Valley Fair Shopping Center
Encyclopedia
The Valley Fair Shopping Center was a shopping mall
in Appleton, Wisconsin
which opened on March 10, 1955. The mall billed itself as the first enclosed mall in the United States, though the Westminster Arcade
predates it by 126 years. Demolition of parts of the shopping center began on August 8, 2007.
(renamed Kroger), House of Camera & Cards, Badger Paint & Hardware, Donald's, Hamilton Bakery and Eddie's Self-Service Liquor. The mall was built by Hamilton Construction Company under the name Hoffman Shopping Centers, Inc and was designed by George Narovec. The mall was one of the first in Wisconsin to be enclosed.
The next two years would see further expansion in phases, fronted on the eastmost end by a W.T. Grant discount store. With this, the mall was fully completed by 1956. It would remain relatively unchanged at least up through 1976, when the Grant's anchor would cease with the rest of the entire chain.
In 1978-1979, the mall would re-tenant and emphasize less on local businesses and bring in more nationally known tenants with a huge expansion and renovation project. This project included.
Through the 1980s and early 1990s, the mall changed ownership several times. Foot traffic started to decrease when Northland Mall in the north side of Appleton completed a major expansion, adding its own Kohl's
Department Store anchor (built out of another former W.T. Grant store), joining a freestanding Shopko with a new enclosed mall of 25-30 stores built between the two anchors in 1983. Another 15 stores in a prexisting 1960s-era strip was also connected to Kohl's
, creating a rare instance of a hybrid strip / enclosed mall. Dartmouth Clothing & Lady Dartmouth (based in Ashwaubenon WI) opened a store in the Valley Fair Mall during the early 1980s, it eventually closed and re-opened with a new name, American Clothiers (closer to the Kohl's anchor store). Another attraction was the addition of Pedro's (Mexican food), one of the first and only place to get authentic Mexican food in Northeast Wisconsin (at the time). Pedro's was eventually purchased by George Wall and the name changed to Sergio's Mexican Bar & Grill.
This was followed up a year later by Fox River Mall
opening in 1984 in Grand Chute
(suburb
of Appleton
). Tenants started to relocate to both malls immediately as leases came up, though others would stick it out up through the late 1990s.
building was split between an indoor skateboarding park, and a gathering place for teens, where local bands would often play on weekends. This venture would have created the nation's first functioning "youth mall" had it taken off. The venture was bogged down due to high maintenance costs to heat and cool the nearly 50-year-old structure, and remodeling was far beyond their reach in costs.
building, the Chase Bank, as well as the Marcus Cinemas, are still new enough and structurally sound, weren't torn down. A September 2007 Appleton Post-Crescent article indicated that the former Valley Fair site and surrounding blocks were placed into a tax district by the city council to facilitate improvement of that site and the surrounding area."Valley Fair Partners" is recreating the Valley Fair site so that individual new buildings, rather than one structure, are located closer to Memorial Drive, WIS - 47
, and parking is located behind them. This design basically flips the current layout of parking in front, building in back. The association has been calling the shopping center site Valley Fair Center, instead of Valley Fair Mall. Copps Food Center demolished the Kohl's
Department store and built a new Copps Supermarket in its place, which includes a pharmacy. The new supermarket was to replace their old location at 1919 East Calumet Street; the new building is about 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²). However, the Kohl's Foods portion of the former Kohl's
building has been redeveloped as a strip mall.
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 Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
which opened on March 10, 1955. The mall billed itself as the first enclosed mall in the United States, though the Westminster Arcade
Westminster Arcade
The Westminster Arcade or Providence Arcade was a historic shopping center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States, built in 1828...
predates it by 126 years. Demolition of parts of the shopping center began on August 8, 2007.
History
Construction on Valley Fair began on July 1, 1953, and originally was located in the town of Menasha, Wisconsin until this portion of land was annexed to Appleton. The mall's grand opening was done on March 10, 1955, and opened fully on August 11, 1955. It originally had six stores: Krambo SupermarketsKroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
(renamed Kroger), House of Camera & Cards, Badger Paint & Hardware, Donald's, Hamilton Bakery and Eddie's Self-Service Liquor. The mall was built by Hamilton Construction Company under the name Hoffman Shopping Centers, Inc and was designed by George Narovec. The mall was one of the first in Wisconsin to be enclosed.
The next two years would see further expansion in phases, fronted on the eastmost end by a W.T. Grant discount store. With this, the mall was fully completed by 1956. It would remain relatively unchanged at least up through 1976, when the Grant's anchor would cease with the rest of the entire chain.
In 1978-1979, the mall would re-tenant and emphasize less on local businesses and bring in more nationally known tenants with a huge expansion and renovation project. This project included.
- An extension of the east wing of the mall, going through the former W.T. Grant store. Space was created for 15-20 new shops, most of them national chains. Included were Brauns, RadioShackRadioShackRadioShack Corporation is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...
, Fanny FarmerFanny FarmerFanny Farmer was an American candy manufacturer and retailer.Fanny Farmer was started in Rochester, New York by Frank O'Connor in 1919. The company was named in honor of culinary expert Fannie Farmer, who had died four years earlier....
, Thom McAnThom McAnThom McAn is a brand of shoes distributed by Footstar, Inc., formerly the Melville Corporation . The brand is currently sold in Kmart and Wal-Mart stores, and consists of leather dress, casual, and athletic shoes...
