Also, how about an update on that old abandoned mall classic, Dixie Square Mall (assuming is there is anything to report).

*Any major mall in New Jersey (since one has not been covered on the site recently)

*The Nanuet Mall and the nearby Palisades Center (a short description follows below):

The Nanuet Mall was Rockland County’s largest mall for nearly 30 years. The mall opened in 1969 and was originally anchored by Bamberger’s (which became Macy’s in 1986) and Sears. In the mid-1990’s, a new wing of the mall was built that was anchored by A&S (which subsequently became a Stern’s and is now a Boscov’s).

Yesterday, I actually visited the mall for the first time (as I wanted to visit Boscov’s), and was deeply saddened that the mall was over half empty (although the department stores still do well there). Obviously, the nearby Palisades Center (which, aside from being built in 1998 is also the ugliest mall I have ever seen, given that the HVAC units are exposed everywhere throughout the mall) is the reason why the Nanuet Mall is dead.

*Any of the country’s largest malls. According to Wikipedia, the largest malls in the country are as follows:

1. Eastwood Mall (Niles, OH): 3,200,000 sq. ft.
2. King of Prussia Mall (King of Prussia, PA): 2,798,956 sq. ft.
3. Mall of America (Bloomington, MN): 2,777,918 sq. ft.
4. South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa, CA): 2,700,000 sq. ft.
5. Sawgrass Mills (an outlet mall in Sunrise, FL): 2,613,035 sq. ft.
6. Del Amo Fashion Center (Torrance, CA): 2,500,000 sq. ft.
7. Aventura Mall (Aventura, FL): 2,400,000 sq. ft.
8. The Galleria (Houston, TX): 2,298,417 sq. ft.
9. Woodfield Mall (Schaumburg, IL): 2,224,000 sq. ft.
10. Roosevelt Field Mall (Garden City, NY): 2,189,941 sq. ft.
11. Plaza Las Americas (San Juan, PR): 2,173,000 sq. ft.
12. Millcreek Mall (Erie, PA): 2,139,244 sq. ft.
13. Tysons Corner Center (McLean, VA): 2,100,000 sq. ft.
14. Lakewood Center (Lakewood, CA): 2,092,706 sq. ft.
15. Oakbrook Center (an outdoor mall in Oak Brook, IL): 2,006,688 sq. ft.
16. Palisades Center (West Nyack, NY): 2,000,000 sq. ft.
17. Lark Ridge Center (a lifestyle center spread over many blocks in Thornton, CO): 2,000,000 sq. ft.
18. Westfield Garden State Plaza (Paramus, NJ): 2,000,000 sq. ft.
19. Jordan Creek Town Center (West Des Moines, IA): 2,000,000 sq. ft.
20. Scottsdale Fashion Square (Scottsdale, AZ): 1,928,036 sq. ft.
21. Fashion Show Mall (Las Vegas, NV): 1,888,151 sq. ft.

Of course, Mall of American and Woodfield Mall have already been covered on this site.

Not much for anchor history Jonah to this one. The only two anchor stores that changed hands were a Lord & Taylor, which became Carson Pirie Scott & Co. in the early 1990s, and of course, Marshall Field & Co. which became Macy*s last year.

Sears and JCPenney are original to the mall.

Also the mall never had much of a layout change….the 1980s saw the ice rink on the lower floor removed and a food court built out, then around the time Westfield took over, it got a massive exterior/interior renovation that pulled the mall out of a mish-mash of 1970s and 1980s architectural elements.

What I’d like to know is if this was Aurora’s first and only enclosed mall, or if they had others that were completely killed off over time due to Fox Valley Mall. I went to FVM one time in 2005 in my annual Chicagoland ‘vacation’…..the size of that place and the number of shops within would have killed any mall within a 5-10 mile radius.

One more factoid. Like many ‘mega malls’ in the era, FVM was to be the centerpeice of a ‘planned community’, but in the end, only the mall and theatres were built out. Everything around it that was supposed to be housing, ended up as ‘big box’ city….starting just before Fox Valley, and ending at the Premium Outlets. Aurora Rd and the vicinity have become a strip of boxes, strip centers, hotels, chain restaurants and other establishments.

The thing that struck me most about the place was the mammoth Center Court. Not as grand, nor does it have the ‘disappearing mezzanine’ like Woodfield, but still grand in its own way. To see Westfield’s heating / cooling bill for that one….woah.

I’m not even native to the area…I read up on the mall at various places online. Any corrections / additional notes from anyone else are appreciated. If only FVM wasn’t an hour and a-half (45-minute to an hour, from the Rosemont convention center) treck from where I stay the nights during my trip, I’d hit it up next year. I usually stick closer to the convention site…Woodfield, Harlem-Irving Plaza (This mall needs an entry…not as a dead mall, but as an example of a very successful ‘urban’ mall….it’s got a very storied history and it’s still going strong today, and one of my favorite stops every year), Golf Mill….they’re all within 15 minutes.

Anywho, hope I was helpful. I’m very familiar with malls from Wisconsin (obviously) Chicagoland, and a few in Minnesota, so if any info is needed, let me know.

http://westfield.com/newtopanga/