Winrock Shopping Center
Encyclopedia
The Winrock Shopping Center is a shopping mall
located in Albuquerque, New Mexico
, United States
. The mall is anchored by Dillard's
and Bed Bath and Beyond. Currently the mall is vacant except for the anchor tenants who own their own spaces. Redevelopment is expected and pending.
and the University of New Mexico
on a sandy lot at the edge of I-40. The development included a covered shopping center (the first for Albuquerque) with Safeway
, J.C. Penney
, and Montgomery Ward
. There was also a movie theater and a hotel on the premises. The mall was built as an outdoor mall with a furnished canopy roof above the main stretch of the mall and acres of parking on all sides. This design allowed for a pleasant shopping experience in the dry summer heat as well as the cold high-desert winters.
The mall is bounded by the busy I-40 freeway to the south with off-ramps to Louisiana Boulevard to the west of the site. Shortly after Winrock’s opening, competition moved in a few blocks away. Coronado Center
was built in 1964 but didn’t make too large of an impact at the time. Winrock remained the destination of choice and was even the birthplace of the now famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
. Over the decades the mall underwent renovations and additions which added an additional floor, an improved food-court, better lighting, bigger anchors, and increased the number of retail spaces to around ninety. At either end of the mall are men’s and a women’s Dillard’s department store each with three stories and ample space. In its prime the mall was always bustling with people clothes shopping, eating at the food court, or playing at the arcade, but beginning in the late 1990s the mall began a decline and vacancy rates began to climb. The writing was on the wall by the year 2000, but as late as 2003 temporary seasonal leasing had been able to fill 100% of available spaces. By 2005, tenants' leases were not renewed in anticipation of redevelopment of the property. Today, forty-eight years after Winrock opened its doors, the mall is clearly dead
and decaying rapidly. The only remaining stores today are Dillard’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and a Sports Authority, each of which own their respective spaces and bring in sufficient retail traffic on their own.
The mostly abandoned shopping center was used as a set for the filming of the 2009
American
comedy film
Observe and Report
.
Over the following years there were numerous false starts. Increasing construction and material costs were cited as a major factor in the delays. With each delay, retailers that had initially been on-board with Winrock but were anxious to break into Albuquerque’s up-and-coming market were migrating to nearby “ABQ Uptown.” ABQ Uptown, or “Q” for short, was referred to as a “Lifestyle Center,” and once it broke ground it cast the future of the Winrock mall and PruWinrock further into doubt. Phase I consisted of retail along Louisiana Boulevard and Phases II & III consisted of residential development behind phase I and away from the main roads.
In 2007, after much public disappointment over failure to fix the situation, PruWinrock sold the property to an Albuquerque based group GK Partners LLC for an undisclosed amount. Since that time, significant progress has been made on both the masterplan and furthering the process. The new developers held community meetings to showcase the new plans in an effort to garner their approval and ask for their support. The current presented masterplan includes 1500000 square feet (139,354.6 m²) of new office, retail, restaurant, residential units, and a hotel. Also included are a 70000 square feet (6,503.2 m²) movie theater (including IMAX), a grocery store, parks, plazas, and over 6000 parking spaces. Existing flagship stores like Dillard’s and Bed Bath and Beyond are to remain and continue as anchors but in a whole new context. The new plan is much more densely urban than previous plans. It includes housing sitting atop retail stores, both which face narrower pedestrian-friendly streets as opposed to vast acres of asphalt parking lot. The first phase of the project is currently projected to be ready for occupancy as early as 2010.
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 Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The mall is anchored by 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,...
and Bed Bath and Beyond. Currently the mall is vacant except for the anchor tenants who own their own spaces. Redevelopment is expected and pending.
History
In 1961, Winrock Shopping center was completed as a joint venture between the soon to be Arkansas governor Winthrop RockefellerWinthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller was a politician and philanthropist who served as the first Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family.-Early life:...
and the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
on a sandy lot at the edge of I-40. The development included a covered shopping center (the first for Albuquerque) with Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
, 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 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...
. There was also a movie theater and a hotel on the premises. The mall was built as an outdoor mall with a furnished canopy roof above the main stretch of the mall and acres of parking on all sides. This design allowed for a pleasant shopping experience in the dry summer heat as well as the cold high-desert winters.
