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East Brook Mall

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Coordinates: 41°44′05″N 72°12′01″W / 41.7348°N 72.2004°W / 41.7348; -72.2004
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East Brook Mall
The East Brook Mall
Map
LocationMansfield, Connecticut, nearby Willimantic
Coordinates41°44′05″N 72°12′01″W / 41.7348°N 72.2004°W / 41.7348; -72.2004
Address93 Storrs Rd. (Route 195)
Opening dateApril 24, 1975 (1975-04-24); 47 years ago
No. of stores and services25
No. of anchor tenants3
Total retail floor area281,063 square feet (26,111.6 m2)
No. of floors1
ParkingRoughly 400 Spaces
Public transit accessWRTD Willimantic-Storrs Route
Websitewww.eastbrookmallct.com

The East Brook Mall is a mall located in Mansfield, Connecticut that was built to serve Willimantic and the surrounding area.[1] The mall currently has 25 stores, including 3 anchor stores, Kohl's, TJ Maxx, and Michaels.[2] When measured by available retail space, it is the smallest mall in Connecticut, as well as the third smallest mall in New England

History

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The mall was opened on April 24, 1975, to the public to be the first mall opened in Northeastern Connecticut. It was opened with 3 anchor stores, Caldor, Sage-Allen, and A&P Supermarkets.[3] In 1986, a small expansion to the back of the mall was completed, making the mall a T-shaped structure. The three anchors remained until Sage-Allen closed all its shops in 1993, including the one in the mall.[4] Shortly after, A&P Supermarkets closed its store in 1994.[5] Cherry & Webb opened in Sage-Allen's shop between 1993 and 1995 until JCPenney replaced the store in mid-1995.[6] In the same year, TJ Maxx opened in the former supermarket.[5]

21st century

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An Applebee's and Savings Bank Institute (now Berkshire Bank) both opened in external locations in the parking lot in 2001.[7] Caldor finally closed its store in 1999 and was replaced by Ames.[8] Ames ended up closing after its bankruptcy in 2002.[9] A movie theater opened in the mall in 2004 and closed briefly in 2009, only to reopen under new owners.[10][11] In 2005, the mall was renovated, adding glass atrium entrances, a wooden outdoor canopy, new paint, lighting, and skylights. Kohl's opened in Caldor's former space in 2006.[12] In August 2013 JCPenney closed its store inside the mall.[13][14] In the same year, a Michaels opened up next to TJ Maxx.[15] Following years of vacancy in the former J.C. Penney space, the space was divided into three smaller units and occupied by Dressbarn, Questers Way, a children's recreation facility.[16] and Dollar Tree. The Dressbarn location closed in 2019, after the chain's bankruptcy.[17] Also in 2019, Questers Way closed, saying that business did not match expectations. In early 2020, Old Navy began construction on a new location at the mall. This location opened in November of the same year and took over the space of both Questers Way and Dressbarn. As part of this construction, interior access to the mall, which dates back to the Sage-Allen occupancy, was sealed. This made the Old Navy accessible only from the parking lot, which led some to predict a decrease in mall foot traffic.[18] The East Brook Mall vacancy rate is 17%,[19] slightly above the industry average of 11%.[20] As of 2021, vacant spaces include a former Olympia Sports, Radio Shack, and Hallmark store. The largest vacant space is located in the west side of the mall. It opened as a Waldenbooks and was most recently occupied by a home goods store known as Art of Home and Kitchen. The TD Bank has been replaced by a Spectrum Mobile store, and what was once Children's Place is now a liquor store. Similar to Old Navy's construction process but on a smaller scale, a Sally Beauty took over half of the former Payless Shoe Source in 2021 and sealed off the interior access to the mall. As early as April 2021, mall ownership indicated that there was a prospective tenant for the other half of the space, but as of April 2022, it remains vacant.

Major store list

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Major stores inside the mall.[2]

Former store list

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References

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  1. ^ "Proposed Retail Building and Addition at Eastbrook Mall" (PDF). www.mansfieldct.gov. BL Corporation. December 1, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "East Brook Mall | Mansfield, Connecticut". www.eastbrookmallct.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  3. ^ "The Hartford Courant article archive - Display Ad 9 -- No Title". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. ProQuest 543714091. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  4. ^ Hamilton, Robert A. (1993-04-25). "The View From: Mansfield; With the Loss of an Anchor, a Mall Looks for a Life Preserver". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  5. ^ a b "T.j. Maxx To Fill Vacant Storefront On Route 195". tribunedigital-thecourant. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  6. ^ "Clothing Store To Leave Mall". tribunedigital-thecourant. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  7. ^ Heidinger, Kurt (January 3, 2012). "MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA" (PDF). mansfieldct.gov/. Town of Mansfield. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  8. ^ "Ames To Open 7 New Stores At Caldor Sites". tribunedigital-thecourant. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  9. ^ Dimaio, Nicholas M. (2006-12-05). "The Caldor Rainbow: East Brook Mall; Willimantic-Mansfield, Connecticut". The Caldor Rainbow. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  10. ^ "East Brook Mall to add a theater". Daily Campus. 2004. Retrieved November 26, 2016.[dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Mansfield Movieplex in Mansfield, CT - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  12. ^ "Company of the Month: Northeast Retail Leasing works on your property as if they were the owner". nerej.com. New England Real Estate Journal Online. June 27, 2014. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  13. ^ M. Painter, Linda (June 27, 2013). "MINUTES MANSFIELD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION" (PDF). www.mansfieldct.gov. Town of Mansfield. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  14. ^ "J.C. Penney Will Close East Brook Mall Store August 3". Mansfield-Storrs, CT Patch. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  15. ^ "East Brook Mall | Mansfield, Connecticut". www.eastbrookmallct.com. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  16. ^ "Questers' Way". 21 July 2017.
  17. ^ "Dressbarn to close all stores".
  18. ^ "New Old Navy Should Have Direct Access into East Brook Mall". 27 February 2020.
  19. ^ https://realnex.com/listings/617897/east-brook-mall-%7C-1000-sf-22870-sf-retail-space [bare URL]
  20. ^ "Mall vacancies jump at fastest pace on record, hitting new high, as retailers cull store counts". CNBC. 7 April 2021.
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