Cary Towne Center
Encyclopedia
Cary Towne Center is an indoor shopping mall
in Cary
, North Carolina
managed by CBL & Associates Properties.
Originally planned in 1972, the mall was first proposed as the adjacent Cary Village Mall and Cary Village Square projects and then ultimately as a $25 million Village Center by local developers Seby Jones (who built Crabtree Valley Mall
and J.W. York (who build Cameron Village
). Village Center was to be a 78 acres (315,655.1 m²), 75 store project including 3 office buildings as well as a (never built) motel. The request to rezone the area to allow construction of the mall drew much controversy from nearby residents calling themselves "Citizens for the Better Direction of Cary" who worried about increased traffic as well as the property's proximity to Cary High School, Henry Adams School and East Cary School. The group hired an attorney and pressured the town council to closely monitor the development causing York to complain that everything had to be approved "10 times". Cary Village Mall opened on February 21, 1979 with 325000 square feet (30,193.5 m²) of retail space anchored by Ivey's
(now Dillard's
) and Hudson Belk (now Belk) as well as outbuildings occupied by Star Food Store (now Harris Teeter
).
In 1991, the mall was renamed Cary Towne Center and expanded to 1.1. million square feet by then owners Richard E. Jacobs group in reaction to the proposed Crossroads Plaza "mega-mall" being planned only a mile away. A food court was added along with three new anchors: Thalhimers (now Macy's
), JC Penney, and Sears, and the mall assumed its new moniker . Dillard's was added a year later, replacing the original Ivey's store which had been a tenant since 1979. Thalhimer's became Hecht's in 1992, which became Macy's in 2006.
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...
in Cary
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
managed by CBL & Associates Properties.
Originally planned in 1972, the mall was first proposed as the adjacent Cary Village Mall and Cary Village Square projects and then ultimately as a $25 million Village Center by local developers Seby Jones (who built Crabtree Valley Mall
Crabtree Valley Mall
Crabtree Valley Mall is a regional mall located in Raleigh, North Carolina. At , it is the largest enclosed mall in the Triangle. Crabtree Valley contains over 220 stores and is anchored by Belk, Sears, and Macy's. Higher-end restaurants located in the mall include The Cheesecake Factory, P. F...
and J.W. York (who build Cameron Village
Cameron Village
Cameron Village was the first planned community to be developed in Raleigh, North Carolina. Development was started in 1947 when J.W. York and R.A Bryan bought 158 acres of undeveloped land two miles west of downtown Raleigh, near the North Carolina State University campus. The "village" was to...
). Village Center was to be a 78 acres (315,655.1 m²), 75 store project including 3 office buildings as well as a (never built) motel. The request to rezone the area to allow construction of the mall drew much controversy from nearby residents calling themselves "Citizens for the Better Direction of Cary" who worried about increased traffic as well as the property's proximity to Cary High School, Henry Adams School and East Cary School. The group hired an attorney and pressured the town council to closely monitor the development causing York to complain that everything had to be approved "10 times". Cary Village Mall opened on February 21, 1979 with 325000 square feet (30,193.5 m²) of retail space anchored by Ivey's
Ivey's
Ivey's , a former department store chain, was acquired by Dillard's, Inc. in 1990. Ivey's was based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded in 1900 by Joseph Benjamin Ivey.-History:...
(now Dillard's
Dillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
) and Hudson Belk (now Belk) as well as outbuildings occupied by Star Food Store (now Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter is a chain of supermarkets based in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte. , the chain operates 207 stores in eight Southern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.Harris Teeter is a...
).
In 1991, the mall was renamed Cary Towne Center and expanded to 1.1. million square feet by then owners Richard E. Jacobs group in reaction to the proposed Crossroads Plaza "mega-mall" being planned only a mile away. A food court was added along with three new anchors: Thalhimers (now Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
), JC Penney, and Sears, and the mall assumed its new moniker . Dillard's was added a year later, replacing the original Ivey's store which had been a tenant since 1979. Thalhimer's became Hecht's in 1992, which became Macy's in 2006.
Anchors
- BelkBelkBelk 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...
(160993 sq ft (14,956.7 m²) Opened in 1979. Signed as Hudson Belk until 2010) - J.C. PenneyJ.C. PenneyJ. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
(97087 sq ft (9,019.7 m²) Opened in 1991. 1 floor, with offices on a second floor) - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(103515 sq ft (9,616.9 m²)., Opened in 1991 as Thalhimer'sThalhimer'sThalhimers was a department store in the Southern United States. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the venerable chain at its peak operated dozens of stores in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and one store in Memphis, Tennessee....
, changed to Hecht'sHecht'sHecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores located mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States....
in 1992, changed to Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
in 2006. 2 floors.) - Dillard'sDillard'sDillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
(152428 sq ft (14,161 m²) Opened in 1979 as Ivey'sIvey'sIvey's , a former department store chain, was acquired by Dillard's, Inc. in 1990. Ivey's was based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded in 1900 by Joseph Benjamin Ivey.-History:...
, expanded and reopened 1992. 2 floors.) - Sears (92709 sq ft (8,612.9 m²) Opened in 1991. 1 floor)