Cottonwood Mall (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Encyclopedia
Cottonwood Mall is a shopping mall
located in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, United States
. The mall is anchored by Dillard's
, JCPenney, Macy's
(formerly Foley's
), and Sears (formerly Montgomery Ward
). The mall is the second largest mall in the state of New Mexico (after Coronado Center
) with a gross leasable area
of 1041680 square feet (96,775.2 m²).; it features over 130 stores, as well as a food court
and Regal Cinemas
(formerly United Artists) Theater. Cottonwood Mall is managed by Simon Property Group
.
In 1947,Mr. Black's son Albert J. Black purchased the interests of Mr. Guy Ray out of the Black Ranch. A.J. Black then surveyed out a small portion of the Black Ranch (1150 acres) for a new airport development. This portion of the land became known as the Seven Bar Ranch, named after the livestock brand used for the Black Ranch—a 7 on the right shoulder and a bar across the right nose of the livestock. The A. J. Black built an adobe home out of adobes he made himself in 1946 and in 1947 constructed the small airport with dirt runways which was known as the "Alameda Airport". He started with his wife Mary J. Black an airport business called the 7 Bar Flying Service to operate this facility. 7 Bar Flying Service was ultimately taken over by the Black's son Rolfe Black and later by Rolfe's son Wade Black.
In 1960, the Black Ranch sold 8600 acres (34.8 km²) of the ranch to US Land Corporation. US Land Corporation (later to become Horizon Corporation) hired Gruen and Associates of Los Angeles, CA to masterplan the first planned community on the West Side of Albuquerque which became known as Paradise Hills. Lster the Black Ranch sold another 4000 acres (16.2 km²) to Horizon Corporation to add to the Paradise Hills project. Later in 1960 the neighboring rancher north of the Black Ranch, the Koontz Family, also sold their land to the buyers who eventually formed Rio Rancho Estates that became the City of Rio Rancho, a 93000 acres (376.4 km²) subdivision.
In response to the development pressure surrounding the Black Family's Seven Bar Ranch land, Albert Black and his wife assigned their son John F. Black the duties of developing the family's real estate. The A.J. Black family then formed a real estate investment and development company named "Seven Bar Land and Cattle Company" and John Black served as the Managing Partner of that company until 1992. In 1972, Seven Bar Land and Cattle started the first commercial development, the Corrales Shopping Center a 107000 square feet (9,940.6 m²) project anchored by Safeway and Walgreens. In 1976, SBL&C hired A. Wayne Smith from Tempe Arizona to master plan the 1150 acres (4.7 km²) of the Seven Bar Ranch. Smith's projects in Scottsdale include the Gainey Ranch, the McCormick Ranch, and Ocatillo in Chandler. Between 1972 and 1984, John Black led the efforts to also develop the Corrales Office Park, Las Tiendas Shopping Center, and Alameda West Shopping Center, along with several other smaller developments.
In 1980, SBL&C and John Black were approached by a real estate representative of the Simon Mall Company for a new retail regional mall. SBL&C initially ground leased a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) site to the Simon Group in the Seven Bar Ranch. Later on in negotiations,the Simon Group requested that the Black Family rezone and move the mall site to a 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) site in the location of the Seven Bar Airport. After several years and numerous zoning lawsuits with the neighboring Village of Corrales, the family and Simon succeeded in their rezoning effort for the new Simon Mall which Simon named Cottonwood Mall. In 1986 the Alameda Airport closed and Seven Bar Flying Service moved its airport operations to the Albuquerque International Airport.
When Cottonwood Mall opened in 1994, it was the first regional mall to open in Albuquerque in thirty years. To this day, it is the newest enclosed shopping mall in New Mexico. Original anchors included Dillard's
, Foley's
, JCPenney, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward
. Montgomery Ward closed in 2000 with the demise of the chain and was replaced with Sears. Old Navy
was later added above the Cottonwood Starport Theater during one of its many expansions. During 2006, Foley's appeared briefly in advertising as Foley's-Macy's before the nationwide conversion of May Company stores to the Macy's nameplate. On December 31, 2008, Mervyn's closed all stores due to bankruptcy, and the space that housed Mervyn's remains vacant to this day, although it has been leased in 2009 and again in 2010 as a temporary store for Halloween costumes.
every year, Cottonwood Mall is also home to New Mexico Book Co-Op, a locally owned bookstore which sells only local books and products; such books and products are ordinarily not found in traditional bookstores.
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...
located in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The mall is anchored by 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,...
, JCPenney, 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...
(formerly Foley's
Foley's
Foley’s was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. As of August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's South divisions. Foley's operated stores in Texas,...
), and Sears (formerly Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
). The mall is the second largest mall in the state of New Mexico (after Coronado Center
Coronado Center
Coronado Center is a 2 level super-regional enclosed shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Coronado is one of 3 malls located in the Albuquerque area.-Background:...
) with a gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
of 1041680 square feet (96,775.2 m²).; it features over 130 stores, as well as a food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
and Regal Cinemas
Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group also known as REG is a movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regal operates the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuit in the United States, consisting of 6,775 screens in 548 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of...
(formerly United Artists) Theater. Cottonwood Mall is managed by Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
.
