Cottonwood Mall (Albuquerque, New Mexico) facts for kids
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Location | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
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Opening date | July 1996 |
Developer | Simon Property Group |
Management | Washington Prime Group |
Owner | Washington Prime Group |
No. of stores and services | 130+ |
No. of anchor tenants | 10 (9 open, 1 vacant) |
Total retail floor area | 1,041,680 sq ft (96,775 m2). |
No. of floors | 2 |
Website | Official Website: http://cottonwoodmall.com/ |
Cottonwood Mall is a large shopping mall located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. It's a popular spot for shopping, eating, and entertainment. The mall has over 100 stores and restaurants to explore.
Some of the main stores, called anchor stores, include Hobby Lobby, Mor Furniture, JCPenney, and Dillard's. You can also find Ulta Beauty, Conn's, and HomeLife Furniture. For entertainment, there's a Regal Cinemas movie theater and Fallout Trampoline Arena. The mall is the second largest in New Mexico. It covers a huge area of about 1,041,680 square feet.
Cottonwood Mall is also a filming location for TV shows. You might have seen it in "Better Call Saul" or "Daybreak". Outside the mall, there are more places to eat. These include BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Red Robin. You can also find local favorites like Garduños and Range Cafe. The mall is managed by a company called Washington Prime Group.
What is the History of Cottonwood Mall?
The land where Cottonwood Mall stands has a long history. In 1710, a Spanish king gave this land to a man named Francisco Montes Vigil. The area was known as the "Alameda Land Grant." Alameda means "cottonwood grove" in Spanish.
Later, in 1929, a large part of this land was bought by Albert F. Black. He started the Seven Bar Ranch here. The Black family built a home and even a small airport in 1947. This airport was first called the Seven Bar Airport. It later became the Alameda Airport. As Albuquerque grew, the family sold much of the ranch land. This allowed new neighborhoods to be built. The airport closed in 1986 to make way for the mall.
Cottonwood Mall officially opened its doors in July 1996. It was a big deal because it was the first new large mall in Albuquerque in 30 years. When it first opened, some of its main stores were Dillard's, Foley's, JCPenney, Mervyn's, and Montgomery Ward. Over the years, some of these stores changed. For example, Montgomery Ward closed and was replaced by Sears. Foley's became Macy's.
In 1999, Cottonwood Mall was part of a legal case. This case was about free speech rights at malls. Some people wanted to hand out leaflets. The mall had rules about this. The case was eventually dismissed. In 2018, the Sears store at the mall closed down. Its space was later taken by stores like Hobby Lobby, HomeLife Furniture, and Mor Furniture.
What Can You Find in the Food Court?
The food court at Cottonwood Mall is a cool place to eat. It has a special ceiling that looks like a diorama. This diorama shows off the city of Albuquerque. You can see the Rio Grande, the Sandia Mountains, and even the mall itself!
You'll find several well-known restaurants here. These include Burger King, Charleys Philly Steaks, and Potato Corner. There are also unique spots like Fuji Japan and Paleta Bar. If you like Sushi, you can try Sushi Roller.
What is the New Mexico Book Co-Op?
Every year, from Thanksgiving Day until New Year's Day, Cottonwood Mall hosts something special. It's called the New Mexico Book Co-Op. This is a local bookstore that sells only books and products from New Mexico. You often won't find these unique items in regular bookstores. It's a great way to discover local authors and artists.