Janesville Mall
Encyclopedia
Janesville Mall is an enclosed shopping mall
located in Janesville, Wisconsin
, United States
. Opened in 1973, the mall currently features more than 68 tenants, including Boston Store
, J. C. Penney
, Kohl's
, and Sears, Roebuck and Company
as anchor store
s.
featuring Welles, a Midwestern discount department store chain. Flying over southern Wisconsin, he identified acres of open land in the Town of Janesville along Milton Avenue, between the main downtown streets and Interstate 90
. Benjamin determined that with nearly 200,000 people, the Janesville trading area had a large enough population and sufficient financial resources to support a mall. Montgomery Ward
had already begun to build a store on one of the sites he was considering.
Benjamin and two partners created Janesville Properties Company, which purchased 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land adjoining the Montgomery Ward site, and began planning the development. With the agreement of Montgomery Ward management, Benjamin modified his original plan for a strip mall in favor of an enclosed mall where Welles and Montgomery Ward would serve as anchor stores. Within a year, Rockford-based department store Charles V. Weise (owned by Bergner's
) signed on to become a third anchor; its store would be located midway between the other department stores, and a prominent central courtyard would be constructed outside its entrance. Plans to construct the $10 million enclosed mall were announced in November 1970 with groundbreaking set for spring 1971.
In early 1973, the Miller-Wohl Company (which owned the Welles chain) declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and terminated its plans to open a store in Janesville. The sudden loss of Welles forced a search for another tenant to occupy the partially-constructed north anchor slot. Mall developers approached Sears
, which operated a store in downtown Janesville. Sears declined, as it already operated a mall location in nearby Beloit Plaza
. J.C. Penney
(which also owned a small store in downtown Janesville) agreed instead to fill the already-built Welles space, which was subsequently enlarged at J.C. Penney's request.
, the newer mall was enclosed, and thus considered more desirable in Wisconsin's often cold climate. The remaining interior spaces of the mall soon filled up with national chain tenants.
In 1985, Illinois
-based Bergner's
acquired all of the Charles V. Weise stores, re-branding them all as Bergner's that year. Montgomery Ward closed its store at Janesville Mall in the 1980s, with Milwaukee-based Kohl's
taking its place. Mall management undertook a multimillion dollar remodeling in 1986, refinishing the mall courts with new flooring, new benches, and live fig trees.
. The mall was remodeled again in 1991, this time featuring a brighter, pastel-based color scheme; in addition, the fig trees were removed.
The intersection of State Highways 14 and 26 near Janesville Mall became host to several big box chains. Wal-Mart
and Target
added facilities near the existing ShopKo, Kmart
, and Blain's Farm and Fleet
locations. As these new stores attracted customers to the area, it also attracted new customers to Janesville Mall; the anchors were experiencing tremendous sales gains, though the mall itself suffered as tenants left the mall for less-expensive parcels adjoining the newer big box stores.
Janesville Mall's management approached the Sears chain again in 1996 in a second attempt to bring a Sears anchor to the mall. This time, Sears was offered the opportunity to shutter its Beloit Plaza store in favor of a new store at Janesville Mall; various financial incentives, including tax breaks, were also part of this deal. Sears accepted the offer and, by 1997, a new 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²), two-story Sears was built onto Janesville Mall as a fourth anchor, while the older Beloit Plaza sears was closed.
In 1998, the mall was acquired by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
, a real estate trust based in Tennessee
. That same year, Kohl's expanded its store into what had previously been smaller mall shops. The mall's movie theater closed, with Chuck E. Cheese's
taking its place.
anchored by The Home Depot
and a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Since the addition of the Sears store, the mall has been 627128 square feet (58,262.1 m²) in size.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Opened in 1973, the mall currently features more than 68 tenants, including Boston Store
Boston Store
-History:The Boston Store is mentioned in Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" published in 1900 and Carl Sandburg's Mamie, part of his 1916 Chicago Poems collection....
, J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, and Sears, Roebuck and Company
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...
as anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s.
Origins
In 1970, developer Roger Benjamin began scouting a site to construct a strip mallStrip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
featuring Welles, a Midwestern discount department store chain. Flying over southern Wisconsin, he identified acres of open land in the Town of Janesville along Milton Avenue, between the main downtown streets and Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
. Benjamin determined that with nearly 200,000 people, the Janesville trading area had a large enough population and sufficient financial resources to support a mall. Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
had already begun to build a store on one of the sites he was considering.
