Gadsden Mall facts for kids
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| Location | Gadsden, Alabama, United States |
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| Coordinates | 33°59′44.12″N 86°0′26″W / 33.9955889°N 86.00722°W |
| Opening date | July 31, 1974 |
| Developer | Colonial Properties |
| Management | Spinoso Real Estate Group |
| No. of stores and services | 70+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 (1 open, 2 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 502,591 square feet (46,692.2 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
The Gadsden Mall is a large shopping center in Gadsden, Alabama. It covers about 502,591 square feet (46,692.2 m2) of space. You can find it on U.S. Route 411, also known as Rainbow Drive. The mall is located where Interstate 759 meets U.S. Route 411. It is a major shopping spot for people in the area. The main store, or "anchor," at the mall right now is Belk.
History of Gadsden Mall
The land where the mall now stands was once known as "the flats" near Barrel Springs. This area changed a lot when the mall was built.
Building the Mall
Work to prepare the site for the mall started in September 1972. This was a big deal because it was the first shopping mall in Etowah County, Alabama. Construction began in March 1973. A company called Colonial Properties developed the mall. The Gadsden Mall officially opened its doors on July 31, 1974.
When the mall opened, two big stores, Sears and Belk Hudson, moved in. They left their old locations downtown to be part of the new mall. Other smaller stores from downtown also moved to the mall.
Changes in Anchor Stores
Over the years, the mall has seen some changes in its main stores. JCPenney had a store in the mall from 1991 to 2001. It then returned in 2008. This new JCPenney store was part of a big update to the mall.
However, on March 17, 2017, JCPenney announced it would close many stores across the country. The Gadsden Mall's JCPenney store closed its doors on July 31, 2017.
Later, on October 15, 2018, it was announced that Sears would also be closing. Sears was closing 142 stores nationwide. After Sears closed, Belk became the only remaining main store at the Gadsden Mall.
