Signal Hill Mall
Signal Hill Mall was a regional enclosed shopping mall in Statesville, North Carolina, that opened in 1973 and closed its interior in 2024 after decades of tenant losses and unsuccessful redevelopment efforts.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Signal Hill Mall was a regional enclosed shopping mall in Statesville, North Carolina, United States. Developed by C&J Associates, it was announced in December 1971 and opened on August 1, 1973. The original complex contained approximately 275,000 square feet of retail space and was planned for roughly 30 stores, with Belk, Spainhour's, and Woolworth serving as its principal anchor tenants. A Winn-Dixie grocery store operated behind the mall. The property expanded at the end of the 1970s. Work begun in 1979 created a new retail wing, relocated Spainhour's into a larger approximately 41,000-square-foot store, and added a roughly 51,324-square-foot JCPenney. The expansion increased the mall to approximately 42 stores and added tenants such as Endicott Johnson, GNC, Chick-fil-A, Pearle Vision Center, Lerner New York, Record Bar, and Southern Bell Telephone Company. Ceremonies marking the completion of the anchor and interior work took place in 1980. During the 1990s, the mall experienced repeated anchor changes. Spainhour's closed in late 1992 after decades of operation in Statesville, and Woolworth closed in January 1993. Peebles replaced Spainhour's later that year, while Hills opened in the former Woolworth space in July 1995. Hills closed in April 1997 and was replaced by Sears, which held its grand opening in October of that year. Other notable businesses during the period included IHOP, Blockbuster Music, Chick-fil-A, Dollar Tree, Footaction, GNC, Armada Music & DVD, and Kay-Bee Toys. Winn-Dixie closed in December 1994 as part of the grocery chain's broader reduction of smaller stores. The mall's performance weakened in the 2000s. Peebles began a liquidation sale in December 2003 and closed in January 2004. Management discussed renovations and did not renew some leases, but the property continued to lose tenants. Chick-fil-A closed in 2005, and a local pet-store operator reported a substantial decline in sales before closing. By the 2010s, the mall was increasingly cited in local and national coverage as an example of a declining or 'dead' mall. Sears closed in 2012, JCPenney closed in 2015, and Bookland left in 2016. Proposed redevelopment concepts included converting inline space for larger-format stores and coordinating the property with the adjacent Newtowne Plaza, but no comprehensive redevelopment was completed. By 2017, only a small group of tenants remained, including Belk, Saslow Jewelers, IHOP, Bath & Body Works, GNC, RadioShack, and FootAction. Saslow Jewelers closed in October 2017, followed by RadioShack later that year. By 2022, Belk was described as the only remaining anchor tenant. Representatives of C&J Associates indicated that industrial growth in the surrounding area might eventually support repurposing the site for non-retail uses, while community events continued to use portions of the property. The interior of the mall closed in January 2024. Its future remained tied to potential redevelopment, including discussion in Statesville's proposed 2025–2026 budget materials.
