Westfield Southcenter
Encyclopedia
Westfield Southcenter, formerly known as Southcenter Mall, is a shopping mall
located in Tukwila, Washington
, USA. It is currently anchored by JC Penney, Macy's, Nordstrom
, and Sears
and owned by the Westfield Group. A Rainforest Cafe
is also at the mall. It is the largest shopping center in Washington and the Pacific Northwest
.
, James Douglas, president of Northgate Co., Wells McCurdy, Douglas' assistant, and Rex Allison, the vice president of Allied Department Stores formed the Southcenter Corporation as a subsidiary of Allied. Their goal was to eventually build a large shopping center south of downtown Seattle that would match the success of their own Northgate and began searching for a site, preferably with at least 100 acres. The site chosen was part of what was known as the Andover Tract, an 800 acres (3.2 km²) area of former pasture land being developed by the Port of Seattle
for industrial use. In anticipation of the developments, the entire area (947 acres) was annexed by the city of Tukwila
in November 1957. Southcenter Corp. purchased 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) strategically at what would eventually be the intersection of two major freeways, The Seattle - Tacoma Freeway (I-5) and I-405. The construction schedule of the mall would depend on the construction of the freeways.
Construction at the site began in early 1967 and work on the $30 million shopping center began in the summer of 1967. John Graham & Company
, a Seattle firm that also designed the original Northgate and Tacoma Mall
s, was announced as the architect for the project. Even with four labor strikes slowing work down, construction was largely completed on the structure by May 1968. Work on the interior continued until the day before opening on July 31. In total, 25 main contractors and 50 subcontractor
s helped build the mall. The concrete terrazzo
floors of the mall were said to be the largest in area (85,000 square feet) in all of Puget Sound
and were a last minute addition to the mall. Needed to make the cement like mixture for the floors were 500 cubic yards of sand, 3,000 100-pound sacks of gray cement, 3,000 100-pound sacks of white cement
and 5,000 100-pound sacks of brown marble chips. 30000 feet (9,144 m) of zinc
divider strips were used for the floors.
, Frederick & Nelson
, JCPenney and Nordstrom Best
. Other major tenants included Klopfenstein's
. The original marketing campaign in the late '60s and early '70s featured a very young, relatively unknown KIRO-TV
"assistant" anchor, Sandy Hill (who later co-hosted Good Morning America
). In fact, KIRO partnered with Southcenter in the '70s, occasionally broadcasting the noon news from a set near the Bon Marché. The advertising jingle focused on "one hundred stores and all that room...Southcenter...it's always a beautiful day!". It attempted to lure people in out of the proverbial continual rain in the Seattle area.
In 1985, the mall was acquired by Jacobs, Visconsi and Jacobs Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
.
Over the years, the anchor stores changed. Nordstrom truncated its name in 1973, and a Mervyn's store was added as a fifth anchor in 1992. Frederick & Nelson went bankrupt and sold its store to Sears in 1992.
The Bon Marché was renamed Bon-Macy's
in 2003 and eventually Macy's
in 2005, as part of a rebranding effort by its owner, Federated Department Stores
. At the end of 2006, Mervyn's closed all of its stores in Washington and Oregon
, including its Southcenter store.
On May 11, 2006, Westfield broke ground on a $240 million expansion that was to add 400000 square feet (37,161.2 m²) and two parking garages. The first garage (named Olympic Garage, after the Olympic Mountains
) was opened on November 22, 2006, in time for the Black Friday
shopping rush. In January, 2007, the food court tenants began to move out in preparation for the demolition of the existing food court area. The old food court finally closed on January 28, 2007, and was demolished in the following months.
On June 15, 2007, the second parking garage, (named Cascade Garage, after the Cascade Mountains) was opened. Construction continued for the next 13 months, completing in July 2008. The redevelopment added approximately 75 specialty stores, a new atrium and dining terrace with views of Mount Rainier
, five new sit-down restaurants, and an AMC Theatres
multiplex on top of the center. The AMC Theatres opened on July 18, showing The Dark Knight
, as well as Space Chimps
and Mamma Mia!
. A week later, on July 25, the remainder of the expansion opened, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring a speech by Governor
Christine Gregoire
.
-related shooting inside the mall's first floor. The shooting occurred after two groups of people got into a fist fight. In the hours after the shooting, the mall was locked down
while police searched for the suspect. The 21-year-old suspect, Barry L. Saunders Jr., was arrested on November 26 in Portland
, Oregon
. Saunders initially claimed that he was acting in self-defense
, attempting to help his brother during the fight. On December 14, 2010, the Seattle Times reported that he pled guilty to charges of second-degree murder
and second-degree assault
. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 4, 2011, and faces 17–25 years in prison.
opened in the former Mervyns space. The specialty grocery store features a fresh seafood and meat section, pharmacy, bakery and a large selection of Asian and Filipino influenced items. The store is the chain's first store in the Northwest. Also added were Asian and Filipino themed restaurants, such as Tokyo Tokyo
and Jollibee
.
