Crabtree Valley Mall
Encyclopedia
Crabtree Valley Mall is a regional mall located in Raleigh, North Carolina
. At 1326000 square feet (123,189.4 m²), it is the largest enclosed mall in the Triangle
. Crabtree Valley contains over 220 stores and is anchored by Belk
, Sears
, and Macy's
. Higher-end restaurants located in the mall include The Cheesecake Factory
, P. F. Chang's China Bistro
, Kanki, Brio, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and McCormick & Schmick's
. It is the site of the first and only H&M
store in North Carolina
, which opened in Spring of 2010.
. Original anchors were Hudson Belk
, Sears, Miller & Rhoads
and Thalhimer's
. The mall also included G.C. Murphy, Treasury Drug and Piccadilly Cafeteria.
From the start, the mall pulled shoppers from all over central and eastern North Carolina. Many of them came to the 251000 square feet (23,318.7 m²) Hudson Belk, which is still the largest store in the complex and serves as a Belk flagship.
The mall was remodeled in the mid 1980s and added many upscale specialty stores and a food court. It faced remarkably little competition in its market until the 1990s, when Cary Towne Center
in nearby Cary doubled in size and spawned a companion mall, Crossroads Plaza.
To combat the threat of an expanded Cary Towne Center
stealing business, Crabtree embarked on a major expansion starting in 1993. G.C. Murphy, Miller & Rhoads, and Piccadilly all closed down during this period. Thalhimer's converted to Hecht's, and began planning for a new,larger location at the mall. In 1993 a 40 by 110 feet (33.5 m) section of the parking deck collapsed just three months after it had been completely rebuilt. Sears closed its Crabtree store in 1994 and opened a new location adjacent to it in August 1994. The old Sears became small shop space and connected to a new, larger Hecht's which opened in August 1995.
The final piece of Crabtree's 1990s renaissance was the opening of North Carolina's first and only Lord & Taylor
in November 1995 in the former Thalhimers/Hecht's. However, the store was closed in February, 2006 as part of the reorganization of May Department Stores
that began in 2003. A separate Hudson Belk Men's Store filled the upper level of the former Lord & Taylor, and the lower level has been converted to small store space and new entrance.
A new parking deck east of Hudson Belk was completed in 2008. Part of the deck supports three new sit down restaurants that opened in late 2008. These were McCormick and Schmick's Seafood, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Bar and Brio Tuscan Grille.
is available at the mall's northeast entrance and outside the three restaurants atop the newest parking deck east of Hudson Belk.
The various sections of the deck have been known at times by color-coded names. These names are currently in use on the mall's website and on some signage:
When this color-coding system was first used in the mid-1990s, the current Blue Deck was then known as the Green Deck. This changed in the early 2000s, prior to construction of the current Green Deck.
For a time in the later 1990s, the sections of the parking deck were also known by the adjacent road. The then-Green Deck was known as the Glenwood Deck; the Red Deck, the Blue Ridge Deck; and the Gold Deck, the Creedmoor Deck.
that begins near Morrisville
and winds through Umstead State Park as well as western and north central Raleigh
. As the watershed around the mall become increasingly covered with impervious parking lots, the creek floods easily following major storms. Such floods occurred frequently in the mall's early years, but diminished with the construction of Lake Crabtree
and large retaining basins upstream of the mall.
Heavy rains caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto
flooded the lower level parking lots of the mall on June 14, 2006, as well as a great deal of the bottom level of anchor store Sears, forcing the mall to close for the day. A similar situation occurred with Hurricane Fran
in 1996, when flood waters flowed through the first floor of the mall and caused a few stores to remain closed for nearly two months.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. At 1326000 square feet (123,189.4 m²), it is the largest enclosed mall in the Triangle
The Triangle (North Carolina)
The Research Triangle, also known as Raleigh-Durham and commonly referred to as simply "The Triangle", is a region in the Piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and cities of...
. Crabtree Valley contains over 220 stores and is anchored 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...
, 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 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...
. Higher-end restaurants located in the mall include The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is a restaurant company in the United States. The company operates 165 upscale, casual, full-service dining restaurants: 151 under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe mark and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark...
