Northridge Mall (Milwaukee)
Encyclopedia
Northridge Mall is a defunct shopping mall
located in the northern part of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
that opened in 1973 and closed in 2003.
, Boston Store
, and Younkers
. The Younkers store was originally Gimbels, which became Marshall Field's
in 1986, then Prange's in 1989, then Younkers in 1992. With newer and more upscale malls doing better than Northridge, stores and main anchors began to close. Younkers was the first to leave the mall in 2000, followed by JCPenney, then Sears, and finally the mall closed in 2003 with the closing of Boston Store.
Planning and design for Northridge Mall, and the nearby adjoining Northridge Lakes, were conceived primarily by Milwaukee Architect William Wenzler and Assoc. Evident in the planning, and overall design, were references to Frank Lloyd Wrights Prairie style architecture. To the extent that economics, and realities of apartment dwelling building type would allow. As well, there are vague, yet appropriate, practical characteristics and similarities to FLW's Usonian Village concepts. The development, and its unique design concepts, were never well received by a majority of Milwaukee and nearby Ozaukee County residents.
home improvement store and Pick 'n Save supermarket now occupy the site. Also, a Value City
furniture store moved into a portion of the old Boston Store building, but closed in May 2009. The rest of the mall remains vacant.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/04/china.milwaukee.mall/index.html
As of November 2011 The Toward Group has been unable to attract enough tenants and is planning to sell the property. New ideas for development are being sought.http://www.jsonline.com/business/suggestions-sought-for-new-uses-of-northridge-mall-kr323m8-133853008.html
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 the northern part of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
that opened in 1973 and closed in 2003.
History
Northridge was built on the corner of North 76th street and Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee in 1973, three years after its sister mall, Southridge Mall opened in 1970. Both were financed and owned by Senator Herb Kohl and part of the Taubman Centers. It was a two level mall with four anchors: JCPenney, SearsSears, 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...
, Boston Store
Boston Store
-History:The Boston Store is mentioned in Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" published in 1900 and Carl Sandburg's Mamie, part of his 1916 Chicago Poems collection....
, and Younkers
Younkers
Younkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...
. The Younkers store was originally Gimbels, which became Marshall Field's
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
in 1986, then Prange's in 1989, then Younkers in 1992. With newer and more upscale malls doing better than Northridge, stores and main anchors began to close. Younkers was the first to leave the mall in 2000, followed by JCPenney, then Sears, and finally the mall closed in 2003 with the closing of Boston Store.
Planning and design for Northridge Mall, and the nearby adjoining Northridge Lakes, were conceived primarily by Milwaukee Architect William Wenzler and Assoc. Evident in the planning, and overall design, were references to Frank Lloyd Wrights Prairie style architecture. To the extent that economics, and realities of apartment dwelling building type would allow. As well, there are vague, yet appropriate, practical characteristics and similarities to FLW's Usonian Village concepts. The development, and its unique design concepts, were never well received by a majority of Milwaukee and nearby Ozaukee County residents.
Revitalization Attempts
Recently, developers have been revitalizing parts of the old Northridge Mall under the new name Granville Station. The former Sears store was razed, and a MenardsMenards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
home improvement store and Pick 'n Save supermarket now occupy the site. Also, a Value City
Value City
Value City was an American discount department store chain with 113 locations. It was founded in 1917 by Ephraim Schottenstein, a travelling salesman in central Ohio. The store was an off-price retailer that sold clothing, jewelry, and home goods below the manufacturer suggested retail price...
furniture store moved into a portion of the old Boston Store building, but closed in May 2009. The rest of the mall remains vacant.
Chinese Mall of North America
On December 30, 2009, it was announced that Chinese property owners, the Toward Group, along with investors, are planning on remodeling and opening the "Chinese Mall of North America." It would be an entire mall dedicated to Chinese retailers selling clothes, toys, furniture, electronics, and more. There would also be wholesale stores included in the plan. When it opens, 200 retailers could be ready for business, with a total of 300-500 total when the mall is at full capacity. It would be the largest of its kind in the United States, appealing to people from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. It is being referred to as "Milwaukee's Chinatown."http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/04/china.milwaukee.mall/index.html
As of November 2011 The Toward Group has been unable to attract enough tenants and is planning to sell the property. New ideas for development are being sought.http://www.jsonline.com/business/suggestions-sought-for-new-uses-of-northridge-mall-kr323m8-133853008.html
External links
- Northridge Mall at Deadmalls.comDeadmalls.comDeadmalls.com is an independent not-for-profit website best known for featuring shopping malls that have failed or are in the process of failing. The site features nearly 300 listings of dead or dying shopping malls, many with pictures and historical narratives...