Springdale Mall
Encyclopedia
Springdale Mall is a shopping center located in Mobile, Alabama
, United States
, directly across from Bel Air Mall
. Opened in 1959 as an open-air shopping center, Springdale Mall was later redeveloped as an enclosed shopping center. Facing competition from larger shopping centers in the area, Springdale was demolished in stages in the 2000s, with most of the former enclosed mall being replaced with big box stores.
Springdale is almost entirely an open-air center again, featuring Belk
, Best Buy
, Big Lots
, Burlington Coat Factory
, Marshalls
, Old Navy
, Sam's Club
and Staples
as anchor store
s. The center is managed and owned by Centro Properties.
and National. Gayfers
, a Mobile-based department store, would serve as the flagship anchor upon its completion in the summer of 1960.
Competition would arrive in late 1967 in the form of Bel Air Mall
, an enclosed mall which was anchored by Sears
and Hammel's.
An enclosed wing was completed in 1974, adjacent to the east end of the Gayfers building; this wing was anchored by Montgomery Ward
and a six-screen movie theater (later expanded to eleven screens). In October 1988, Toys "R" Us co-tenanted the Montgomery Ward building. A second enclosed wing was added November 1989, leading from Gayfers to an existing McRae's
store that opened August 1984. This "west mall" featured more nationally known in-line retailers such as The Limited, Express and Victoria's Secret
. During this same late 1980s time frame, Gayfers expanded to more than 280000 square feet (26,012.9 m²) on three levels, becoming one of the largest department store buildings in the Gulf Coast region. After the completion of the west wing, the mall comprised two separate enclosed wings, as well as the original, remodeled 1950s open air wing.
Barnes & Noble
debuted its first South Alabama location in Springdale in the spring of 1994, followed by Old Navy
, which opened its first Alabama store here, two years later, in the fall of 1996.
, the owners of Gayfers and a host of regional department store nameplates, was purchased by Arkansas-based Dillard's
. Although a full-line Dillard's was present across the street in Bel Air Mall, Dillard's initially maintained the former Gayfers at Springdale as a full-line Dillard's as well.
Also in 1998, Montgomery Ward closed its doors at Springdale Mall; the former Montgomery Ward space was later replaced with Burlington Coat Factory. The adjacent Toys "R" Us store was also shuttered in favor of a newer store nearby.
Throughout the late 1990s and into the 2000s, several more big box stores were added to the mall's tenant roster. The first of these, Goody's Family Clothing, was added in 1998, followed by Staples and Linens 'n Things, both of which took up portions of the east mall. The former "west mall" from McRae's to Dillard's was gutted in 2001 for a Best Buy while Dillard's itself closed a year later.
By 2004, the former Dillard's was demolished, as was part of the mall's original enclosed wing; Staples, Linens 'n Things
, Springdale Cinema and one in-line tenant space were all retained, as was the mall corridor leading to the theater entry. The year 2005 was a time of transition, as on the site formerly occupied by Dillard's, a Sam's Club
wholesale warehouse was constructed, McRae's
was acquired by Belk
, and the recently renovated Springdale Cinema was shuttered.
In 2008, Springdale Plaza would lose both the Goody's Family Clothing
and Linens 'n Things
anchors, as those chains succumbed to bankruptcy. Man Style, the only remaining store inside the enclosed east wing, moved to an outparcel on the property around this time as well. The enclosed wing is now inaccessible to the public.
Barnes & Noble
closed its Springdale Plaza location at the end of June 2010, after not being able to reach an agreement on the terms of its lease. Soon after, FYE
closed their Springdale location, while still maintaining a store in Bel Air Mall
across the street.
Discount retailer Big Lots
renovated the former Linens 'n Things location and opened in November of 2010.
Fashion retailer Marshalls
opened in the renovated Goody's space Fall of 2010. This new store, a relocation from the nearby Mobile Festival Centre power center, is nearly 33000 square feet (3,065.8 m²) in size.
Arts & crafts retailer Michaels
relocated into the former Barnes & Noble space in September 2011. Like Marshalls, they also vacated their former location at the Mobile Festival Centre. The renovated location is oriented towards Airport Blvd.
Beauty retailer Ulta
is currently renovating the former FYE space in order to open a new 12017 square feet (1,116.4 m²) store.
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, directly across from Bel Air Mall
Bel Air Mall
Bel Air Mall is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,345,000 square feet...
. Opened in 1959 as an open-air shopping center, Springdale Mall was later redeveloped as an enclosed shopping center. Facing competition from larger shopping centers in the area, Springdale was demolished in stages in the 2000s, with most of the former enclosed mall being replaced with big box stores.
Springdale is almost entirely an open-air center again, featuring 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...
, Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, Big Lots
Big Lots
Big Lots, Inc. is a Fortune 500 retail corporation with annual revenues well over $4 billion.Its department stores focus mainly on selling closeout and overstock merchandise. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio, USA and currently operates over 1,400 stores in 47 states...
, Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington 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...
, Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, 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...
, 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...
, Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
and Staples
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is a large office supply chain store, with over 2,000 stores worldwide in 26 countries. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, the company has retail stores, serving customers under its original name in Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Norway,...
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. The center is managed and owned by Centro Properties.
History
Opened in November 1959 as an open-air regional shopping center, Springdale was initially anchored by W.T. Grant, JCPenney and two supermarkets: DelchampsDelchamps
Delchamps was a chain of American grocery stores, based in Mobile, Alabama.The chain was founded by Alfred Frederick Delchamps in November 1921 at the corner of Lawrence and Canal streets in Mobile, which he operated along with his brother, Oliver...
and National. Gayfers
Gayfers
Gayfers was a regional department store chain in the southern United States. Most stores were located in the Southeast. The chain became part of Dillard's in 1998.-History:...
