Bristol Mall
Encyclopedia
Bristol Mall is the only regional shopping mall
serving Bristol, Virginia
. The mall was built in the early to mid 1970s. The mall is notable to the area because it was at one time the largest enclosed indoor mall in the Upper East Tennessee
/Southwest Virginia
area. Anchor store
s of the mall comprise two Belk
stores, as well as JCPenney and Sears
. One of the Belk stores was previously Parks-Belk, while the other, which opened as Miller's Department Store
, later became Hess's
and then Proffitt's
.
In April 1999, Bristol Mall was sold to Aronov Realty Management of Montgomery, Ala., from an affiliate of Urban Retail Properties, Chicago, for $25 million
, and Piccadilly Cafeterias
. With Bristol being the home of country music
, long before Knoxville
or Nashville
, for many years there has been a museum at the mall, showcasing the legacy this left to the area. The mall also contained an off-track betting
site until 1980.
Late 2008 and early 2009 was a hard time for the mall. It lost Subway
, KB Toys
, B. Dalton
, Friedman's Jewelers, Foot Locker
, Pretzel Twister, Villa Pizza, and the Wellmont Healthcare location. Also Village Theaters sold the 5 screen movie theater to Visionary Theaters who later closed the theater. Both groups are Chicago based. Rue 21 opened in 2008 in the area once housing B. Dalton
and a cell phone accessories store.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
serving Bristol, Virginia
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in Virginia, United States, bounded by Washington County, Virginia, Bristol, Tennessee, and Sullivan County, Tennessee....
. The mall was built in the early to mid 1970s. The mall is notable to the area because it was at one time the largest enclosed indoor mall in the Upper East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
/Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
area. Anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s of the mall comprise two Belk
Belk
Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
stores, as well as JCPenney and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
. One of the Belk stores was previously Parks-Belk, while the other, which opened as Miller's Department Store
Miller's Department Store
Miller's Department Store was a chain of department stores based in eastern Tennessee.-History:The company was formed August 1, 1973, from the consolidation by retail conglomerate Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads, Inc. of two related Tennessee-based department stores; Miller Brothers of...
, later became Hess's
Hess's
Hess's was a department store chain based in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the United States.- History :The department store known as Hess Brothers was founded on February 19, 1897, by Charles and Max Hess. Max Hess came to Allentown in 1896 on a business trip and envisioned a...
and then Proffitt's
Proffitt's
Proffitt's was a department store chain based in Alcoa, Tennessee. On March 8, 2006, the Proffitt's and McRae's stores were converted into Belk stores. Belk acquired the two chains in July 2005 from Saks Incorporated.-Beginnings:...
.
In April 1999, Bristol Mall was sold to Aronov Realty Management of Montgomery, Ala., from an affiliate of Urban Retail Properties, Chicago, for $25 million
Stores
Bristol Mall has the usual mix of restaurants, mall services, fast food, and other typical mall stores, as well as a movie theater. There are also nine food establishments including Chick-Fil-AChick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
, and Piccadilly Cafeterias
Piccadilly Cafeterias
Piccadilly Cafeterias is a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants found primarily in the Southern United States.The company began with a single cafeteria in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1944, founded by T.H. Hamilton. Today, the chain operates 130 locations in 15 states.The company expanded in 1998 when...
. With Bristol being the home of country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, long before Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
or Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, for many years there has been a museum at the mall, showcasing the legacy this left to the area. The mall also contained an off-track betting
Off-track betting
Off-track betting refers to sanctioned gambling on horse racing outside a race track.-US history:...
site until 1980.
Late 2008 and early 2009 was a hard time for the mall. It lost Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, KB Toys
KB Toys
K·B Toys was a chain of mall-based retail toy stores in the United States. It was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers. K·B operated 605 stores in 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico as well as Guam. It was privately held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...
, B. Dalton
B. Dalton
B. Dalton Bookseller was an American retail bookstore chain founded in 1966 by the Dayton's department store chain. Located primarily in shopping malls, B. Dalton competed primarily with Waldenbooks, and operated 798 stores at its peak...
, Friedman's Jewelers, Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
, Pretzel Twister, Villa Pizza, and the Wellmont Healthcare location. Also Village Theaters sold the 5 screen movie theater to Visionary Theaters who later closed the theater. Both groups are Chicago based. Rue 21 opened in 2008 in the area once housing B. Dalton
B. Dalton
B. Dalton Bookseller was an American retail bookstore chain founded in 1966 by the Dayton's department store chain. Located primarily in shopping malls, B. Dalton competed primarily with Waldenbooks, and operated 798 stores at its peak...
and a cell phone accessories store.