The Village at Medford Center facts for kids
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| Location | Medford, Oregon 42°19′58″N 122°51′55″W / 42.3328243°N 122.86527480000001°W |
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| Opening date | 1959 |
| Developer | LBG Real Estate Companies, LLC |
| Owner | Kimco Realty |
| No. of stores and services | 50~ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 (4 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 420,000-square-foot (39,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Website | The Village at Medford Center |
The Village at Medford Center is a large shopping area in Medford, Oregon. It was once known as The Medford Center. This shopping center is about 420,000-square-foot (39,000 m2) in size. It is the oldest and one of the biggest malls in Jackson County. Another large mall nearby is the Rogue Valley Mall.
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How The Village at Medford Center Started
Before this shopping center was built, the land was used for farming. Animals like livestock would graze there. The Village at Medford Center first opened in 1959. Back then, it was called The Medford Center. It was one of the first shopping centers in Medford. It was also built right next to Interstate 5.
When it first opened, the shopping center had 333,000-square-foot (30,900 m2) of space for stores. It was an outdoor shopping area, like a strip mall.
Big Changes Over Time
In 1984, the Medford Center got a big makeover. It was changed from an outdoor strip mall into an enclosed shopping center. This meant shoppers could walk inside from store to store.
During the 1980s, more stores were added. These included places like Payless Drug Stores and Safeway. These new stores added another 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m2) of space. Before the Rogue Valley Mall opened in 1986, The Medford Center was the largest shopping mall in Medford.
In 1997, a huge movie theater called Cinemark Tinseltown USA opened at the center. It became the biggest movie theater in southern Oregon. It replaced older theaters in the area.
Modern Updates and New Name
In 2016, a company called LBG Real Estate Companies bought the shopping center. They started a big renovation project. This project cost $10 million. They added 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) more space for new stores. This made the total size 420,000-square-foot (39,000 m2).
After the renovations, the shopping center was renamed The Village at Medford Center. New businesses moved in, like a new Department of Motor Vehicles office, Willamette Valley Bank, and World of Insurance. A large sign saying "The Village" was put up. It replaced the old Tinseltown logo to show the new name.
Some of the main stores and businesses at The Village at Medford Center include Cinemark Tinseltown USA, International Fitness, Ashley Furniture, Ralph's, Rite Aid, and Red Robin.
Sears Store Closes
Sears was one of the original main stores at The Medford Center. It had been there since the mall opened in 1959. However, on December 28, 2018, it was announced that the Sears store would close. This was part of a plan to close many Sears stores across the country. The Sears store at The Village at Medford Center closed its doors in March 2019.