, Walgreen's, Woolworth'sF. W. Woolworth CompanyThe F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
, and Hallmark CardsHallmark CardsHallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
, were among the new tenants. This section fronted a huge Kohl'sKohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
Department Store / Supermarket combo...one of four built north of Milwaukee, the other three supermarket locations include Green Bay west (Lombardi Plaza near Lambeau FieldLambeau FieldLambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
, next to KmartKmartKmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
) and Oshkosh (both are now Big LotsBig LotsBig 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...
), and Green Bay east (next to Kmart, now Rogan's Shoes Superdome). Kohl's Department Store at Valley Fair would eventually close near the close of the 1990s, with new replacement stores opening near Darboy (a suburbSuburbThe word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
in the Southeast corner of AppletonAppleton, WisconsinAppleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
) and another one in NeenahNeenah, WisconsinNeenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...
.
- A new Marcus 3-screen cineplex was built onto the rear of the mall adjacent to Center Court. In the late 1980s they were divided to create a 6 screen cineplex.
- Alterations were done to the older 1950's portion of the mall to blend it into the newer section, including new carpeting laid atop the original concrete flooring, new lighting fixtures and exterior signage.
Through the 1980s and early 1990s, the mall changed ownership several times. Foot traffic started to decrease when Northland Mall in the north side of Appleton completed a major expansion, adding its own Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
Department Store anchor (built out of another former W.T. Grant store), joining a freestanding Shopko with a new enclosed mall of 25-30 stores built between the two anchors in 1983. Another 15 stores in a prexisting 1960s-era strip was also connected to Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, creating a rare instance of a hybrid strip / enclosed mall. Dartmouth Clothing & Lady Dartmouth (based in Ashwaubenon WI) opened a store in the Valley Fair Mall during the early 1980s, it eventually closed and re-opened with a new name, American Clothiers (closer to the Kohl's anchor store). Another attraction was the addition of Pedro's (Mexican food), one of the first and only place to get authentic Mexican food in Northeast Wisconsin (at the time). Pedro's was eventually purchased by George Wall and the name changed to Sergio's Mexican Bar & Grill.
This was followed up a year later by Fox River Mall
Fox River Mall
Fox River Mall is a mall located at 4301 W Wisconsin Ave., Grand Chute, Wisconsin in the United States. This mall opened on July 18, 1984....
opening in 1984 in Grand Chute
Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Grand Chute is a town in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The city of Appleton and unincorporated community of Apple Creek are partially located in the town...
(suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
). Tenants started to relocate to both malls immediately as leases came up, though others would stick it out up through the late 1990s.
Anchors
- Krambo Foods SupermarketKrogerThe Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
(later renamed KrogerKrogerThe Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
) 20000 sq ft (1,858.1 m²) 1955-19 - - - W.T. Grant Company 20000 sq ft (1,858.1 m²) 1955-1976 (Bankruptcy)
- Kohl's Department StoreKohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
78000 sq ft (7,246.4 m²) 1979-Late 1990's - Kohl's FoodsKohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
33000 sq ft (3,065.8 m²) 1979-Late 1990's
YouthFutures
YouthFutures was a non-profit organization created in 2002. Buying out the mall, they started to re-tenant a 3rd time, booting out all the national chains that were left, and refocusing solely on local tenants that were more family-oriented in nature. The former Kohl'sKohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
building was split between an indoor skateboarding park, and a gathering place for teens, where local bands would often play on weekends. This venture would have created the nation's first functioning "youth mall" had it taken off. The venture was bogged down due to high maintenance costs to heat and cool the nearly 50-year-old structure, and remodeling was far beyond their reach in costs.
Present
Youth Futures finally gave up in October, 2005, and the mall was sold in March 2006 to "VF Partners", a partnership between Commercial Horizons, Rollie Winter and Associates, and Bomier, for $2.3 million. "VF Partners" has been redeveloping the 26 acre, Valley Fair site since 2006, so far they have demolished most of the property. The former Kohl'sKohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
building, the Chase Bank, as well as the Marcus Cinemas, are still new enough and structurally sound, weren't torn down. A September 2007 Appleton Post-Crescent article indicated that the former Valley Fair site and surrounding blocks were placed into a tax district by the city council to facilitate improvement of that site and the surrounding area."Valley Fair Partners" is recreating the Valley Fair site so that individual new buildings, rather than one structure, are located closer to Memorial Drive, WIS - 47
Highway 47 (Wisconsin)
State Trunk Highway 47 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in a diagonal northwest-southeast in northeastern and northern Wisconsin from Manitowish to Menasha....
, and parking is located behind them. This design basically flips the current layout of parking in front, building in back. The association has been calling the shopping center site Valley Fair Center, instead of Valley Fair Mall. Copps Food Center demolished the Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
Department store and built a new Copps Supermarket in its place, which includes a pharmacy. The new supermarket was to replace their old location at 1919 East Calumet Street; the new building is about 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²). However, the Kohl's Foods portion of the former Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
building has been redeveloped as a strip mall.
External Links
- Mall Hall of Fame, Valley Fair Mall and Others
- Copps Food Center (Roundy's Supermarkets)
- http://www.marcustheatres.com/Theatre/TheatreDetail/177/Valley Value Cinema (Marcus Theaters)Marcus CorporationThe Marcus Corporation is a publicly held company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company operates two principal divisions: Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels and Resorts. One of the company's principal assets, Baymont Motels, was sold to La Quinta Corporation in 2003...
] - Malls of America; Appleton, Wisconsin Malls
- Aerial Photograph (1992)
- For Historic Photos during the mall's prime go to: Good Bey Valley Fair Mall Photos and Good Bey Valley Fair Mall Photos (Continued)