The Mall at 163rd Street
Encyclopedia
The Mall at 163rd Street is an enclosed shopping mall
and power center in North Miami Beach
, Florida
. From its opening as an open-air shopping center in 1956, it has been converted into an enclosed mall, but was later redeveloped as a combination of both formats. The mall's anchors
are The Home Depot
, Marshalls
, Office Depot
, Ross, and Wal-Mart Supercenter
.
-designed Burdines
and later, Richard's. In addition, it sported forty-nine outlets, including Food Fair
(later Pantry Pride), J. C. Penney
, M and M Cafeteria, Walgreens
, and Woolworth
.
Wometco
163rd Street Theatre served as an outparcel, and by 1961, was doubled as the 163rd Street & Patio Theater. In February, 1971, Jordan Marsh
opened a three-story location at the shopping center's east wing.
Until the late 1970s, the center court fronting Burdines had provided countless kiddie rides
, which were all encircled by a train track. A go-kart track
also existed in the north parking lot, but was destroyed by Hurricane Cleo
and never rebuilt.
From 1980 to October, 1982, the shopping center was converted into a climate-controlled enclosed mall. Colossal metal arches were flanked over the main plaza that the stores resided along, and a white, translucent, Teflon
-coated canvas was placed over them. Richard's, which closed on January 11, 1980 as part of a chain-wide closure, was fashioned into a three-floor atrium
. The upper level became a food court while the lower level allowed for the expansion of Spec's Music
as Spec's Metro. It was at this time the mall was rebranded to its current name, however the mall's transformation was often called The Miracle on 163rd Street.
When the Aventura Mall
opened in 1983, J. C. Penney moved to the new mall, in effect closing its 163rd Street store. Unable to lure a replacement anchor, the Penney's space was divided into six specialty store spaces, while the basement became an Oshman's
sporting goods store. Pantry Pride closed in 1984, and Service Merchandise
opened as its replacement, creating a mall entrance that Pantry Pride didn't possess. The third and most significant change involved the food court's closure due to a lack of significant foot traffic. However, it was gradually relocated downstairs to the second floor of the atrium, while the third floor converted to a Marshalls. An extra-long escalator
was installed to shuttle shoppers directly up to the third floor Marshalls.
The decline of the mall began in 1991 when Jordan Marsh closed. Although a Mervyns
department store took over the lower two floors of the three story structure, it closed in 1995. The biggest hit however took place in 1999, when Burdines closed and relocated to the Aventura Mall. Vacancies increased throughout the late 1990s, leaving only Marshalls and a few smaller inline stores.
The conversion of the mall into a power center began in 1996, when the movie theater outparcel was demolished to make way for The Home Depot
. A major change to the enclosed mall itself occurred in October, 2003, when the Jordan Marsh building, its adjoining parking structure, and about ⅓ of the mall was demolished and replaced with a Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened in September, 2005. The remaining mall was reworked to include big-box stores, including Office Depot and Ross. Steve & Barry's
opened on the upper level of the former Burdines in 2007, but closed in 2009 after a nationwide liquidation.
shoes story
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...
and power center in North Miami Beach
North Miami Beach, Florida
North Miami Beach is a Miami suburban city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. Originally named Fulford in 1926 after Captain William H. Fulford of the United States Coast Guard, the city was incorporated in 1927 as Fulford, but was renamed North Miami Beach in 1931. The population was...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. From its opening as an open-air shopping center in 1956, it has been converted into an enclosed mall, but was later redeveloped as a combination of both formats. The mall's anchors
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....
are 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...
, Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
, Office Depot
Office Depot
Office Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
, Ross, and Wal-Mart Supercenter
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...
.
History
The mall opened on November 1, 1956 as The 163rd Street Shopping Center, anchored by a Raymond LoewyRaymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy was an industrial designer, and the first to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine, on October 31, 1949. Born in France, he spent most of his professional career in the United States...
-designed Burdines
Burdines
Burdines was a leading department store chain in the state of Florida. The first Burdines store was opened in Bartow, Florida in 1896., Burdines became part of Federated Department Stores, Inc in 1956...
and later, Richard's. In addition, it sported forty-nine outlets, including Food Fair
Pantry Pride
Food Fair, also known by its successor name Pantry Pride, was a large supermarket chain in the United States. It was founded by Samuel N. Friedland, who opened the first store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the late 1920s. As of 1957, Food Fair had 275 stores, and at its peak, the chain had more...
(later Pantry Pride), J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, M and M Cafeteria, Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
, and Woolworth
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
.
Wometco
Wometco Enterprises
Wometco Enterprises is a company headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida; a suburb of Miami. It was a large media company but today it is known only as the owner of the Miami Seaquarium.- History :...
163rd Street Theatre served as an outparcel, and by 1961, was doubled as the 163rd Street & Patio Theater. In February, 1971, Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh
Jordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
opened a three-story location at the shopping center's east wing.
Until the late 1970s, the center court fronting Burdines had provided countless kiddie rides
Kiddie rides
A kiddie ride is a coin-operated amusement ride for small children. Kiddie rides are commonly available in amusement parks, arcades, malls, hotel game rooms and outside supermarkets and discount department stores. Less commonly, they may also appear in other venues such as restaurants, food...
