Oglethorpe Mall facts for kids
Center Court of Oglethorpe Mall, April 2006
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| Location | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
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| Coordinates | 32°00′12″N 81°07′01″W / 32.0034°N 81.1169°W |
| Opening date | April 1969 (renovated 1974, 1977, 1982, 1989, 1992, 2002, 2018) |
| Developer | Scott Hudgens |
| Management | Brookfield Properties Retail Group |
| Owner | Brookfield Properties Retail Group |
| No. of stores and services | 122 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (3 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 943,801 sq ft (87,682.0 m2) (GLA) |
| No. of floors | 1 (2 in Belk, Macy's and former Sears) |
| Parking | 5,348 spaces (including parking deck) |
Oglethorpe Mall is a large shopping mall located in Savannah, Georgia. It's a popular spot for shopping and fun on the south side of the city.
The mall is named after General James Oglethorpe, who founded Savannah. It first opened in 1969 and has grown a lot since then. Today, it's almost one million square feet in size! You can find many restaurants, a food court, and 118 stores inside. Big stores like Belk, J. C. Penney, and Macy's are the main 'anchor' stores. Other popular stores include Barnes & Noble, Old Navy, and DSW. The mall is owned by Brookfield Properties Retail Group.
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History of Oglethorpe Mall
Oglethorpe Mall first opened its doors in April 1969. It was the very first shopping mall in Savannah, Georgia. The main stores when it opened were Belk-Beery, McCrory, and Sears. It was also home to Savannah's first Chick-fil-A restaurant! Other early places included Morrison's Cafeteria and a Piggly Wiggly grocery store.
Early Expansions and Changes
The mall started to grow just a few years after opening. In 1974, a new section was added. More growth happened in 1982 when a large new wing was built. This new part brought in J. C. Penney and Levy's of Savannah.
In 1986, Levy's store became Maas Brothers. Then, in 1988, Maas Brothers joined with another store called Jordan Marsh.
Major Renovations and New Stores
Until 1989, the mall still looked much like it did when it first opened. But then, it got a big makeover! The new design used "coastal" styles, with light colors and natural wood. They also added skylights, which let in lots of sunshine. A new tile floor was put in, and it even won design awards! A new two-level parking garage was also finished in 1990.
In 1991, the Jordan Marsh store closed. In 1992, that space was changed into more mall shops, and a new Rich's store opened. McCrory left the mall in 1994, and Stein Mart took its place the next year.
Modern Updates and Recent Changes
A part of the mall called The Promenade was updated in 2000. It became the home of Barnes & Noble. A brand new food court opened in 2002, offering more dining choices. The outside of the mall also got a fresh look during the 2000s. In 2005, the Rich's store became a Macy's.
In 2016, Piccadilly Cafeteria closed after being in the mall for 47 years. Its spot was soon taken over by a DSW shoe store.
In August 2018, Sears announced it would be closing its store in November 2018. This meant that Belk became the only original anchor store left from when the mall opened in 1969. The company that owns the old Sears building plans to create smaller shops there. Also, in 2019, H&M opened its third store in the Savannah area inside the mall.
The mall also got another facelift in 2018. New signs, fresh paint, updated ceilings, and new tile floors were installed to make the mall look modern and inviting.