History
Signal Hill Mall was conceived as a regional shopping destination for Statesville and nearby communities in Iredell County. C&J Associates announced the project on December 10, 1971, naming Woolworth and Belk as the first announced anchors. The planned center was designed with approximately 275,000 square feet of retail area and space for about 30 stores. Spainhour's, a local department-store business that also operated downtown and had served Statesville for decades, became the third original anchor. A Winn-Dixie grocery store was positioned behind the enclosed mall. The center opened on August 1, 1973, with Belk, Spainhour's, and Woolworth operating as its principal tenants. Its early tenant mix followed the standard regional-mall model of the period: department stores drew visitors from the surrounding area, while smaller shops occupied the enclosed corridors. An expansion launched in 1979 substantially changed the layout. The existing Spainhour's building was adapted into a new wing, Spainhour's moved into a larger approximately 41,000-square-foot store, and JCPenney was added in an adjacent approximately 51,324-square-foot space. The work increased the mall's store count to approximately 42 and added retailers and service businesses including Endicott Johnson, GNC, Chick-fil-A, Pearle Vision Center, Lerner New York, Record Bar, and Southern Bell Telephone Company. Anchor-related ceremonies occurred on August 6, 1980, and interior-tenant celebrations followed on October 15. The 1990s brought a succession of closures and replacements. Spainhour's ended its Statesville operation in late 1992, and Woolworth shut its mall store in January 1993. Peebles took over the former Spainhour's location later in 1993, with the replacement project requiring approximately six months of renovation. The mall promoted the change with a grand-opening event featuring the Charlotte-area band The Muscat Ramblers. Winn-Dixie closed on December 14, 1994, reflecting the grocer's decision to reduce its smaller stores in favor of larger formats. Hills then opened in the former Woolworth space on July 28, 1995. Its conversion reportedly required approximately $2 million in work, but the store closed in April 1997. Sears quickly filled the space and held a grand opening on October 18, 1997; local management said Sears had been one of the stores most requested by customers. For a time, Signal Hill Mall continued to offer a broad mix of national and local tenants. The 1990s and early 2000s roster included IHOP, Blockbuster Music, Chick-fil-A, Dollar Tree, Footaction, GNC, Armada Music & DVD, Kay-Bee Toys, and other specialty businesses. IHOP opened in February 1994 in a front-of-mall space previously used by Apple House Buffet. However, the property entered a sustained period of weakening occupancy. Peebles began a liquidation sale on December 3, 2003, and closed in January 2004. Management announced renovation intentions and allowed some leases to expire without renewal. Chick-fil-A closed at the end of 2005, and Pet Pros also left after its operator reported that sales had fallen significantly before the closure. Contemporary accounts quoted shoppers who preferred traveling to other malls for retail purchases. The decline became more pronounced in the 2010s. Sears closed in 2012 as part of a broader corporate restructuring. In 2013, management acknowledged that economic conditions had prevented a proposed redevelopment from moving ahead. Ideas included replacing portions of the enclosed retail area with big-box stores and linking the property with neighboring Newtowne Plaza, another C&J Associates development. JCPenney closed in 2015 during a corporate round of approximately 40 store closures. Bookland, which had been present since the 1980s, closed in 2016. By then, media coverage increasingly used Signal Hill Mall as an example of a dead or substantially underoccupied mall. The remaining tenant base continued to contract. By 2017, the mall was reported to have approximately 11 stores, including Belk, Saslow Jewelers, IHOP, Bath & Body Works, GNC, RadioShack, and FootAction. Saslow Jewelers closed in October 2017 after nearly 20 years at the center, and RadioShack followed later that year. By 2022, Belk was identified as the only remaining anchor. Although the interior no longer functioned as a conventional regional mall, the site retained possible value for community uses and adaptive reuse. Statesville residents occasionally used portions of the property for recreational and community events. C&J Associates representatives also pointed to industrial development in the surrounding area as a possible basis for repurposing the site for non-retail activity. The mall interior closed in January 2024. Its future remained unresolved, with redevelopment still under consideration and the property referenced in proposed Statesville budget planning for 2025–2026. Signal Hill Mall's history illustrates the transition of a traditional small-market enclosed mall from a department-store-led retail destination into an underoccupied property whose potential future may depend on conversion to another commercial, civic, or industrial use.
- 2024
Interior closes
[1]The interior of the mall closed in January, leaving redevelopment or adaptive reuse as the principal future possibilities described in available reporting.
- 2015
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney closed as part of a corporate store-reduction program.
- 2012
Sears closes
[1]Sears left the mall during a broader chain restructuring.
- 2004
Peebles closes
[1]Peebles completed a liquidation and closed its mall store in January.
- 1997
Sears replaces Hills
[1]After Hills closed, Sears opened in the former Woolworth/Hills space with a grand opening on October 18.
- 1994
Winn-Dixie closes
[1]The grocery store behind the mall closed on December 14 as Winn-Dixie reduced smaller locations.
