Greenville Mall

[csedwards72]

I never saw the old Greenville Mall - I understand it was deader than it is now in the early 1990s before it was rennovated.

You know - the Wards building at GM has been vacant nearly as long as it has been in existance. Whatever happened to the leases that GreenvilleJournal talked like had been signed for two new anchors at the mall?

When Greenville Mall died the first time in the early 1990s, at least it kept its anchors- a run-down JB White and a 1970s-looking Montgomery Ward. There weren't many tenants left in the mall other than those two when the mall was closed in 1994 for renovation: Chick-fil-A, Plej's, Kinney Shoes, a cheap furniture store, Waldenbooks, the Limited, etc. Even the Burger King and the Rite-Aid drug store had closed, I think, and the Plitt movie theater had closed. The mall seemed to have even less shopper traffic than it does now, and its physical shape was far worse. It was so pitiful that even the mall directory was just a wooden diagram of the mall with the store names listed using cheap self-adhesive letters.

I was surprised that the mall was renovated and expanded rather than just being torn down. It's really unfortunate that the developers lost so much money.

[btoy]

The Greenville Mall sold for $37,000,000 and is 68 acres, that comes to $544,000 per acre, but that does not include the cost of the tear down which should be included as well. If you ask me they overpaid.

[wellen]

The Greenville Mall sold for $37,000,000 and is 68 acres, that comes to $544,000 per acre, but that does not include the cost of the tear down which should be included as well. If you ask me they overpaid.

If they tear it down and rebuild 800,000 sf of fully leased space, they stand to make between $9mm and $14mm per year in rent. As long as they spend less than $120mm total, and they are able to lease all of the new space, it sounds like a good deal to me.

[RestedTraveler]

It has to be a worthwhile investment not only for the new owners but for the community or these guys would not have purchased the Greenville Mall, believe me. It's just how they are if Downtown Dadeland in FL is any indication. They find creative ways to breathe new life back into dead malls.

[perrykat]

I asked this earlier, but apparently no one saw it....

What will happen to Eddie Bauer?

I hope they move to Greenridge or something and don't close. That's a REALLY nice store.

[StevenRocks]

I asked this earlier, but apparently no one saw it....

What will happen to Eddie Bauer?

I hope they move to Greenridge or something and don't close. That's a REALLY nice store.

I figure Eddie Bauer's headed for Haywood Mall.

[RestedTraveler]

I figure Eddie Bauer's headed for Haywood Mall.

Yea - seems only logical that Haywood is where they'll end up. They're not big on these Lifestyle Centers from what I can tell, which is ironic considering their place as an "outdoors" outfitter.

[greenvilleguy]

Eddie Bauer is moving to the Haywood Mall and is scheduled to open in April/May. They are going on the corner where the old Lane Bryant was. I think Tumbleweed Pottery is there for Christmas.

Their store is going to be one of the new prototype stores.

[perrykat]

Oh, OK. That's good to hear.

[RestedTraveler]

Eddie Bauer is moving to the Haywood Mall and is scheduled to open in April/May. They are going on the corner where the old Lane Bryant was. I think Tumbleweed Pottery is there for Christmas.

Their store is going to be one of the new prototype stores.

Awesome! That pottery store has been there for several months, but it doesn't really seem to be doing well in such a large yet redundantly cluttered space. E.B. will do very well there, I'm sure.

[StevenRocks]

Yea - seems only logical that Haywood is where they'll end up. They're not big on these Lifestyle Centers from what I can tell, which is ironic considering their place as an "outdoors" outfitter.

Lifestyle centers are not really about the outdoors though. It's about stripping the roof off a mall and adding benches and curbside parking.

[perrykat]

I HIGHLY suspect April Cornell will move to the Shoppes at Greenridge. That would be a nice fit with Talbots, White House/Black Market, Chelsea's, etc.

[btoy]

Lifestyle centers are not really about the outdoors though. It's about stripping the roof off a mall and adding benches and curbside parking.

