Military Circle Mall

Military Circle Mall, known as The Gallery at Military Circle Mall from 2002 to 2015, is an enclosed shopping mall in Norfolk, Virginia. Opened in 1970, it features Macy's and Ross Dress for Less, and a Cinemark multiplex movie theater.^[2]

History

Military Circle Mall opened in 1970, developed by Harvey Lindsay Jr.^[3] Original tenants included J.B. Hunter (later Thalhimers), JCPenney, Smith & Welton, and Leggett (a division of Belk), a Sheraton hotel,^[4] and a 6-screen AMC Theatres multiplex.^[5] Thalhimer's became Hecht's in 1992,^[6] and Macy's in 2006. Smith & Welton closed in 1990.^[7] Renovations in 1996 included the addition of skylights in the concourses, new entrances and a 600-seat food court.^[8] AMC Theaters, located in the middle of the mall, closed in the mid-90s; a Cinemark multiplex opened a few years later in a different section of the mall.^[5]

In 1998, Belk vacated the former Leggett building. A year later, then-owner Urban Retail began a renovation of the center, which included the addition of a Sears in the former Smith & Welton space, returning Sears to Norfolk after its previous store in the city closed in 1993.^[9] In 2000, an 18-screen Cinemark movie theater also opened on the site of the former Leggett/Belk.^[10][11] Thor Equities bought the mall in 2002^[12] and renamed it The Gallery at Military Circle while continuing mall-wide renovation.^[3] Ross Dress for Less opened in 2004, taking space previously occupied by a McCrory dime store.^[13] A DoubleTree hotel, which had taken the former space of the Sheraton, closed about 2009 and has not reopened.^[14] KB Toys filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2009, followed soon by the closing of Suncoast, and Waldenbooks stores.^[15]

Sears closed its Military Circle store in March 2012 as part of a nationwide series of closings.^[9] The JCPenney store at Military Circle was named as one of 33 stores JCPenney announced on January 15, 2014 would close later in the year.^[16] The Norfolk Economic Development Authority then bought the vacated anchor that December so the city would have a strategic say in the future of the mall property.^[17]

On April 16, 2015; it was announced that the entire Gallery at Military Circle property was placed under foreclosure.^[18] On July 15, 2015, the entire mall property was put up for public auction in the Norfolk court.^{[19] [20]} On January 7, 2016; Macy's announced they were closing the Gallery at Military Circle location and many other locations as part of a massive restructuring;^[21] one of three in the Hampton Roads region and one of 40 overall scheduled to close in early 2016.
The mall is currently under new management and fully open and operational.

References

External links

• Official website

Coordinates: 36°51′07″N 76°12′22″W / 36.852°N 76.206°W / 36.852; -76.206