Cherry Road and American Way
Memphis, Tennessee
One of America's most prominent failed shopping centers, Tennessee's MALL OF MEMPHIS experienced a rapid ascent and decline. This "Marketplace of the Mid-South" was in existence for only 23 years.
Planning for the bi-level shopping hub got underway in 1972. Memphians James Bridger and Stanley Trezevant, Junior began to purchase land at a site located 7.7 miles southeast of the "River City" Central Business District. Eventually, 100 acres were acquired. Construction commenced in September 1979.
By this time, a company known as Mall of Memphis Associates had been formed to oversee development of the project. The participants were the aforementioned Bridger and Trezevant and El Segundo, California-based Ernest W. Hahn, Incorporated. The shopping center portfolio of the Hahn company was absorbed by the Toronto-based Trizec Corporation in November 1980.
As originally planned, MALL OF MEMPHIS would feature five anchors; Memphis-based Lowenstein's, New Orleans-based Maison Blanche, New York City-based J.C. Penney, Richmond-based Thalhimers and a Baton Rouge-based H.J. Wilson Catalog Showroom.
The tentative lineup of anchor stores was never realized. Philadelphia-based City Stores, the parent company of the Lowenstein's and Maison Blanche chains, filed for bankruptcy in July 1979...with plans for future MALL OF MEMPHIS stores being altered.
The west end anchor store, originally plotted to be a branch of Lowenstein's, opened as a Dillard's. The Maison Blanche store was cancelled. Thalhimers, who intended to build a store on the south side of the mall, opted -instead- to take the north side spot originally allocated for Maison Blanche. The original Thalhimers spot would never be filled.
A mall-wide dedication was held on October 7, 1981. A 2-level (205,700 square foot) Dillard's welcomed first shoppers. Charter inline stores included Chick-Fil-A, GNC, Kay Jewelers, Spencer Gifts, Camelot Music, Docktor Pet Center, Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, Record Bar and Your Father's Moustache.
As originally planned, MALL OF MEMPHIS would feature five anchors; Memphis-based Lowenstein's, New Orleans-based Maison Blanche, New York City-based J.C. Penney, Richmond-based Thalhimers and a Baton Rouge-based H.J. Wilson Catalog Showroom.
The tentative lineup of anchor stores was never realized. Philadelphia-based City Stores, the parent company of the Lowenstein's and Maison Blanche chains, filed for bankruptcy in July 1979...with plans for future MALL OF MEMPHIS stores being altered.
The west end anchor store, originally plotted to be a branch of Lowenstein's, opened as a Dillard's. The Maison Blanche store was cancelled. Thalhimers, who intended to build a store on the south side of the mall, opted -instead- to take the north side spot originally allocated for Maison Blanche. The original Thalhimers spot would never be filled.
A mall-wide dedication was held on October 7, 1981. A 2-level (205,700 square foot) Dillard's welcomed first shoppers. Charter inline stores included Chick-Fil-A, GNC, Kay Jewelers, Spencer Gifts, Camelot Music, Docktor Pet Center, Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, Record Bar and Your Father's Moustache.
The primary draws of the new shopping hub were its Ice Capades Chalet skating rink, 17-bay Food Court, 175-seat Community Room and General Cinema Corporation Mall of Memphis I-II-III-IV-V.
A 2-level (160,000 square foot) J. C. Penney was dedicated on November 4, 1981. H.J. Wilson built a 2-level (61,200 square foot) structure which opened for business on September 1, 1982. A fourth, and final, anchor was realized with the dedication of a 2-level (123,300 square foot) Thalhimers, in July 1983. With its completion, MALL OF MEMPHIS enveloped 885,600 leasable square feet and housed 167 stores and services.
Major retail centers within the MALL OF MEMPHIS trade area included SOUTHLAND MALL (1966) {5.8 miles southwest, in Memphis}, RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL (1971) {9.7 miles north, in Memphis}, HICKORY RIDGE MALL (1981) {3.4 miles southeast, in Memphis}, OAK COURT MALL (1988) {6.8 miles north, in Memphis} and -eventually- WOLFCHASE GALLERIA (1997) {11 miles northeast, in Shelby County}.
In 1985, stores in the Wilson's Catalog Showroom chain were acquired, and rebranded, by Nashville-based Service Merchandise. The MALL OF MEMPHIS store would be in operation until 2001. Thalhimers, a division of California's Carter Hawley Hale stores since 1978, was sold to St. Louis-based May Department Stores in 1990. The new owner decided to merge Thalhimers with its Hecht's division.
The MALL OF MEMPHIS store was sold to Dillard's. It ceased to operate as a Thalhimers on May 19, 1992 and re-opened, as Dillard's East (a men's, children's & home store) on August 19, 1992. Simultaneously, the mall's original Dillard's was reconfigured as Dillard's West (a women's store).
The first renovation of the shopping complex was done between July 1990 and July 1991. During the 10 million dollar project, larger skylights were installed and Food Court seating expanded.
A second -mall-wide- renovation commenced in March 2000. The 18 million dollar project was completed in the following December. The skating rink, now known as the Ice Chalet, was expanded, the parking lot repaved, a new HVAC system installed and new teal color palette applied to the mall's interior. A new logo was also commissioned.
A name change, to MEMPHIS PARK GALLERIA, had been proposed but was never carried out. A prospective 12-screen megaplex theatre was also proposed, and abandoned. In spite of all the recent improvements, the mall was foundering. Robberies and shootings topped the headlines in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1999. The public perception of MALL OF MEMPHIS as a haven for crime was intensified by the local news media.
By 1991, James Bridger and Stanley Trezevant had sold their interest in the mall to Chicago-based JMB Retail Properties. TrizecHahn sold out, to the Chicago-based Carlyle Real Estate Limited Partnership, in October 1995. In June 1999, Sherman Oaks, California-based American Mall Properties established a 100-percent share in MALL OF MEMPHIS.
Turnaround attempts were unsuccessful. In 2002, an Atlanta-based entity known as Memphis Mall Holdings bought portions of the complex in increments. This phased acquisition ended with the foreclosure of the property later in the year. A division of New York City-based Lehman Brothers Holdings would be the final owner.
An anchor exodus was underway following the 2001 shuttering of Service Merchandise. Dillard's shut down its "double-header" operation in October. J.C. Penney, the final operational department store, went dark on November 29, 2001. By November 2003, a mere twelve tenants were still in business. December 24, 2003 would be the final day of business. Demolition started on October 1, 2004 and was completed on September 16, 2005.
Wal-Mart entertained the notion of SuperCentering the vacant mall site but eventually abandoned the plan. Another scenario, to redevelop the property as Logistics Park, a five-building light industry and warehouse facility, fell through in September 2015.
Sources:
The Memphis Commercial Appeal
http://www.mallofmemphis.org tribute site
http://www.mallofmemphis.com (mall website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
Comment post by Randy
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.bizjournals.com
Comment post by Randy
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.bizjournals.com
"Mall of Memphis" article on Wikipedia