Don't Lifestyle Centers also include a residential element? Like apartments and condos, as well as offices above the retail? Similar to Town Centers?

[StevenRocks]

Don't Lifestyle Centers also include a residential element? Like apartments and condos, as well as offices above the retail? Similar to Town Centers?

Some lifestyle centers do have a residential component, but not all lifestyle centers are the same. People are using the term on just about any planned shooping area with an outdoor component. It's rather trendy to call new malls lifestyle centers to remove the stigma attached to the word "mall."

[btoy]

I understand that some people may be miss using the term, but I am pretty sure a true lifestyle center is supposed to have a residential component, that is what makes it lifestyle.

[StevenRocks]

I understand that some people may be miss using the term, but I am pretty sure a true lifestyle center is supposed to have a residential component, that is what makes it lifestyle.

A residential component would make a mall mixed-use, but not necessarily a lifestyle center.

[mallguy]

Greenville Mall tenant list from 1992. This list starts out at JB White, then heads towards Montgomery Ward on the right/south side of the building and then heads back on the left/north side of the building. Definitely not a thriving mall then. I remember seeing lots of orange sheetrock covering up vacant spaces then.

JB White

Vacant 2

Golden Fleece restaurant

Morrison's Cafeteria

Jeweler's Gallery

Peanut Shack

Mitchell's Formal Wear

Post Script

Vacant 5

Merry Go Round

Vacant

Squeeze Pleeze

Rite Aid

Vacant

George's Bootery

Vacant

Greenville Mall Pizza

Heritage Handicrafts

Vacant 2

Child Safe of SC

Vacant

Changes

Kay Bee Toy & Hobby Shop

Vacant

Pop's concession stand

Carolina Accents

Kinney Shoes

GNC

Music Exchange

Boda Pipes

Music Exchange overflow

Greenville Baseball Card Exchange

Chick-fil-A

Regis Hairstylists

Vacant 2

Xanadu Hair Stylists

Bally's Aladdin's Castle

BJ's restaurant

Four Seasons Cafe

Montgomery Ward

Vacant 2

Plej's

Oh Calcutta

Vacant

Carolina Accents overflow

Vacant 3

Stuart's

Vacant

Best Books

Vacant

Greenville Symphony Guild

Payless Shoes

Friedman's Jewelers

Gateway Hallmark SHop

Casual Man

Vacant 2

Radio Shack

Waldenbooks

Vacant 2

Limited

The Standard

Vacant

Whites JB Big & Tall

Camelot Music

Vacant

45 Businesses

[gs3]

Greenville Mall tenant list from 1992. This list starts out at JB White, then heads towards Montgomery Ward on the right/south side of the building and then heads back on the left/north side of the building. Definitely not a thriving mall then. I remember seeing lots of orange sheetrock covering up vacant spaces then.

JB White

Vacant 2

Golden Fleece restaurant

Morrison's Cafeteria

Jeweler's Gallery

Peanut Shack

Mitchell's Formal Wear

Post Script

Vacant 5

Merry Go Round

Vacant

Squeeze Pleeze

Rite Aid

Vacant

George's Bootery

Vacant

Greenville Mall Pizza

Heritage Handicrafts

Vacant 2

Child Safe of SC

Vacant

Changes

Kay Bee Toy & Hobby Shop

Vacant

Pop's concession stand

Carolina Accents

Kinney Shoes

GNC

Music Exchange

Boda Pipes

Music Exchange overflow

Greenville Baseball Card Exchange

Chick-fil-A

Regis Hairstylists

Vacant 2

Xanadu Hair Stylists

Bally's Aladdin's Castle

BJ's restaurant

Four Seasons Cafe

Montgomery Ward

Vacant 2

Plej's

Oh Calcutta

Vacant

Carolina Accents overflow

Vacant 3

Stuart's

Vacant

Best Books

Vacant

Greenville Symphony Guild

Payless Shoes

Friedman's Jewelers

Gateway Hallmark SHop

Casual Man

Vacant 2

Radio Shack

Waldenbooks

Vacant 2

Limited

The Standard

Vacant

Whites JB Big & Tall

Camelot Music

Vacant

45 Businesses

This must have been before the malls remodel. Not a very good group of stores.

