Metrocenter Mall (Jackson, Mississippi) facts for kids
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| Location | Jackson, Mississippi, United States |
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| Coordinates | 32°17′59″N 90°15′6″W / 32.29972°N 90.25167°W |
| Opening date | 1978 |
| Closing date | 2018 |
| Developer | Jim Wilson & Associates and Homart Development Co. |
| Management | The Overby Company |
| Owner | City of Jackson and Metrocenter Mall, LLC |
| No. of stores and services | 60 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (1 open, 3 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,250,000 sq ft (116,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
Metrocenter Mall was a large shopping mall in South Jackson, Mississippi. It was once the biggest enclosed mall in Mississippi. The mall had 1,250,000 square feet of shops on two levels. It also had four main "anchor" stores, which are big department stores that attract many shoppers.
A company called Jim Wilson & Associates built the mall. It opened in 1978. Metrocenter Mall was located near major highways, making it easy for people to visit. By 2014, some of its main tenants included a Burlington Coat Factory store. Also, some offices for the City of Jackson were located there. The mall faced financial difficulties and was eventually sold. It closed its doors in 2018.
Contents
Mall History: A Look Back
Opening Day: A Big Event
Metrocenter Mall first opened on March 1, 1978. It was a very exciting day! The mall was considered the largest in Mississippi. It had over 100 different stores and services. These were spread out across two floors.
When it first opened, Metrocenter had three main department stores. These "anchor" stores were McRae's, Gayfers, and Sears. A fourth big store, D.H. Holmes, was added in May 1979.
Fun Places to Eat and Shop
Inside the mall, there were also restaurants. Potpourri Restaurant was inside D.H. Holmes. Widow Watson's was inside McRae's. The mall also had a Service Merchandise store. There was even a special outlet of the Jitney-Jungle supermarket chain. Metrocenter also had Mississippi's only General Cinema movie theater.
Metrocenter Mall quickly became very popular. It took away much of the business from an older mall called Jackson Mall. Even when Northpark Mall opened in 1984, Metrocenter continued to do well.
Changes to Anchor Stores
Over the years, the big anchor stores at Metrocenter changed. In 1989, D.H. Holmes became a Dillard's store. The Potpourri Restaurant then closed. Ten years later, in 1999, Dillard's also bought Gayfers.
In 2006, McRae's was sold and became a Belk store. Sears was the only original anchor store that stayed open for a long time.
Metrocenter's Decline and Closure
Signs of Trouble Begin
Metrocenter Mall started to face challenges around 1999. This was when the first of its big anchor stores closed. Dillard's, which owned two large spaces, decided to close the former Gayfers store. It kept open the store that used to be D.H. Holmes. Dillard's stayed at the mall until 2006. This left only two active department stores.
In the same year, McRae's became Belk. Belk even changed the store's restaurant name to Brittyanna's. More and more stores started to become empty.
A New Store and Hope
In August 2007, something new happened. A Burlington Coat Factory store opened in the old Gayfers space. This brought a lot of excitement! People came from far away to shop there. Traffic at Metrocenter increased by about 3,000 cars each day.
Challenges Continue
Despite the new store, the mall still faced problems. The population in the Jackson area was changing. Also, safety concerns in South Jackson made it hard to fill empty stores. By June 2009, Belk announced it would close its Metrocenter store. Belk wanted to focus on its stores in other areas like Northpark Mall and Dogwood Festival Market.
Efforts to Revive the Mall
In December 2009, the city council of Jackson voted. They decided to buy the old D.H. Holmes/Dillard's building. They hoped this would help bring new life to South Jackson.
In July 2010, the old McRae's/Belk building was sold. The new owners planned to divide it up. The first floor would be offices for the City of Jackson. The second floor would have offices, restaurants, and shops. Developers worked on these plans starting in 2011.
The Final Closure
Despite all these efforts, more bad news came. In late 2011, Sears Holdings announced many store closures. This included the Sears store at Metrocenter. Sears was the last original department store anchor. It closed in 2012.
After Sears closed, only a few parts of the mall were still used. The Burlington store remained open. City offices were still there. Some small shops were also open around the center of the mall. Special events were sometimes held in the center court.
Finally, in August 2018, Metrocenter Mall officially closed its doors. However, the Burlington store and the parts of the building with city offices are still open today.