History
Cottonwood Mall was built on part of a 89000 acres (360.2 km²) parcel of land given by King Philip IV of Spain in 1710 to Francisco Montes Vigil and Captain Juan Gonzales of the Spanish Army. This "Land Grant" by King Phillip included valuable range land and farm land for sheep and cattle and horses. The name "Alameda Land Grant" was based on the Spanish word alameda which means "cottonwood grove" in Spanish. In 1929, 20500 acres (83 km²) of the Alameda Grant were purchased by Albert F. Black and his partner, Guy Ray, who were both from West Virginia. A.F. Black moved his family to Albuquerque in 1929 from West Virginia. A.F. Black's son Albert J. Black who was 18 years old at that time was chosen by A.F. Black to help manage the 20500 acres (83 km²) ranch and farm which became known as the "Black Ranch". This ranch was approximately seven miles wide and ten miles (16 km) deep east to west. The east boundary was the Rio Grande River and the west boundary was the Rio Puerco "breaks" (also known as the "Ceja" which means eyebrow in Spanish) where the land began to fall into the Rio Puerco Valley west of Albuquerque.In 1947,Mr. Black's son Albert J. Black purchased the interests of Mr. Guy Ray out of the Black Ranch. A.J. Black then surveyed out a small portion of the Black Ranch (1150 acres) for a new airport development. This portion of the land became known as the Seven Bar Ranch, named after the livestock brand used for the Black Ranch—a 7 on the right shoulder and a bar across the right nose of the livestock. The A. J. Black built an adobe home out of adobes he made himself in 1946 and in 1947 constructed the small airport with dirt runways which was known as the "Alameda Airport". He started with his wife Mary J. Black an airport business called the 7 Bar Flying Service to operate this facility. 7 Bar Flying Service was ultimately taken over by the Black's son Rolfe Black and later by Rolfe's son Wade Black.
In 1960, the Black Ranch sold 8600 acres (34.8 km²) of the ranch to US Land Corporation. US Land Corporation (later to become Horizon Corporation) hired Gruen and Associates of Los Angeles, CA to masterplan the first planned community on the West Side of Albuquerque which became known as Paradise Hills. Lster the Black Ranch sold another 4000 acres (16.2 km²) to Horizon Corporation to add to the Paradise Hills project. Later in 1960 the neighboring rancher north of the Black Ranch, the Koontz Family, also sold their land to the buyers who eventually formed Rio Rancho Estates that became the City of Rio Rancho, a 93000 acres (376.4 km²) subdivision.
In response to the development pressure surrounding the Black Family's Seven Bar Ranch land, Albert Black and his wife assigned their son John F. Black the duties of developing the family's real estate. The A.J. Black family then formed a real estate investment and development company named "Seven Bar Land and Cattle Company" and John Black served as the Managing Partner of that company until 1992. In 1972, Seven Bar Land and Cattle started the first commercial development, the Corrales Shopping Center a 107000 square feet (9,940.6 m²) project anchored by Safeway and Walgreens. In 1976, SBL&C hired A. Wayne Smith from Tempe Arizona to master plan the 1150 acres (4.7 km²) of the Seven Bar Ranch. Smith's projects in Scottsdale include the Gainey Ranch, the McCormick Ranch, and Ocatillo in Chandler. Between 1972 and 1984, John Black led the efforts to also develop the Corrales Office Park, Las Tiendas Shopping Center, and Alameda West Shopping Center, along with several other smaller developments.
In 1980, SBL&C and John Black were approached by a real estate representative of the Simon Mall Company for a new retail regional mall. SBL&C initially ground leased a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) site to the Simon Group in the Seven Bar Ranch. Later on in negotiations,the Simon Group requested that the Black Family rezone and move the mall site to a 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) site in the location of the Seven Bar Airport. After several years and numerous zoning lawsuits with the neighboring Village of Corrales, the family and Simon succeeded in their rezoning effort for the new Simon Mall which Simon named Cottonwood Mall. In 1986 the Alameda Airport closed and Seven Bar Flying Service moved its airport operations to the Albuquerque International Airport.
When Cottonwood Mall opened in 1994, it was the first regional mall to open in Albuquerque in thirty years. To this day, it is the newest enclosed shopping mall in New Mexico. Original anchors included 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,...
, Foley's
Foley's
Foley’s was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. As of August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's South divisions. Foley's operated stores in Texas,...
, JCPenney, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
. Montgomery Ward closed in 2000 with the demise of the chain and was replaced with Sears. Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
was later added above the Cottonwood Starport Theater during one of its many expansions. During 2006, Foley's appeared briefly in advertising as Foley's-Macy's before the nationwide conversion of May Company stores to the Macy's nameplate. On December 31, 2008, Mervyn's closed all stores due to bankruptcy, and the space that housed Mervyn's remains vacant to this day, although it has been leased in 2009 and again in 2010 as a temporary store for Halloween costumes.
1999 lawsuit
In 1999, Cottonwood Mall was one of three New Mexico malls involved in a federal lawsuit regarding free speech. The malls had their rights of activity regulation challenged after protesters attempted to hand out leaflets at the malls. The case was dismissed. The 1972 case Lloyd Corp. v. Tanner states that shopping malls may limit speech activities (such as distribution of pamphlets) on premises.Book Co-Op
From Thanksgiving Day to New Year's DayNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
every year, Cottonwood Mall is also home to New Mexico Book Co-Op, a locally owned bookstore which sells only local books and products; such books and products are ordinarily not found in traditional bookstores.