47.459°N 122.258°W
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 Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, USA. It is currently anchored by JC Penney, Macy's, Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
, and 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 owned by the Westfield Group. A Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's Restaurants, Inc. of Houston, Texas. It was founded by entrepreneur Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on February 3, 1994. In 1997, the chain consisted of only six restaurants,...
is also at the mall. It is the largest shopping center in Washington and the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Early history and construction: 1956 - 1968
In early 1956, three officials from Northgate Shopping CenterNorthgate Mall (Seattle)
Northgate Mall is a shopping mall in the Northgate district of north urban Seattle, Washington. It is currently anchored by Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys "R" Us, JCPenney, Macy's and Nordstrom.-History:...
, James Douglas, president of Northgate Co., Wells McCurdy, Douglas' assistant, and Rex Allison, the vice president of Allied Department Stores formed the Southcenter Corporation as a subsidiary of Allied. Their goal was to eventually build a large shopping center south of downtown Seattle that would match the success of their own Northgate and began searching for a site, preferably with at least 100 acres. The site chosen was part of what was known as the Andover Tract, an 800 acres (3.2 km²) area of former pasture land being developed by the Port of Seattle
Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle is a port district that runs Seattle's seaport and airport. Its creation was approved by the voters of King County, Washington, on September 5, 1911, authorized by the Port District Act. It is run by a five-member commission. The commissioners' terms run four years...
for industrial use. In anticipation of the developments, the entire area (947 acres) was annexed by the city of Tukwila
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in November 1957. Southcenter Corp. purchased 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) strategically at what would eventually be the intersection of two major freeways, The Seattle - Tacoma Freeway (I-5) and I-405. The construction schedule of the mall would depend on the construction of the freeways.
Construction at the site began in early 1967 and work on the $30 million shopping center began in the summer of 1967. John Graham & Company
John Graham & Company
John Graham & Company, or John Graham & Associates was the name of an architectural firm, founded in 1900 in Seattle, Washington by English-born architect John Graham , and maintained by his son John Graham Jr. ....
, a Seattle firm that also designed the original Northgate and Tacoma Mall
Tacoma Mall
The Tacoma Mall is the largest shopping center in Tacoma, Washington. It is owned by Simon Property Group. Anchor tenants include JC Penney, Sears, Macy's, and Nordstrom.-References:-External links:*...
s, was announced as the architect for the project. Even with four labor strikes slowing work down, construction was largely completed on the structure by May 1968. Work on the interior continued until the day before opening on July 31. In total, 25 main contractors and 50 subcontractor
Subcontractor
A subcontractor is an individual or in many cases a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract....
s helped build the mall. The concrete terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
floors of the mall were said to be the largest in area (85,000 square feet) in all of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
and were a last minute addition to the mall. Needed to make the cement like mixture for the floors were 500 cubic yards of sand, 3,000 100-pound sacks of gray cement, 3,000 100-pound sacks of white cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and 5,000 100-pound sacks of brown marble chips. 30000 feet (9,144 m) of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
divider strips were used for the floors.
Opening day and beyond: 1968 - 2002
The grand opening was held on July 31, 1968 at 11 A.M. with Washington State Governor Dan Evans as the key speaker. At 1400000 square feet (130,064.3 m²) with 92 stores employing 3,600 people, it was the largest shopping mall in the region. Southcenter Mall was anchored by Allied's The Bon MarchéThe Bon Marché
The Bon Marché, whose name means "the good deal" or "the good market", was the name chosen for a department store launched in Seattle, Washington, United States, in 1890 by Edward Nordhoff. The name comes from Le Bon Marché, a noted Paris retailer and one of the world's first department stores,...
, Frederick & Nelson
Frederick & Nelson
Frederick & Nelson was a department store chain in the northwestern United States, based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891 as a furniture store, it later expanded to sell other types of merchandise. The company was acquired by Marshall Field & Company in 1929...
, JCPenney and Nordstrom Best
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
. Other major tenants included Klopfenstein's
Klopfenstein's
Klopfenstein's was an upscale men's clothing store in the Seattle-Tacoma Metropolitan Area originally founded in 1918 in Tacoma, Washington. Stores were operated in most of the area's major shopping malls as well as stores in downtown Tacoma and Seattle, across the street from Frederick & Nelson's...
