Ramblings of Silver Blue

DeadMalls.com has good intentions: since all the hype these days is on the “death of the mall”, how about a place that saves the HISTORY of those malls who are dying or have died?

Three Malls in the Hampton Roads area have died; two are nothing more than dust, while the third has been renovated into office space, while a fourth is perhaps on its last legs:

(1) Great American Outlet Mall Celebration Station Outlet Mall (thanks to Charles for the correction) (Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA, site currently occupied by Home Depot). This mall was a series of outlets, It was in an unusual location, and foundered by the early90s, becoming a flea market. Eventually demolished and replaced by a Home Depot Big Box shopping area. Sam’s Club is now across the street in the former HQ store.

(2) Tower Mall (Portsmouth, VA). Home to Bradlees (originally J.M. Fields) and the Montgomery Wards Outlet Center. All the mall occupants had moved out by the time Wards declared bankruptcy in early 2001. The mall was even closed off to “mall walkers”. Upon Wards vacancy, Tower Mall was demolished to make way for “Victory Crossing”, which is a Big Box shopping center with Lowe’s, Dollar Tree, Kroger’s (I believe), Ruby Tuesdays, a video rental place, etc.

(3) Newmarket North Mall (Hampton/Newport News, VA). Home to Miller and Rhodes, Leggett’s, and Sears, and a host of smaller stores, such as Rave, Stuart’s, Camelot Music, Sal’s Italian Restaurant, McDonalds, Everything’s A Dollar, Fine’s Men Shop, Hickory Farms, The Gap, La Vogue, La Vogue Plus, Stuart’s Plus, Singer, Frederick’s of Hollywood, Kay’s Jewelers, K&K Toys,Things Remembered, Treasury Drugs, AMC 4 Theatres, Morisson’s Cafeteria, Chick-Fil-A, Nautilus Arcade, among many others.

The mall was also home to “Tina, The Talking Christmas Tree” in the Legett’s entrance.

Miller and Rhodes went out of business in the 80s, and that anchor was never permanently leased as a retail area again.

The mall was sold, renovated, and rechristened “Newmarket Fair”. Bell Atlantic (now Verizon) put a call center in where Miller and Rhodes used to be, but walled it off from the rest of the Mall. Leggett’s converted into an Outlet, and then when Belk’s bought out the Leggett sisters, the store closed. With the loss of two anchors, the mall struggled, and died. Sears owns its portion of the mall and still does quite a business there with its Auto Center.

There had been talk of Thomas Nelson Community College taking over part of the mall, but that was declined because Hampton/Newport News was greedy with the rent. There had been talk of putting a Colonial Downs Off-Track Betting Parlor in, but the local Churches and residents would rather have had an empty shell of a building than something bringing in revenue.

Eventually, most of the mall was divided up for office space, and it has been rechristened again as the “iNet Center”. I haven’t been in it for almost a year; its glamor and beauty long since faded.

What killed Newmarket North? When the mall was built in the 70s, most people southside traveled to the Peninsula via the James River Bridge, and US Route 17. The mall sits almost at the foot of the Bridge. With the construction of I-664, people started travelling that way (and the construction of Chesapeake Square Mall) which spelled the end of the glory for Newmarket. The shopping center across the street, formerly Newmarket South, now “Newmarket Shopping Center” lost its Rose’s Department Store to Newmarket Plaza across the street. Langley Federal Credit Union moved out, G.C. Murphy’s was purchased by Ames (who went bankrupt), Newsome Discount Store moved in and went under. Hechinger’s was bought out by HQ, who closed the store, before HQ went under in 2000/01. J.C. Penny Portfolio (home furnishings) went under and is now occupied by Goodwill Industries. A&N moved down into the old Rose’s storefront. Many smaller stores went out and were replaced by “Heartbreak Alley” (a nightclub). Crumb’s Bakery went out of business, as did Kam Ling (home to some of the best Chinese food you could ever have eaten). The Newmarket Theaters went under in the late 90s, though the buildings remain. I think Newmarket Lanes still is there, however. The A&P turned into a Super Fresh, which was converted into a Farmer Jack’s. When the parent company went bankrupt, the building was demolished and a new Food Lion was built on the site.

