Valley View Center
Encyclopedia
Valley View Center is a super-regional shopping mall
located at Interstate 635
and Montfort Road in north
Dallas
, Texas
, USA
. The mall is owned and managed by The Macerich Company.
The mall was developed in 1973 when Homart Development Company
, the real estate development subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck & Co., added a Sanger-Harris
and several smaller stores to the existing Sears store that had been built in 1965. LaSalle Street Fund bought the mall in the early 1980s and oversaw continued expansion plus addition of a fourth anchor store. The Macerich Company, a Santa Monica, California
-based shopping center operator, purchased Valley View Center in 1996 for a reported $85.5 million in cash and debt. As of 2011, efforts to coordinate the redevelopment of the mall and the surrounding real estate are being coordinated by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
In August 1973, as part of the mall's grand opening celebration, the Thom McAn
Shoe Store in Valley View Center offered a free 8-ounce steak with any purchase of $5 or more. The promotion drew local and national media attention.
anchor actually pre-dates the mall itself having been built in 1965. This Sears was built as a freestanding store on what was then the far northern fringe of Dallas and the location was largely surrounded by pasture land. It would be another eight years before the Homart Development Company would add a Sanger-Harris department store to the site and connect it to Sears with a corridor of specialty retailers to create Valley View Mall.
department store as part of the original Valley View Center development. Sanger-Harris was merged with Foley's
and renamed in 1987 then the combined company was sold to May Department Stores
in 1988. The store was renamed Macy's
in September 2006 as a result of Federated Department Stores
' purchase of the May Company in 2005. This location closed on March 15, 2008 and is, as of October 2011, vacant. The building's current owners, Monfort Mall LLC, announced plans in September 2011 to at least partially fill the building with a "general merchandise" retailer.
department store, the mall's third anchor (302268 square feet (28,082 m²)), was opened in 1979 as a two-level store accompanied by further expansion of the mall's interior. In October 1985, Dillard's added a third floor to its Valley View Center store. Linens, furniture, electronics and housewares were relocated to the new third level and several clothing departments on the original two levels were expanded. At the same time, Dillard's added a candy and cookie department as well as a junior department. In July 2008, Dillard's announced that it would close this location on August 30, 2008.
.
as a fifth anchor. After several delays, construction for a 16-screen theater began in June 2003. The AMC Valley View 16 opened on May 14, 2004. The grand opening was marked by a ceremonial "ticket-tearing" featuring Dat Nguyen
and Jason Witten
of the Dallas Cowboys
. The stadium-style seating theater complex was built on top of the Sears anchor store so that no parking or retail space would be given up for the addition.
was added to the northeast corner of the mall. The theater, known as Valley View Cinema 1 & 2, closed in 1991. The facade of the movie theater was boarded up and the interior furnishings were stripped out. The 13240 square feet (1,230 m²) space remained empty until it was renovated in late 2001 by Radio One to house radio stations KBFB and KSOC. Renovation included leveling the sloping floors in the theater and installing new air-conditioning and heating units. Officially opened in January 2002, the broadcast studios, located on the mall's second level, are in what used to be the theater projection rooms. The area that housed the ticket counters became the reception desk and part of one movie theater was retained as a 150-seat auditorium. The facility also includes a small basketball court, two production studios, a mix room, a newsroom, and office space.
. For six years the museum hosted both touring cultural exhibits and permanent features including a play hospital and kid-sized grocery store. In September 2006, the Museum of Nature & Science
and the Dallas Children's Museum announced their merger and closed the Valley View Center location. The museum reopened in Fair Park
as the Children's Museum at the Museum of Nature & Science in October 2006.
with entertainment and special promotions. Some smaller retailers objected to the new hours but mall officials informed them in writing of their contractual obligations to operate while the mall is open.
January 1, 1987, was the first New Year's Day
that the anchor stores of Valley View Center were open for business on the holiday. Many smaller stores in the mall followed their lead although it would be a few years before every store would be obligated to be open on the first day of the new year.
presented a Maxi award in the Community Relations category to Valley View Center for work with the Tejas Council of Girls Scouts.
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 at Interstate 635
Interstate 635 (Texas)
Interstate 635 or the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway is a partial loop around Dallas, Texas between Interstate 20 in Balch Springs, Texas and State Highway 121 at the north entrance of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. The route is long...
and Montfort Road in north
North Dallas
North Dallas is an expensive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas . The phrase "North Dallas" is also sometimes used to include any suburb or exurb north of Dallas proper within the metropolitan area. The majority of North Dallas is located in Dallas County while a small...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The mall is owned and managed by The Macerich Company.
