Valley View Center; Dallas, Texas

Opened in 1973, Valley View Center was the first major mall in far north Dallas, the expansive, monied area of the DFW Metroplex located north of I-635. Valley View is situated at I-635 and Preston Road, about 13 miles north of downtown Dallas. When it opened, Valley View Center was on the edge of town – today, Valley View is only a third of the way from downtown to the edge of the Metroplex. After 36 years, multiple expansions and competition appearing literally adjacent to it, Valley View is on the precipice of a major change after having seen better days.

Opened in 1973, Valley View Center was the first major mall in far north Dallas, the expansive, monied area of the DFW Metroplex located north of I-635.  Valley View is situated at I-635 and Preston Road, about 13 miles north of downtown Dallas.  When it opened, Valley View Center was on the edge of town – today, Valley View is only a third of the way from downtown to the edge of the Metroplex.  After 36 years, multiple expansions and competition appearing literally adjacent to it, Valley View is on the precipice of a major change after having seen better days.   Only by building something truly destinational and drawing people from all over the Metroplex will Valley View be able to recapture its once-thriving status; otherwise, it will continue along the slippery slope into obsolescence.

Valley View Center was built by Homart Development Company, the development arm of Sears Roebuck and Company, who already operated a standalone store here since 1965.  When the mall opened, a Dallas-based Sanger-Harris was added, as well as an interior corridor connecting it to Sears.  The Center’s grand opening took place in August 1973, and a famous promotion garnered national media attention when shoe store Thom McAn gave away a free 8-ounce steak with a $5 purchase.  Mmm, nothing like red meat and shoes!  Smack those lips.

With Sears and Sanger-Harris at its helm, Valley View enjoyed immediate success with little competition in the far north Dallas market.  In fact, the only other mall at all in north Dallas was NorthPark Center, located several miles south of Valley View along US 75.  Valley View enjoyed instant success as rapid development took place in far north Dallas and also in neighboring suburbs Richardson, Garland, Plano, and Carrollton.

In response to this growth, an expansion was planned for 1979, adding a two-level Dillard’s store as well as more in-line space to the mall.  This expansion was especially prescient as the late 1970s and early 1980s would bring serious competition to Valley View.  Richardson Square Mall became the second mall in far north Dallas, opening in 1977, and the large Prestonwood Town Center became the third in 1979.  These malls, however, would not pose as much of a threat to Valley View in recent years (because they bit the dust!), as much as the two that opened in the early 1980s – Collin Creek Mall and Dallas Galleria.

In 1981 and 1982, more competition hit Valley View extremely hard.  The first was the opening of the large Collin Creek Mall in fast-growing Plano, which debuted in 1981, a bit north of Valley View.  The second blow hit harder and much closer to home as Hines Interests, a Houston developer, wanted to copy Houston’s Galleria mall and bring it to Dallas.  Hines purchased a great site at the intersection of I-635 and the Dallas North Tollway, one block west of Valley View Center.  Whoops.  Dallas Galleria opened in 1982, anchored by upscale Saks Fifth Avenue and Marshall Field’s as well as a set of similarly upscale stores under a beautiful three-level concourse with an arched glass roof.

The two malls coexisted harmoniously for some time, especially after Valley View wisened up and did an upscale tweak of its own, adding a Bloomingdale’s store in 1983 and later a themed area they called The Conservatory.  The Conservatory had a piano with player, fouffy upscale-themed artwork, fancy landscaping, and it surreptitiously invited upscale shoppers away from the neighboring Galleria.  The attempt was valiant, but didn’t really work.

Two more major events took place in 1985 at Valley View, when Dillards added a third level, and Texas removed its blue laws and allowed stores to open on Sundays for the first time.  And, in 1987, Sanger-Harris merged into Foley’s.

The Bloom(ingdale’s) on the rose didn’t last long, though, as the store was never a fit at Valley View Center.  The upscale keeping-up-with-the-Joneses at Valley View ended in August 1990 when Bloomingdale’s gave up on the mid-market mall and closed.  The next few years were a thorn in the side for Valley View’s management, as legal wranglings kept the anchor from being filled for 6 years.  In 1991, Montgomery Ward wanted the site to build a 200,000 square-foot store, but the mall’s owner objected voraciously (hey, Wards isn’t Bloomingdale’s!), and ended up winning the fight to keep Wards away.  Unfortuately, Wards was the only interested party at the time, so the anchor remained dark until 1996, when JCPenney finally filled it.  At the time, the JCPenney here was the largest in the DFW Metroplex.

