Inland Center
Encyclopedia
Inland Center is a regional shopping mall owned and operated by Macerich, located in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...

 along the southwest border adjacent to Interstate 215 and the city of Colton. Within one mile of three bordering cities on the southern end of San Bernardino (Redlands
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...

, Colton
Colton, California
Colton is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The city is located in the Inland Empire region of the state and is approximately 57 miles east of Los Angeles. The population of Colton is 52,154 according to the 2010 census, up from 47,662 at the 2000 census.Colton is the...

 and Loma Linda
Loma Linda, California
Loma Linda is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States, that was incorporated in 1970. The population was 23,261 at the 2010 census, up from 18,681 at the 2000 census...

), Inland Center is a single level mall anchored by Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...

, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...

, and Forever 21
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....

, plus 130 specialty shops and services.

Construction and grand opening

Originally constructed by Homart Development Company
Homart Development Company
Homart Development Company, a subsidiary of Sears, was one of the largest builders of shopping centers and malls in the United States from 1959 to 1995.-Company history:...

 and opened in 1966, Inland Center Mall was built on top of the former Urbita Springs lake. The mall started off with three major anchor buildings, May Company
May Company
May Company may refer to several American businesses:*The May Department Stores Company, a defunct retail company acquired by Federated Department Stores in 2006**May Company California, a defunct California department store that merged with J. W...

, The Broadway
The Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...

, and Sears.

1990s

The mall experienced a number of changes in the 1990s. In 1993, the May Company store closed leaving the mall with only two anchors, The Broadway
The Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...

 and Sears, which reduced overall traffic. Gottschalks
Gottschalks
Gottschalks was a middle-tier American department store that operated 58 department stores and three specialty apparel stores in six western states ; some locations ran as Harris-Gottschalks stores...

 moved from Carousel Mall (also located in San Bernardino) despite local efforts to keep Harris at their prior location in the late 1990s. The move occurred after Gottschalks purchased The Harris Company.

In 1996, a fourth anchor building was annexed in front of the mall's main entrance, along with a four story parking structure. The store was Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...

. Later that year, Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...

 bought out The Broadway, and converted its two story building to a Macy's location.

2000s

In 2000, the main entrances were renovated placing trees and benches at all entrances and a new mall sign along with a new remodeled Food Court next to Sears. In 2006, Macy's bought out Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...

, and since having two anchors on the same property was redundant, decided to close the old Broadway building in favor of the more modern built Robinsons-May building at its current location.

Present day

The vacant Broadway building was sold to Mervyn's in 2007 for renovation and a proposed opening in September 2008, but the Mervyns company was liquidated around that time after filing for Chapter 11. Also in October 2008, construction was made to seal off the vacant and smaller second level of the mall to public traffic. In 2009, Forever 21
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....

 announced it would move into the vacant building that was partially renovated by Mervyn's. Gottschalks
Gottschalks
Gottschalks was a middle-tier American department store that operated 58 department stores and three specialty apparel stores in six western states ; some locations ran as Harris-Gottschalks stores...

 closed its doors in July 2009 after they too filed for Chapter 11 liquidation; the building is now vacant.

Recent construction

In 2006, the original Macy's store which occupied a dated The Broadway
The Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...

 location was closed and the more modern 165000 sq ft (15,329 m²) Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...

 was converted to Macy's as part of the Federated Department Stores
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....

 merger with May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...

. Mervyn's was to take over the old 94011 sq ft (8,733.9 m²) anchor space but failed to open after their bankruptcy finalized in 2009.

Construction was also completed in 2007 to seal off the lower level, demolishing a staircase and glass elevator that took customers to the lower level of the mall that remained vacant after Oshman's Sporting Goods and the old Food Park closed down in prior decades. After construction was completed, the upper level floor was made solid and a Children's Play Area themed after US Route 66 was built near the old staircase location.

On January 2008, parking lots adjacent to the Parking Structure and a small portion of the Western parking areas of the center have been taken and used in the recent I-215 expansion project under way from SANBAG and CalTrans. The Inland Center Drive overpass reopened next to the mall in April 2010.

During 2009, two adjacent pads to Inland Center owned by Macerich corporation were razed and placed for sale: On North Mall Blvd. and E Street (Formerly a Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...

 branch) and South Mall Blvd. and E Street (Formerly Buffalo Ranch
Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar is a casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States that is known for its Buffalo wings.-History:...

 Restaurant).

Mall layout

A distinctive feature of Inland Center is the large cement vault in the center of the mall serving as its main entrance prior to 1988. The vault today serves as the walkway between Macy's and Forever 21 with smaller-format stores along each side and a perpendicular main walkway with full-size inline stores crossing the vault to reach Sears and the former Gottschalks building.

Anchors & Pads

  • Macy's
    Macy's
    Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...

     165000 sq ft (15,329 m²), facing west.
  • Sears
    Sears, Roebuck and Company
    Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...

     239978 sq ft (22,294.7 m²) facing northwest with an outlying exterior pad for Sears Auto Service 24704 sq ft (2,295.1 m²) northeast of the store.
  • Forever 21
    Forever 21
    Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....

     94011 sq ft (8,733.9 m²) facing east.
  • Vacant Anchor (formerly Gottschalks
    Gottschalks
    Gottschalks was a middle-tier American department store that operated 58 department stores and three specialty apparel stores in six western states ; some locations ran as Harris-Gottschalks stores...

    ) 204178 sq ft (18,968.8 m²) facing southwest.

Former anchors

  • May Company
    May Company
    May Company may refer to several American businesses:*The May Department Stores Company, a defunct retail company acquired by Federated Department Stores in 2006**May Company California, a defunct California department store that merged with J. W...

    (Merged with Robinsons to become Robinsons-May)
  • The Broadway
    The Broadway
    The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...

     (Purchased and closed by Macy's)
  • Robinsons-May
    Robinsons-May
    Robinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...

     (Merged with Macy's)
  • Gottschalks
    Gottschalks
    Gottschalks was a middle-tier American department store that operated 58 department stores and three specialty apparel stores in six western states ; some locations ran as Harris-Gottschalks stores...

      (Filed Chapter 11, building currently vacant.)
  • Mervyn's (Filed Chapter 11, building is now Forever 21)

Former Pads

  • Pacific Theaters (Pads demolished in 2003, razed for additional parking)
  • Goodyear (Closed in 2001, building vacant)
  • Buffalo Ranch (Pad razed and sold)
  • Citibank (Pad razed and sold)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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