[motonenterprises]

Thats better than they have now!

[Greenville]

I think a lot of those stores remained after the remodel as well, but I'm not sure. While we're at it I would like to discuss the public's perception of Greenville Mall. Throughout this thread, I have noticed Greenville Mall frequently referred to as such a "nice" and "upscale" mall, and I seem to recall it being compared to Phipps Plaza in Atlanta. I simply don't remember it that way.

I went to Greenville Mall a few times after the remodel and before the anchors left, and don't remember it being particularly upscale. The remodeling resulted in a nice building, and a few stores definitely catered to somewhat wealthier patrons, but I still recall numerous uninhabited stores as well as stores that don't really belong in a mall (e.g., Post Script, Montgomery Ward, etc.).

Perhaps I am forgetting some of the details of Greenville Mall's past (I was a kid/teenager, after all), but if I was correct in my perception then we're not really missing anything by tearing it down (aside from memories). Anyway, I'm curious to hear what others think about this.

[mallguy]

Here's Greenville Mall's tenant list from late 2000, after Parisian became a Proffitt's but before the mall really slid downhill. Not every store in the mall is upscale, just like not every store at SouthPark or Lenox Square is upscale. I considered Greenville Mall upscale, though, because it had a good variety of somewhat expensive stores that sold classy merchandise that wouldn't have been available at other malls or in other cities. Harold's, Williams-Sonoma, Parisian, April Cornell, Crabtree & Evelyn, the Drexel Heritage/E.F. Merrell furniture stores, the restaurants in the space at the entrance near Harold's and Sharon Luggage (I do not shop in all of those places, being a guy!), and probably more, all weren't cheap.

Also, growing up in Greenville, I was used to places like Bell Tower Mall, anchored by a Woolco and featuring tenants such as a big laundromat near the main entrance, and the mid-1990s McAlister Square, which had lost most of its higher-end tenants to Haywood or elsewhere, and the pre-1995 Greenville Mall, which was really ratty and downscale; I remember Greenville Mall billboards from the early 1990s reading something to the effect of, "Shop at Greenville Mall; it's cheaper than the other malls." Combined with the renovated Greenville Mall's really nice design, I considered it a nice place; I was really shocked when I walked through it for the first time since the renovation in 1995 at how nice it was.

A

April Cornell Section H 864/234-9667

At Your Table F 864/254-9000

Audubon Shop and Gallery Section H 864/675-9931

B

Blimpie Section I 864/288-7444

Bourbon Street Candy Co. Section E 864/281-7955

C

Calendar Club Section F

Camelot Music Section D 864/458-9669

Chick-Fil-A Section J 864/288-8134

Crabtree & Evelyn Section H 864/281-7788

D

Dillard's Anchor 864/288-9340

You don't have to wait for a sale, our prices are low for our customers everyday!

Dillard's Salon Anchor 864-297-5014

Drexel Heritage/E.F. Merrell Section D 864/627-8299

E

E. F. Merrell Exceptional Home Section H

E. F. Merrell Studio Across from Food Court

Eddie Bauer Section D 864/676-1363

F

Finish Line Section B 864/627-1209

G

GNC Live Well Section D 864/627-8057

Golden Nails Section E 864/675-1011

Greenville Baseball Card Section J 864/288-8347

Gregory's Formal Wear Section A 864/281-7707

H

Habitat Section C 864/329-0111

Harold's Section G 864/297-4939

Hickory Farms Section B

Hollywood 20 Movie Info 864/288-4200

View showtimes.

Hollywood 20 Regal Cinemas Near Oshman's Supersports USA

I

Imagination Outpost Section G 864/467-4440

Indigo Road Section E 864/234-1336

M

Mastercuts Section E 864/675-0000

McDonald's Express Section I 864/281-7901

Metabo Blaster Section H 864/627-0097

Mole Hole Section C 864/297-3711

Gift Certificates!!

