Northgate Mall (Durham) facts for kids
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| Location | Durham, North Carolina, United States |
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| Address | 1058 West Club Boulevard |
| Opening date | 1960, enclosed 1974 |
| Closing date | May 4, 2020 |
| Developer | W. Kenan Rand |
| Management | Northwood Investors |
| Owner | Northwood Investors |
| No. of stores and services | ≈30 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 2 (both vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 900,000 sqft |
| No. of floors | 1 (2 in anchors) |
| Parking | 5,000+ spaces |
Northgate Mall was a big shopping center in Durham, North Carolina. It was located near Interstate 85 and was close to Duke University. The mall was a popular spot for shopping and fun for many years.
Contents
History of Northgate Mall
Starting Out: The Early Years
Northgate Mall first opened in 1960. It started as an outdoor shopping area. W. Kenan Rand was the person who built it.
It had stores like Colonial Stores, Roses, and Kerr Drug. A movie theater opened there in 1962. By 1973, more indoor malls were opening. So, Northgate added a Sears and a Thalhimers department store. They also built a roof to connect everything, making it an indoor mall.
In 1986, Thalhimers moved to a new, bigger store. More shops were added too. The next year, part of the old shopping area was taken down. A food court was built where people could eat. Some stores like Big Star (later Harris Teeter) moved to a new outdoor area. This new area was called "The Shops at Northgate."
Changes and New Stores
In the 2000s, Northgate Mall started to change. More local, smaller shops opened. This happened because a new, big mall, The Streets at Southpoint, opened nearby.
In 2005, Belk department store left the mall. A movie theater, Phoenix Theaters (now Northgate Stadium 10), took its place. That same year, the Harris Teeter grocery store closed. A cafeteria and a Guitar Center moved into its spot.
Big Changes in Shopping
On January 4, 2017, Macy's announced it was closing its store at Northgate. This was part of a plan to make Macy's more profitable. After Macy's left, the mall owners started planning new uses for the space. They wanted to add offices, fitness centers, and entertainment.
In December 2017, Duke Health bought the old Macy's space. They planned to use it for offices and medical clinics.
In June 2018, Sears sold its store to Northwood Investors. This company buys and sells real estate. Sears stayed open for a while after this sale. On December 28, 2018, it was announced that Sears would close for good. It shut down in March 2019. The old Sears store was even used as a hurricane shelter once!
Mall Closes Its Doors
On May 4, 2020, Northgate Mall announced it would close forever. The main reason for this was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Stores (Anchors)
These were the biggest stores at Northgate Mall.
Current (Vacant)
- Northgate Stadium 10 - This movie theater opened in 2005. Before that, it was a Thalhimers store (from 1986), then Hecht's (from 1992), and then Hudson Belk (from 1995).
Former Big Stores
- Macy's - This store opened in 1994 as Hecht's. It became Macy's in 2006 and closed in 2017.
- Sears - This store opened in 1974 and closed in 2019.
Images for kids
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Plaza Entrance to Mall
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Northgate Mall's new parking deck.