A twin-screen General Cinemas movie theater, in the mall since 1975, closed in 1991 and remained dark for more than ten years before being filled by Radio One studios in 2002.  Inside the radio studios are a basketball court, mix room, small auditorium, a newsroom, and two production studios for stations KBFB (97.9 The Beat) and KSOC (94.5 K-Soul).  You can check out a neat story about how the facility was constructed here.  Mall management and the radio stations believe a symbiotic relationship exists between them.  The radio stations benefit from in-mall advertising and visibility to shoppers, and the mall benefits from increased shopper traffic coming by to see their favorite personalities live on air.  A window looks into the mall from the studios, and some well-known R&B personalities are based here, including Rickey Smiley, whose R&B morning show is syndicated on over 30 stations nationwide.

After Bloomingdales was finally replaced by JCPenney, Valley View’s owners finally realized that repositioning the mall toward a middle-income set of folks was probably smartest, and once again would allow a harmonious coexistence with the Goliath Galleria next door.  This arrangement worked well into the 2000s, until two more malls delivered rapid blows of competition in 2000 and 2001, respectively.  The 1.6 million square-foot Stonebriar Centre opened in Frisco in 2000, and the 1.4 million square-foot The Shops at Willow Bend opened in Plano in 2001.

Even as Richardson Square Mall and Prestonwood Town Center failed during the mid-2000s, the dominance of the new malls combined with the Galleria next door were too much for Valley View to handle.  It no longer had a niche, even despite an extensive renovation in 2000, giving it a modern, fresher look.   A large AMC Movie Theater also opened on top of the mall in 2004, giving it a third level.  The upscale NorthPark Center also doubled in size in 2005-2006, and Galleria Dallas remodeled as well.  At Valley View, some solid national chains began to leave as local stores moved in, and in 2006 Foleys became Macy’s when the latter purchased the former’s parent. This merger was ominous for Valley View Center, as there had already been a Macy’s at Galleria Dallas since 1985, a block away.  How much Macy’s does one area need?  Probably not two huge stores a block apart.

Hemmed in by malls on all sides, including new as well as dramatically renovated centers, it wasn’t long before Valley View began to have major problems.  Unfortunately, in December 2007, immediately following the Christmas shopping season, Macy’s announced they were closing several underperforming stores nationwide, including the 300,000 square-foot Valley View behemoth of a store.  This wasn’t a huge shock, considering there is already a large Macy’s a block away at Galleria Dallas.  Then, a few months later, Dillards announced it was closing its huge three-level store in August of that same year.  Ouch.

With two large anchors dark, Valley View Center is definitely in trouble and living on borrowed time.  If management is proactive in retenanting or redeveloping the dark anchors, the mall could be saved.  It might be too late, though, considering competition coming from all sides and the mall no longer having a niche in the market.  Personally, I would remove the dead anchors, demolish them, and put up one of those fancy fad-oriented outdoor mall portions.  Maybe even add some entertainment and restaurants; call it The District or something.  Too bad the movie theater is on top of the mall on the inside, or that would go great out there too.  Definitely add a Coldwater Creek though, and a Chico’s.

Seriously, proactive management needs to take charge and put Valley View Center on the offense to save it from becoming a piece of history.  Like I said, it might be too late, but this is monied north Dallas, and this mall is well-positioned in it.  What do you think?  I visited Valley View Center in January 2009 and took the pictures feature here.  How does the mall stack up today?  Is it holding ground after surviving almost two years with half its anchors?  Or is it fading fast?  Let us know in the comments!

Brookdale Center; Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Located in Brooklyn Center, an inner-ring suburb 10 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Brookdale Center is a behemoth of a mall living on borrowed time. Opened in 1962, Brookdale debuted to a new, sprawling post-war building boom which eventually levelled off as the area became built out. Over time, many original residents serving the mall’s purpose moved up and out to newer and better suburbs, and were slowly replaced by those with a different socioeconomic status. Today, Brookdale is in serious decline, existing as as an ever-dwindling collection of stores inside the husk of a super-regional mall on the precipice of closure.

Located in Brooklyn Center, an inner-ring suburb 10 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Brookdale Center is a behemoth of a mall living on borrowed time.  Opened in 1962, Brookdale debuted to a new, sprawling post-war building boom which eventually levelled off as the area became built out.  Over time, many original residents serving the mall’s purpose moved up and out to newer and better suburbs, and were slowly replaced by those with a different socioeconomic status.  Today, Brookdale is in serious decline, existing as as an ever-dwindling collection of stores inside the husk of a super-regional mall on the precipice of closure.

