Westfield Eastridge
A regional shopping mall in Gastonia, North Carolina, formerly operated under the Westfield Eastridge name.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Westfield Eastridge was the former Westfield-era name of Eastridge Mall, a regional shopping center in Gastonia, North Carolina. The property is located approximately 19 miles west of uptown Charlotte, near Interstate 85 at exit 20 and North New Hope Road, also designated North Carolina Highway 279. The mall opened in 1976 on the site of the former Rhyne Dairy Farm and was developed by Carlson Properties. It was designed to serve Gastonia and surrounding communities in the western Charlotte metropolitan area, with department-store anchors and a broad collection of smaller retail, dining, entertainment, and service tenants. The property passed through several ownership phases. Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs Co. acquired the mall in January 1989 after having managed it since 1984. In 2002, Westfield America Trust purchased Eastridge and eight other United States shopping centers from the Richard E. Jacobs Group in a portfolio transaction valued at US$756 million. The acquisition produced a major identity change: Eastridge Mall became Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge on April 26, 2002. The word “Shoppingtown” was removed from the principal name in 2005, although some signage retained it for a period. For several years after 2006, the property was Westfield America’s only mall in North Carolina. Eastridge underwent its first major expansion and renovation beginning in 1996. The program included a new JCPenney building, construction of a new Dillard’s store on the former JCPenney site, relocation of Sears into the former Dillard’s space, interior refurbishment, new exterior entrances, replacement floors and fixtures, and relocation of the food court. The main interior work was completed in November 1998, while some anchor-related construction continued into 1999. The renovation also involved modifications to portions of the parking layout to accommodate new construction while preserving the overall number of spaces. The mall also experimented with entertainment uses. Its original four-screen Eastridge IV Cinemas closed in January 1998 to allow the food-court redevelopment to proceed. In late 2004, the previously vacant third floor was reused by Jeepers!, a large theme-park restaurant and family-entertainment venue featuring games, a playground, party rooms, amusement rides, and the Python Pit sit-down roller coaster. The Jeepers! operation closed in early 2006, and the coaster was later moved to another amusement venue in Virginia. A family lounge with nursing facilities and related amenities was added near the food court in 2004. Westfield agreed to sell the property to CityView Commercial, LLC, of Brooklyn, New York, in September 2013. Following the sale, the Westfield name and the “Shoppingtown” designation were removed, returning the property to the Eastridge Mall name. The mall subsequently experienced substantial pressure from department-store closures, changing shopping habits, and reduced demand for traditional enclosed retail. Sears closed in December 2014, and JCPenney announced its closure in March 2017. Since 2020, significant sections of the complex have reportedly been shuttered or used primarily for non-retail services, reflecting a broader decline in occupancy and conventional mall traffic. A discount supermarket operating as Bargain Max opened in the former Sears space in September 2024, while Curt’s Premium Outlet, which had occupied the former JCPenney space, closed that month. The property remains an operating shopping center, with Belk and Dillard’s among its major department-store occupants and approximately 70 stores reported during the Westfield/Eastridge era.
History
Eastridge Mall opened in 1976 in Gastonia, North Carolina, on land formerly occupied by Rhyne Dairy Farm. Carlson Properties developed the regional shopping center, which was positioned near Interstate 85 and intended to serve Gastonia and nearby communities in the western Charlotte area. The original tenant mix included department-store anchors and smaller specialty retailers. Belk, then operating as Matthews Belk, was an original anchor and remained in place through later redevelopment. Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs Co. purchased the mall in January 1989 from Carlson Real Estate Co. of Minneapolis. The company had managed the property since 1984. In 1990, Dillard’s acquired the Ivey’s chain, resulting in the Eastridge Ivey’s store being rebranded as Dillard’s. The property later became part of a large portfolio of malls marketed by the Richard E. Jacobs Group in the late 1990s. A substantial renovation and expansion began in April 1996. The project created a new JCPenney building, replaced the original JCPenney structure with a new Dillard’s location, and moved Sears into the former Dillard’s space. The work also modernized interior finishes, added exterior entrances, replaced floors and fixtures, and relocated the food court. To accommodate new construction without reducing the total number of parking spaces, the mall received approval to narrow the outermost portion of some parking spaces. The principal interior renovation was completed in November 1998, while anchor construction continued into 1999. The mall’s entertainment profile changed during the same period. Eastridge IV Cinemas, a four-screen theater located on the second level since the mall’s opening, closed on January 8, 1998. The closure enabled the food-court redevelopment, and a nearby RadioShack store moved as part of the changes. In December 2004, the previously unused third floor was brought back into service by Jeepers!, a family-entertainment restaurant and theme-park operation. The roughly 28,000-square-foot venue included games, a playground, party rooms, a diner, amusement rides, and the Python Pit steel sit-down roller coaster. Jeepers! closed in early 2006, and the roller coaster was subsequently relocated to Go-Karts Plus in Williamsburg, Virginia. A family lounge with nursing stations, bottle warmers, a microwave, television, and seating opened near the food court in August 2004. Westfield America Trust acquired Eastridge Mall and eight other United States shopping centers from the Richard E. Jacobs Group in April 2002. The combined purchase price for the portfolio was reported as US$756 million. Eastridge was renamed Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge on April 26, 2002. Westfield later abandoned the “Shoppingtown” label in the formal name in June 2005, although remnants remained on some signs. Following the 2006 sale of another North Carolina Westfield property, Eastridge became the last mall in the state owned by Westfield America. On September 17, 2013, Westfield announced an agreement to sell Eastridge to CityView Commercial, LLC, a Brooklyn-based company. The sale ended the Westfield branding at the property. By the end of September 2013, the signs had been changed back to Eastridge Mall, and the mall’s former name was restored. In the following years, the property faced the same structural challenges affecting many traditional enclosed malls. Sears closed in December 2014, and JCPenney announced the closure of its store in March 2017. From 2020 onward, the mall experienced pronounced decline, including the loss of national retailers and the closure or non-retail use of substantial portions of the building. The former Sears space later became home to Bargain Max, which opened in September 2024. Curt’s Premium Outlet, which had occupied the former JCPenney location, closed that same month. Belk and Dillard’s remain associated with the mall’s current anchor lineup, while the property continues to operate with a smaller and more mixed retail-and-services tenant base.
