Northshore Mall facts for kids
Aerial view of Northshore Mall in July 2016
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| Location | Peabody, Massachusetts, United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°32′26″N 70°56′41″W / 42.54056°N 70.94472°W |
| Opening date | September 12, 1958 |
| Management | Simon Property Group |
| Owner | Simon Property Group (56.4%) |
| No. of stores and services | 163 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,667,004 square feet (154,869.7 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 with partial lower levels (2 in JCPenney, both Macy's locations, and Nordstrom) |
| Parking | large lots and MBTA and CATA bus |
The Northshore Mall is a large shopping mall located in Peabody, Massachusetts. You can find it on Route 114. It's a popular place for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
The mall has several main stores, called "anchors." These include Nordstrom, JCPenney, DSW, and two Macy's locations. You can also find other well-known stores like Michael Kors, Brooks Brothers, and Victoria's Secret. If you get hungry, there's The Cheesecake Factory and other restaurants.
The Northshore Mall is very big, covering about 1.6 million square feet. Most of the mall is on one level, making it easy to get around. However, some parts, like the Nordstrom area and the main anchor stores, have more than one floor. The mall is managed by Simon Property Group, which owns most of it. It's also close to another mall owned by Simon, the Liberty Tree Mall.
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History of Northshore Mall
Plans for a big new shopping center in the Greater Boston area were first announced in December 1954. This new place, called the Northshore Shopping Center, was going to be built on 100 acres of land in Peabody. Before becoming a mall, the land was a country estate, then a school, and even a dairy farm.
Opening as an Open-Air Center
The Northshore Shopping Center officially opened its doors on September 12, 1958. It started as an open-air shopping center, meaning you walked outside between stores. The Governor of Massachusetts at the time, Foster Furcolo, helped open the mall.
The first major stores included Jordan Marsh, Filene's, Sears, and Stop & Shop. Besides shopping, the center also had fun things to do. There was a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a small amusement park called Kiddietown.
Becoming an Enclosed Mall
During the 1970s and 1980s, the shopping center began to change. One big change was that Sears expanded to become a full-size anchor store. To compete with newer, enclosed malls like the nearby Liberty Tree Mall, the Northshore Shopping Center started to enclose its outdoor walkways. Eventually, the entire shopping center became an enclosed mall, which meant shoppers could stay warm and dry while moving between stores.
New Owners and Major Expansions
In 1992, a company called New England Development bought the Northshore Mall. They made the mall even bigger. New stores like Filene's and Lord & Taylor were added. A new food court was also built. The old Filene's space was then rebuilt to make room for JCPenney.
In 1999, Simon Property Group became the main owner and manager of the mall. Since then, they have made many updates and small changes to improve the mall.
Special Features and Early Tech
Since 1960, the Northshore Mall has been home to the St. Therese Society of Mt. Carmel Chapel. It's one of the few chapels located inside a shopping center. The mall also has a special office for the Peabody Police Department, which helps them connect with the community.
On September 1, 2001, the Apple Store opened at the mall. This was a big deal because it was the very first Apple Store in the Northeastern United States. In fact, it was only the sixth Apple Store to open anywhere in the world! Later, in 2017, the Apple Store moved to a new outdoor shopping area nearby.
Changes in Anchor Stores
For many years, the mall's main stores stayed mostly the same. In 1996, the Jordan Marsh store changed its name to Macy's.
More big changes happened in 2005 and 2006. The company that owned Lord & Taylor and Filene's was bought by the company that owned Macy's. Because of this, the Filene's store at the mall closed briefly in 2006. Then, it reopened as a larger Macy's store.
In 2006, it was announced that Nordstrom would be opening a new store at the mall. To make space for Nordstrom, the old Jordan Marsh building was taken down. The new Nordstrom wing opened on November 4, 2009. This new section brought many popular stores like Zara, Sephora, and Pandora. Unlike the rest of the mall, this new wing has stores on two floors. The food court area was also updated, and new restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's China Bistro were added.
Recent Updates and Future Plans
Over the years, more stores have joined the mall, including Newbury Comics in 2012 and Michael Kors in 2016.
In 2017, the mall began outdoor renovations to create a new area called The Promenade. This area added new restaurants like Bancroft & Co. and Tony C's Sports Bar and Grill. It also includes an outdoor stage for community events, new patios, and updated landscaping.
In 2018, the Toys "R" Us store at the mall closed. Later, in 2019, a PGA Tour Superstore golf shop opened in that space. Also in 2018, the large Sears store closed its doors. The Sears building was taken down in 2019 to make way for new developments.
Future plans for the Northshore Mall include adding a new health club called Life Time Inc. There are also plans for new restaurants, a new main entrance, and possibly adding a second floor to parts of the mall in the future.
