Mall of Memphis
Encyclopedia
Mall of Memphis was a shopping mall
in Memphis
, Tennessee
, containing 885627 sq ft (82,277.4 m²) of retail space and 5,564 parking spaces. The mall opened October 7, 1981, was closed December 24, 2003, and was demolished
in 2004. Among other things, the mall was home to the Ice Chalet, Memphis's only public ice rink
.
occurred on or near the mall's parking lots. These events led to the Mall of Memphis developing a reputation for being unsafe and being nicknamed the "Mall of Murder".
In the 1990s, white flight
took place in the residential neighborhoods closest to the Mall of Memphis. Many of the mall's upscale clientele moved east to Germantown, Collierville
, Bartlett
and Cordova
, making trips to and from the mall longer and less convenient. A new mall, the Wolfchase Galleria
, opened in 1997 between Bartlett and Cordova. Other shopping centers and big box retailers opened near the new mall. This took away most of the business from the Mall of Memphis and the commercial area surrounding it. Later, the closure of anchor store Service Merchandise
due to a corporate bankruptcy, and the 2001 closures of anchors J.C. Penney
and Dillard's
drove away most of the remaining clientele. Without anchor stores, the Mall of Memphis could not afford to remain in operation. The Mall of Memphis is the largest enclosed shopping mall to cease operations in the United States.
The mall underwent an extensive renovation
shortly before it closed, in an unsuccessful attempt to attract new business. Although new tenants opened, the full renovation was never completed, which would have included a face lift and a name change to Memphis Park Galleria. This meant that when the mall was closed and demolished, many of its features, such as benches
, railings
, elevator
s and interior decor, were still in new condition, having seldom been used.
By April 2007, a newspaper report by The Commercial Appeal
stated that Wal-Mart
planned to build a 176,000 Supercenter location on a portion of the site. At the time, the retailer was under contract to purchase approximately 22 of the former mall site's 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) for the project. However, due to corporate decisions about building too much too fast, Wal-Mart abandoned plans to build on the site.
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 Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, containing 885627 sq ft (82,277.4 m²) of retail space and 5,564 parking spaces. The mall opened October 7, 1981, was closed December 24, 2003, and was demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
in 2004. Among other things, the mall was home to the Ice Chalet, Memphis's only public ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
.
History
The Mall of Memphis and the commercial area that developed around it prospered throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, several deadly shootings and a rash of robberiesRobbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
occurred on or near the mall's parking lots. These events led to the Mall of Memphis developing a reputation for being unsafe and being nicknamed the "Mall of Murder".
In the 1990s, white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
took place in the residential neighborhoods closest to the Mall of Memphis. Many of the mall's upscale clientele moved east to Germantown, Collierville
Collierville, Tennessee
Collierville is a town in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb located in the Memphis metropolitan area. The town had a population of 43,965 at the 2010 census....
, Bartlett
Bartlett, Tennessee
Bartlett is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and part of the Memphis metropolitan area. The population was 54,613 at the 2010 census.-History:...
and Cordova
Cordova, Tennessee
Cordova is a community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. Cordova lies on Memphis' northeast side, north of Germantown, and northwest of Collierville....
, making trips to and from the mall longer and less convenient. A new mall, the Wolfchase Galleria
Wolfchase Galleria
Wolfchase Galleria is a regional shopping mall in northeast Memphis, Tennessee owned by Simon Malls. Also known as 'Wolfchase' or 'The Wolfchase Mall', it is located only a few blocks from the city limits of Bartlett, Tennessee at the intersection of Germantown Parkway and Interstate 40...
, opened in 1997 between Bartlett and Cordova. Other shopping centers and big box retailers opened near the new mall. This took away most of the business from the Mall of Memphis and the commercial area surrounding it. Later, the closure of anchor store Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
due to a corporate bankruptcy, and the 2001 closures of anchors J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. 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...
and 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,...
drove away most of the remaining clientele. Without anchor stores, the Mall of Memphis could not afford to remain in operation. The Mall of Memphis is the largest enclosed shopping mall to cease operations in the United States.
The mall underwent an extensive renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
shortly before it closed, in an unsuccessful attempt to attract new business. Although new tenants opened, the full renovation was never completed, which would have included a face lift and a name change to Memphis Park Galleria. This meant that when the mall was closed and demolished, many of its features, such as benches
Bench (furniture)
A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
, railings
Guard rail
Guard rail or guardrail, sometimes referred to as guide rail or railing, is a system designed to keep people or vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limits areas...
, elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s and interior decor, were still in new condition, having seldom been used.
By April 2007, a newspaper report by The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
stated that Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
planned to build a 176,000 Supercenter location on a portion of the site. At the time, the retailer was under contract to purchase approximately 22 of the former mall site's 95 acres (384,451.7 m²) for the project. However, due to corporate decisions about building too much too fast, Wal-Mart abandoned plans to build on the site.