, P. F. Chang's China Bistro
P. F. Chang's China Bistro
'P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. is an American restaurant chain with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang. The restaurants serve American Chinese cuisine from a menu originally conceived and planned by chef...
, Kanki, Brio, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, and McCormick & Schmick's
McCormick & Schmick's
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants is an American seafood restaurant chain, based in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1979, the publicly-traded company operates a total of 92 locations in North America under various brands. This includes seven Canadian locations that operate under the Boathouse...
. It is the site of the first and only H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
store in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, which opened in Spring of 2010.
History
Crabtree Valley Mall opened in August 1972 at the intersection of US 70/NC 50 (Glenwood Avenue) and the I-440 BeltlineInterstate 440 (North Carolina)
Interstate 440 in North Carolina, also known as the Raleigh Beltline and the Cliff Benson Beltline, is a 16.4-mile partial beltway that nearly encircles central Raleigh. Prior to August 2002, it was a complete loop and shared a concurrency with its parent, Interstate 40 along the loop's southern...
. Original anchors were Hudson 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...
, Sears, Miller & Rhoads
Miller & Rhoads
Miller & Rhoads was a Virginia-based department store chain. Throughout its 105 year life-span, the store played an active role in the Richmond community, along with its friendly cross-street rival Thalhimers.- Origins :...
and Thalhimer's
Thalhimer's
Thalhimers was a department store in the Southern United States. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the venerable chain at its peak operated dozens of stores in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and one store in Memphis, Tennessee....
. The mall also included G.C. Murphy, Treasury Drug and Piccadilly Cafeteria.
From the start, the mall pulled shoppers from all over central and eastern North Carolina. Many of them came to the 251000 square feet (23,318.7 m²) Hudson Belk, which is still the largest store in the complex and serves as a Belk flagship.
The mall was remodeled in the mid 1980s and added many upscale specialty stores and a food court. It faced remarkably little competition in its market until the 1990s, when Cary Towne Center
Cary Towne Center
Cary Towne Center is an indoor shopping mall in Cary, North Carolina managed by CBL & Associates Properties.Originally planned in 1972, the mall was first proposed as the adjacent Cary Village Mall and Cary Village Square projects and then ultimately as a $25 million Village Center by local...
in nearby Cary doubled in size and spawned a companion mall, Crossroads Plaza.
To combat the threat of an expanded Cary Towne Center
Cary Towne Center
Cary Towne Center is an indoor shopping mall in Cary, North Carolina managed by CBL & Associates Properties.Originally planned in 1972, the mall was first proposed as the adjacent Cary Village Mall and Cary Village Square projects and then ultimately as a $25 million Village Center by local...
stealing business, Crabtree embarked on a major expansion starting in 1993. G.C. Murphy, Miller & Rhoads, and Piccadilly all closed down during this period. Thalhimer's converted to Hecht's, and began planning for a new,larger location at the mall. In 1993 a 40 by 110 feet (33.5 m) section of the parking deck collapsed just three months after it had been completely rebuilt. Sears closed its Crabtree store in 1994 and opened a new location adjacent to it in August 1994. The old Sears became small shop space and connected to a new, larger Hecht's which opened in August 1995.
The final piece of Crabtree's 1990s renaissance was the opening of North Carolina's first and only 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...
in November 1995 in the former Thalhimers/Hecht's. However, the store was closed in February, 2006 as part of the reorganization of May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
that began in 2003. A separate Hudson Belk Men's Store filled the upper level of the former Lord & Taylor, and the lower level has been converted to small store space and new entrance.
A new parking deck east of Hudson Belk was completed in 2008. Part of the deck supports three new sit down restaurants that opened in late 2008. These were McCormick and Schmick's Seafood, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Bar and Brio Tuscan Grille.
Anchors
- BelkBelkBelk 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...
- 320000 sq ft (29,729 m²).- Women's,Children's and Home Store - 3 floors, 251000 sq ft (23,318.7 m²), opened August 1972
- Men's Store - 1 floor, 69000 sq ft (6,410.3 m²), on the upper level of the former Lord & TaylorLord & TaylorLord & 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...
, opened May 2007
- Sears - 2 floors, 130000 sq ft (12,077.4 m²)., opened August 1994, replacing store built on adjacent site which opened in 1972.