. The original marketing campaign in the late '60s and early '70s featured a very young, relatively unknown KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV, virtual channel 7, is the CBS affiliate television station in Seattle, Washington. It broadcasts on digital channel 39. The station's offices and broadcasting center are located near Seattle Center in Belltown, and its transmitter is located on Queen Anne Hill...
"assistant" anchor, Sandy Hill (who later co-hosted Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
). In fact, KIRO partnered with Southcenter in the '70s, occasionally broadcasting the noon news from a set near the Bon Marché. The advertising jingle focused on "one hundred stores and all that room...Southcenter...it's always a beautiful day!". It attempted to lure people in out of the proverbial continual rain in the Seattle area.
In 1985, the mall was acquired by Jacobs, Visconsi and Jacobs Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.
Over the years, the anchor stores changed. Nordstrom truncated its name in 1973, and a Mervyn's store was added as a fifth anchor in 1992. Frederick & Nelson went bankrupt and sold its store to Sears in 1992.
Acquisition by Westfield: 2002 - 2006
In early 2002, the mall was purchased by the Westfield Group. At that time it was renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter". In June 2005, "Shoppingtown" was dropped from the name. Westfield acquired full ownership of the property when it acquired the underlying leasehold in 2006.The Bon Marché was renamed Bon-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 2003 and eventually 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 2005, as part of a rebranding effort by its owner, Federated Department Stores
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
. At the end of 2006, Mervyn's closed all of its stores in Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, including its Southcenter store.
South expansion: 2006 - 2008
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
) was opened on November 22, 2006, in time for the Black Friday
Black Friday (shopping)
Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m., or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season, similar to Boxing...
shopping rush. In January, 2007, the food court tenants began to move out in preparation for the demolition of the existing food court area. The old food court finally closed on January 28, 2007, and was demolished in the following months.
On June 15, 2007, the second parking garage, (named Cascade Garage, after the Cascade Mountains) was opened. Construction continued for the next 13 months, completing in July 2008. The redevelopment added approximately 75 specialty stores, a new atrium and dining terrace with views of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
, five new sit-down restaurants, and 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...
multiplex on top of the center. The AMC Theatres opened on July 18, showing The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, as well as Space Chimps
Space Chimps
Space Chimps is a 2008 computer-animated family comedy film produced by Vanguard Animation, Starz Media and 20th Century Fox, and it was released on July 18, 2008. The film is produced by Barry Sonnenfeld, John H. Williams, and John W...
and Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! (film)
Mamma Mia! is a 2008 musical/romantic comedy film adapted from the 1999 West End/2001 Broadway musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny Andersson...
. A week later, on July 25, the remainder of the expansion opened, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring a speech by Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
.
November 2008 shooting
On November 22, 2008, one person was killed and one person was injured during an apparent gangGang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
-related shooting inside the mall's first floor. The shooting occurred after two groups of people got into a fist fight. In the hours after the shooting, the mall was locked down
Lockdown
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....
while police searched for the suspect. The 21-year-old suspect, Barry L. Saunders Jr., was arrested on November 26 in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Saunders initially claimed that he was acting in self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
, attempting to help his brother during the fight. On December 14, 2010, the Seattle Times reported that he pled guilty to charges of second-degree murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and second-degree assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 4, 2011, and faces 17–25 years in prison.
Beyond 2008
In summer of 2010, Seafood City MarketplaceSeafood City
Seafood City is a Filipino supermarket chain in the United States with branches in California, Nevada, and Washington....
opened in the former Mervyns space. The specialty grocery store features a fresh seafood and meat section, pharmacy, bakery and a large selection of Asian and Filipino influenced items. The store is the chain's first store in the Northwest. Also added were Asian and Filipino themed restaurants, such as Tokyo Tokyo
Tokyo Tokyo
Tokyo Tokyo is a Japanese fast food restaurant chain in the Philippines. Tokyo Tokyo is known for serving Japanese dishes with free rice refill, a promotion called eat-all-you-kanin which has been on-going since it started in 1985. Tokyo Tokyo currently operates 56 stores in the Philippines, with...
and Jollibee
Jollibee
Jollibee Foods Corporation is the parent company of Jollibee, a fast-food restaurant chain based in the Philippines. Among JFC's popular brands are Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Caffe Ti-amo, Mang Inasal and Burger King...
.
Anchors
- JCPenney 240597 sq ft (22,352.2 m²).
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy'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...
250407 sq ft (23,263.6 m²). - NordstromNordstromNordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
165900 sq ft (15,412.6 m²). - Sears 170800 sq ft (15,867.8 m²).
External links
- Westfield Southcenter Official Site
- Mall is the area's main attraction
- New Official Westfield Southcenter Site describing mall expansion
47.459°N 122.258°W