West Towne Mall

Infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = West Towne Mall


image_width =
caption =
location = Madison, Wisconsin
address = 66 West Towne Mall, 53719-1019
608-833-6330
coordinates = coord|43|07|30.5|N|89|18|17.5|W|display=inline,title
opening_date = October 15, 1970, renovated 1989, 2003
closing_date =
developer = Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Co., Cleveland, Ohio
manager =
owner = CBL Properties
architect = Lou Resnick, Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Co.
number_of_stores = 110
number_of_anchors = 5
floor_area = convert|915307|sqft|m2|1
floors = 1
parking = 7,870
website = [http://www.shopwesttowne-mall.com www.shopwesttowne-mall.com]
footnotes =

West Towne Mall is a shopping mall located in Madison, Wisconsin that is owned by CBL Properties. It was the first enclosed shopping center within convert|70|mi|km of Madison with its grand opening October 15, 1970. The mall was designed by architect Lou Resnick and developed by Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, the developer of Brookfield Square in Milwaukee."West Towne Mall Supplement". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. Wednesday, October 14, 1970.] The convert|56000|sqft|m2|abbr=on Manchester's store was later replaced by a food court. West Towne is the sister mall to the East Towne Mall which opened a year later. As of 2008, West Towne Mall is anchored by Sears, J. C. Penney, Boston Store, Steve & Barry's, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

1970s

The West Towne and its sister mall, East Towne, were originally developed by Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Company of Cleveland, Ohio, ["East Towne Supplement". Wisconsin State Journal. Wednesday, October 13, 1971.] which was later known as the Richard E. Jacobs Group. Initial anchors were Prange's, Sears, J.C. Penney and Manchester's. The Manchester's location was their sixth and at the time their largest store."West Towne Mall Supplement". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. Wednesday, October 14, 1970.] The store would eventually be replaced by a food court.

West Towne was built in a cow pasture on the west side of Madison in an area that was originally intended for industrial development. After the mall was built it became a massive retail area instead.West Towne hits 25 Novelty Gone, but Madison Mall Lives on." Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: October 8, 1995. pg. 1.A.] Palm trees and other tropical plants were originally used in the mall area. The trees shipped from Florida were nearly killed by a cold snap when delays in the shipment of the glass for the main entryway forced emergency heaters into use. Half-inch thick glass made by Pilkington in England was hung in curtain form with no visible support or connections and filled a 50'x27' area at the main entrance. A helicopter was employed to place the 30 HVAC units on the building's roof to control the climate of the building."West Towne Mall Supplement". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. Wednesday, October 14, 1970.]

West Towne's grand opening was Thursday October 15, 1970 at 9:30 a.m. and had no ceremony or ribbon cutting to mark the occasion. The mall's manager James M. Roche explained the lack of a ceremony saying, "We feel the shopper has come out to see the center. Our "grand opening" will be symbolized by all stores opening their doors promptly at 9:30 a.m." Part of the opening included young women called "mall-ettes" handing out balloons, flowers and mall directories to shoppers. Only 28 stores were open at the time and two of the anchors Sears and J.C. Penney opened later."West Towne Mall Supplement". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. Wednesday, October 14, 1970.] West Towne hits 25 Novelty Gone, but Madison Mall Lives on." Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: October 8, 1995. pg. 1.A.]

Two artists were commissioned to provide artwork for the main mall area. Detroit sculptor [http://www.jmcdonnell.com/ Joseph A. McDonnell] was commissioned to create five metal sculptures for the mall. McDonnell spent seven months completing the sculptures, four of which were motorized to rotate as well as a large 15'x15' chandelier like work that hung near the east entrance. McDonnell was quoted as saying he was "astonished at the amount of money [the developers] wanted to spend on art" and noted at the time that he had only seen one other shopping center that spent more on artistic development. Clarence Van Duzer, a sculptor from Cleveland, Ohio, was commissioned to help design three of the four fountain areas as well as a suspended sculpture and water sculpture locater at the center of the mall. Part of the central fountain included a convert|19|ft|m|sing=on tall metal piece with several nozzles that circulated 800 gallons of water per minute forming part of the sculpture. He also created four magnesium sculptures that were suspended from the ceiling between the fountain and one of the sunken lounge areas."West Towne Mall Supplement". Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. Wednesday, October 14, 1970.] The fountains and sunken lounges were removed during a late-1980s remodeling of the mall.

1980s

West Towne and East Towne malls were at the center of a mid-1980s Wisconsin Supreme Court case. In Jacobs (the mall's owner at the time) v. Major [JACOBS v. MAJOR, 139 Wis.2d 492 (1987). No. 85-0341. Decided June 23, 1987.] , an anti-nuclear dance group, called the Nu Parable dancers, was barred from performing a dance which ended in a "die-in" on the mall's property. At issue was the right of non-consensual use of private property for freedom of speech purposes. In 1987, the Wisconsin Supreme court ruled 4-3 in favor of the mall owner's right to exclude Nu Parable from both malls.West Towne hits 25 Novelty Gone, but Madison Mall Lives on." Dee J. Hall, Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: October 8, 1995. pg. 1.A.]

2000s

CBL Properties purchased West Towne Mall, West Towne Crossing as well as East Towne Mall from Richard E. Jacobs Group in late 2000 as part of a $1.2 billion deal that included 23 properties. ["East, West Towne part of $1.2B Deal". Jeff Richgels, The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin: September 26, 2000. pg. 4.A.] The deal was completed February 1, 2001. ["Malls sale completed". The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin: February 1, 2001. pg. 1.E.] West Towne Crossing is immediately west of West Towne Mall and includes a Best Buy, Kohls, Shopko, Office Depot, Gander Mountain, Cub Foods and Barnes & Noble. CBL refurbished both East Towne and West Towne unveiling the changes which included more skylights, family restrooms, improved interior decor, seating, flooring and other changes in November 2003. ["Malls to show off new look." Marv Balousek. Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin: November 12, 2003. pg. D.10.] The face lift to West Towne Mall cost $2.8 million and was the first significant change to the mall since the 1989 addition of a fourth anchor store. According to CBL, the new design used elements of the Wisconsin State Capitol specifically noting the high chandeliers and wooden table and benches."New Look Malls; East Towne, West Towne keep up with the times." The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin: November 8, 2003. pg. 10.C.]

In 2003, former Boston Store locations were demolished at both East Towne and West Towne and Dick's Sporting Goods stores were constructed at a total cost of $5.5 million."New Look Malls; East Towne, West Towne keep up with the times." The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin: November 8, 2003. pg. 10.C.] Those stores opened at the end of October, 2004. ["Grand Opening for Dick's next week." The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin: October 20, 2004. pg. 8.D.] Boston Store remained both malls in the former location originally occupied by Prange's.

Anchors

*Boston Store
*Dick's Sporting Goods
*JCPenney
*Sears
*Steve & Barry's

References

* [http://www.shopwesttowne-mall.com/shop/westtowne.nsf/facts Mall facts]
* [http://www.cblproperties.com/SITEPL~1.NSF/ByStateforWebNew/B9EA0F0F329A3037852569D2006FF695?opendocument Property fact sheet]

External links

* [http://www.shopwesttowne-mall.com Official site]