Lakewood Towne Center
Encyclopedia
Lakewood Towne Center is a shopping center located in Lakewood, Washington
, a suburb of Tacoma
. Lakewood Towne Center was created when MBK Northwest bought and demolished the enclosed portion of the failing Lakewood Mall in 2001, and turned the site into an open air destination by creating four distinct components, including a civic center
with a city hall as its centerpiece, a power center, entertainment center, and a neighborhood center. Lakewood Mall itself had been a replacement for the outdoor Villa Plaza Shopping Center.
girls school, Visitation Villa. Visitation Villa was open from 1923 to 1954. On May 3, 1958, former boxing heavyweight champions Joe Louis
and Max Baer visited and signed autographs before being flown by helicopter
to the B & I Circus Store in Tacoma.
subsidiary) by MBK Northwest (a Mitsui
subsidiary) for $28 million. MBK had previously redeveloped the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
in Portland, Oregon
and the Parkway SuperCenter in Tukwila, Washington
. The enclosed portion of Lakewood Mall was demolished in 2001, leaving the anchor stores largely intact to make way for Lakewood Towne Center, which opened in 2002.
In 2004, MBK sold two-thirds of its interest in the mall to Inland Western for $81.1 million. The mall has more than 80 tenants.
Lakewood, Washington
Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...
, a suburb of Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. Lakewood Towne Center was created when MBK Northwest bought and demolished the enclosed portion of the failing Lakewood Mall in 2001, and turned the site into an open air destination by creating four distinct components, including a civic center
Civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building...
with a city hall as its centerpiece, a power center, entertainment center, and a neighborhood center. Lakewood Mall itself had been a replacement for the outdoor Villa Plaza Shopping Center.
Villa Plaza
Villa Plaza Shopping Center opened in 1957 on the site of the former CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
girls school, Visitation Villa. Visitation Villa was open from 1923 to 1954. On May 3, 1958, former boxing heavyweight champions Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
and Max Baer visited and signed autographs before being flown by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to the B & I Circus Store in Tacoma.
Lakewood Mall
In 1985 developer Basil Vyzis acquired Villa Plaza and developed the enclosed Lakewood Mall which opened in 1989 on the site of the former Villa Plaza. Throughout the short life of the mall it suffered from poor reputation, stores that were never occupied, and the closings of major anchor tenants. Vyzis died in 1996.Lakewood Towne Center
In 2001 Lakewood Mall was acquired from ATC Realty Sixteen Inc. (a Wells FargoWells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
subsidiary) by MBK Northwest (a Mitsui
Mitsui
is one of the largest corporate conglomerates in Japan and one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.-History:Founded by Mitsui Takatoshi , who was the fourth son of a shopkeeper in Matsusaka, in what is now today's Mie prefecture...
subsidiary) for $28 million. MBK had previously redeveloped the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter is a shopping mall located in Portland, Oregon on Hayden Island in the Columbia River. Opened in 1972 as Jantzen Beach Mall, it was largely torn down in the mid-1990s for big box development...
in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and the Parkway SuperCenter in Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. The enclosed portion of Lakewood Mall was demolished in 2001, leaving the anchor stores largely intact to make way for Lakewood Towne Center, which opened in 2002.
In 2004, MBK sold two-thirds of its interest in the mall to Inland Western for $81.1 million. The mall has more than 80 tenants.
Current anchors of Lakewood Towne Center
- AMC TheatresAMC TheatresAMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
- Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
(opened 1995) - Bed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & BeyondBed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
(opened 2002) - Burlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
(moved to new space 2003) - MarshallsMarshallsMarshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
(opened 2003) - Office DepotOffice DepotOffice Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
- Old NavyOld NavyOld 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...
(opened 2002) - PetSmartPetSmartPetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
- Ross Dress for LessRoss Dress For LessRoss Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
(opened 2002) - Safeway
- TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
(opened 1989)
Former Anchors of Lakewood Mall and Villa Plaza
- EmporiumTroutman's EmporiumTroutman's Emporium was a chain of department stores founded in 1955 by Dallas Troutman in North Bend, Oregon. Emporium's headquarters was located in Eugene, Oregon. Emporium operated stores in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California and Washington...
(opened 1989 in Lakewood Mall, closed 1998) - Ernst Home & NurseryErnst Home & NurseryErnst Home Centers, Inc. was an chain of home improvement retail stores founded in Seattle, Washington. Ernst was started in 1893 by Seattle brothers Charles and Fred Ernst and became a division of Pay 'n Save, one of the largest retail companies in the Northwestern United States, in 1960. After a...
(opened ?, closed 1995) - Frederick & NelsonFrederick & NelsonFrederick & Nelson was a department store chain in the northwestern United States, based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891 as a furniture store, it later expanded to sell other types of merchandise. The company was acquired by Marshall Field & Company in 1929...
(opened 1979 in Villa Plaza, moved 1989 to Lakewood Mall, closed 1991 became Gottschalks 1992) - J. C. PenneyJ. C. Penney-External links:*...
(opened 1957 in Villa Plaza, closed l1995) - LamontsLamontsLamonts was a chain of department stores founded in Seattle, Washington. The chain was started in 1970 when Pay 'n Save renamed its suburban branches of Rhodes, a department store chain the company acquired in 1965. Lamonts remained a division of Pay 'n Save until 1985...
(opened 1989 in Lakewood Mall, closed 1995) - Liberty HouseLiberty HouseLiberty House, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a department store and specialty store chain with locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands and on Guam, as well as several locations on the mainland U.S.-History:...
(opened in former Rhodes Brothers early 1970s, became Frederick & Nelson 1979, Closed 1988 became Mervyn's 1989) - Mervyn's (opened 1989 in Lakewood Mall, closed 2001)
- Pay 'n SavePay 'n SavePay 'n Save was a retail company founded by Monte Lafayette Bean in Seattle, Washington; 1940. Over the years, Pay 'n Save was the leading drug store chain in Washington and was the owner several Washington-based retailers including Lamonts and Ernst...
(opened ?, closed ?) - Rhodes BrothersRhodes BrothersRhodes Brothers was a department store located in Tacoma, Washington, established in 1892 as a coffee shop in downtown Tacoma by Albert, William, Henry and Charles Rhodes. The store greatly expanded through the years, including having a tea room, a branch library and a separate budget store...
(opened 1957 in Villa Plaza, became Liberty House early 1970s) - Thrifty Drug (opened 1957 in Villa Plaza, closed late 70s?)
- Woolworth (opened 1957 in Villa Plaza, closed late 80s?)
- W. T. GrantW. T. GrantW. T. Grant or Grants was a United States-based chain of mass-merchandise stores founded by William Thomas Grant that operated from 1906 until 1976. The stores were generally of the variety store format located in downtowns.-History:...
(opened 1957 in Villa Plaza, closed?) - GottschalksGottschalksGottschalks was a middle-tier American department store that operated 58 department stores and three specialty apparel stores in six western states ; some locations ran as Harris-Gottschalks stores...
(opened 1992, closed May, 2009) - Joe'sJoe'sG.I. Joe's was a privately owned sporting goods, ready-to-wear clothing, and auto parts retail dealer operating in the Northwestern United States. Founded in 1952, the company had as many as 31 stores, located in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. It was based in Wilsonville, Oregon. In 2007, the...
(opened 2002, known as G.I. Joe's until April 1, 2007. Closed May, 2009)