Benjamin and two partners created Janesville Properties Company, which purchased 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land adjoining the Montgomery Ward site, and began planning the development. With the agreement of Montgomery Ward management, Benjamin modified his original plan for a strip mall in favor of an enclosed mall where Welles and Montgomery Ward would serve as anchor stores. Within a year, Rockford-based department store Charles V. Weise (owned by Bergner's
Bergner's
Bergner's is a major department store in central and northern Illinois, established in 1889 in Peoria, Illinois, and offering mid-line to higher end merchandise in their largest stores. The current flagship store is located in Peoria at The Shoppes at Grande Prairie.-Beginnings:Bergner's was...
) signed on to become a third anchor; its store would be located midway between the other department stores, and a prominent central courtyard would be constructed outside its entrance. Plans to construct the $10 million enclosed mall were announced in November 1970 with groundbreaking set for spring 1971.
In early 1973, the Miller-Wohl Company (which owned the Welles chain) declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy and terminated its plans to open a store in Janesville. The sudden loss of Welles forced a search for another tenant to occupy the partially-constructed north anchor slot. Mall developers approached 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...
, which operated a store in downtown Janesville. Sears declined, as it already operated a mall location in nearby Beloit Plaza
Beloit Plaza
Eclipse Center, formerly known as Beloit Plaza or Beloit Mall, is a mixed-use development and former shopping mall located in Beloit, Wisconsin. It is undergoing a renovation to become a pivotal point in the city center...
. J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
(which also owned a small store in downtown Janesville) agreed instead to fill the already-built Welles space, which was subsequently enlarged at J.C. Penney's request.
1970s and 1980s
Janesville Mall opened in September 1973, featuring the three anchor stores and twelve other tenants. Unlike nearby Beloit Plaza in BeloitBeloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
, the newer mall was enclosed, and thus considered more desirable in Wisconsin's often cold climate. The remaining interior spaces of the mall soon filled up with national chain tenants.
In 1985, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
-based Bergner's
Bergner's
Bergner's is a major department store in central and northern Illinois, established in 1889 in Peoria, Illinois, and offering mid-line to higher end merchandise in their largest stores. The current flagship store is located in Peoria at The Shoppes at Grande Prairie.-Beginnings:Bergner's was...
acquired all of the Charles V. Weise stores, re-branding them all as Bergner's that year. Montgomery Ward closed its store at Janesville Mall in the 1980s, with Milwaukee-based Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
taking its place. Mall management undertook a multimillion dollar remodeling in 1986, refinishing the mall courts with new flooring, new benches, and live fig trees.
1990s
The nearby Beloit Plaza began losing its inline stores due to competition from the upgraded Janesville Mall. When Bergner's declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991, its store at Beloit Plaza was closed, and the Bergner's at Janesville Mall was re-branded as Boston StoreBoston Store
-History:The Boston Store is mentioned in Theodore Dreiser's "Sister Carrie" published in 1900 and Carl Sandburg's Mamie, part of his 1916 Chicago Poems collection....
. The mall was remodeled again in 1991, this time featuring a brighter, pastel-based color scheme; in addition, the fig trees were removed.
The intersection of State Highways 14 and 26 near Janesville Mall became host to several big box chains. Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
added facilities near the existing ShopKo, Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
, and Blain's Farm and Fleet
Blain's Farm and Fleet
Blain's Farm & Fleet is a regional chain of 34 retail stores in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. The stores sell agricultural supplies and equipment, hunting and fishing equipment, appliances, houseware, automotive goods, apparel, hardware, lawn and garden supplies, paint, pet supplies, candy,...
locations. As these new stores attracted customers to the area, it also attracted new customers to Janesville Mall; the anchors were experiencing tremendous sales gains, though the mall itself suffered as tenants left the mall for less-expensive parcels adjoining the newer big box stores.
Janesville Mall's management approached the Sears chain again in 1996 in a second attempt to bring a Sears anchor to the mall. This time, Sears was offered the opportunity to shutter its Beloit Plaza store in favor of a new store at Janesville Mall; various financial incentives, including tax breaks, were also part of this deal. Sears accepted the offer and, by 1997, a new 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²), two-story Sears was built onto Janesville Mall as a fourth anchor, while the older Beloit Plaza sears was closed.
In 1998, the mall was acquired by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc., , is a real estate investment trust based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. The fourth largest shopping mall REIT in the United States, it owns, holds interests in or manages 130 properties including 79 market-dominant enclosed malls...
, a real estate trust based in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. That same year, Kohl's expanded its store into what had previously been smaller mall shops. The mall's movie theater closed, with Chuck E. Cheese's
Chuck E. Cheese's
Chuck E. Cheese's is a chain of family entertainment centers. Chuck E...
taking its place.
2000s
Additional development was built around the Janesville Mall in the 2000s, including a large strip mallStrip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
anchored by The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
and a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Since the addition of the Sears store, the mall has been 627128 square feet (58,262.1 m²) in size.