- 2024
Bargain Max opens
[1]Bargain Max opens in the former Sears anchor space, adding a discount supermarket and general-merchandise use.
- 2013
Ownership changes and Westfield branding ends
[1]CityView Commercial agrees to acquire the mall, which returns to the Eastridge Mall name.
- 2005
Jeepers! opens its entertainment venue
[1]The third floor is reused for a large family-entertainment venue featuring rides, games, dining, and party facilities.
- 2004
Family lounge opens
[1]A family lounge with nursing and childcare-related amenities is added near the food court.
- 2002
Westfield America acquires the property
[1]Westfield America Trust buys Eastridge and eight other shopping centers in a portfolio transaction.
- 1998
Principal renovation work is completed
[1]The main interior renovation is completed in November, while anchor construction continues into the following year.
- 1996
Major expansion and renovation begins
[1]The mall starts a broad redevelopment involving new anchor buildings, interior improvements, entrances, and a relocated food court.
- 1990
Ivey's becomes Dillard's
[1]Dillard's acquisition of the Ivey's chain changes the name of the mall's Ivey's anchor.
- 1989
Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs acquires Eastridge
[1]The company purchases Eastridge Mall from Carlson Real Estate Co.
- 1984
Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs begins managing the mall
[1]Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs Co. becomes the property manager before later acquiring the mall.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping mall serving Gastonia and the western Charlotte metropolitan area, historically positioned around department-store anchors and broad family-oriented retail and entertainment uses.
Commercial real estate · 1976
Regional enclosed shopping mall
The core offering is a regional enclosed shopping environment serving Gastonia and the western Charlotte metropolitan area. The property combines department stores, specialty retail, dining, personal services, and historically family entertainment. During its Westfield period, the mall was reported to contain approximately 70 stores. Its current tenant mix is more limited and includes a greater proportion of discount retail and non-retail services than in its earlier department-store-centered phase.
Retail · 1976
Department-store anchors
Belk and Dillard's have served as the mall's principal department-store anchors. Belk, originally Matthews Belk, is an original tenant and remained in its initial anchor building through the late-1990s redevelopment. Dillard's traces its presence to the former Ivey's store and later moved into a newly constructed approximately 202,000-square-foot location built on the former JCPenney site.
Discount supermarket and general merchandise · 2024
Bargain Max
Bargain Max occupies the former Sears anchor space and uses the large-format premises for discount supermarket and general-merchandise retail. Its September 2024 opening represents a shift in the property’s anchor strategy from conventional department-store use toward value-oriented retail.
Family entertainment and dining · 2005
Jeepers!
Jeepers! was a former third-floor entertainment tenant occupying approximately 28,000 square feet. It combined a diner, arcade-style games, a playground, party rooms, amusement rides, and the Python Pit steel sit-down roller coaster. The venue opened in January 2005 and closed in early 2006.
Brand decisions
2024
Conversion of the former Sears anchor to discount retailStrategyBackground
The former Sears space became available after Sears closed in December 2014 and was later occupied by Teddy's before that retailer closed.
Action taken
Bargain Max opened in the space in September 2024 as a discount supermarket and general-merchandise tenant.
Aftermath
The change diversified the mall’s anchor uses and replaced a traditional department-store format with value-oriented retail.
2013
Sale to CityView CommercialM&ABackground
Westfield decided to exit ownership of the Gastonia property after operating it as its remaining North Carolina mall.
Action taken
Westfield agreed to sell Eastridge to CityView Commercial, LLC, and the mall reverted to its former Eastridge Mall identity.
Aftermath
Westfield signage was removed by the end of September 2013, ending the Westfield Eastridge branding period.
2002
Westfield acquisition and renamingM&ABackground
Westfield America Trust acquired Eastridge Mall as part of a larger purchase of United States shopping centers from the Richard E. Jacobs Group.
Action taken
The property was renamed Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge on April 26, 2002, beginning its period under Westfield branding.
Aftermath
The mall later dropped the Shoppingtown designation and ultimately lost the Westfield name after its 2013 sale.
Combined purchase price for Eastridge and eight other shopping centers. US$756 million (April 2002)
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