(4) Coliseum Mall (Hampton, VA): Five achors to this mall: Originally Korvette’s, Smith & Welton’s, Rice’s Nachmans, Thalhimers, and J.C. Penney. Korvette’s went bankrupt in 1980; replaced by Montgomery Wards that went bankrupt in 2000/01. Thalhimers was bought out by Hechts. Smith and Welton’s went bankrupt, and was replaced with a Children’s Palace Toy Store, which went bankrupt in the late 80s. Rice’s Nachmans was purchased by Hess’ Department store, which sold out to Proffitt’s (who took over the Rice’s Nachmans site as well as the empty Children’s Palace site). Proffitt’s sold out to Dillard’s, which maintains both sites. Barnes and Noble moved in the Ward’s wing, though not in the anchor store. Supposedly, Burlington Coat Factory will be moving in by the end of the year. The mall has undergone 3 major renovations since 1980, but still has numerous empty storefronts, including one rented by the City of Hampton, as well as the former San Francisco Music Box Company, and the Disney Store.

As far as Strip malls go, here are some of the more notable:

(1) Mercury Center Plaza (Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA): Former home to Roses, Montgomery Wards, One Hour Martinizing, Giant Open Air, Rite Aid Drug Store, and speciality shops. Wards moved to Coliseum Mall in the early 80s, though it’s auto center remained on site until the company folded. HQ and Circuit City occupied the vacant Wards store. Burlington Coat Factory bought out the center portion of the “mall” and currently occupies it. Roses went out in the early 90s. Giant’s turned into a Farm Fresh (who closed the small laundrymat outside). There was a Crestar Bank on the corner of that side; Farm Fresh caught fire and burned, effectively closing that side of the strip (Rite Aid having gone out of business at that location in the 80s.) HQ went out of business in 2000/01, and in one of the quickest store closings, Circuit City announced on a monday in 2002 that their store would be closing by the following friday. And so it was. They tore town the old Farm Fresh wing while Roses and the old Wards property sit and decay. When Burlington Coat Facotry makes the jump to Coliseum Mall later this year, I expect the strip to be razed.

(2) Riverdale Plaza (Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA). Home at one time to J.M. Fields, Pantry Pride, the Riverdale Twin Theaters, a member’s only gym, ABC Store, and Langely Federal Credit Untion corporate offices, and a number of smaller, speciality stores. Pantry Pride became a drug store, and is now a Office Depot. After J.M. Fields went bankrupt in 1978, it later became a Lionel Play World, a Mr. How, a Builder’s Square, then a Hill’s Department Store before Ames acquired them and then went bankrupt. The store remains vacant. Super Fresh built a stand-alone store, and it is now vacant. Just For Feet built a store, went bankrupt, and is now a Bedroom store. The theaters stand vacant. The gym was purchased by Bally’s, and then abandonded in 2002.

(3) GEX Plaza (Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA). Once home to a goverment-only “members” club, G.E.X., now houses Toys R Us, A.J. Wrght (formerly T.J. Maxx), a Hair Cuttery, and a Blockbuster Video. Chuck E. Cheese’s moved out and Drug/Med Emporium went bankrupt. The GEX Tire store (not affiliated with GEX proper) went out in the late 80s. A Food Lion was built in the parking lot. Next to GEX Plaza was a smaller strip with Haynes, Lou Smith Grocery, a Revco, and another store whose name escapes me, which is now a CHKD Thrift Store. Haynes moved to Denbigh. Lou Smith was bought out by Giant/Farm Fresh became an Office Warehouse (owned by HQ), then an MCI call center (CCCI), and now sits vacant. The Revco turned into a Eckards, which closed when the larger stand alone store opened in 2001.