, a Mobile-based department store, would serve as the flagship anchor upon its completion in the summer of 1960.
Competition would arrive in late 1967 in the form of Bel Air Mall
Bel Air Mall
Bel Air Mall is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,345,000 square feet...
, an enclosed mall which was anchored by Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
and Hammel's.
An enclosed wing was completed in 1974, adjacent to the east end of the Gayfers building; this wing was anchored by 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...
and a six-screen movie theater (later expanded to eleven screens). In October 1988, Toys "R" Us co-tenanted the Montgomery Ward building. A second enclosed wing was added November 1989, leading from Gayfers to an existing McRae's
McRae's
McRae's was a mid-range regional department store chain founded and based in Jackson, Mississippi, with locations in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. The nameplate was in existence for more than a century.-History:...
store that opened August 1984. This "west mall" featured more nationally known in-line retailers such as The Limited, Express and Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
. During this same late 1980s time frame, Gayfers expanded to more than 280000 square feet (26,012.9 m²) on three levels, becoming one of the largest department store buildings in the Gulf Coast region. After the completion of the west wing, the mall comprised two separate enclosed wings, as well as the original, remodeled 1950s open air wing.
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...
debuted its first South Alabama location in Springdale in the spring of 1994, followed by 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...
, which opened its first Alabama store here, two years later, in the fall of 1996.
Renovations
Springdale Mall was purchased in 1997 by CBL & Associates Properties. In August 1998, Mercantile StoresMercantile Stores
Mercantile Stores Company Inc. until 1998, was a traditional department store retailer operating 102 fashion apparel stores and 16 home fashion stores in 17 states. The stores were operated under 13 different nameplates and varied in size, with the average store approximating . Store names...
, the owners of Gayfers and a host of regional department store nameplates, was purchased by Arkansas-based 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,...
. Although a full-line Dillard's was present across the street in Bel Air Mall, Dillard's initially maintained the former Gayfers at Springdale as a full-line Dillard's as well.
Also in 1998, Montgomery Ward closed its doors at Springdale Mall; the former Montgomery Ward space was later replaced with Burlington Coat Factory. The adjacent Toys "R" Us store was also shuttered in favor of a newer store nearby.
Throughout the late 1990s and into the 2000s, several more big box stores were added to the mall's tenant roster. The first of these, Goody's Family Clothing, was added in 1998, followed by Staples and Linens 'n Things, both of which took up portions of the east mall. The former "west mall" from McRae's to Dillard's was gutted in 2001 for a Best Buy while Dillard's itself closed a year later.
By 2004, the former Dillard's was demolished, as was part of the mall's original enclosed wing; Staples, Linens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things is an online retailer of home textiles, housewares and decorative home accessories. Until 2008, the company also did business as a big box retailer under the name Linens 'n Things, Inc., headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey, United States, and did business across the United States...
, Springdale Cinema and one in-line tenant space were all retained, as was the mall corridor leading to the theater entry. The year 2005 was a time of transition, as on the site formerly occupied by Dillard's, a Sam's Club
Sam's Club
Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
wholesale warehouse was constructed, McRae's
McRae's
McRae's was a mid-range regional department store chain founded and based in Jackson, Mississippi, with locations in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. The nameplate was in existence for more than a century.-History:...
was acquired by 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...
, and the recently renovated Springdale Cinema was shuttered.
In 2008, Springdale Plaza would lose both the Goody's Family Clothing
Goody's Family Clothing
Goody's is a brand used for some clothing stores operated by Stage Stores, Inc., of Houston, Texas. It is a successor to Goody's Family Clothing, a chain of clothing retailers based in Knoxville, Tennessee...
and Linens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things is an online retailer of home textiles, housewares and decorative home accessories. Until 2008, the company also did business as a big box retailer under the name Linens 'n Things, Inc., headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey, United States, and did business across the United States...
anchors, as those chains succumbed to bankruptcy. Man Style, the only remaining store inside the enclosed east wing, moved to an outparcel on the property around this time as well. The enclosed wing is now inaccessible to the public.
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...
closed its Springdale Plaza location at the end of June 2010, after not being able to reach an agreement on the terms of its lease. Soon after, FYE
Fyé
Fyé is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
closed their Springdale location, while still maintaining a store in Bel Air Mall
Bel Air Mall
Bel Air Mall is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of 1,345,000 square feet...
across the street.
Discount retailer Big Lots
Big Lots
Big Lots, Inc. is a Fortune 500 retail corporation with annual revenues well over $4 billion.Its department stores focus mainly on selling closeout and overstock merchandise. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio, USA and currently operates over 1,400 stores in 47 states...
renovated the former Linens 'n Things location and opened in November of 2010.
Fashion retailer Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, 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 in the renovated Goody's space Fall of 2010. This new store, a relocation from the nearby Mobile Festival Centre power center, is nearly 33000 square feet (3,065.8 m²) in size.
Arts & crafts retailer Michaels
Michaels
Michaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
relocated into the former Barnes & Noble space in September 2011. Like Marshalls, they also vacated their former location at the Mobile Festival Centre. The renovated location is oriented towards Airport Blvd.
Beauty retailer Ulta
Ulta
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc is a chain of beauty superstores in the United States. Each store is outfitted with a full-service salon as well. Ulta carries a variety of cosmetics and skincare brands, men's and women's fragrances, and professionally licensed haircare products...
is currently renovating the former FYE space in order to open a new 12017 square feet (1,116.4 m²) store.