Twin City Mall

Twin City Mall was an enclosed shopping mall built on the boundary between North Palm Beach and neighboring Lake Park in Palm Beach County, Florida. Conceived during the expansion of suburban retail in the late 1960s, the project was first proposed in early 1969 by Food Fair Properties. Its location and name reflected the relationship between the two municipalities, while its physical design joined several existing or newly developed department-store and grocery facilities into an enclosed retail complex. The mall opened on July 21, 1971, with 35 stores. Its initial tenant mix included an existing J.M. Fields store, a Food Fair grocery operation, and a new Sears department store. Other prominent occupants included Fountain's department store, G. C. Murphy, and a movie theater operated by Budco Theatres. The theater was reported to be the first in the Palm Beach area to use an automated projection system. The mall was visually distinctive for its highly colorful interior, which used green, orange, and purple surfaces together with circular skylights. Although the design gave Twin City Mall a strong identity, later commentary criticized its unusual layout, dark lighting, and the way older stores had been connected to the newer enclosed structure. The center began losing important anchors in the late 1970s and 1980s. J.M. Fields closed its chainwide operations in 1978, and the Twin City location was taken over by Jefferson Stores in 1979. Fountain's announced its departure in 1983, while mall management acknowledged problems including a leaky roof, deteriorating paint, and air-conditioning failures. Jefferson's announced a 1985 closure, and G. C. Murphy also closed that year. Builders Square was identified as a possible replacement for Jefferson's, although it did not ultimately become a conventional interior mall tenant. Sears closed its Twin City Mall store in 1988 after opening a larger location at The Gardens Mall. By that point, the property was reported to be approximately half vacant, and local retail observers described the Sears departure as a decisive blow. Sears later operated a clearance outlet in the former space beginning in December 1989, apparently as an interim use while the property was marketed for sale. The mall's deterioration also produced legal and civic responses. In 1990, operators of two small stores sued Larami Investments, alleging that the owners had failed to maintain or promote the property. In 1991, officials from North Palm Beach and Lake Park formed a task force to consider improvements or redevelopment. Several reuse concepts were discussed, including a temporary Florida Atlantic University campus and a mixed-use project combining offices and retail, but neither proceeded. Plans submitted in 1995 eventually called for demolition and conversion into a more conventional open-air shopping center. Demolition began in 1996 and was substantially completed by early 1997. The replacement project, later named Northlake Promenade Shoppes, opened in August 2000 with tenants including Publix, Supercuts, Dollar Stop, Sally Beauty Supply, and Mailboxes Etc. The final portion of the former mall site was redeveloped in 2003 as the Village Shoppes. Twin City Mall therefore survives primarily as a local example of an enclosed suburban mall whose original format and tenant base became obsolete and were replaced by smaller, more flexible retail centers.

