Northpark Mall (Mississippi) facts for kids
| Location | Ridgeland, Mississippi, United States |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 1984 |
| Developer | Cadillac Fairview |
| Management | Pacific Retail Capital Partners |
| Owner | Pacific Retail Capital Partners |
| No. of stores and services | 90 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 958,000 square feet (89,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
Northpark Mall is a large, two-story shopping center in Ridgeland, Mississippi. It's right across the street from Jackson, the state capital. This mall opened its doors in 1984.
When it first opened, Northpark Mall had four main "anchor" stores. These are big department stores that attract many shoppers. The original anchors were McRae's, Gayfers, D.H. Holmes, and JCPenney. The mall also had a movie theater. It started with 10 screens and later grew to 14 screens. However, the cinema closed in early 2019.
The company that built Northpark Mall was Cadillac Fairview. They sold the mall in 2003 to Mills Corporation. Today, Pacific Retail Capital Partners manages and co-owns the mall.
A Look at Northpark Mall's History
Northpark Mall quickly became very popular after it opened. It took away most of the shoppers from an older mall called Jackson Mall. Jackson Mall had opened in 1969. Two of its main stores, JCPenney and Gayfers, moved to Northpark in 1985. Jackson Mall later changed into a medical center.
Northpark Mall also had other shopping centers as competitors. One was Metrocenter Mall, which opened in 1978 and closed in 2018. Another is the Outlets of Mississippi in Pearl, which opened in 2013. Other shopping spots nearby include Dogwood Festival Market and Market Street Flowood in Flowood.
Changes to Anchor Stores
Over the years, some of Northpark Mall's anchor stores changed names. This happened because bigger companies bought them. For example, in 1999, the Gayfers store at Metrocenter Mall closed. This was because Dillard's bought Gayfers' parent company.
Then, in 2004, Dillard's decided to close its Metrocenter location. They moved all their business to their stores at Northpark Mall. Dillard's now has two large stores at Northpark.
Another big change happened in 2006. All the McRae's stores, including the one at Northpark, became Belk stores. This happened because Belk bought McRae's in 2005. The Belk store at Metrocenter Mall closed in 2009. This meant more shoppers came to the Belk stores at Northpark and Dogwood Festival Market.
Current Anchor Stores
Northpark Mall still has several large anchor stores today. These stores are important for bringing people to the mall.
- Belk (This store was originally McRae's)
- Dillard's North
- Dillard's South
- JCPenney
