Oglethorpe Mall
 Center Court of Oglethorpe Mall, April 2006 | |
 | |
| Location | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°00′12″N 81°07′01″W / 32.0034°N 81.1169°W |
| Opening date | April 1969 (renovated 1974, 1977, 1982, 1989, 1992, 2002, 2018) |
| Developer | Scott Hudgens |
| Management | Brookfield Properties Retail Group |
| Owner | Brookfield Properties Retail Group |
| No. of stores and services | 122 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (3 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 943,801 sq ft (87,682.0 m2) (GLA) |
| No. of floors | 1 (2 in Belk, Macy's and former Sears) |
| Parking | 5,348 spaces (including parking deck) |
| Website | www |
Oglethorpe Mall is a super-regional shopping mall on the Southside of Savannah, Georgia.
Named after General James Oglethorpe, the founder of Savannah, the mall has expanded since its opening in 1969 to nearly one million square feet. Among its features are several restaurants, a food court, and 118 stores. It is anchored by Belk, J. C. Penney, and Macy's.[1] The center also features junior anchors Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, H&M, DSW, and Crunch Fitness. It is owned and operated by Brookfield Properties Retail Group.
History
1967-1988
The land the mall is located on is called the Chippewa Tract,[2] created by a 1960 subdivision of former farm land.[3] Originally developed by Scott Hugdins of Atlanta, ground was broken in 1968.[4] Sears and Belk developed their own stores in tandem with the mall.
Oglethorpe Mall opened in April 1969 at 7804 Abercorn Street as Savannah's first enclosed, air-conditioned shopping mall. The main anchors were Belk-Beery, McCrory, Adler's, and Sears. At the time, the mall featured Savannah's first Chick Fil-A store. Other tenants included Morrison's Cafeteria (later Piccadilly, now closed), and a Piggly Wiggly. By 1974, an additional 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) of retail space was added.[5]
Additional growth came in 1982 when a 230,000-square-foot (21,000 m2) expansion was completed featuring J. C. Penney and local department store, Levy's.[5] In February 1986, Levy's was acquired by Maas Brothers of Tampa, Florida.[6] By 1988 Maas Brothers was consolidated into Jordan Marsh, a major Federated Department Stores chain based in Florida and New England.[7]
1989-2009
Until 1989, the mall featured its original 1969 design elements. A significant renovation changed the feel of the mall altogether by featuring "coastal" design elements like whitewashed wood, tabby walls, and lighter paint choices. The mall is extensively lit during the day by natural lighting from skylights that were installed during the renovation. A new tile floor was installed, and would win design awards in 1990. A new two-level parking garage completed the project in the summer of 1990.[8] Further consolidation saw the closure of Jordan Marsh in September 1991, as the southern stores were folded in Burdine's, which did not operate in Georgia.[9] In 1992, the Maas Brothers/Jordan Marsh store was converted into general mall space, and a new 135,000-square-foot (12,500 m2) Rich's was added to the mall. McCrory left the mall in 1994 and was replaced by Stein Mart the following year.[5]
Renovations continued throughout the late 1990s with a section of the mall called The Promenade converted into Barnes & Noble. A new food court opened in 2002, and the Abercorn Street façade was extensively upgraded through the 2000s.[5] Rich's became Macy's in 2005.[10]
2010-present
On August 22, 2018, Sears announced that it would be closing in November 2018 as part of a plan to close 46 stores nationwide.[11] On February 24, 2022, developer Madison Capital was granted approval to rezone the former Sears tract to multi-family. [12] This paved the way for the anchor building to be demolished for more than 200 apartments.
References
- ^ "Oglethorpe Mall - Shopping Mall in Savannah, GA". www.oglethorpemall.com.
- ^ "Property Record Search". Board of Assessors. Chatham County, GA. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ "Plat Search". The Clerks Authority. GSCCCA. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
- ^ Gunther, Justin (2004). Historic Signs of Savannah. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 0738516740.
- ^ a b c d "Oglethorpe Mall- Savannah, GA- Oldest Mall in Savannah".
- ^ "Oglethorpe Mall: Savannah, GA". Sky City: Retail History. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ Lisicki, Michael J. (2015). Remembering Maas Brothers. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4671-1473-8.
- ^ "Oglethorpe Mall: Savannah, GA". Sky City: Retail History. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Maas Brothers History". www.tampapix.com.
- ^ "Oglethorpe Mall: Savannah, GA". Sky City: Retail History. 18 November 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Here's the list of 46 more Sears-Kmart stores to close in late 2018".
- ^ "Vacant Sears rezoned for apartments, council wants affordable units". Savannah Morning News. Savannah Morning News. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.