Twin City Mall was first proposed in early 1969 as a Food Fair Properties project intended to serve the growing suburban communities around northern Palm Beach County. The development was built across the boundary between North Palm Beach and Lake Park, a location that shaped both its identity and its later administrative history. Rather than creating an entirely separate retail district, the project connected existing J.M. Fields and Food Fair operations with a new Sears store and enclosed them within a larger mall complex. The mall held its grand opening on July 21, 1971, with 35 stores. Its anchor and major tenants included J.M. Fields, Food Fair, Sears, Fountain's, and G. C. Murphy. Budco Theatres operated a cinema that was described as the first in the Palm Beach area to use an automated projection system. The interior was unusually colorful, using green, orange, and purple hues illuminated by circular skylights. This visual treatment distinguished the mall from more conventional shopping centers, although later assessments regarded the color scheme, layout, and lighting as liabilities. The tenant base weakened after the late 1970s. J.M. Fields closed its chain in 1978, and Jefferson Stores took over the location the following year. Fountain's announced in 1983 that it would close. At the same time, the mall manager publicly recognized serious property-condition problems, including a leaking roof, poor paintwork, and unreliable air conditioning. Jefferson's announced its departure in 1985, and G. C. Murphy closed on December 26 of that year. A proposed Builders Square replacement was associated with the former Jefferson's space, but the retailer did not become a conventional tenant inside the mall. By the middle of the 1980s, the mall was criticized for its disjointed plan, dim interior, and the difficulties created by joining older stores to a later enclosed structure. Sears closed in 1988 after opening at The Gardens Mall on October 1. Contemporary observations indicated that roughly half of Twin City Mall was vacant. Sears later opened a clearance outlet in its former space in December 1989, but the company characterized the operation as a temporary way to use the property while a buyer was sought. The decline generated conflict and public concern. In August 1990, Robert and Marjorie Somes, who operated Ox Bow Gift Shop and Ox Bow Toys & Tops, sued Larami Investments, alleging that the owner had failed to maintain or promote the mall. In June 1991, North Palm Beach and Lake Park established a joint task force to explore responses to the deteriorating and unattractive property. Ideas included using the site as a temporary campus for Florida Atlantic University or redeveloping it into a mixed-use project with offices and retail. Neither proposal was implemented. A more definitive redevelopment path emerged in 1995, when plans were submitted to demolish the mall and replace it with a traditional shopping center. Demolition was under way by December 1996 and was expected to finish in January 1997. Proposed replacement tenants included Winn-Dixie, Blockbuster Video, RadioShack, and Eckerd Pharmacy, although the eventual tenant lineup changed. The redevelopment, named Northlake Promenade Shoppes, opened in August 2000 with Publix, Supercuts, Dollar Stop, Sally Beauty Supply, and Mailboxes Etc. The remaining shopping-center portion, last associated with Builders Square and Hyde Park Market, was redeveloped in 2003 as the Village Shoppes. The original Twin City Mall thus ceased to exist as an enclosed mall and was replaced incrementally by open-air retail properties.

• 2003

  Village Shoppes redevelopment completed

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The last major portion of the former mall site was redeveloped as the Village Shoppes.

• 2000

  Northlake Promenade Shoppes opens

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The principal replacement development opened on the former mall site.

• 1995

  Redevelopment plans submitted

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Plans were submitted to demolish the enclosed mall and create a conventional shopping center.

• 1991

  Municipal redevelopment task force formed

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  North Palm Beach and Lake Park officials formed a joint task force to address the deteriorating mall.

• 1988

  Sears closes

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Sears closed its store after opening a new location at The Gardens Mall.

• 1983

  Fountain's announces departure

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Fountain's announced its closure as building-maintenance and appearance problems became increasingly visible.

• 1978

  J.M. Fields chain closes

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The J.M. Fields chain closed, beginning a period of anchor turnover at the mall.

• 1971

  Grand opening

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Twin City Mall opened on July 21 with 35 stores, major department-store and grocery tenants, and a Budco movie theater.

• 1969

  Mall project proposed

  [1]Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Food Fair Properties first proposed an enclosed shopping mall at the boundary of North Palm Beach and Lake Park.

A locally significant enclosed suburban shopping mall serving communities in northern Palm Beach County, with a broad department-store, grocery, specialty-retail, and entertainment tenant mix.

• Shopping mall · 1971

  Enclosed retail mall

  Twin City Mall offered an enclosed suburban shopping environment combining department stores, grocery retail, specialty shops, services, and entertainment. Its design connected existing J.M. Fields and Food Fair facilities with a new Sears store and used a notably colorful interior with circular skylights.

• Cinema · 1971

  Budco Theatres

  The mall's Budco-operated theater provided movie entertainment and was noted for using an automated projection system described as the first of its kind in the Palm Beach area.

• 1995

  Redevelop the enclosed mall as a conventional shopping centerStrategy

  Background

  The mall had experienced anchor departures, substantial vacancy, maintenance problems, and criticism of its layout and interior environment.

  Action taken

  Plans were submitted to demolish the enclosed mall and replace it with a more traditional retail-center format.

  Aftermath

  Demolition began in 1996. Northlake Promenade Shoppes opened in 2000, and another portion of the former site became the Village Shoppes in 2003.

  Source

1. 1Twin City Mallen.wikipedia.org