, which were all encircled by a train track. A go-kart track
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
also existed in the north parking lot, but was destroyed by Hurricane Cleo
Hurricane Cleo
Hurricane Cleo was the third named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 1964 Atlantic hurricane season. Cleo was one of the longest-lived storms of the season...
and never rebuilt.
Polytetrafluoroethylene
Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that finds numerous applications. PTFE is most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon....
-coated canvas was placed over them. Richard's, which closed on January 11, 1980 as part of a chain-wide closure, was fashioned into a three-floor atrium
Atrium (architecture)
In modern architecture, an atrium is a large open space, often several stories high and having a glazed roof and/or large windows, often situated within a larger multistory building and often located immediately beyond the main entrance doors...
. The upper level became a food court while the lower level allowed for the expansion of Spec's Music
Spec's Music Inc.
Spec's Music was a South Florida-based retail music and video rental chain headquartered in Miami. At its height of popularity, Spec's Music operated 49 stores, including "superstores" in Miami Beach, West Palm Beach, and Sunrise. The company's stores were located in malls, strip centers, and...
as Spec's Metro. It was at this time the mall was rebranded to its current name, however the mall's transformation was often called The Miracle on 163rd Street.
When the Aventura Mall
Aventura Mall
The Aventura Mall is an upscale super-regional shopping mall in Aventura, Florida, a northern suburb of Miami. It is the largest conventional shopping mall in Florida, having a gross leasable area of , and is the fifth largest shopping center in the United States. The mall has three floors of...
opened in 1983, J. C. Penney moved to the new mall, in effect closing its 163rd Street store. Unable to lure a replacement anchor, the Penney's space was divided into six specialty store spaces, while the basement became an Oshman's
Sports Authority
The Sports Authority, Inc. is one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the United States. It is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, and operates more than 460 stores in 45 U.S...
sporting goods store. Pantry Pride closed in 1984, and Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise
Service Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
opened as its replacement, creating a mall entrance that Pantry Pride didn't possess. The third and most significant change involved the food court's closure due to a lack of significant foot traffic. However, it was gradually relocated downstairs to the second floor of the atrium, while the third floor converted to a Marshalls. An extra-long escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
was installed to shuttle shoppers directly up to the third floor Marshalls.
The decline of the mall began in 1991 when Jordan Marsh closed. Although a Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
department store took over the lower two floors of the three story structure, it closed in 1995. The biggest hit however took place in 1999, when Burdines closed and relocated to the Aventura Mall. Vacancies increased throughout the late 1990s, leaving only Marshalls and a few smaller inline stores.
The conversion of the mall into a power center began in 1996, when the movie theater outparcel was demolished to make way for 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...
. A major change to the enclosed mall itself occurred in October, 2003, when the Jordan Marsh building, its adjoining parking structure, and about ⅓ of the mall was demolished and replaced with a Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened in September, 2005. The remaining mall was reworked to include big-box stores, including Office Depot and Ross. Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
opened on the upper level of the former Burdines in 2007, but closed in 2009 after a nationwide liquidation.
Anchors
- The Home DepotThe Home DepotThe 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...
(opened in 1996 on the site of the former cinema) - MarshallsMarshallsMarshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
(opened in 1990 in the former upper level food court) - Office DepotOffice DepotOffice Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
(opened in 2005 in former mall space) - Ross (opened in 2005 in a section of the renovated Burdines)
- Wal-Mart SupercenterWal-MartWal-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...
(opened in 2005 on the site of the Mervyns wing)
Former anchors
- BurdinesBurdinesBurdines was a leading department store chain in the state of Florida. The first Burdines store was opened in Bartow, Florida in 1896., Burdines became part of Federated Department Stores, Inc in 1956...
(opened in 1956, closed in 1999; space renovated for Ross and Steve & Barry's) - J.C. PenneyJ.C. PenneyJ. 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...
(opened in 1956, closed in 1983; converted to mall space and Oshman'sSports AuthorityThe Sports Authority, Inc. is one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the United States. It is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, and operates more than 460 stores in 45 U.S...
) - Jordan MarshJordan MarshJordan Marsh & Company was a department store in Boston, Massachusetts, which grew to be a major regional chain in the New England area of the United States. In 1996, the last of the Jordan Marsh stores were converted to Macy's. The store was formerly part of Allied Stores and then Federated...
(opened in 1971, closed in 1991; lower two levels became Mervyns) - Mervyn's (opened in 1993, closed in 1995; demolished for Wal-Mart Supercenter)
- Food FairPantry PrideFood Fair, also known by its successor name Pantry Pride, was a large supermarket chain in the United States. It was founded by Samuel N. Friedland, who opened the first store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the late 1920s. As of 1957, Food Fair had 275 stores, and at its peak, the chain had more...
(opened in 1956, closed in 1984; eventually rebranded to Pantry Pride, became Service Merchandise with a mall entrance) - Richard's (opened in 1956, closed 1980, converted to mall space)
- Service MerchandiseService MerchandiseService Merchandise is an online retailer and former retailer chain of catalog showroom stores carrying fine jewelry, toys, sporting goods, and electronics that existed for 68 years...
(opened in 1984; closed in 2001) - WoolworthF. W. Woolworth CompanyThe F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
(opened in 1956; closed 1997) - Steve & Barry'sSteve & Barry'sSteve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
(opened in 2007, closed in 2009)
shoes story