The mall is bounded by the busy I-40 freeway to the south with off-ramps to Louisiana Boulevard to the west of the site. Shortly after Winrock’s opening, competition moved in a few blocks away. Coronado Center
Coronado Center
Coronado Center is a 2 level super-regional enclosed shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Coronado is one of 3 malls located in the Albuquerque area.-Background:...
was built in 1964 but didn’t make too large of an impact at the time. Winrock remained the destination of choice and was even the birthplace of the now famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly festival of hot air balloons that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA during early October. The balloon fiesta is a nine day event, and has around 750 balloons...
. Over the decades the mall underwent renovations and additions which added an additional floor, an improved food-court, better lighting, bigger anchors, and increased the number of retail spaces to around ninety. At either end of the mall are men’s and a women’s Dillard’s department store each with three stories and ample space. In its prime the mall was always bustling with people clothes shopping, eating at the food court, or playing at the arcade, but beginning in the late 1990s the mall began a decline and vacancy rates began to climb. The writing was on the wall by the year 2000, but as late as 2003 temporary seasonal leasing had been able to fill 100% of available spaces. By 2005, tenants' leases were not renewed in anticipation of redevelopment of the property. Today, forty-eight years after Winrock opened its doors, the mall is clearly dead
Dead mall
A dead mall or greyfield is a shopping mall with a high vacancy rate or a low consumer traffic level, or that is dated or deteriorating in some manner. Many malls in the United States are considered "dead" when they have no surviving anchor store or successor that could serve as an entry into or...
and decaying rapidly. The only remaining stores today are Dillard’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and a Sports Authority, each of which own their respective spaces and bring in sufficient retail traffic on their own.
The mostly abandoned shopping center was used as a set for the filming of the 2009
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Observe and Report
Observe and Report
Observe and Report is a 2009 American comedy film written and directed by Jody Hill, starring Seth Rogen, Anna Faris and Ray Liotta.-Plot:...
.
Pending Redevelopment
For nearly twenty years, developers and the city government have had their eye on Winrock’s 80 acres (323,748.8 m²). New Jersey based PruWinrock LLC, the firm that owned the property began paving the way for new development and proposed “an open-air large-format community center.” This new incarnation would include high-end retail, a state-of-the-art movie theater, apartment condos, and plenty of parking. The new center would include 450000 square feet (41,806.4 m²) of retail space that promised to bring high-end stores that were not found in New Mexico previously. Ground breaking for phase I was to begin in 2003 to be completed two years later. PruWinrock hit the first of many snags when its approval was denied by the planning commission for additional on and off-ramps to neighboring I-40 on the grounds that they had not completed a required traffic study.Over the following years there were numerous false starts. Increasing construction and material costs were cited as a major factor in the delays. With each delay, retailers that had initially been on-board with Winrock but were anxious to break into Albuquerque’s up-and-coming market were migrating to nearby “ABQ Uptown.” ABQ Uptown, or “Q” for short, was referred to as a “Lifestyle Center,” and once it broke ground it cast the future of the Winrock mall and PruWinrock further into doubt. Phase I consisted of retail along Louisiana Boulevard and Phases II & III consisted of residential development behind phase I and away from the main roads.
In 2007, after much public disappointment over failure to fix the situation, PruWinrock sold the property to an Albuquerque based group GK Partners LLC for an undisclosed amount. Since that time, significant progress has been made on both the masterplan and furthering the process. The new developers held community meetings to showcase the new plans in an effort to garner their approval and ask for their support. The current presented masterplan includes 1500000 square feet (139,354.6 m²) of new office, retail, restaurant, residential units, and a hotel. Also included are a 70000 square feet (6,503.2 m²) movie theater (including IMAX), a grocery store, parks, plazas, and over 6000 parking spaces. Existing flagship stores like Dillard’s and Bed Bath and Beyond are to remain and continue as anchors but in a whole new context. The new plan is much more densely urban than previous plans. It includes housing sitting atop retail stores, both which face narrower pedestrian-friendly streets as opposed to vast acres of asphalt parking lot. The first phase of the project is currently projected to be ready for occupancy as early as 2010.