Meriden Mall

Meriden Mall (formerly Meriden Square and Westfield Meriden) is a shopping mall located in Meriden, Connecticut. At almost 900,000 square feet, Meriden is Connecticut's seventh largest mall, housing over 140 shops. As of 2022, the mall currently maintains the chains Boscov's, and Dick's Sporting Goods. The mall currently features staples, Forever 21 Red, American Eagle, Charlotte Russe, and Torrid.

Meriden Mall
LocationMeriden, Connecticut
Address470 Lewis Avenue, Meriden, CT 06451
Opening date1971
OwnerNamdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management
No. of stores and services142[1]
No. of anchor tenants5
Total retail floor area894,435 sq ft (83,095.7 m2)[1]
No. of floors2
Parking4,065[1]
Websitewww.meridenmall.com

History

The facility, originally built and owned by The May Department Stores Company opened in 1971. Its original architecture was a two-level, dumbbell shaped shopping center with two anchor stores, the Connecticut-based G. Fox, which was also owned by The May Company chain, and JCPenney. Original tenants were Radio Shack, Spencer Gifts, Hickory Farms, Barricini Candy, Record World, Waldenbooks, CVS, Singer sewing machine store, a piano and organ store, a travel agency, a liquor store, and a tobacco store. The only restaurant in the main part of the mall was a Friendly's Ice Cream parlor and restaurant, though both JCPenney and G. Fox had restaurants located inside of their stores. The mall also featured an incline ramp-escalator in the center court.

A 1993 renovation added a two-level wing anchored by a new Sears department store and also included a new food court, creating a T-shaped floor plan. Also in 1993, G. Fox parent, May Company acquired Boston based Filene's and merged the two department stores together under the Filene's name. The Meriden G. Fox store changed its name to Filene's.

The Westfield Group acquired the mall in 1997.[2]

The mall was expanded again in an ambitious renovation announced in 1997. The renovation saw an extra floor area of 147,425 sq ft (13,696.2 m2) added to the center, as well as an additional 30 stores, creating a cross-shaped floor plan.[3] The new anchor, built opposite Sears, was upscale department store Lord & Taylor, the centerpiece of the $38 million revitalization and expansion plan. In addition to its new anchor, a multistory parking garage was also built beside Sears on the end of the mall facing Lewis Avenue. The renovation was completed and officially opened in 1999.[4]

In 2005, Lord & Taylor shuttered this location after being repositioned. Westfield quickly moved to fill the vacancy by bringing in Dick's Sporting Goods, which moved right into the empty Lord & Taylor space. In September 2006, Filenes became Macy's.

In 2014, it was announced that Boscov's would replace JCPenney, both expanding and completely remodeling the structure. The location is Boscov's first in Connecticut and in the entire New England region. The store opened in November 2015.[5][6]

The late 2010's saw multiple classic chain anchors retreat from brick and mortar after being disrupted by digital retailers in recent years.

On November 8, 2018, it was announced that Sears would shutter.[7]

On January 6, 2020, it was announced Macy's, which maintains additional outposts close by, would shutter in an effort to maximize profit margins.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Westfield Meriden". Westfield Group. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012.
  2. "Westfield America, Inc. Announces Third QuarterEarnings (September 1997)".
  3. "Westfield America, Inc. announces Lord and Taylor to add stores to the shopping centres" (Press release). Westfield Group. 19 December 1997. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010.
  4. "Westfield Property Group - Shoppingtown - Westfield Meriden | Midstate Chamber of Commerce". members.midstatechamber.com.
  5. Davidson, Paul. "J.C. Penney closing 33 stores, laying off 2,000". USA TODAY.
  6. MELVIN, ZACH. "Boscov's Department Store To Open At Meriden Mall, Adding 300 Jobs". courant.com.
  7. "Sears to close location at Westfield Meriden mall".
  8. "Macy's Store in Meriden to Close".

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