The mall was developed in 1973 when 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:...
, the real estate development subsidiary of Sears, Roebuck & Co., added a Sanger-Harris
Sanger-Harris
Sanger-Harris was a department store chain from 1961 to 1987. It was formed by Federated Department Stores in 1961 from two Dallas, Texas chains, Sanger Brothers and A. Harris and Co., that dated from the 19th century...
and several smaller stores to the existing Sears store that had been built in 1965. LaSalle Street Fund bought the mall in the early 1980s and oversaw continued expansion plus addition of a fourth anchor store. The Macerich Company, a Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
-based shopping center operator, purchased Valley View Center in 1996 for a reported $85.5 million in cash and debt. As of 2011, efforts to coordinate the redevelopment of the mall and the surrounding real estate are being coordinated by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
In August 1973, as part of the mall's grand opening celebration, the Thom McAn
Thom McAn
Thom McAn is a brand of shoes distributed by Footstar, Inc., formerly the Melville Corporation . The brand is currently sold in Kmart and Wal-Mart stores, and consists of leather dress, casual, and athletic shoes...
Shoe Store in Valley View Center offered a free 8-ounce steak with any purchase of $5 or more. The promotion drew local and national media attention.
Sears
The 235055 square feet (21,837 m²) Sears, Roebuck and CompanySears, 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...
anchor actually pre-dates the mall itself having been built in 1965. This Sears was built as a freestanding store on what was then the far northern fringe of Dallas and the location was largely surrounded by pasture land. It would be another eight years before the Homart Development Company would add a Sanger-Harris department store to the site and connect it to Sears with a corridor of specialty retailers to create Valley View Mall.
Macy's (closed)
The mall's second anchor (300196 square feet (27,889 m²)) opened in August 1973 as a Sanger-HarrisSanger-Harris
Sanger-Harris was a department store chain from 1961 to 1987. It was formed by Federated Department Stores in 1961 from two Dallas, Texas chains, Sanger Brothers and A. Harris and Co., that dated from the 19th century...
department store as part of the original Valley View Center development. Sanger-Harris was merged with Foley's
Foley's
Foley’s was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. As of August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's South divisions. Foley's operated stores in Texas,...
and renamed in 1987 then the combined company was sold to 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...
in 1988. The store was renamed 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...
in September 2006 as a result of 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....
' purchase of the May Company in 2005. This location closed on March 15, 2008 and is, as of October 2011, vacant. The building's current owners, Monfort Mall LLC, announced plans in September 2011 to at least partially fill the building with a "general merchandise" retailer.
Dillard's (closed)
Dillard'sDillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
department store, the mall's third anchor (302268 square feet (28,082 m²)), was opened in 1979 as a two-level store accompanied by further expansion of the mall's interior. In October 1985, Dillard's added a third floor to its Valley View Center store. Linens, furniture, electronics and housewares were relocated to the new third level and several clothing departments on the original two levels were expanded. At the same time, Dillard's added a candy and cookie department as well as a junior department. In July 2008, Dillard's announced that it would close this location on August 30, 2008.
JCPenney
LaSalle Street Fund purchased Valley View Center in the early 1980s and expanded the mall again with more interior stores and a fourth anchor store, Bloomingdale's. This (220378 square feet (20,474 m²)) anchor location opened its doors in early 1983. On August 18, 1990, Bloomingdale's closed this location, citing declining sales and increased market competition. After the store's closure, the mall, which identified store locations by anchor store quadrants, furnished the former Bloomingdale's corridor with a grand piano, added landscaping and artwork, and branded the area as "The Conservatory." In August 1990, Montgomery Ward & Co. Inc. attempted to acquire the ground lease for this store from Federated Department Stores Inc. through the bankruptcy court. If successful, the company planned to buy the 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) building for a new Montgomery Ward location. Valley View Center's owner, then the Chicago, Illinois-based LaSalle Street Fund Inc. of Delaware, objected in court. In March 1991, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Cincinnati ruled that Federated could withdraw from its deal to sell the building in favor of a deal from the LaSalle Street Fund to "avoid further costs of litigation" and as it would be "a sound business decision." The space would ultimately remain vacant until October 19, 1996 when JCPenney opened in that location. At the time, it was the largest JCPenney location in the Dallas–Fort Worth MetroplexDallas–Fort Worth metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
.
AMC Valley View 16
In 2000, as part of a general redevelopment of the mall, Valley View Center announced the addition of a 20-screen AMC movie theaterAMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
as a fifth anchor. After several delays, construction for a 16-screen theater began in June 2003. The AMC Valley View 16 opened on May 14, 2004. The grand opening was marked by a ceremonial "ticket-tearing" featuring Dat Nguyen
Dat Nguyen
Dat Tan Nguyen is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League . He was the first Vietnamese American to play in the NFL. He played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1999 to 2005. He played college football at Texas A&M. He was the Cowboys' assistant linebackers coach and...
and Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. The stadium-style seating theater complex was built on top of the Sears anchor store so that no parking or retail space would be given up for the addition.
Valley View Cinema 1 & 2 (1975-1991)
In 1975, a twin-screen movie theater owned and operated by General Cinema CorporationGeneral Cinema Corporation
General Cinema was a nationwide chain of movie theaters that operated from 1935 until 2002. The theater chain, in its prime, operated approximately 621 screens, some of which were the first cinemas certified by THX. Its mascot was Popcorn Bob and his Candy Band, which graced the company's policy...
was added to the northeast corner of the mall. The theater, known as Valley View Cinema 1 & 2, closed in 1991. The facade of the movie theater was boarded up and the interior furnishings were stripped out. The 13240 square feet (1,230 m²) space remained empty until it was renovated in late 2001 by Radio One to house radio stations KBFB and KSOC. Renovation included leveling the sloping floors in the theater and installing new air-conditioning and heating units. Officially opened in January 2002, the broadcast studios, located on the mall's second level, are in what used to be the theater projection rooms. The area that housed the ticket counters became the reception desk and part of one movie theater was retained as a 150-seat auditorium. The facility also includes a small basketball court, two production studios, a mix room, a newsroom, and office space.
Smart Shoppers Club (1994-2000)
In April 1994, Valley View Center added a frequent-shopper rewards program called the Smart Shoppers Club. Mall management said they planned to spend roughly $500,000 over the first two years of the program in a bid to increase mall traffic while collecting invaluable demographic data about mall shoppers. Within five months, 9,000 shoppers had joined the club and the mall announced a goal of 20,000 members by the end of 1994. Shoppers logged their visits by swiping their membership card and entering a personal identification number at one of the mall's three touch-screen kiosks. Member benefits included special discount coupons, free gifts, and the chance to win prizes. Club members also received a periodic Shopping Smart newsletter, a Valley View Center shopping bag, plus a birthday card and gift. The Smart Shoppers Club was terminated in late 2000 when it was replaced by a cardless web-based system called Centerlinq. Customers were then able to redeem their old Smart Shoppers Club cards at the mall's customer service desk for a Valley View Center t-shirt.Dallas Children's Museum (2000-2006)
Originally opened in August 1998 at the Inwood Village shopping center, the Dallas Children's Museum relocated to Valley View Center in June 2000. The new museum, double the size of the previous location, was located on the second level of the mall between JCPenney and the Disney StoreDisney Store
Disney Store is an international chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive. Disney Store is a business unit of Disney Consumer Products. James Fielding serves as the President....
. For six years the museum hosted both touring cultural exhibits and permanent features including a play hospital and kid-sized grocery store. In September 2006, the Museum of Nature & Science
Museum of Nature & Science
The Museum of Nature & Science, located in Dallas, Texas, is the result of the 2006 mergers of the Dallas Museum of Natural History , The Science Place and the Dallas Children's Museum . It is currently located in Fair Park, where its three buildings are currently located...
and the Dallas Children's Museum announced their merger and closed the Valley View Center location. The museum reopened in Fair Park
Fair Park
Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America...
as the Children's Museum at the Museum of Nature & Science in October 2006.
Changing times
September 1, 1985, marked the first legal Sunday shopping day in Texas. Valley View Center, like other area malls, celebrated the end of the state's 24-year-old blue lawBlue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
with entertainment and special promotions. Some smaller retailers objected to the new hours but mall officials informed them in writing of their contractual obligations to operate while the mall is open.
January 1, 1987, was the first New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
that the anchor stores of Valley View Center were open for business on the holiday. Many smaller stores in the mall followed their lead although it would be a few years before every store would be obligated to be open on the first day of the new year.
Honors and awards
In November 2007, the International Council of Shopping CentersInternational Council of Shopping Centers
Founded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 60,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders,...
presented a Maxi award in the Community Relations category to Valley View Center for work with the Tejas Council of Girls Scouts.