In the early part of the 20th century, Brooklyn Center was a far different place.  It incorporated in 1911 to stave off annexation from neighboring Minneapolis, in order to remain remain the rural, farming community it had been since pioneer days.

Fast forward a few decades.  After World War Two, masses of returning GIs and their growing families needed housing, so large neighborhoods of single-family housing were built quickly and cheaply.  Brooklyn Center and other formerly rural communities close to Minneapolis were no longer able to resist development, and became built out over a relatively short span.

With the suburban housing boom and post-war automobile culture came shopping centers.  Long before the Twin Cities had the Mall of America, which opened in 1992, they had the ‘Dales’ – a foursome of enclosed, super-regional malls that were developed by Minneapolis-based Dayton’s department store and built between 1956 and 1974.  First came Southdale in 1956, which debuted as one of the first regional malls in the country, and was located in well-to-do southwest suburban Edina.  Next came Brookdale, in northwest suburban Brooklyn Center, which opened in 1962; later came Rosedale in Roseville, between Minneapolis and St. Paul, in 1969; and finally, Ridgedale opened in west-suburban Minnetonka in 1974.

In addition to the ‘Dales’, the Twin Cities also had other regional shopping centers like Apache Plaza, which opened in 1961 in the northeast suburbs of Minneapolis, and Knollwood Mall, which opened in 1955 in west-suburban St. Louis Park.  All of these malls were moderately to extremely successful throughout the years, and all of them exist today in some form or another – redevelopment or otherwise.  Only one – Brookdale – is in dire straits today, following an extended period of decline which began slowly during the 1990s.  Ridgedale and Rosedale are still immensely popular, and despite some recent trouble still remains viable.

Brookdale Center was originally conceived by Dayton’s department store to provide a northern complement to its successful Southdale Center.  Famous mall visionary Victor Gruen, who also created Southdale, was hired to design the mall.  Elements of his influence are still present today in the wide spaces and tall ceilings in the main corridor.  Also, unlike the other ‘dales’, which are all two levels, Brookdale was designed to be one level because it is situated on a former swamp; as such, it has always been the smallest of the four malls.

When Brookdale opened in 1962, it was anchored by a two level, 180,000 square foot Sears and a tw0 level, 50,000 square foot JCPenney (dry goods only at first).  The mall was expanded in 1966-1967 to include Dayton’s and Donaldson’s stores, and JCPenney expanded to a full-service format.  The mall was extremely successful and drew patrons from the entire northern half of the Twin Cities metro, until competition and demographics began to change the game.

In 1972, some competition arrived for Brookdale Center in its north metro trade area.  Northtown Mall opened in Blaine, approximately 10 minutes north of Brookdale.  However, this wasn’t a huge blow for Brookdale, as Northtown is across the river and serves a mostly different set of suburbs (Coon Rapids, Blaine, Anoka, Fridley).  In fact, Brookdale even remained viable into the 1990s, as numerous other malls and even the humungous Mall of America opened across town in 1992.  The late 90s weren’t as kind to Brookdale, though, as it battled a 30 percent vacancy rate and a foreclosure in 1996.

Not long after Brookdale began its first spiral of decline, the mall was renovated, expanded, and temporarily saved, beginning in 2001 with a driven commitment by Talisman Corporation, its new owner.  The 2001-2002 renovation replaced and modernized the flooring and general decor of the indoor corridors, which had not seen a significant renovation in decades.  In addition, several popular national brands were wooed to the mall, including Old Navy, Gap, American Eagle, and Hot Topic, and the mall was given a weird new logo.  At one point in late 2003, Brookdale rebounded to a 95 percent occupancy rate and had all four anchor stores filled.  The expansion involved tearing down the northwest wing of the mall and replacing it with a brand new, slighty larger wing containing a new food court and a Barnes and Noble store.

Several anchor changes have taken place at Brookdale through the decades.  There were barely any major changes from the 1960s until 1987, when north anchor Donaldson’s was sold to Carson Pirie Scott of Chicago and operated as a Carson’s until 1995.  The Carson’s purchase in Minnesota ultimately turned out to be an unprofitable mistake, so all Carson’s stores except Rochester were sold to the parent of Dayton’s, Dayton-Hudson, who then converted all the stores to its Mervyns division that same year.  Mervyns was a better fit for the space, and lasted until Dayton-Hudson -who in 2000 renamed themselves Target Corporation – sold all of its non-Target stores in 2004.  A group of investors bought Mervyns from Target and immediately began closing all of the Minnesota stores, including the one at Brookdale.  It has been vacant ever since, despite an attempt, in 2007, by Wal-Mart to secure a store there, which was blocked by Sears in a lawsuit.  Sears said they believe their tenant agreement gives them the right to approve the stores there.  The lawsuit soured Wal-Mart, who later said they are no longer interested in pursuing the location.

