Southpark Mall (Colonial Heights, Virginia)
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Southpark Mall is a shopping mall serving the Tri-Cities, Virginia area, which itself is part of the much larger Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area.
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[edit] Mall Description
It contains 76 stores and is anchored by Dillard's, Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, and Regal Entertainment Group.[1] The mall is accessible from I-95 (Temple Avenue Exit 54 and Southpark Boulevard Exit 53) exits.
[edit] History
[edit] Transportation brings development to the Tri-cities
During the 1980s, the Tri-cities area was undergoing a great deal of transportation change as the entire Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike's I-85 and I-95 portions became toll-free between 1986 and 1992, [2], Temple Avenue connector between Colonial Heights and Hopewell was being built in 1987, and I-295 was slowly being extended south from Richmond to just south of Petersburg (In 1992, I-295 was completed from VA 10 down to I-95).[3].
[edit] Construction of Southpark and the end of Walnut Mall
Southpark Mall was built from 1987 to 1989. Prior to being built, there was a mall on Crater Road in Petersburg (aka Walnut Mall) that billed itself as the "weather- controlled shopping showplace of Southside, Virginia"[4] and "The Shopping Showplace" [5]. Several websites devoted to shopping mall histories directly attribute the construction of Southpark Mall the vacation of Walnut Mall between 1986 and 1992. [6] [7]
[edit] Recent Remodeling
The Hecht's store was renamed Macy's on September 9, 2006. On July 11, 2007, the mall opened its new Regal Cinemas Stadium 16 theater. The facility covers 68,000 square feet (6,300 m2) and includes approximately 3,100 seats. The old 6-screen theater in the food court area has converted into an extended food court. The food court now contains a Subway, Stir Fry 88, and Knockout Burgers. Sbarro is moving into the new section along with a new laser tag operation. The mall has also just finished new flooring throughout.[8]
The Wal-Mart outside the mall suffered major damage in the 1993 Virginia tornado outbreak, and was demolished and rebuilt on a different site. The mall also suffered slight damage in a tornado on April 28, 2008.
[edit] Anchors
These are the mall's current anchor stores.[1]
- Dillard's (85,322 sq ft.)
- JCPenney (104,457 sq ft.)
- Macy's (100,000 sq ft.)
- Sears (113,545 sq ft.)
- Regal Entertainment Group (68,000 sq ft.)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Southpark Mall Map; Southpark Mall website; retrieved December 28, 2006
- ^ http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Richmond_Interstate_Expy.html "The 1989 CTB toll increase decision also provided for the removal of the I-95 Washington Street toll plaza in Petersburg, thereby making toll-free the I-95 portion of the Turnpike south of the Ivey Avenue [Southpark Boulevard] interchange (completed in 1987, built to help support the Southpark Mall that was built then) in the City of Colonial Heights" "The I-95 Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike became toll-free on July 1, 1992"
- ^ http://www.vahighways.com/route-log/i095.htm
- ^ http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/walnut_mall.html "In 1972 the mall was advertised as the weather- controlled shopping showplace of Southside, Virginia (considered roughly the sixty mile area between Petersburg and the North Carolina state line). At that time, Petersburg was the retail metropolis of Southside, VA even though its population was only 39,000. "
- ^ [1] "Billed as "The Shopping Showplace", WALNUT MALL prospered..."
- ^ http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/walnut_mall.html "The mall still appears to be viable in 1985 with national chains including Radio Shack, General Nutrition Center, Kay Bee Toy and Hobby, Walden Books, Kinney's Shoes, Foot Locker, Lerner's and a Pearle Vision Center. There were also several restaurants that appear to have been locally owned and operated. The two department stores were also still in business. However, with only about thirty to thirty-five stores and no major renovations, the mall was doomed when Southpark Mall, a large regional mall opened next to Interstate 95 in the neighboring city of Colonial Heights, less than ten miles from Walnut Mall in the late 1980s. By 1991, Walnut Mall had been completely vacated -many of the national chains including Penney's moved to Southpark and Walnut Mall was boarded up -"
- ^ http://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2008/12/walnut-mall-south-crater-road-us-301.html Billed as "The Shopping Showplace", WALNUT MALL prospered until the completion of SOUTHPARK MALL {in Colonial Heights} in 1989. The newer, regional-class complex immediately snatched the older center's Penney's. However, the Thalhimers location at WALNUT MALL remained open, competing with a new SOUTHPARK store, until it was permanently shuttered in May 1991. By this time, WALNUT MALL was virtually vacant. It was closed, boarded-up and sat -derelict and decaying- for fifteen years."
- ^ Anne Somerville, marketing director for Southpark
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 37°15′16″N 77°23′32″W / 37.25438°N 77.3923302°W
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