- 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...
- 2 floors, 180000 sq ft (16,722.5 m²)., opened August 1995 as Hecht'sHecht'sHecht's, also known as Hecht Brothers, Hecht Bros. and the Hecht Company, was a large chain of department stores located mainly in the mid-Atlantic and southern region of the United States....
, changed to Macy's in September 2006
Former Anchors
- Thalhimer'sThalhimer'sThalhimers was a department store in the Southern United States. Based in Richmond, Virginia, the venerable chain at its peak operated dozens of stores in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and one store in Memphis, Tennessee....
- Opened in August 1972, closed in January 1992, re-opened as Hecht's in February 1992, moved to new location in August 1995 - Lord & TaylorLord & TaylorLord & 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...
- Opened November 1995, closed in February 2006
Parking
Parking at the Crabtree Valley Mall is fairly unusual; there is very little at-grade parking. A multistory parking deck surrounds most of the mall, the sole exception being the northwestern side of the mall property, near Sears and Macy's. A surface parking lot serves these stores. The mall's protruding anchor tenants force drivers to take many turns in the parking deck to get to their desired destination. Valet parkingValet parking
Valet parking is a parking service offered by some restaurants, stores, and other businesses, particularly in North America. In contrast to "self-parking", where customers find a parking space on their own, customers' vehicles are parked for them by a person called a valet...
is available at the mall's northeast entrance and outside the three restaurants atop the newest parking deck east of Hudson Belk.
The various sections of the deck have been known at times by color-coded names. These names are currently in use on the mall's website and on some signage:
- The Blue Deck is on the north side of the mall property, bounding the main Hudson Belk and Sears.
- The Red Deck is on the southeast side of the mall, bounding the main Hudson Belk store and the Hudson Belk Men's Store.
- The Gold Deck is on the southwest side, bounding the Hudson Belk Men's Store, the food court, and Macy's. The Gold Deck is the only section to have four levels, all the others having three.
- The Green Deck is the newest section of the deck, east of Hudson Belk.
When this color-coding system was first used in the mid-1990s, the current Blue Deck was then known as the Green Deck. This changed in the early 2000s, prior to construction of the current Green Deck.
For a time in the later 1990s, the sections of the parking deck were also known by the adjacent road. The then-Green Deck was known as the Glenwood Deck; the Red Deck, the Blue Ridge Deck; and the Gold Deck, the Creedmoor Deck.
Flooding risk
Crabtree Valley Mall is situated next to Crabtree Creek, a tributary of the Neuse RiverNeuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
that begins near Morrisville
Morrisville, North Carolina
Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. A small portion of the town extends into Durham County. The population was 18,576 according to a April 1, 2010 census. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region...
and winds through Umstead State Park as well as western and north central Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
. As the watershed around the mall become increasingly covered with impervious parking lots, the creek floods easily following major storms. Such floods occurred frequently in the mall's early years, but diminished with the construction of Lake Crabtree
Lake Crabtree
Lake Crabtree is a reservoir in Cary, North Carolina. In order to alleviate the possibility of flooding, it was constructed in 1989 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service via damming the Crabtree Creek. It is currently within the Lake Crabtree County Park and provides sailing and...
and large retaining basins upstream of the mall.
Heavy rains caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto
Tropical Storm Alberto (2006)
Tropical Storm Alberto was the first tropical storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season. Forming on June 10 in the northwestern Caribbean, the storm moved generally to the north, reaching a maximum intensity of 70 mph before weakening and moving ashore in the Big Bend area of Florida on...
flooded the lower level parking lots of the mall on June 14, 2006, as well as a great deal of the bottom level of anchor store Sears, forcing the mall to close for the day. A similar situation occurred with Hurricane Fran
Hurricane Fran
Hurricane Fran was a powerful Cape Verde-type hurricane of the 1996 Atlantic hurricane season that made landfall near Cape Fear in North Carolina at Category 3 strength. Throughout the eastern United States, early statistics on Fran reported 27 deaths and $3.2 billion in damage...
in 1996, when flood waters flowed through the first floor of the mall and caused a few stores to remain closed for nearly two months.