The east anchor, which opened as Dayton’s in the 1960s, became Marshall Field’s in 2001 when Dayton-Hudson decided to consolidate its brands in Minneapolis (Dayton’s), Chicago (Marshall Field’s), and Detroit (Hudson’s) under one nameplate.  They chose Marshall Field’s because the venerable Chicago store was not only representative of the largest city and number of extant stores among the three brands, but also because of the venerability of the brand.  It all ended up being sort of a moot point a few years later, when Marshall Field’s parent Target Corporation decided to focus on the Target stores and get rid of everything else, selling Marshall Field’s to May Company.  Then, after owning Marshall Field’s less than a year, May became acquired by Federated Department Stores (Macy’s), who rather quickly decided to consolidate all of the May nameplates, including Marshall Field’s, into one unified Macy’s banner in 2006.

After the May acquisition, Macy’s suddenly had hundreds more stores covering 90 percent of the country, and they also inherited some unprofitable stores as well.  Macy’s has gone through several rounds of closures to help eliminate these, and in 2008 they decided to eliminate the store at Brookdale.  It closed in March 2009  and remains empty as of early 2010.

Here’s a shot of the east anchor, Dayton’s, in April 2001:

Here’s the same shot from April 2010:

Here’s a shot near the middle of the mall facing JCPenney in April 2001:

Now take a look at a similar shot from April 2010.  Sad, isn’t it?

Brookdale’s south anchor, which had been JCPenney since the mall opened, operated for over four decades before closing in February 2004 and relocating to a brand new standalone store in Coon Rapids.  However, the anchor wasn’t dead long, replaced in September 2005 by Steve and Barrys, a flash-in-the-pan cheapo clothing anchor that expanded quickly nationwide in the mid- to late- 2000s, often taking dead mall anchors and having no qualms operating in dead or dying malls.  Not surprisingly, Steve and Barrys quickly became insolvent, and closed for good at the end of 2008.  The Brookdale store was shed a few months before the entire chain closed, though, as they attempted to focus on their more profitable stores.  The anchor remains empty as of early 2010.

The western anchor, Sears, has remained the entire time since the mall opened, and currently has no plans to close.  A Kohls Department Store also still operates on the mall’s periphery and is included in the Brookdale complex, but is not part of the mall structure.

In addition to losing three of its four anchor stores over a span of five years, Brookdale has also had to deal with increasing competition in what was left of its trade area – the northwest Twin Cities suburbs – when a large retail district and lifestyle center opened in nearby Maple Grove in 2003.  Lacking a downtown of its own, northwest suburban Maple Grove began growing at a breakneck pace in recent decades, attracting a more affluent base than inner-ring suburbs such as Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park.  In order to take advantage of this affluent suburban growth, Maple Grove constructed a new downtown in phases, and the entire development is referred to as Arbor Lakes.  Included in the development is over 6 million square feet of retail space, clustered around a large lifestyle center and a neotraditional Main Street.  Nearly every retail chain and box store in the country is represented in Maple Grove, including those traditionally located in enclosed regional malls.  Located just ten miles from Brookdale, this development more than any other has dwindled Brookdale’s waning viability, essentially nudging it out of having any trade area at all.

Faced with increasing competition, many of the updates Talisman materialized in the early part of the 2000s disintegrated by 2005.  After losing two anchors in – JCPenney and Mervyns – in 2004, Old Navy, American Eagle, Gap, Pac Sun, and many of the other stores brought in by the renovation closed in short order.  Most of the other stores operating at Brookdale are local stores, and the number of national, popular chains has dwindled.  In 2009, shortly after Macy’s jumped ship, Barnes and Noble left as well, creating even more empty space.

In late 2009 and early 2010, the owners of Brookdale Center, Florida-based Brooks Mall Properties, defaulted on their mortgage.  Then, in February 2010, Brookdale was purchased by its mortgage lender in a voluntary foreclosure sale, for $12.5 million.  It’s currently anyone’s guess as to what the new owner plans to do with the site, although rumors from office to residential to a new Vikings stadium have emerged.  I say make the whole thing one huge kitty condo.  One thing is for certain – the mall has almost no viability in its current state, especially at its current size.  So to all you dead mall or Victor Gruen fans – you better get to this one soon before it’s too late and the doors are closed for good.

