Westfield Meriden
Encyclopedia
Westfield Meriden, originally, The Meriden Square Mall, and later Westfield Shoppingtown Meriden, is a shopping mall
located in Meriden
, Connecticut
. At almost 900,000 square feet, Westfield Meriden is Connecticut's seventh largest mall, housing over 140 shops. The 5 anchors include Best Buy
, Dick's Sporting Goods
, JCPenney, Macy's
, and Sears. The Westfield Group acquired the mall in 1997.
and JCPenney.
The mall was expanded in 1993 and added a two level wing ending at a new Sears Department Store and also included a new food court
, creating a "T" shaped floor plan
.
In 1993, the G. Fox chain was converted to the Filene's
as a result of a merger, and in 2006 this store became a Macy's
.
The mall was expanded again in an ambitious renovation
announced in 1997. The renovation saw an extra floor area of 147425 sq ft (13,696.2 m²) added to the centre, as well as an additional 30 stores, creating a "+" shaped floor plan
. The new anchor, built opposite Sears, was Lord & Taylor
, as the Westfield Group came through putting forth a $38 million dollar revitalization and expansion plan. In addition to its new anchor, a parking garage was also was built beside the Sears on the end of the mall facing Lewis Avenue. The renovation was completed and officially opened in 1999.
Since Westfield Meriden was built piecemeal in many different eras, it does not have much of a unified theme. The short cross-wing between JCPenney and Macy’s is the oldest section of the mall.
Lord & Taylor did not see a future at the mall. After only a few years, the store closed. Westfield quickly moved on with the vacancy by bringing two new “big box
” anchors to the mall; Best Buy
, which filled the former EbLens space, and Dick's Sporting Goods
moved right into the Lord & Taylor empty space.
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...
located in Meriden
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. At almost 900,000 square feet, Westfield Meriden is Connecticut's seventh largest mall, housing over 140 shops. The 5 anchors include 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...
, 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...
, JCPenney, 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...
, and Sears. The Westfield Group acquired the mall in 1997.
Overview
The facility opened in 1971, originally a two-level, dumbbell shaped shopping center with two anchor stores, G. FoxG. Fox & Co.
G. Fox & Co. was a large department store that originated in Hartford, Connecticut. The store was also the largest privately held department store in the nation when it was sold in 1965 to the May Department Stores Company. In 1992 May Department stores phased out the G. Fox & Co. name converting...
and JCPenney.
The mall was expanded in 1993 and added a two level wing ending at a new Sears Department Store and also included a new 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...
, creating a "T" shaped floor plan
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
.
In 1993, the G. Fox chain was converted to the Filene's
Filene's
Filene's was a Boston-based department store owned by Federated Department Stores , and May Department Stores . It operated throughout New England and in New York.-Early years:...
as a result of a merger, and in 2006 this store became a 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...
.
The mall was expanded again in an ambitious 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...
announced in 1997. The renovation saw an extra floor area of 147425 sq ft (13,696.2 m²) added to the centre, as well as an additional 30 stores, creating a "+" shaped floor plan
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
. The new anchor, built opposite Sears, was 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...
, as the Westfield Group came through putting forth a $38 million dollar revitalization and expansion plan. In addition to its new anchor, a parking garage was also was built beside the Sears on the end of the mall facing Lewis Avenue. The renovation was completed and officially opened in 1999.
Since Westfield Meriden was built piecemeal in many different eras, it does not have much of a unified theme. The short cross-wing between JCPenney and Macy’s is the oldest section of the mall.
Lord & Taylor did not see a future at the mall. After only a few years, the store closed. Westfield quickly moved on with the vacancy by bringing two new “big box
Big-box store
A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store...
” anchors to the mall; 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...
, which filled the former EbLens space, and 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...
moved right into the Lord & Taylor empty space.
See also
- Westfield Group