(4) Langley Square (Mercury Blvd): Former home to Be-Lo Markets, People’s Drug Store, and Murphy’s Mart. Ames bought Murphy’s Mart in the 80s, and went bankrupt for the first time (the second bankruptcy took out the Hill’s in Riverdale). People’s was bought out by Revco, and went out of business. Be-Lo’s shuttered in the late 80s/early 90s. Fritita’s Dogs, and Ling Nam Chinese are the only two original occupants remaning. The center underwent a renaissance and now has a Food Lion, a Family Dollar, and a Popeye’s Chicken.

(5) Todd’s Center: Former home to Safeway, People’s Drug, Woolco, and WGH-FM, as well as two banks. Safeway was bought out locally by Giant/Farm Fresh. It is now a Grand Discount Furniture. People’s Drug was bought out by Revco and became a Piece Goods Shop, then Hancock Fabric Store. WGH-FM studios are now the Old Country Buffett. The stand-alone restaurant in the parking lot became a Tracks Music Store, then a Blockbuster Music, and now is a Wherehouse Music. When Woolco went bankrupt in the early 80s, the store became a Bradlee’s, which went out of business by 1989. F/X Electronics Superstore and Service Merchandise divided up the space. Six months after opening, F/X (a subsidary, some say, of Haynes) went out of business. Their 2/3s of the old Woolco building became Big Lots and OfficeMax. Service Merchandise bought the reminants of Best Products (including their credit lines) before succombing themselves to bankruptcy. Paul’s Arts and Crafts now occupies the space, giving them almost 3 times the space they need. It is disheartening to see the store that vacant and underutilized from when I saw it in its heyday.

(5) King’s Plaza (Jefferson Avenue, Newport News). Formerly occupied by King’s Department Store and smaller stores, and a Greyhouse Bus Station. King’s went under in the early 80s. It became “The King Flea” Market but the last few times I drove by, appeared to be abandonded. Greyhound moved their station in the 90s.

(6) Strip Mall (Name Unknown) (Little Creek Road, Norfolk, VA). Former home to J.M. Fields and Pantry Fride, later to Bradlee’s and Drug Emporium, then to HQ, then to Hills, then to Ames (now vacant). The Drug Emporium became a Hannaford’s, and is now a Kroger’s.

(7) Strip Mall (Name Unknown) (Little Creek Road, Norfolk, VA) Former home to Pantry Pride, directly across from Shoney’s, down towards Shore drive. Building currently vacant. Sonic built and opened in the parking lot in the past year.

(8) Janaf Shopping Center (Military Highway, Norfolk, VA). Formerly home to JC Penny’s Portfolio, Old Navy, Theatres, with a Wards in the parking lot and an HQ in the parking lot (HQ moved from #6 to this location). Theaters demolished to make way for Wal-Mart expansion. Wards building gutted and being renovated for Big Box shopping. HQ remains empty. Portfolio gutted and renovated; mostly empty storefronts. JANAF, by the way, stood for Joint Army Navy and Air Force.

(9) Strip Mall (Name Unknown) Lynnhaven and Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA. Former Woolco, later HQ, later Hills, later Ames. Now sits vacant. Farm Fresh demolished part of original building and built new building.

(10) Strip Mall (Name Unknown) (Independence and Virgnia Beach Blvds, Virginia Beach, VA). Former JM Fields and Pantry Pride location. Pantry Pride demolished and turned into a Luskin’s. JM Fields became a Mr. How, then a Builder’s Square (which it remained long after HQ bought it out), then an HQ. Hannaford’s built in the parking lot, taken over by Kroger’s, closed in September 2002. Luskin’s bankrupt in the 90s, store became an OfficeMax and a Gateway Country. Rumour is Gateway Country will be/already has closed.

Too many strip malls in Portsmouth to attempt to describe that are no longer with us, but slowly decaying.