- 1993
Woolworth closes and Peebles arrives
[1]Woolworth closed in January, while Peebles later opened in the former Spainhour's location.
- 1992
Spainhour's closes
[1]Spainhour's ended its long-running Statesville operation in late 1992.
- 1980
Expansion completed
[1]The project added eight stores and brought the reported total to approximately 42 tenants.
- 1979
Expansion begins
[1]Construction began on a new wing and expanded anchor arrangement that would add JCPenney and relocate Spainhour's.
Products and positioning
A conventional regional enclosed shopping mall serving Statesville and surrounding Iredell County communities. Its original positioning combined several department-store anchors with apparel, specialty retail, food service, and personal-service tenants. In later years, the property became associated with retail decline and potential adaptive reuse rather than active mall expansion.
Department store · 1973
Belk
Belk was one of Signal Hill Mall's original anchor tenants and was the only remaining anchor identified in reporting around 2022. Its department-store assortment historically provided apparel, accessories, cosmetics, home goods, and other general merchandise to the mall's regional customer base.
Department store · 1973
Spainhour's
Spainhour's was a locally significant department-store anchor and one of the mall's three original anchors. The store was relocated into a larger space during the late-1970s expansion, but its Statesville operation closed in late 1992 after decades of service.
Variety store · 1973
Woolworth
Woolworth served as an original anchor and provided the variety-store format that was common in regional shopping centers of the 1970s and 1980s. Its Signal Hill Mall store closed in January 1993, after which the space was occupied by Hills and later Sears.
Department store · 1980
JCPenney
JCPenney was added during the mall's expansion and occupied an approximately 51,324-square-foot anchor space adjacent to the relocated Spainhour's. It remained an important draw for much of the mall's later history before closing in 2015 during a company-wide store-closure program.
Department store · 1997
Sears
Sears replaced Hills in the former Woolworth anchor space and opened with a grand-opening event in October 1997. Local management said the store had been strongly requested by mall customers. Sears closed in 2012 during a broader corporate restructuring.
Restaurant · 1994
IHOP
IHOP opened at the front of the mall in February 1994 in space formerly occupied by Apple House Buffet. It was among the better-known food-service tenants remaining during the mall's later period of reduced occupancy.
Brand decisions
2024
Close the mall interiorOtherBackground
After years of anchor departures and declining occupancy, the enclosed retail portion no longer operated as a conventional regional mall.
Action taken
The interior of Signal Hill Mall closed in January 2024.
Aftermath
The property remained a potential redevelopment or non-retail adaptive-reuse site, with possible future planning referenced in Statesville budget discussions.
2013
Consider redevelopment and adaptive retail formatsStrategyBackground
Economic conditions and declining occupancy limited the viability of the traditional enclosed-mall model.
Action taken
Ideas included converting inline space to big-box stores and combining the property with adjacent Newtowne Plaza.
Aftermath
The redevelopment did not proceed, and the mall continued to lose major tenants during the decade.
2004
Plan renovations and selective lease changesStrategyBackground
Following Peebles' closure, management sought to address declining occupancy and the changing retail environment.
Action taken
Management announced renovation intentions and chose not to renew some store leases.
Aftermath
The proposed improvements did not reverse the mall's longer-term decline.
1997
Replace Hills with SearsStrategyBackground
Hills closed in April 1997 after only a short period in the former Woolworth space.
Action taken
The vacant anchor location was converted for Sears, which opened in October 1997.
Aftermath
Sears became a principal anchor until its closure in 2012.
1979
Expand and reconfigure the mallStrategyBackground
C&J Associates sought to enlarge the center and strengthen its anchor lineup as regional shopping competition and customer expectations evolved.
Action taken
The developer created a new wing, relocated Spainhour's into a larger store, added JCPenney, and introduced eight additional interior tenants.
Aftermath
The mall reached approximately 42 stores and expanded its regional-mall format.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/signal-hill-mall · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled