East Towne Mall facts for kids
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| Location | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
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| Coordinates | 43°07′30.5″N 89°18′17.5″W / 43.125139°N 89.304861°W |
| Address | 89 East Towne Mall |
| Opening date | October 14, 1971, renovated 2003 |
| Developer | Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Co., Cleveland, Ohio |
| Owner | CBL Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 115 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 9 (6 open, 3 vacant after Sears closes) |
| Total retail floor area | 839,608 square feet (78,002.1 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 (2 in Dick's Sporting Goods, J. C. Penney, and former Boston Store) |
| Parking | 4,964 |
East Towne Mall is a big shopping mall located on the northeast side of Madison, Wisconsin. It's a popular place for shopping and fun! The main stores, called anchor stores, are JCPenney, Shoe Carnival, Barnes & Noble, Planet Fitness, Flix Brewhouse, and Dick's Sporting Goods. There are also three empty anchor spots where Gordmans, Sears, and Boston Store used to be.
Contents
History of East Towne Mall
East Towne Mall first opened its doors on October 14, 1971. This was just one year after West Towne Mall opened on the west side of Madison. When it was built, East Towne was the biggest enclosed mall in Madison.
Early Days and Art
The mall started with four large anchor stores: Sears, J. C. Penney, H. C. Prange Co., and Gimbel's. A store called Prange Way was also part of the Prange's space.
The Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Company from Cleveland, Ohio built the mall. Construction began on September 18, 1970.
When it first opened, East Towne Mall had some cool features. It had eight water pools and comfy sunken lounge areas. Artists Clarence Van Duzer and Joseph McDonnell created special artwork for the mall. McDonnell made four sculptures, including a huge yellow rhinoceros made of metal! Another was a giant, colorful chandelier that looked like a "galaxy of light."
Van Duzen designed the main central area. It had a tall ceiling and four modern pillars. In the middle was a large, three-level pool with waterfalls and a fountain. Lights and music were even synchronized with the water! The main entrance had cool sculpted stone blocks.
Changes Over Time
In the late 1980s, all the water features and sunken lounge areas were removed. The main entrance was also updated, and a food court was added. This gave shoppers more places to eat.
The parking area was also very large, designed for 6,000 cars. Over time, as the mall expanded, the parking area became a bit smaller.
East Towne Mall was built in an empty area of farmland. Now, it's surrounded by many other stores, banks, and restaurants.
Over the years, some of the original anchor stores changed names. Gimbel's became Boston Store in 1987. Prange's became Younkers in 1992. Later, Younker's at this mall also became a Boston Store in 2003. The original Boston Store, which was once Gimbel's, then closed.
The building where Gimbel's used to be was taken down. Now, that space holds a Dick's Sporting Goods, a Gordmans (which opened in 2004), and new mall shops.
East Towne Mall Today
Today, East Towne Mall has over 100 shops and services. It also has a food court with about a dozen places to eat. There's a Barnes & Noble bookstore right next to the food court.
Entertainment and Renovations
From its opening until about 2003, the mall had a movie theater. It was called Budget Cinemas for a long time. It closed when a store called Steve & Barry's took over that space. Steve & Barry's closed in 2008. Now, that spot is a Flix Brewhouse, which is a movie theater that also serves food and drinks.
The company that owns East Towne Mall now is CBL Properties. They bought the mall in 2000. CBL Properties gave the mall a big makeover in 2003. They added more skylights, family restrooms, and improved the look of the inside. New stores like Steve & Barry's, CJ Banks, and Helzberg Diamonds were added. The Barnes & Noble store also opened in 2003.
The renovations made East Towne Mall feel fresh and new. They wanted the mall to have its own unique feel, different from West Towne Mall. They brought in more local shops and gift stores, along with some national clothing stores.
Recent Store Closures
In recent years, some big stores at the mall have closed:
- On August 29, 2018, Boston Store closed.
- On February 22, 2020, Gordman's closed.
- On June 23, 2020, Sears closed.
In July 2020, JCPenney announced that this store was one of 21 they were putting up for sale.