Brookdale’s website still exists, but is over a year out of date – indicating both Steve and Barrys and Macy’s as being open, as well as numerous in-line stores which have also closed.  The mall advertises having 70 retailers, but only about 30 remain open as of early 2010.  Brookdale also put up a new pylon a couple years ago along Highway 100, featuring the dumb logo which is moderately illegible against the big bird-yellow background, and features a smattering of stores that have since departed.  You know your mall is in trouble when a local cell phone store shows up on the pylon.  Just sayin’.

I’ve visted Brookdale many times, beginning as a little kid in the 90s, and have witnessed the roller coaster death spiral first hand.  Even then, I remember Brookdale being a ‘lesser’ alternative to the malls in the southern and western suburbs.  But I also thought that it was so incredibly cool how dated and cavernous the mall was, with amazingly wide and tall corridors.  And who could forget the parking lot locator animals?  I know I parked in the elephant lot at least a couple times.

Also, don’t forget to check out this more in-depth (and hilarious) commentary from dumpystripmalls.com, a blog that highlights – and lampoons – Minnesota retail.  There are also a few vintage shots from Brookdale here – believe it or not, the interior looked essentially the same until the early 2000s.  As an aside, I hope she updates her blog soon!

Feel free to leave your own comments/experiences with Brookdale.  And, if anyone happens to have any pre-renovation pictures I’d love to see them.

UPDATE 4/2010: I visited Brookdale Center in April 2010 and noted the following stores open:

  1. K Fashion
  2. K Fashion Casual
  3. Champs Sports
  4. Wet Seal (who had their own uniformed security guard)
  5. Sears (the only anchor)
  6. GNC
  7. Q Studio (a photographer)
  8. Jackson Hewitt (tax return kiosk outside Sears)
  9. Skyway Jewelers
  10. Payless ShoeSource
  11. Twinstown (athletic/urban wear)
  12. Foot Locker
  13. Harold Pener Man of Fashion (urban wear)
  14. T2 (urban wear)
  15. Chinamax (the only food court stall open)

Most of these stores are located between Sears and the food court wing.  There was only one store in the Mervyn’s wing, and one in the former Macy’s wing.  Also, I noticed now that Macy’s has closed there are distinct Dayton’s labelscars on the building – that’s neat.  Surprisingly, there were at least a couple dozen people walking around the mall when I visited on a weekday afternoon.  One girl was even using the dilapidated, ripped seating in the former Macy’s court to sit and read a book – it’s peaceful down at that end.  Despite all the closures, mall management has not updated any of the directories or signage in a couple years, and a mural in the food court depicts many stores that have long since closed.  They haven’t even taken down little stand-up signs which direct shoppers on a wild goose chase down mostly abandoned wings of the mall to stores that no longer exist.  Sad.

Also, I unfortuately witnessed some trouble when I left the mall via the food court entrance, as both the police and mall security were interrogating some rowdy looking people who were in a van in the parking lot.  Then, as I left the mall, a couple who were walking to the mall were having a heated argument, and a large group of teens were walking abreast in the ring road, completely oblivious to traffic.  Fun times and anarchy abounds at Brookdale!

While all this is undoubtedly very grim, a nugget of hope for Brookdale is possibly on the horizon.  Brookdale popped up in the news in late March 2010, as murmurs of Wal-Mart have emerged once again.  According to KARE 11, the NBC affiliate in the Twin Cities, owners of two stores at Brookdale have recently been approached by Wal-Mart representatives, who asked if they would stay if Wal-Mart came to the mall.  The owner of K Fashions, who has been at the mall 12 years, said he would definitely stay and would welcome Wal-Mart to the mall.  Apparently the option in Sears’ lease regarding anchor approval expires this year, so Sears will no longer be able to veto Wal-Mart, or any other anchor for that matter.  I think if Wal-Mart came to the mall, it could possibly reverse the trend of closing stores and might even save the mall from certain death.  We’ll keep you up to date.

UPDATE 5/6/2010:  Brookdale is officially closed, as of April 26, 2010.  A local film producer wants to buy the mall for studios and a technical school, and possibly reopen a portion to retail.

I recently stumbled upon a set of vintage pre-renovation photos of Brookdale from April 26, 2001 – eerily, exactly 9 years to the day before the mall closed permanently.  Note the original dark tiled flooring, wood paneling, and the presence of all four anchors – including Dayton’s just weeks before it was rebranded Marshall Field’s.

Photos from April 2001:

Photos from April 2009:

Photos from April 2010: