Hilldale Shopping Center

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Hilldale Shopping Center, also known localy as Hilldale, is a partially enclosed shopping mall in Madison, Wisconsin.

Currently, Hilldale has two anchor stores, Macy's and Sentry Foods, and over 50 specialty stores.

[edit] History

Hilldale Shopping Center was initially developed as part of the Hill Farms Neighborhood in Madison. In the early 1950s the University of Wisconsin-Madison Board of Regents formed a plan to sell 600 acres (2.4 km²) of University Hill Farms land (which was used by the School of Agriculture) to an expanding city of Madison. As part of the development plan, Kelab Inc. was formed in 1958 to direct the operation of the 33 acre shopping center. Construction was delayed in 1960 when Glendale Development brought suit against the Board of Regents, Kelab Inc. and Hilldale Inc., blocking construction until the United States Supreme Court refused to review the suit in 1961. [1]

After the legal issues were resolved, Hilldale opened on October 25, 1962 with a Gimbels anchor store. In 1986 the Gimbels store was converted to a Marshall Field's, which was subsequently rebranded as a Macy's in 2006. Hilldale underwent expansions in 1969, then again in 1985, and was renovated in 1997.

[edit] Recent renovations

Hilldale was acquired by Joseph Freed and Associates LLC and recently completed a major redevelopment/expansion in 2006. [2]

Among the changes:

A multi-level parking garage was erected in front of the mall, as well as a strip of several additional free-standing restaurants and stores.
A row of townhouses were erected in the front portion of the mall.
Refurbishment of the interior of the mall.
Hilldale became noted for being the first national location chosen by Sundance Cinemas for an expansion of the Sundance Cinema concept. [3] On May 11, 2007, Sundance Cinemas 608 opened. The six-screen theater is expected to feature independent, documentary and foreign-language films. [4]