Lynnhaven Mall
Encyclopedia
Lynnhaven Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall
in Virginia Beach, Virginia
, USA
. It opened in August 1981. At 1170000 square feet (108,696.6 m²) of gross leasable area
, it is not only the largest mall in the Hampton Roads
metropolitan area of southeastern Virginia, but also one of the largest malls on the East Coast
. The mall features more than 180 stores, including Dillard's
, JCPenney, and Macy's
as anchor store
s. Other notable stores at the mall include Barnes & Noble
, Dick's Sporting Goods
, XXI Forever
, H&M
,and Old Navy
. The mall also features a full-sized carousel
and children's play area inside the glass-enclosed main entrance, as well as a 650-seat food court
comprising 17 eateries surrounding a vaulted two-story atrium
. An 18 screen AMC Theatres
complex anchors an open-air pedestrian plaza
called "The Inlet". The mall is managed by General Growth Properties
of Chicago, Illinois.
) of Indianapolis, Indiana
, on Lynnhaven Parkway south of Interstate 264
(then State Route 44). The mall originally included five anchor stores: national chains JCPenney and Montgomery Ward
, as well as regional chains Rices Nachmans
, Thalhimers, Miller & Rhoads
and Leggett. Over time, all of the anchors with the exception JCPenney and Montgomery Ward would be changed several times. The first to change was Rices Nachmans, which became Hess's
in 1984.
Miller & Rhoads closed in 1990 as part of the chain's bankruptcy, and was converted to Hecht's
that year. Hess's closed at Lynnhaven Mall on March 30, 1991, as part of a corporate decision to eliminate smaller and underperforming stores. Its location was then sold to the Limited Brands
, who converted the space to several of their brands, including The Limited superstore which opened in early 1992. Thalhimers closed in 1992 as well, and became a second Hecht's location. The two Hecht's stores remained until 1998, when the chain built a new location opposite the former Miller & Rhoads.
Leggett was sold to Belk
in 1997; one year later, the store was transferred to Dillard's
as part of a multi-store trade. Dillard's also acquired the former Thalhimers, placing its women's departments in one and men's departments in the other. In addition, Lord & Taylor
opened a store in 1999 in the original Miller & Rhoads space. An electronics store called Freedom Electronics opened next to the newly opened Hecht's.
of Chicago, Illinois in 2003 for $256.6 million. Freedom Electronics' closure made way for a DSW Shoe Warehouse which did not open out to the mall. Lord & Taylor also closed in early 2005, as part of then-parent company The May Department Stores Company's decision to eliminate thirty-four underperforming locations. The former Lord & Taylor at Lynnhaven Mall has not been replaced with another anchor since its closure. The Montgomery Ward space at the mall was divided among Dick's Sporting Goods
, Barnes & Noble
and Steve & Barry's
between 2003-2005. Dillard's expanded the former Thalhimers and moved into it in 2005 so as to vacate the former Leggett/Belk which was then demolished and rebuilt into an outdoor plaza called The Inlet anchored by an AMC Theatres
complex, the first theater at the mall since the two United Artists Theaters closed in the 1990s (were located upstairs near food court and downstairs next to where Macy's is now located). Hecht's, another nameplate of May Company, was converted to Macy's
in 2006 when Federated Department Stores (now Macy's, Inc.) acquired the May Company and converted several May nameplates to the Macy's brand. H&M
also opened in a portion of the former Hess's space when The Limited moved to a new location, and Steve & Barry's closed on January 30, 2009 with the company's liquidation
and became Furniture Mart in 2010. DSW Shoe Warehouse moved out as well, and was replaced by a Forever 21
. On April 21, 2009, mall owner General Growth Properties
filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection but has promised to honor all GGP gift cards and keep all its operating malls (Lynnhaven Mall among them) open during the proceedings.
On February 16, 2010, Simon Property Group (the original owners of Lynnhaven Mall) announced that it has placed a bid to acquire General Growth Properties in a deal worth $10 billion. The bid was actually made on February 8, 2010, however, it wasn't announced to the public until February 16. However Simon cancelled the merger bid on May 7, 2010. Had the bid been approved, ownership of Lynnhaven Mall would have returned to Simon.
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 Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened in August 1981. At 1170000 square feet (108,696.6 m²) of 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...
, it is not only the largest mall in the Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
metropolitan area of southeastern Virginia, but also one of the largest malls on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. The mall features more than 180 stores, including 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, and 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...
as 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. Other notable stores at the mall include Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & 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...
, Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
, XXI Forever
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....
, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
,and 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...
. The mall also features a full-sized carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
and children's play area inside the glass-enclosed main entrance, as well as a 650-seat 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...
comprising 17 eateries surrounding a vaulted two-story atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
. An 18 screen AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres
AMC 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...
complex anchors an open-air pedestrian plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
called "The Inlet". The mall is managed by General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
of Chicago, Illinois.
History
Lynnhaven mall opened in 1981. The mall was built by Melvin Simon & Associates (now Simon Property GroupSimon 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...
) of Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, on Lynnhaven Parkway south of Interstate 264
Interstate 264 (Virginia)
Interstate 264 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River into Norfolk...
(then State Route 44). The mall originally included five anchor stores: national chains JCPenney 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...
, as well as regional chains Rices Nachmans
Rices Nachmans
Rices Nachmans was a department store chain that operated eight stores in the Tidewater region of Virginia. The stores were converted to Hess's stores in 1985 after the chain was sold to Hess's by owner Philips-Van Heusen....
, Thalhimers, Miller & Rhoads
Miller & Rhoads
Miller & Rhoads was a Virginia-based department store chain. Throughout its 105 year life-span, the store played an active role in the Richmond community, along with its friendly cross-street rival Thalhimers.- Origins :...
and Leggett. Over time, all of the anchors with the exception JCPenney and Montgomery Ward would be changed several times. The first to change was Rices Nachmans, which 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...
in 1984.
Miller & Rhoads closed in 1990 as part of the chain's bankruptcy, and was converted to Hecht's
Hecht's
Hecht'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....
that year. Hess's closed at Lynnhaven Mall on March 30, 1991, as part of a corporate decision to eliminate smaller and underperforming stores. Its location was then sold to the Limited Brands
Limited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
, who converted the space to several of their brands, including The Limited superstore which opened in early 1992. Thalhimers closed in 1992 as well, and became a second Hecht's location. The two Hecht's stores remained until 1998, when the chain built a new location opposite the former Miller & Rhoads.
Leggett was sold to 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...
in 1997; one year later, the store was transferred to 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,...
as part of a multi-store trade. Dillard's also acquired the former Thalhimers, placing its women's departments in one and men's departments in the other. In addition, Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
opened a store in 1999 in the original Miller & Rhoads space. An electronics store called Freedom Electronics opened next to the newly opened Hecht's.
2000s
Montgomery Ward closed in 2001 with the chain's bankruptcy. Simon sold the mall to General Growth PropertiesGeneral Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
of Chicago, Illinois in 2003 for $256.6 million. Freedom Electronics' closure made way for a DSW Shoe Warehouse which did not open out to the mall. Lord & Taylor also closed in early 2005, as part of then-parent company The May Department Stores Company's decision to eliminate thirty-four underperforming locations. The former Lord & Taylor at Lynnhaven Mall has not been replaced with another anchor since its closure. The Montgomery Ward space at the mall was divided among Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...
, Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & 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...
and Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
between 2003-2005. Dillard's expanded the former Thalhimers and moved into it in 2005 so as to vacate the former Leggett/Belk which was then demolished and rebuilt into an outdoor plaza called The Inlet anchored by an AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres
AMC 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...
complex, the first theater at the mall since the two United Artists Theaters closed in the 1990s (were located upstairs near food court and downstairs next to where Macy's is now located). Hecht's, another nameplate of May Company, was converted to 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...
in 2006 when Federated Department Stores (now Macy's, Inc.) acquired the May Company and converted several May nameplates to the Macy's brand. H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
also opened in a portion of the former Hess's space when The Limited moved to a new location, and Steve & Barry's closed on January 30, 2009 with the company's liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
and became Furniture Mart in 2010. DSW Shoe Warehouse moved out as well, and was replaced by a Forever 21
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....
. On April 21, 2009, mall owner General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection but has promised to honor all GGP gift cards and keep all its operating malls (Lynnhaven Mall among them) open during the proceedings.
On February 16, 2010, Simon Property Group (the original owners of Lynnhaven Mall) announced that it has placed a bid to acquire General Growth Properties in a deal worth $10 billion. The bid was actually made on February 8, 2010, however, it wasn't announced to the public until February 16. However Simon cancelled the merger bid on May 7, 2010. Had the bid been approved, ownership of Lynnhaven Mall would have returned to Simon.