Mall of Memphis

The Mall of Memphis was a large enclosed shopping mall in Memphis, Tennessee. It opened on October 7, 1981, with approximately 885,627 square feet of retail space and 5,564 parking spaces. During the 1980s and much of the 1990s, the mall and the commercial district around it benefited from the growth of suburban retail and served shoppers from Memphis and nearby communities. The property included a broad mix of department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. One of its most distinctive attractions was the Ice Chalet, described in reference material as Memphis's only public ice rink. The facility gave the mall an entertainment role in addition to its conventional retail function. The mall's fortunes weakened during the late 1980s and 1990s. Several deadly shootings and a series of robberies in or near the parking areas created a lasting public-safety reputation. The mall became associated in local discussion with the nickname “Mall of Murder.” A later Rhodes College study examined how news coverage and the nickname influenced public perceptions and may have contributed to the property's decline, rather than treating the reputation as a simple measure of the mall's actual conditions. At the same time, customer geography shifted. Shoppers increasingly moved toward Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, and Cordova, making the Mall of Memphis less convenient for many suburban customers. The opening of Wolfchase Galleria in 1997, together with the growth of nearby shopping centers and big-box retail, intensified competition. The loss of important anchors further damaged the mall's ability to attract regular traffic. Service Merchandise closed after its parent company entered bankruptcy, while JCPenney and Dillard's closed their locations in 2001. The owners attempted a substantial renovation shortly before the mall ceased operations. The proposed redevelopment was intended to modernize the property, attract new tenants, and eventually support a rebranding as Memphis Park Galleria. Although some new tenants arrived, the renovation was not completed. The mall closed on December 24, 2003, and was demolished in 2004. Some recently installed interior elements, including benches, railings, elevators, and decorative features, reportedly remained in unusually good condition because they had seen little use. After demolition, the former mall site was considered for additional retail development. In 2007, Wal-Mart was reported to be under contract to acquire roughly 22 acres of the approximately 95-acre former mall property for a proposed 176,000-square-foot Supercenter. That plan was later abandoned amid broader corporate decisions to slow or reconsider rapid store expansion. The site is now occupied by a TAG Truck Center operated by Lonestar Truck Group.

The Mall of Memphis was developed as a major enclosed retail destination in Memphis, Tennessee, opening on October 7, 1981. Its reported physical scale was approximately 885,627 square feet of retail space supported by 5,564 parking spaces. The center was designed to serve the Memphis market with department stores, specialty retailers, food service, and entertainment. The Ice Chalet, identified in reference material as Memphis's only public ice rink, was one of its most distinctive amenities and helped broaden the property beyond ordinary shopping. The mall and the surrounding commercial area performed strongly through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Its later decline resulted from several overlapping forces. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, deadly shootings and a rash of robberies in or close to the parking lots generated concern among shoppers. The property acquired the nickname “Mall of Murder,” creating a negative association that persisted even as the mall's overall circumstances were more complicated. A Rhodes College study published in 2006 examined the role of media coverage and the nickname in shaping the mall's image and considered whether that image contributed to its eventual failure. Retail geography also shifted away from the property. During the 1990s, many customers moved east toward Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, and Cordova. These trips were less convenient for the mall's established customer base, while new retail centers and big-box stores developed closer to the expanding suburban population. Wolfchase Galleria opened in 1997 between Bartlett and Cordova and became a significant competitor, drawing shopping traffic away from the Mall of Memphis and the commercial district around it. The departure of anchor stores accelerated the decline. Service Merchandise left after a corporate bankruptcy, and JCPenney and Dillard's closed their locations in 2001. With its principal traffic-generating tenants gone, the mall lacked the customer volume needed to sustain its smaller stores and operating costs. Management or ownership pursued an extensive renovation shortly before closure, hoping that a refreshed facility and a new identity, Memphis Park Galleria, could restore the property. Some tenants opened during the effort, but the redevelopment was never completed. As a result, recently installed elements such as benches, railings, elevators, and interior decoration were still described as being in new condition when the complex closed. The Mall of Memphis shut its doors on December 24, 2003, and the building was demolished in 2004. The site's later reuse was uncertain for several years. In 2007, Wal-Mart reportedly planned a 176,000-square-foot Supercenter on roughly 22 acres of the former mall's approximately 95-acre site. The retailer eventually abandoned the proposal amid corporate decisions concerning the pace of new construction. The former mall location is now occupied by a TAG Truck Center operated by Lonestar Truck Group.

• 2007

  Proposed Wal-Mart redevelopment is later abandoned

  [1]Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org

  Wal-Mart considers a Supercenter on part of the former site but ultimately does not proceed with the project.

• 2004

  Building demolished

  [1]Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org

  The former mall structure is demolished.

• 2003

  Operations end

  [1]Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org

  The shopping center closes on December 24 after declining traffic and unsuccessful efforts to reposition the property.

• 2001

  JCPenney and Dillard's close

  [1]Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org

  The departure of two major anchor stores follows the earlier loss of Service Merchandise and leaves the mall without its principal anchors.

• 1997

  Wolfchase Galleria opens

  [1]Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org

  A competing regional mall opens between Bartlett and Cordova, contributing to the movement of retail activity away from the Mall of Memphis.

• 1981

  Mall opens

  [1]Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org

  The Mall of Memphis begins operations on October 7 as a large enclosed shopping center in Memphis, Tennessee.

A large regional enclosed mall serving Memphis-area shoppers, combining department stores, specialty retail, dining, and public recreation. Its later identity was shaped by suburban retail competition, anchor-store departures, and a negative safety reputation.

• Retail property · 1981

  Enclosed shopping mall

  The core offering was a large enclosed retail environment containing department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, and common-area services. At its peak, the property provided approximately 885,627 square feet of retail space and served shoppers from Memphis and surrounding communities.

• Recreation and entertainment

  Ice Chalet

  The Ice Chalet was a public ice rink located within the mall and was identified as Memphis's only public ice rink. It provided a distinctive recreational attraction that complemented the property's retail and dining uses.

• 2007

  Wal-Mart Supercenter proposalStrategy

  Background

  After demolition, redevelopment of the former mall property was considered as the surrounding area continued to change.

  Action taken

  Wal-Mart reportedly entered into a contract to purchase approximately 22 acres of the former 95-acre site for a proposed 176,000-square-foot Supercenter.

  Aftermath

  Wal-Mart abandoned the plan after corporate decisions concerning the pace of new store construction.

  Source

• 2004

  Demolition of the mallOther

  Background

  The property could no longer operate as a viable enclosed shopping center after sustained customer losses and the departure of major anchor stores.

  Action taken

  The Mall of Memphis building was demolished after its December 2003 closure.

  Aftermath

  The former mall site became available for later redevelopment proposals and is now occupied by a TAG Truck Center operated by Lonestar Truck Group.

  Source

• 2003

  Attempted renovation and proposed rebrandingStrategy

  Background

  The mall had lost major anchors and faced competition from newer suburban retail destinations. An extensive renovation was undertaken in an effort to attract tenants and restore customer traffic.

  Action taken

  The property began a renovation and contemplated changing its name to Memphis Park Galleria. Some new tenants opened, but the full project was not completed before the mall closed.

  Aftermath

  The repositioning did not prevent closure, and the mall ceased operations on December 24, 2003.

  Source

1. 1Mall of Memphisen.wikipedia.org