VIP Program and a Frequent Buyer Program, Ask for details.

Montgomery Ward Anchor 864/213-2500

Call our job line phone number 1-800-work123.

Montgomery Ward Auto Zone Anchor 864/213-2561

Mr. Knickerbocker Section C 864/281-7662

N

Nina's Section C 864/234-0009

O

Oriental Express Section J 864/627-0280

Oshman's SuperSports U.S.A. Section E 864/627-3900

P

Penn's Art Galleries Section F 864/288-3355

Plumb Gold Section D Kiosk 864/676-9199

PostScript Section A 864/627-8626

Proffitt's Anchor 864/987-3200

Proffitt's Cafe Espresso Section H 864/987-3299

Purple Magnolia Section H 864/297-7056

R

Regis Hairstylists Section B 864/234-8888

BEAUTY HOLIDAY GIFTS

Several Beauty Packages are at reduced prices for the holidays--they make great gifs!

S

Samuels Jewelers Section H 864/676-1984

Sharon Luggage Section H 864/675-0560

Shoe Sensation Section C 864/675-9294

Stiched For You Section F

Storehouse Furniture Section C 864/234-8477

SunCom Section B 864/627-8177

Sunglass Source Section J 864/627-3847

Susan Lee Section H 864/281-1068

T

Talbots/Talbots Petites Section H 864/627-9229

Tupperware Section J

V

Villa Pizza Section I 864/297-8082

W

The White House Section G 864/281-7747

Williams-Sonoma Section C 864/675-6030

Wilsons Leather Section A

Wireless Outlet Section H 864/674-1614

Z

Zap Electronics Section J Coming Soon

[motonenterprises]

Welcome to the board mallguy!

[gvillenative]

It couldn't have been any worse than the Foothills Mall in Easley, anyone remember this one. Anchored on one end by Wal-Mart, and Community Cash on the other. It had a Rite-Aide as well, if I can remember correctly. Remember seeing a movie there before too. nothing much else to offer. Then Wal-Mart relocated, Community Cash went out of bussiness, and they leveled the mall and built a Lowe's there, which I mught say does quite well. So I can see Greenville Mall going down a similar path, but being replaced by something more grand.

[mallguy]

It couldn't have been any worse than the Foothills Mall in Easley, anyone remember this one. Anchored on one end by Wal-Mart, and Community Cash on the other. It had a Rite-Aide as well, if I can remember correctly. Remember seeing a movie there before too. nothing much else to offer. Then Wal-Mart relocated, Community Cash went out of bussiness, and they leveled the mall and built a Lowe's there, which I mught say does quite well. So I can see Greenville Mall going down a similar path, but being replaced by something more grand.

Foothills Mall was a sad sight after the Wal-Mart closed and it was replaced with a Wal-Mart outlet (I forget the name, but that's what it was- what could be more low-end?). That was another of those malls, like Bell Tower Mall, anchored by a discounter and a grocery store, that wouldn't be built today. I thought the grocery store closed well before the Wal-Mart/Wal-Mart outlet did.

Maybe Foothills Mall could make a good addition to deadmalls.com?

[gs3]

It couldn't have been any worse than the Foothills Mall in Easley, anyone remember this one. Anchored on one end by Wal-Mart, and Community Cash on the other. It had a Rite-Aide as well, if I can remember correctly. Remember seeing a movie there before too. nothing much else to offer. Then Wal-Mart relocated, Community Cash went out of bussiness, and they leveled the mall and built a Lowe's there, which I mught say does quite well. So I can see Greenville Mall going down a similar path, but being replaced by something more grand.

Curious why a mall (real) was never built in Easley. They have the shopping center with Belk and JC Penney, both typical mall anchors and they have the population base. Seems at some point one would have been built. Anybody know if one has ever been proposed?